How much to charge for extra work?

[Anonymous]

I have posted before about this family I'm working for as babysitter. I usually work only 2 hours per day, twice a week. I started on a low-ish wage because the mom said I had no formal experience and because I was told I would be babysitting their children, except speaking in my native language to them so they would learn it. I was told it was for the oldest child, a 4 year old, but that her almost two year old sister would be around and I just had to keep an eye on her. That was ok in the beginning, because the younger one mostly kept to herself (she didn't even walk yet) and I really was mostly just speaking to them in another language while playing.

Where I live in Europe, rates apparently go from 5-10 euros an hour. I have a friend who tried getting a babysitter for her daughter and couldn't find anyone who charged less than 10, but researching online I have not come across anything much higher than 10. Sometimes I see people asking for even less than 5 euros.

Regardless, we agreed on starting with 7 and seeing how it goes. How it went is that children absolutely love me. The oldest one asks me to come everyday and even asks to come to my house and tells me she loves me and I'm her best friend. Very sweet. The youngest one is very excited to see me and sometimes sad to see me go, she will cry sometimes! Which is a little awkward for me, but anyway. The oldest one also usually does not want me to go home. They are both learning my language, even the little one. She barely speaks but will say about 5 words in my language and knows what they mean. And knows what a lot of other words mean, even if she can't say them. The oldest one understands a lot and knows a lot of words, but usually prefers to speak in English, no matter how much I try to push her...and how much her mom pushes either (and her mom pushes quite a bit). But, she is learning. She is only 4 and it's only been 8 months or so.

Anyway, as time went on, I'm now serving the kids snacks or lunch, sometimes I have to cook them something or heat up food on the stove as there's no microwave. Cleaning them up, and such. That is fine, but that was never mentioned I supposedly I would be there to play with them in my language. But then I started being asked to go over a book with words every day, for at least 15 minutes. That is very stressful for me, because the kid hates it, but the mother insists on it. And I'm torn between respecting the kid's wishes and doing what the mother tells me to do. The mother also wants me to teach her to say specific phrases, instead of just teaching her to say what she usually says. I figure she's more likely to want to say her usual sentences and words in my language, than to say something she never ever says in English. I do teach her new words regardless and I'm constantly speaking to her and read books and sing songs.

Now that we have some background, how much extra would it be reasonable to charge to this?

I think 7 is too low for too kids, no matter the language. It's fine for one kid, even if I'm speaking my language. But then it would be your regular babysitting, except done in a different language, without having to constantly speak and having the pressure to teach them, which is stressful, specially when the mom semi complains to you that they don't want to speak the second language or criticizes how you are teaching them (she says I'm speaking to fast even when I'm not, even though the children understand me even when I do speak faster, the older one can even repeat words I have never said before when I accidentally speak faster and whenever she cant say something, I say it extra slow). Like I said, stressful and annoying. I'm also asked to write down all the words we learned that day, which is usually a long list and sometimes I do not have time to do it because I am constantly giving them attention, it's almost impossible to have down time with two kids, at least with them.

So 7 for one kid....how much more for two kids? 10? Is that unreasonable?

Now, adding the second language thing, how much is it worth to be making a constant effort to teach new words, go over word books, pretty much do an actual lesson, albeit more laid back with playing in between and such? How much would it be reasonable to charge on top of the base rate above?

[Anonymous]

What is your hourly rate now and what would you like?

[Anonymous]

Are you saying 7/hour? because that's RIDICULOUSLY low. 10/hr is even STILL too low!!!!

[Anonymous]

And to add on This sound to me me more like tutoring /babysitting. I did that. And I charged 20/hour. PLUS gas.

[Anonymous]

Read the thread, people. OP is talking about euros and gave us the added information about how her rate is average for her area in Europe.

Personally, OP, I don't think that your rate should be raised based on the reasons you mention. It sounds like you expected an easy job of playing and instead have to do some work. Honestly, it still sounds like an easy job. That said, you believe it is no longer worth it to you, so perhaps you need to seek another position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is your hourly rate now and what would you like?

My hourly rate is 7 and I think perhaps 15 for both of them would be ok, but I feel like it's not going to go over well because it is twice what she pays me now.

Anonymous wrote:Are you saying 7/hour? because that's RIDICULOUSLY low. 10/hr is even STILL too low!!!!

It's 7 euros, it's supposed to be the average here. I do think it's low, but apparently it's what's expected here. It seems that here, only expats use babysitters, maybe that has something to do with it, not sure.

Anonymous wrote:And to add on This sound to me me more like tutoring /babysitting. I did that. And I charged 20/hour. PLUS gas.

Yes, it's not quite tutoring because she is four, but it's not plain old babysitting either because i have done that with them and other kids and it's a lot more enjoyable and worth the 7 euros.

Anonymous wrote:Read the thread, people. OP is talking about euros and gave us the added information about how her rate is average for her area in Europe.

Personally, OP, I don't think that your rate should be raised based on the reasons you mention. It sounds like you expected an easy job of playing and instead have to do some work. Honestly, it still sounds like an easy job. That said, you believe it is no longer worth it to you, so perhaps you need to seek another position.

Thank you for your opinion. I feel like what I'm doing is worth more and kind of feel that I'm being taken advantage of with being paid the low end of the average, for 2 kids. But maybe the nagging from the mom is clouding my judgement and giving me the feeling that 7 is just too little for all she expects me to do.

Perhaps it might be time to just quit, but that is something that will not be easy to do because I did commit to doing this.

Do you think watching 2 kids should cost the same as well? Basically, I should just leave it as it is or quit?

[Anonymous]

I don't know what the right answer is, but I can almost guarantee that she is not going to double your rate to $15. That would be insane for almost anyone to agree to.

I think you have a good shot at $10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know what the right answer is, but I can almost guarantee that she is not going to double your rate to $15. That would be insane for almost anyone to agree to.

I think you have a good shot at $10.

Yes, I also think that it is unlikely she will agree to 15 and to be honest, now that I had time to think about it, I would not want to do what she now expects me to, which is to be a private tutor for my language. I do not have experience teaching a second language, much less to children and it's not what she hired me for initially. I also think it's wrong to push a child to learn a third/fourth language for two hours straight (or longer if I agreed to her requests), which is what she pushes me to do on a lot of the days. So even though when I posted this question I thought I would be ok with that if the pay is worth it, I'm just not.

I do think it does not seem right that I'm charging other families 7 for watching just one kid, for simply entertaining and playing with one child while their parents are gone and for her I'm offering something that is not easy to find here (not many people speak my language where I am...and even fewer want to do this type of work, perhaps because parents want to pay below minimum wage? Min wage is 9 here, before taxes) and I am constantly interacting with two very active kids who demand constant attention so I'm always actively playing with them.

Maybe it's time to quit, though that is going to be really difficult since I did tell her that I was sure I wanted to do this and I know she is going to give me a hard time and insist that I continue working.

But I do not like the way I'm treated, perhaps that's another reason I feel like I'm underpaid. She seems to expect me to do whatever she asks. Some days she just wants me to take the kids to the playground the whole time, some days she wants me to get out the books and teach them as many words as possible, even when the oldest refuses, she wants me to keep insisting. Sometimes I get there and there is a third child to look after (friends with the oldest child). Sometimes she disappears for hours without letting me know when she will be back. I never know what to expect and I do not like that.

Some days she wants me to work for more than the two hours a day that we initially agreed on but then tells me not to change the almost 2 year old if she has a dirty diaper...even if it's poop. She asks me to stop playing with them and teach the oldest my language, and then minutes later tells me to take them all to the park because they haven't been out much that day. So I'm constantly being asked different and contradicting...and sometimes strange things (like the diaper thing, at least I find that strange) and I'm not very happy about that. I love the kids, they are great. Not the most well behaved, but not the worst either and now that they know what to expect from me and how I expect them to behave it works well and it's not hard. But the mom...had I known it would turn out like this I would have never agreed to work for her, much less for 7 euros an hour. Who knew the hardest part of babysitting would be the parents, not the kids?

[Anonymous]

she is just taking advantage. she doesn't have any idea of how kids learn a second language "naturally" Not forcing them or torturing them.
Playing and sharing is the right approach , but talk to her if you will continue and any agreement put it in writing. If she is not willing to pay at least 10 or 12 an hour tell her you cannot do it anymore ......
you are the tutor, you teach a second language!!!!!