I don't know why I am having such a hard time making decisions for myself lately, but here's my latest dilemma. I have been babysitting for a lady in town every week, usually 2-3 days a week. She pays me $10 an hour which is what she offered, but its also what I would typically charge anyway. She called me today to ask if she could refer me to a friend of her's. The friend has a 4 month old baby girl, but she can only afford to pay $6-$7 an hour. The lady I babysat for said she wasn't going to recommend me right away because she didn't know if I would be ok with that kind of pay. It would only be an on-call type job - maybe a few days a week, maybe nothing at all for a week. After dealing with the $3 an hour babysitting lady I am a little apprehensive of anyone wanting to pay me less than I usually charge. That might just be because I had a bad experience though.
In this case it seems to be an issue of not being able to afford to pay me more, not that she's just cheap and clueless. I am much more sensitive to that. I typically charge $10-$15 an hour and in every place I have lived so far, I have met people who are unwilling to pay that much, but at the same time I have always ended up with a steady job from at least a few people who are more than willing to pay what I ask for. Also, her baby is only 4 months old. I know that in many ways, infants need a lot more care than older kids do. But at the same time, while they need more care, I'm not exactly going to be overexerting myself chasing a kid around, dealing with an attitude problem, etc. I'm thinking of saying yes to the job. I don't like the idea of working for less than minimum wage ($8.55 in Washington state), but $6-$7 could be worth my while. At $3 an hour, I feel like my time is better spent at home keeping things organized and under control here. But $6-$7 seems reasonable if its all that someone can afford.
Sooooo take the job or not? I'm leaning towards yes.....
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4 comments:
So, she is a friend of hers which probably means the new lady would be ok as well, but how about you do not commit to a long term thing and babysit for the new lady few times to kind of get a feel for her and the baby? I'm not sure if that would be possible but this way you would be able to make a more informed decision so to speak. Just my two cents.
I would lean to taking the job as well, but this way you will cover your bases.
By the way, did you go to a doctor? :)
i agree with magda! and we could have 4 month old baby playdates!
You could always limit the hours and times when you would be available. Business is business its not personal when you explain your normal rate and that you understand the situation. However because its a reduced rate you can only be available on certain days or at certain times.
The primary concern is when that friend recommends you to someone else and says your rate is $6-7 an hour. Or when the $10 an hour lady decides that she shouldn't have to pay as much. Its tough economic times but if you start dropping your rate for anyone that says they can't pay. You might find yourself with a lot of customers who say they can't pay the rate you want.
Of course I could be completely off and everything will work out just fine. Good luck.
Mr. M
PS: You know this sounds like an excellent situation to discuss with Mr. V. You should take advantage of his keen insight and sharp wit.
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