[squishys-mummy]

Just wondering if anyone pays their mother or MIL to babysit while they work?

If you do, how much do you pay them per day?

Or what do you think is a fair price for 2 days of babysitting?

This post has been edited by squishys-mummy: 25/07/2008, 03:16 PM

[EmandZac]

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This post has been edited by EmandZac: 26/08/2008, 06:21 PM

[Guest_mummytomany_*]

Do people really pay their parents to babysit?

This post has been edited by mummytomany: 25/07/2008, 03:24 PM

[weekendsrule]

My Nanna looks after DS one day a week. There is no way in hell she would EVER accept money for doing it. If it was for work, I would buy her 'treats' occasionally though. I'd have to do something. As it is at the moment though, she wouldn't allow that either, as I'm not working.

I think so long as all parties are happy with whatever arrangement they come to, there are no real hard and fast rules when it comes to grandparents babysitting. You should offer to pay them, but after the initial offer, it's whatever works.

Also - I'm sure I've seen somewhere something about government assistance for grandparents who babysit their grandchildren for work reasons (as it lowers the number of kids needing child care spaces). Look into that too Though I could be totally off base there.

[Kafkaesque]

Firstly I wouldn't call watching children while you work babysitting, to me babysitting is a few hours occasionally not for 2 days every week. IMHO when it is that much they become a carer.

Personally I wouldn't ask parents/IL's to care for my children while working and if they offered I would be very hesitant.

As for paying them if they did care for your child, that is hard. You can't get any government rebates on family caring for them so if you offer very much you could end up being better of financially putting them into day care where you can get assistance. That of course doesn't take into account potential benefits of being with family.

I guess it totally depends on your parent/IL though, my mother wouldn't be willing to care for my children that much. However knowing my mum as I do if I really needed her to and she was no longer working she would do it begrudgingly so I would never ask her.

[Julie3Girls]

No. There is no way my parents would even consider taking money for babysitting.

My mum looked after first DD1, and then DD1 and DD2 together, 1 day a week. There is no way she would consider taking money for it. Firstly because she enjoyed doing it so much, so didn't see it as a "job" and secondly, because she knew how much it helped out not having the cost.

I did make sure her birthday/christmas gifts were extra special (something extra from the girls) and we'd shout my parents out to dinner. If we were still doing it now, I'd probably try and get her to take some petrol money (my parents are 30minutes away)

Other family is different - my SIL had DD1 for 2 days a week, and yes, I paid her, $30 a day. That was just to give her a bit of cash, and balanced out the money she spent on DD1 (buying them lunch if they were out, little treats etc)

This post has been edited by Julie3Girls: 25/07/2008, 03:40 PM

[MadamFrou-Frou]

No. When my mum looked after F. for one whole day I week while I worked, she wouldn't let me pay her but I would make sure there were treats in the fridge, buy her presents etc.

[scoutster]

My parents look after DS one afternoon a week(sometimes more) when I am at work. They would laugh at me if I offered to pay them.

I used to look after my sisters children when she was at work and she paid me $25 a day but that was 16 years ago. I would think the going rate is more than that now!!

Now DS is getting bigger I would do daycare sometimes if I worked fulltime but I prefer DS to be with someone that loves him like I do when he is little.

[susieja]

We have had family care for DD while I work and never paid them. I supplied all her food, nappies, clothes etc of course and also provided toys etc to keep at their house to make it easier.

I have also spent a lot of time caring for other family members children and have never received or expected payment. That just seems to be the way it works in our family.

Susan

[Auburn]

If I had my parents babysit while I was at work on a regular basis, then yes, I would expect to pay them. It would be something that was expected from me (if they agreed to do it), so I wouldn't expect them to do it for free.

However, if it was just a few hours on a Saturday night while DH and I went out occasionally, then it'd be more of a favour and I wouldn't pay. Just as I wouldn't expect them to pay if I had them over for dinner.

Hope that makes sense, lol.