Gmother providing childcare. Pay? Experiences?

[EmJay19]

About to return to work after second DS.
Thinking about asking my mum to provide the childcare for two days. This would mean an overnight stay, we are around 60 miles away.

DM has often suggested how she would love to be able to do childcare. She has been unwell recently though recovering and will be back to work in a few months, around 1year from retirement.

My proposition would be for DM to have 9mo for the day and take DS 3 to preschool 9-3. Would prepay for morning activity then rest of day would be lunch, nap then collect DS. I’d be home to make dinner.

We have more money than DM and money can be tight for them so would like this so be a fair proposition for her. The cost for DS preschool would be minimal.

What would be a fair amount to suggest paying her?
Also, anything to think about before suggesting?
Any experiences of this?
thanks

Well, to make it fair, you presumably would have to make it up to the same value as her usual monthly pay (if she was working) otherwise she'll lose out financially. It doesn't seem like a brilliant solution and I'd worry about reliability given her health problems so you will need a cast iron back up plan too.

To be fair I'd look at what you'd pay an in-home carer and offer that.

Childcare done properly is very physical are you sure she's going to be up to doing 2 full days? Babies are a lot of lifting and chasing after as well as stimulation. Wishing you could is not the same as actually saying I can or doing two days. Something that requires a few months recovery sounds major are you certain she will be back to where she was before the illness? I know many who noticed the effects of a few month inactivity

What's an in-home carer!

Home daycare? Whatever you call it locally. :-)

Thanks for responses so far.
My mum’s current job is very physical and I think she’d like to stop. She is recovering from surgery and no other complications anticipated.

For sure saying she’d like to do it and actually bring here two days a week are very different things. I’m thinking about floating the idea but want to be prepared first…

If she has a year to work before retirement and needs the money are you suggesting she goes back to part time for her employer and works 2 days for you? If so surely she would lose out on her pension unless you paid into her pension too.

In the UK anyone caring for children from their home is an Ofsted registered or Ofsted approved Agency registered childminder.....they pay training, registration fees and have to offer Early years Foundation stage activities this means parents can claim government support so if op paid the going rate it would be more expensive that insured trained childcare.

It would be in my home though so no need to ofsted register I assume?

I was replying to EmJay19.

No grandparents don't need to register but it wouldn't be any saving to pay the local childminder rate....and you would actually pay more from your pocket as registered care saves you 20%....it also covers tax and expenditures like all the craft, heating etc which if from your home you will already be paying.

Sounds like a lovely idea, but she would need to quit her job wouldn’t she? So if money is tight for her now you would have to pay her at least what she is earning now.

She’s already working part time in a not brilliantly paid role so thinking the cost of two at nursery might be similar to her salary. Hadn’t considered pension though which is a bit of an oversight.

It sounds like a lovely idea but it will cost you more as you won't be able to use the taxfree childcare scheme for the younger child.

Also you need to think about whether your DM will be able to provide reliable childcare long term as she already has a healthcare problem plus it may turn out to be exhausting for her providing care for a baby, doing wraparound care for a toddler and driving 60 miles each way - especially after a day caring for your kids

@Lunde I feel exhausted thinking about it when you put it like that!
Her current job is physical & exhausting so I think it would be on par at least.

She’s doing 2 days for us my first week back from mat leave and returning to work just after that so I’ll see how it goes and see what she thinks