Is this a reasonable amount to pay mum for looking after my child?

[Coley888]

Hi

My mum has offered to look after my son to help with nursery fees, she is 68 so I feel kind of awful excepting as I want her to enjoy her retirement, but she struggles financially and I thought it’s a way could help each other out. It would be twice a week all day, I’m thinking of paying her £300 per month as I am only working part time so not earning much.

If I was to put him in nursery for 2 days it would cost £600ish so it’s around half of the cost.

Do you think £300 is fair? My mum is too nice and would never say if she thought it was too little.

Thanks so much

Difficult to work out who is the OP here and who are the folk in the same situation.

How much are your nursery fees? To me I’d prefer to pay nursery as the experiences are superior

It sounds fine to me, it will help you and her.

@Hairyfriend

Thats only £37 a day for an entire day!!! Does she need to drive to collect your child, or are you dropping off and collecting? How old is your child? Don't they qualify for some free child care hours?

There are multiple threads on here about grandparents minding children, tax implications for employing them etc. I'm sure someone with more experience will add advice, but I'd also have a back up plan. What are you currently doing and what are your plans IF your mum said no?

If you mother is too nice, then she might feel tied in with arrangement. There was another thread recently where the GM wasn't coping and wanted out of the arrangement.

‘Only’

@ThrobbingToothacheOfTheMind

She wants money for spending time with her grandchild?!

Why bother reading the OP. So much better to make it up so a spiteful poster can snipe at an older person looking after their grandchild.

Sounds fair and I’m sure it will cover the bits she will spend on him etc

£300 is very fair it's your mother OP. Why would OP be paying her mother £600. I would watch my grand kids for free.

That's £300 per month extra for OPS mum so from that POV it's a lot extra. It's only 2 days. It's fine OP.

If I could afford to give my mom that much i would.
Currently give her £20 a day for 1 day a week. I cover meals(hers and my son’s)

That’s similar to childminder rates where I am so it seems reasonable. What happens when your 15 or 30 free hours kick in? Will you switch to nursery or a registered childminder? If so, you need to prepare your mum for that so she knows when the money will come to an end.

@Watapalava

How much are your nursery fees? To me I’d prefer to pay nursery as the experiences are superior

It says in the OP she would be £600 a month for nursery

I'm another one who thinks your mum will be thrilled to look after her GC and the financial bonus is a lovely gesture. £300 sounds completely fine
Had she lived, my own DM would have been over the moonand probably spend most of it on GC anyway

I can’t believe 2 days is £600 -£75 per day?!? Is that for 2 kids?

Someone worked it out at £37 a day? If that's accurate then it's similar to what I actually charge as an actual childminder so I'd say that's more than enough

It also depends on the health of the grandparent. MIL is 73 and has ours four days a week with no issues. My mum is 62 and would struggle with more than one full day.

MIL will absolutely not accept a penny even towards food, so if you can get your mum to accept some then absolutely go for it!

We dont work it out by amount per day or anything, my mum said a figure she needs (basically makes up a shortfall) and thatvis what we pay her a month, significantly less than what nursrry would cost but she loves the time with DD, and the extra we send her is more than enough.

Propose a figure to your mum and see what she says

Sounds fine to me OP, sounds like you're both helping each other out.

My mum will be minding my son 2 days a week when I go back to work and like you I intend on paying her but she's objecting to taking any money from me. I wouldn't let her do it for free though, it's a big commitment.