Another question about my babysitter shenanigans and $$$

[snipsnsnails]

I have a high schooler who babysits for us. She is 16, but doesn't have her license yet. I pick her up and take her home. She lives 10-15 miles away, down the interstate. I drive in rush hour traffic usually to get her, so the trip there might be 15 minutes, but the return trip to our house is 20-30 minutes.

Say, I pick her up at her house at 6:30, and we get to my house at 7pm (maybe a little later if we stop to get her some food). Should I be calculating her hourly rate from a start time of 6:30pm or 7pm?  Same for return trip. I take her home at 10pm, she's walking in her door between 10:15 and 10:20. When do I stop the clock?

Thanks!

[pantsparty]

Just as people with jobs cannot count their commute as time worked, I would not count the ride over in her pay.

[soozy87]

I would pay her for the time she was at your house. If her mom or dad was dropping her off or if she drove herself you probably wouldn't pay her for that time so I really wouldn't worry about it if you are driving her.

[FastHands]

I wouldn't count the drive, especially since it's an added inconvenience/expense for you that is not part of the typical babysitter arrangement necessarily.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

Eh for a kid, I would count anytime they are with me/my kids.

[mandymay]

Start at 7 if that's when she starts watching kids and end when she stops watching kids.

[Blueper]

I second once she starts watching your kids. I think that she has it made having you serve as her work shuttle. Otherwise you could pay her starting from her total time away from home, then charge her for transportation .

[snipsnsnails]

May 6, 2014 14:42:32 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

Eh for a kid, I would count anytime they are with me/my kids.

Wait, so does that mean the drive then? I wanted to be clear, since my kids are not in the car when I am picking her up and driving her. It's an added 50 minutes, so one additional hour of pay (if I round up) and she babysits weekly, if that affects anything.

[gretchenindisguise]

She's lucky you're not charging her for the ride.

Only time she's actually "on the clock" is what you should pay her for.

[Deleted]

When I tutored in law school, and worked for a big company, I got paid for drive time. My clients pay me for time in transport. We pay our decorator for time spent getting to and from our house. See where I am going with this?

[Deleted]

If she was driving herself you wouldn't pay for her commute so you shouldn't pay for it now.
The clock starts when she walks in the door and ends when she walks out.

[snipsnsnails]

May 6, 2014 14:50:45 GMT -5 elle said:

When I tutored in law school, and worked for a big company, I got paid for drive time. My clients pay me for time in transport. We pay our decorator for time spent getting to and from our house. See where I am going with this?

I get you - do you pay their hourly wage only, or do you add in gas costs, too. Because I'm also transporting her. See where I am going with this?

[mushmouse]

May 6, 2014 14:48:05 GMT -5 snipsnsnails said:

May 6, 2014 14:42:32 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

Eh for a kid, I would count anytime they are with me/my kids.

Wait, so does that mean the drive then? I wanted to be clear, since my kids are not in the car when I am picking her up and driving her. It's an added 50 minutes, so one additional hour of pay (if I round up) and she babysits weekly, if that affects anything.

Have you put out feelers for a new sitter? lol  She sounds like a pain in the ass.

[illgetthere]

I would not pay for her commute. If anything, you should charge her gas money.

[Deleted]

If you pay for her dinner, I'd call it even.

[snipsnsnails]

May 6, 2014 14:52:32 GMT -5 mushmouse said:

May 6, 2014 14:48:05 GMT -5 snipsnsnails said:

Wait, so does that mean the drive then? I wanted to be clear, since my kids are not in the car when I am picking her up and driving her. It's an added 50 minutes, so one additional hour of pay (if I round up) and she babysits weekly, if that affects anything.

Have you put out feelers for a new sitter? lol  She sounds like a pain in the ass.

Hahaha, I think that's my next stop! I need a sitter weekly for an obligation we have, so I want to find someone who is just reliable and available. Why is this so difficult! Haha!

[shopgirl07]

I would not pay her for drive time, especially since you're the one driving her. If she were driving herself, or had her own transport, then I might be inclined to throw her a few extra bucks for the inconvenience of traffic, etc.

She's pretty lucky that you're willing to drive her IMO.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

May 6, 2014 14:48:05 GMT -5 snipsnsnails said:

May 6, 2014 14:42:32 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

Eh for a kid, I would count anytime they are with me/my kids.

Wait, so does that mean the drive then? I wanted to be clear, since my kids are not in the car when I am picking her up and driving her. It's an added 50 minutes, so one additional hour of pay (if I round up) and she babysits weekly, if that affects anything.

that's what I do. If it is a weekly thing, then there shouldn't be such worry about this, IMO. I read an article once about how teens were making bank babysitting because everyone was afraid they would say no. When they go out in the world, they aren't going to make $15/hr at mMcDonalds. So set your rate. If she wants that cash every week, she will stick it out. Kwim? We pay less than you at ten per hour for 2 Kids but iI tell new kids up front what we pay so they can choose to take it or not. If they go above and beyond (like run a vacuum, lol) iI'll adjust accordingly.g ldts

[snipsnsnails]

May 6, 2014 14:59:29 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

May 6, 2014 14:48:05 GMT -5 snipsnsnails said:

Wait, so does that mean the drive then? I wanted to be clear, since my kids are not in the car when I am picking her up and driving her. It's an added 50 minutes, so one additional hour of pay (if I round up) and she babysits weekly, if that affects anything.

that's what I do. If it is a weekly thing, then there shouldn't be such worry about this, IMO. I read an article once about how teens were making bank babysitting because everyone was afraid they would say no. When they go out in the world, they aren't going to make $15/hr at mMcDonalds. So set your rate. If she wants that cash every week, she will stick it out. Kwim? We pay less than you at ten per hour for 2 Kids but iI tell new kids up front what we pay so they can choose to take it or not. If they go above and beyond (like run a vacuum, lol) iI'll adjust accordingly.g ldts

Ha, I want to live wherever you do, where there's a surplus of babysitters! I feel like no one wants to babysit here b/c nobody really needs the income. Not true, of course, but that's what it seems like.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

May 6, 2014 15:03:06 GMT -5 snipsnsnails said:

May 6, 2014 14:59:29 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

that's what I do. If it is a weekly thing, then there shouldn't be such worry about this, IMO. I read an article once about how teens were making bank babysitting because everyone was afraid they would say no. When they go out in the world, they aren't going to make $15/hr at mMcDonalds. So set your rate. If she wants that cash every week, she will stick it out. Kwim? We pay less than you at ten per hour for 2 Kids but iI tell new kids up front what we pay so they can choose to take it or not. If they go above and beyond (like run a vacuum, lol) iI'll adjust accordingly.g ldts

Ha, I want to live wherever you do, where there's a surplus of babysitters! I feel like no one wants to babysit here b/c nobody really needs the income. Not true, of course, but that's what it seems like.

LOL No surplus, but we aren't in the position to spend $$$ on sitters. We treat them fairly and honestly and haven't had a problem (save for a friend I posted about here). I set out my expectations ahead of time (because of that article I read) and let them know that if they go above and beyond what I set out that I'll pay more (most don't take me up on the vacuuming, lol). I have one or two that I have had for a while now and really like and trust. As they get older and go to college, they refer me to their friends (I ask them to).