How much to offer for a weekend of childcare (including nights) and would this be OK to approach nursery about?

[cancellingmysundayplans]

We have two children, aged four and twenty months. Both currently attend a nursery for three days a week.

I haven’t spent any time away from them before, but DH has a weekend business trip at the end of may and we’d really like to go together. We’d fly out Friday evening and be back Sunday late afternoon, probably about 4/5.

I was originally just assuming there was no way to go but I am now wondering if I approached nursery and saw if any of the staff would like to do it, if this would be possible? And how much to pay? It’s obviously a lot of work and I don’t want to short change them but equally the costs may prove prohibitive if too much!

Check your nursery policy - the staff may not be allowed to do babysitting work, mine aren’t.

Do you not have any family members who might be able to help?

No, only PIL and they are lovely but I doubt they’d cope with both children for that length of time. MIL is hearing impaired and would struggle to hear the younger one if she woke in the night as well.

I would get a quote from a nanny agency, and offer the same to the nursery staff.

Thank you, although the nanny agency would have a middle man (agency) fee I’m guessing?

So nearly 48 hours of childcare? If you paid them the national living wage rate that would be £580! I certainly think you’d have to offer £350-400 to look fair.

Yes but presumably the worker is giving up their weekend time off, they'd still need to do a full week either side at the nursery and you get a bonus of using someone the children know.

Would you be employing them officially or doing something cash in hand, because if it’s the latter the agency fee covers all the employee protection (eg insurance) that would be applicable.

I’ve never paid for childcare/ babysitting but I’d ballpark £300 to the nursery staff. It’s extra money for them and they might have a free weekend? If you can afford more then £400 looks “a great deal” for them, to me

I was thinking around £300-£400, @Superstar22 , thanks.

@Ohthatsabitshit as a one off just bank transfer I was thinking, if I do it of course.

That’s fair I think, towards the £400 mark for nursery staff. As a nanny I’d charge more but that is because my hourly rate is much more than what I’d be paid in a nursery. I think it’s important for the children to know the carer if you’re away for a time that spans nights and you’ll be more comfortable with that as you’ve not left them before.

Of course all food included and a kitty for taking the children out.

I would approach the managers at the nursery first and ask if it’s something their staff would be allowed to do. At the one I worked at this was allowed of declared to the nursery beforehand and not arranged ‘underhand’ as it were.

I’ll have to ask, and also to see if we can afford it! It would be nice to have a weekend ‘off’!

Wow I’m surprised at £300 suggestions unless you mean per day?

Id break it down by the hours per day and what’s expected vs how much that costs on regular childcare.
its £90 a day for nursery here for 8-10 hours. So given its morning and evening around ‘nursery hours’ and they won’t get a break id, plus it’s night time and unsociable hours, and two children, I’d say the Saturday would need to be 250-300 then Sunday would need to be £100 minimum, probably more and then the Friday/ Friday night would need to be about £150 - 200

so I’d guess more around £500-600 for the weekend at least. That’s probably around minimum wage for those hours.

As a nanny I do not charge my hourly rate for the entire time, I’d never get booked if I was charging £700 for a weekend!

I charge a flat rate of £100 overnight (9-6am usually) I charge £17 hourly rate at all other times. (Usual rate is £21gph but £17 is the ‘net’ for overtime work)

You’ve never left them before. You have no idea how they will react to you leaving them.

Surely they won’t work all week and then babysit for a weekend so you can go away. These are the things you have to suck up and miss out of you don’t have appropriate childcare.

And no I don’t have anything against breaks. I’m actually having my nephews Friday to Sunday soon but they know me and have stayed many times before.

I do agree that a night of a ‘trial’ babysit would be best first though, either with you staying very locally or just going out to dinner until late and seeing how everyone gets on.

@LollyLand - since they’re four and nearly two, I do know that 👍🏻

I don’t know for sure if I’m going to do it and I don’t know if anyone would be interested. It’s literally a question, there’s no need for anyone to get wound up about it. Opinions on whether I should go or not are largely by the by, that’s for me to decide really. This question is just about what to pay.

Thanks, really good idea and even if I don’t go on the weekend I get a night out!

Id say at least 400 gbp for the weekend to offer to ' nursery staff '

Proxy parenting - finding a nanny via an agency could be 250 / 300 gbp gross per 24 hrs

It would be very unlikely that nursery staff would be allowed to do this under the employment contract they have although it's possible that a member of staff may do off the record babysitting that is nothing to do with the nursery. You can ask and see what they say.

Alternatively, there are agencies out there that provide this sort of service but personally I wouldn't want to leave my young kids with a complete stranger.

2 nights, two full days with children, at least £250 for 1 night and 1 day so £500