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AIBU?

To think this is a not much money . . .

94 replies

WhoseGotMyEyebrows · 13/09/2011 10:43

Hi, a friend(ish) of mine has asked me to help out with childcare for her DS. She works full time and needs childcare covered before and after school mon-thurs every week for the forseable future.

I don't usually do anything like this as I really have my hands full with my own 2 dcs and have only recently been well enough to cope even with that (depression etc).

I don't want to do it for many reasons really, such as it making my life more difficult, I only just cope as it is, wouldn't be able to go out with my dcs after school, want to go back to work soon etc

But the thing I am wondering is that she offered me money to do it, and that's what she was using to persuade me. She offered £33 a week to cover the 11 hours, so £3 an hour. My DH thinks this isn't very much.

I just wondered what other people thought. It's a bit of a redundant question really seeing as I don't feel I can cope with another child for 2.5 hours a day but need the money so I suppose I would consider it more seriously if I didn't think it was a bit stingy.

Also how does that compare to if she were to use breakfast and afternoon clubs. Was wondering if she were just trying to save money by having me do it.

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BeerTricksPotter · 13/09/2011 10:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WhoseGotMyEyebrows · 13/09/2011 10:48

Oh I should also have said that this involves taking to and picking up from school.

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SmethwickBelle · 13/09/2011 10:48

Childminder I use is 3.50 an hour (very cheap) so for three hours a day, (drop off 730, pick up 445) its 10.50 a day.

If you were offering that sort of window each day around the edge of school it would cost her 42 quid a week minimum. Obv if she's collecting them from school earlier or later it would be more or less.

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fanjobanjowanjo · 13/09/2011 10:49

don't you need to be a registered CM? Are you one OP?

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Pinner35 · 13/09/2011 10:49

No, its not much money but Beertricks is right, you would need to be registered with OFSTED before you could do it.

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SenoritaViva · 13/09/2011 10:50

That is ridiculous, do not accept she is taking the piss, it is below minimum wage. On top of that and I could be wrong but if you are paid for some childcare work I think you have to register with OFSTED etc?

I'll take a look for you if you like. (anything to avoid housework!)

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itisnearlysummer · 13/09/2011 10:50

My CM worked out at £2.50 an hour - £25 for a 10 hour day and she was amazing!

FBW I think you only need to be registered if tax credits are claimed for childcare. Otherwise it's a private arrangements between friends.

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ColdToast · 13/09/2011 10:51

Our breakfast and after-school clubs are considered to be very cheap compared to other schools. Breakfast club is £2 for one hour. After school is £8 for 2 hours. So £40 for what your friend is asking for.

There would also be the issue of inflexibility. Many places would charge you an extra fee on top if you were even just a couple of minutes late.

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SenoritaViva · 13/09/2011 10:51

Under the Childcare Act, anyone looking after your child for more than two hours a day before 6pm (or after 2am), or for more than 14 days a year, must be registered as a childminder. Under guidelines, this means the childminder must complete a criminal record check, learn first aid, take a childcare course, and pay an annual fee of £103 to Ofsted. If the care is taking place outside the child's home, the carer will also have to be registered.

This is off the internet so it could be out of date.

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SenoritaViva · 13/09/2011 10:54

Plus all the places that people have mentioned would expect you to pick up the child from their location, not deliver the child to you.

However, above and beyond any of this you don't WANT to do it but the registration etc. could be a good reason not to if she's pushy. That said, no should mean no.

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BeerTricksPotter · 13/09/2011 10:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HannahZ · 13/09/2011 10:58

I pay £4.50/day for 1.5hrs before-school club (inc breakfast) and £7/day for 2 hrs after-school club (inc a snack). Obviously I have to get DD there, and pick her up.

I'm sure you'd pay more to a childminder though, as you don't get economies of scale etc. I don't think I'd want to put in that much work for that little money. Could you do any evening babysitting to make money instead? Then you're not taking time out of looking after your own kids, and you get more per hour. (I pay £6-7/hr in London - hence don't go out v often!)

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WhoseGotMyEyebrows · 13/09/2011 11:04

No I'm not registered as a Childminder. I did wonder about that myself but her DH who was there at the time, said that it wouldn't count if it's an arrangment between friends. I assumed that as money would change hands then I might need to be registered if I were to do it.

She wants to drop him off at mine at 7.45 in the mornings and then I will take him to school for 8.45. and then I pick him up from school at 3.15 and keep him at mine until 4.45. (Except Thursday which would be 5.15)

nearlysummer That's very cheap! I would imagine that's unusual.

I suppose I was thinking of it in babysitter terms in which I think £5 an hour is the going rate for a youngster isn't it? So £3 an hour sounds very low.

ColdToast So she would be saving £40 a week or so having him come to mine rather then the clubs.

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porcamiseria · 13/09/2011 11:06

charge £5pm minimum, I used a friend for this purpose and thats what I payed her

you need to be pad a fair rate for this otherwise its a massive inconvenience for you for little return

she may be better off with after school club and suggest you steer her that way

tell her friendship will be affected if you are doing such hard work for very little return

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porcamiseria · 13/09/2011 11:07

and its not illegal to use and pay a mate for babystting FFS

says who!!!!!

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WhoseGotMyEyebrows · 13/09/2011 11:12

BeerTricksPotter Yeah that's the thing. My DH was saying but what happens if he takes a day off work as he often does and we all go out or whatever, or what happens if we are sick or my children want to go to a club after school. As for the work thing, I already work from home self employed and plan to increase that soon as well as getting a part time job (hopefully) so I don't need the extra commitments and hassle. I could imagine it being quite awkward if I couldn't do it one day or wanted to stop at some point.

HannahZ The evening babysitting is a good idea. It's good to know roughly how much the before and after school clubs are as well as may have to use them at some point.

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LemonDifficult · 13/09/2011 11:13

It sounds as though you should decide if you want to do it before you enter into negotiation about fees, otherwise your friendship might suffer. If you have decided that you don't want to do it then just say no because you're thinking about going back to work.

If you need the cash, decide your bottom limit of what you will accept and don't go under it because you will resent it. If you do take her DS on it probably would be worth registering as informal arrangements of this sort can get messy, especially re lateness and also whether she/you are responsible for picking up a child from school early if that child is unwell etc, etc. You'll want it all written down clearly.

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HattiFattner · 13/09/2011 11:14

would you be expected to feed him either end of the day, as you need to factor this in also.

Id say £5 an hour would be fair.

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harassedandherbug · 13/09/2011 11:15

porcamiseria babysitting is done in the childs own home and is an informal occasional arrangement. This is childminding, that's the difference. And it is illegal to do it......

OP - I pay my registered cm £3.00 per hour, so for around here (Hampshire) it's the going rate. You can't do it as a between pals type arrangement, you'd need to be OFSTED registered, pay tax etc. It sounds like you don't really want to do it anyway, so it would be a lot of hassle for something you don't really want to do!

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WhoseGotMyEyebrows · 13/09/2011 11:15

porcamiseria charge £5pm minimum

£5 per minute . . . yeah ok! Grin

I'm confused by the law thing surrounding it. It's ok to pay a babysitter without them being registered and obviously friends and family can babysit loads without being paid so I'm not sure what the cutoffs and rules are. If say for eg, your mum babysat a couple of days a week while you were at work but you gave her money for her trouble would that be legal?

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fanjobanjowanjo · 13/09/2011 11:16

It's less of a babysitting situation more a child minding situation as it's on such a regular basis. It's not an odd saturday night is it?

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SenoritaViva · 13/09/2011 11:17

Well Porcamiseria, I think the government says, that's who! Don't you remember the case of two police officers that got 'done' for reciprocal child caring.

I think babysitting is viewed as mostly/often after 6pm and it is not on a regular basis such as every day before and after school.

Disclaimer: I am certainly no expert in this but was suggesting to the OP that she'd need to make sure she was on the right side of the law if she was considering going ahead and also to take into account all the costs that might be involved if she did.

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fanjobanjowanjo · 13/09/2011 11:17
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fanjobanjowanjo · 13/09/2011 11:18
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SenoritaViva · 13/09/2011 11:19

OP have a look at this - bit out of date as it mentions Ed Balls but I don't think the government has changed the rulings much..

www.lovemoney.com/news/money-saving-tips-bargains-and-freebies/family-finance/4033/five-ways-to-slash-your-childcare-costs

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