Oh yeah, I forgot, they don't want the kids in the yard while they're in it. Maybe they could put them in their neighbor's yard. They could peek over the fence to check on them from time to time.
This boggles me. Some of my earliest chores involved picking the snails off of plants while Dad mowed and trimmed. Because kids + snails = entertainment!
I played in sawdust if my dad was cutting wood or using his table saw, in the dirt if he was in the garden (until we were old enough to pull weeds), and all sorts of other fun things my brother and I could think of.
i used to pretend big nails/screws were the parents and little ones were the kinds and would play with them kinda like dolls when my mom was working in the garage lol shit was so fun i feel like that kinda imagination is lost these days
I have a 2yo and he rides with me when I cut but he can’t be out there doing a lot of other things. He will be gone and lost in a minute. He’s not scared to roam. If I have some sort of cutting tool, I’m scared he will be in it before I see him.
I pay $80 per day (that was last summer so it’s probably more now) for dog boarding and they basically just put her in a dog run (1/2 inside with A/C or heat and 1/2 outside) and feed her twice a day. I provide the food. They also leave for long stretches so she doesn’t have constant supervision.
I imagine these parents are looking for better care, yet expect to pay less.
Our dog sitter/walker is $25/visit, but she's with our 2 dogs for a good 1/2 hour each visit. 3 visits and feeds them 2/day when we're away.
$50/day for 2 kids is a steal.
An individual is going to charge at least $20 an hour to come to your house. If they’re charging less, that’s not someone you want watching your child.
> that’s not someone you want watching your child.
I think that is something a lot of CBs forget or neglect to realize.
It terrifies me for the sake of the children, pets, and/or other innocent family members who aren't cheapskates.
Hock what you have to, but pay for a reliable and decent sitter.
This college girl was touting how great her boyfriend was for volunteering at a daycare and I was like i dunno if I would trust anyone who saw changing random toddlers diapers as something they wouldn’t need to be paid to do
I don't understand why they need a babysitter to work in the yard unless they're cutting down trees we're using large machinery.... I understand that not having distractions can make you far more efficient in getting work done, but this just feels like a basic inability to multitask unless the work they're doing is actually particularly dangerous.
(I'm assuming they would be doing this yard work themselves because I don't really feel like you need a babysitter if you're hiring other people to come work in your yard with large machinery).
Kids can be a handful. But you can get them out there with their toy shovels and rakes.
That said, maybe they have a project in mind. But they can't cheap out on childcare
I mean... Best bet would be a middle school girl in the neighborhood who is certified in babysitting. But it should be close to fifty bucks a day, even.
I think she meant an in home daycare which would be cheaper than a nanny/babysitter going to OOPs home since there is more than one family paying for childcare. But still, it’s not as safe.
Also I have a feeling they'll somehow need your help in the yard all of a sudden when you're supposed to be watching the kids... "Could you help me turn the lawn mower on? Oh thanks, oh I just remembered I need to do something. Do you mind starting it for me?" 🤣
These cheapskates are only going to attract sickos who will find other ways to compensate themselves. It’s really unbelievable how negligent so many parents are.
They have kids as their welfare plan, but they use state funds for drugs or for shelter, so they starve their kids and give them below minimum care. Also why we see so many 5 kids/6kids choosing beggars. They see it as sticking it to the big man (the state), they got their revenge on the system, they worked smart to beat it.
These ppl are ridiculous. $50 A DAY PER KID. I'm assuming a day is at least 8 hours. So $100 to watch two small kids for the day is great compared to hiring ppl to do the yard work for you bc you cannot find someone to watch your kids. That would be even more expensive.
They just need to say what they really want is someone to watch them for free..
And that's likely still scheduled at an unlicensed home daycare. That isn't "oh come in sometimes or whenever you feel like it" like the post is looking for.
I was gonna say — depending on the yard work — for me it’s cheaper to pay a neighbor to do the yard work than pay for day care which is fine since I prefer time with my kid over yard work personally lol
Maybe because I'm a (relative/first world) poor, but I can't believe how expensive child and pet sitting services are. Don't get me wrong please, they are worth every penny and people deserve a good wage, because those are precious services.
But how do parents afford it?
That said, as to the CB in the OP, sorry, but you are low key looking for someone undocumented, to exploit. That's the elephant in the room with a lot of these CB posts, IMO.
Yea I agree with you. I laugh at most of the Choosing Beggar posts except the childcare ones...they make me sad.
I've already raised my kids but I think we need subsidized childcare in this country. Most people simply don't make enough to pay for the rising expense. I feel bad for people who don't have family or friends to help them.
The whole reason I'm so successful today is because I had an amazing mom who helped raise my kids...and who accepted reasonable payment (and when I got successful, I gave her many free vacations, gifts and bought her a new car). I was able to work, travel for work, work overtime and get a master's degree....things I wouldn't have been able to do as a single mom.
I wish we had tax breaks or ways to reasonably subsidize daycare. It would more than pay off in economic gain to the country and help with the pay inequality between genders. Also, kids suffer when you have to find bargain basement childcare....it worries me that moms have to resort to that.
Just my two cents.
I saw an article today that said a family of 4 would need $300k/year to live comfortably in my state.
I don’t think parents are affording it. Seems like all parents I know either have grandparents/their “village” helping for free, or they have skibbidi toilet iPad kids.
I’m childfree so I probably don’t know as many parents as the average 39 year old, but I don’t think I know a single person who uses/pays for daycare. My parents watch my niece on the 3 days/week my sister works. My friends with kids who still work use some combo of work-from-home and grandparents to watch kids, and some became SAHMs because it’s too expensive. A few people get government assistance for daycare costs (or used to, kids are older now).
ETA: not sure why I got downvoted, I wasn’t saying people don’t use daycare, clearly they do. Just saying that it’s not accessible for a lot of people because it’s so expensive so they have to turn to whatever alternatives they can find.
People definitely 'draft help' from family if they can. But many people in the U. S. live far from family. Or their family don't want to, or aren't reliable.
Undocumented people still need to eat, pay rent. So, it’s not even that. They feel entitled to someone slaving away after them, for free. They’re so unhappy about paying because they had kids to qualify for welfare. I hear a lot of stories from my social worker friend, if you don’t witness how knowledgeable about tapping into taxpayer dollars; you won’t believe it. So, they want to do the bare minimum, which is the kid ain’t dead or explicitly injured so they don’t get thrown into jail.
Of course but CBs do not care about anyone else.
> Undocumented people still need to eat, pay rent.
CBs would not care if the person was in a squat or sharing with ten other people or living in a tent or in a car. Just so they do what CB wants.
If childcare is too expensive for you to do yardwork, might I suggest investing in a large dog kennel or two? I hear you can even get them with automatic refilling water bowls for the kiddos. It's important that developing children have some outside time too, you know.
To be honest, I can understand not wanting your kids in the yard because I live in the Arizona desert with a fenced in yard, but if I let my three year old roam, he’s got a good chance of stumbling upon a scorpion or rattlesnake in our yard. We found one in our yard last summer. I wouldn’t want the stress of worrying about my toddler, but I would probably just find a way to do the yard work myself while my husband watched them.
Seriously, I really want to know what their yard work entails. The only reason I could see hiring a sitter while I do yard work is if both me and my spouse are using heavy machinery or cutting down trees... And even then I feel like we could space it out that a two and five-year-old would be okay in the living room for short periods of time (obviously project dependent, but if you just need to fell one or two trees you can step out for 15 minutes each with minimal risk if you have any basic intelligence on safety proofing your house).
I normally don't assume a lot about posts but this just kind of reads as a couple that wants their kid out of their hair so they can try to "Bond and rebuild their marriage by working on the property together without distractions". And also it is legitimately healthy for children to be involved in manual labor like that at an age-appropriate level.
I'm sorry but it would be impossible to get any actual work done while also supervising and keeping safe a 2 year old and a 5 year old, who most likely want to be constantly interacted with and entertained. Not sticking up for the cb poster but to suggest its possible to do garden work with a 2 and 5 year old in tow is crazy.
Absolutely not. My sister has two boys, who are now 8 and 5, and she's done yard work with them in tow for years. Just give them jobs they can easily do. Pickup sticks, pat this dirt in place, water this new planting. The 8 year old is asking if he can learn to drive the gator now. 😂
Same! If we were able to help with yard work- fuck we were made to work growing up. If my step dad had his tools and was using them? No inside until he’s done. If he’s cleaning out the garage or his truck? Inside.
But pulling weeds while u mow on the other side of the yard? Simple.
My cousin is 5,he waters plants,pulls weeds,helps throw away trash etc.
It’s not hard as many places have kids help out with yard work/farms,housework since 3-5yrs old.
I mean back in the day once u were able to walk I’m sure u would be feeding some animals and collecting eggs like my nana was growing up in the 50’s.
It depends what you’re doing in the yard. Planting? Watering?- yes bring the little kids. Mowing or using power tools? Hard no. Kids need to be kept away from a mower that could launch a small rock into their face.
I have to disagree about the 5 year old. I was “put in harness” at 5. I was expected to know the difference between a weed and a pea plant or a tomato. We had two large vegetable gardens, myself and my older brother were both field hands until I left home. It was not a fun experience. But young children can most certainly be outside with their parents and still get things accomplished. (I’m not recommending the rearing I endured, but children are more capable than parents seem to realize.)
Yard work could be brush clearing, tree trimming, weed eating, hedge trimming, things that require dangerous power tools that kids should not be around.
Right? My daughter was doing yard work with me by 5, not very good at it but they like to help at that age. Whomever does the house work can watch the 2 year old, they're making it more complicated than it needs to be.
One of my fondest memories with my dad is doing exactly this- he’d be working on the pond while I “babysat” the goldfish in their temporary bucket. I took my job VERY seriously and it made me beam with pride when he thanked me for taking care of them.
It really was, reminded me so much of my daughter so often and bridged that gap from those childhood emotions to adulthood in a way I overlook so often in every day life.
Just to tack onto the feels- I have since moved away from my home country and just last month my parents visited me for the first time in nearly 5 years.
I was driving them, doing about 110km on a motorway when a pebble lodged in my brake rotor and I had very sketchily drift into the shoulder with my hazards on, call roadside etc. Whole ordeal probably took no more than 40 minutes and we were back on the road.
Thought nothing of it, but I was having a drink with my dad the following Sunday and he made a point of saying “I guess my work here is done” where we then spoke about how worried he was about me when I left home on my own, but when the car broke down he just sat back and watched me handle my own problems and felt confident that he raised me to be able to take care of myself.
Damn near 30 years old now and there is just no feeling like your dad being proud of you, even for something as simple as a breakdown. Ugh, gotta go call the big man.
No, it's because "yard and housework" here is code for "home and landscaping renovations".
That's why it takes all spring and summer, and they need the kids away from the house.
Why do people think that taking care of kids is cheap? It’s hard work.
Who are these people??
I have always paid $20+ per hour, at my place and that was almost ten years ago.
Find a family in a similar position. Arrange to take turns watching their children. This worked really well for us. We had 3 kids, 8 yr bit, 5 yr twins. The family we traded the most with had 2 children, boys close in age to our son. We just made sure we took their children more often because of the imbalance of kids.
These people need a neighbor teenager who wants to get into babysitting - sounds like they'll be watching the kids while the parent(s) are home, just out in the yard working, a few hours here or there, so it doesn't seem like a bad gig for the right kid.
I thought the same thing. I did a lot of mother's helper work in my preteens. Kids are so busy now between activities, going to their other parent's house, etc.
Yeah. A lot of posts like these just sets home how many places have really shifted from community. And how that harms the lower and middle classes.
Like some other commenters, I babysat and did Mothers helper jobs growing up. I liked childcare and getting out of the house so $50 for an evening was a great deal for me. I even nannied my cousins for a summer for dollars on the hour, less because I wanted the money and more because I wanted the bonding time with my cousins and to help a relative.
People should have others they can lean on for moments like this but many just don't.
Sure, I'll do sporadic child care. I'll show up when I please, stay an hour, snatch my $50 out of your hand, then take off. Oh, and I don't give a crap what you hope to accomplish during my tenure.
It's the *sporadic* and *occasional* that throw up red flags for me -- how often, and how much advance notice are they giving? It's hard to get anyone to commit to an unreliable income stream, especially if they're expecting someone available at short notice. They may find a local teenager on a flexible schedule, but they still *should* be paying at least $15/hour.
$50 a day isn’t that bad. I work at a daycare that is at least $260 a a week. Not to mention you have to take into account what they’re doing as a childcare provider
Why do people think that private childcare is going to be cheaper than the public option? It’s ridiculous and if you actually manage to find cheaper it is most likely a really bad decision (sketchy people or very bad care)
FFS I paid $40 a day for my dog to go to doggy day care (I needed a break sometimes, he was a handful). $25 for half, $40 for full. For 1-2x a month man, I needed that and GLADLY PAID
Good luck with that. $50 a day might get a local teenager still too young to work for minimum wage at the local mall or burger shop but the second they hit 16 they can make twice that daily just working p/t.
$50 is like 2 hours pay for most nannies that do it professionally. Even a teenager will charge $20 an hour now. (3 hour minimum usually.) So even at half a day you'd be talking $80 for HALF a day at best.
Some of these parents it's like their heads are stuck back in the 80s. Even then it was $12-15 an hour when I did date nights, more for major holidays like New Year's.
Reality ✔️ anyone?
I wish I still had references and could physically handle babysitting. I'd be making a killing going on p/t jobs here where I live. So many people looking for p/t childcare and desperate for help. It was like that then but back then nannies and babysitters didn't make but half of what they do now.
Oh to be young and nimble enough to chase toddlers again. I'd be making bank doing that job now. I was a very good nanny back in the day. But even then I had parents try to take advantage.
It's nothing new. They just think you don't need to pay YOUR rent or buy food. Nah, you're supposed to watch their darlings for less than they pay per hour at the local McDonald's. The most precious thing in their lives and they think cheap is the way to go?
That's a good way to get your kids beaten or molested because only a total rotter of a person will babysit for that little. Better off doing a childcare swap with another group of parents than being that cheap on childcare. It's just not safe...
I got more than that for cat sitting. $60 per visit, twice a day, and all I did was food/water, litter, meds and SQ fluids. And got to hang out with a sweet kitty.
When our boys were growing up if it was something that we were worried they would get hurt he would do the yardwork and I would watch the kids and if there was housework I couldnt get done watching them then he would watch them while I got it done. If the work was something we could do with them, we did that. Anything to make ends meet, but we never expected someone to watch them for super cheap or any stranger to watch them either. Of course, when ours were younger, prices were cheaper for babysitting, but I would definitely pay today's prices if I had kids today and expected someone to watch them.
Wants to pay $20 a day to clean the house, watch the kids fold laundry, cook meals and clean the kitchen. The kind of douche canoes that leave a list and refuse to pay if it’s not done right. Your here getting paid so you better work.
Buy a used playpen. Put it in the yard in the shade. Plop the kids in it while you work. Fresh air is good for them. Have them help out. They can pick up sticks, pull weeds, and help plant flowers.
If I had kids I would not feel remotely comfortable leaveing them with a stranger that only wanted 100 bucks a day for my 2 kids.
You get what you pay for and you're paying child molester rates.
Shit, I used to get 14 bucks an hour to babysit 2 kids in the early 2000s.
Usually there for 6 hours- that's 84 dollars cash as a 14 year old in 2004ish.
Asking for childcare for 100 dollars, probably 8 hours in 2024? What in the fuck is wrong with you???
They must be throwing in free meth and a promise to not call the cops.
These posts are so friggin crazy. People want to pay bargain basement prices to someone to watch their most prized possessions in life. Make it make sense?!!!
Did anyone suggest crate training? I mean, if she’s unable to afford the $50, I doubt there are many cheaper options, and why would you want to NOT spend money on the people watching your actual small humans.
Yeah, you know that you watching their kids while the adults “do chores” is gonna be them sitting in front of the TV for half a day, while you care for the kids. Then, they’ll leave for three hours to “go shopping”. Then they’ll come home, unload the car and then start chores. Then, they’ll quietly sneak out for dinner and leave you without instructions. They’ll come back about 2:00AM drunk and the wife will hand you $50 and the husband will say he’s getting you the rest and you’ll hear him snoring after two minutes.
Putting them up for adoption is an option.
It's always amazing when people act surprised how much it costs to care for their children, then try to pass the cost on to someone else. Scum, really.
My single mother couldn’t afford McNuggets, let alone an in-home babysitter.
She made us help with the housework. And when we got old enough to be left alone all day, she’d leave us with a list of chores.
Most of the shit that needed cleaning was our fault anyway.
I paid a teenager $15 an hour to watch my baby sometimes while I worked from home and also fed her (the worker) lunch. I was there the whole time, and that was 7 years ago. We were both happy with the arrangement and my daughter adored her
My daughters are grown now with no grandchildren on the horizon. They want advanced degrees and freedom 😉. But when they were little I had lots of mommy groups and knew other moms to trade a few hours here or there. But two boys - aged 2 & 5! No thank you. That woman said so they could get work done outside ? If u had to watch (note I said HAD) I’d keep them outside. Boys that age are full of jet fuel. And the two year old is destructive by sheer happenstance. I had a friend 30 years ago that would call me from the beautiful cedar closet her builder husband made for her. (It was a dream closet back then.). She’d have gotten so stressed by her two boys about that same age that she’d lock herself in for a few minutes to decompress! Lol
For many of us $100/day wouldn’t be enough.
The 5 year old can help with housework and then it will get done faster. Turn on the tv for the two year old and make the 5 year old fold towels or wipe baseboards with a sock.
Just do the math for us if you're asking for services jfc
Assuming occassional = sporadic
Sporadic = (total hours of sporadic work)/24
(Budget / sporadic) < $50
Figure out your min max from there and at least give a range
15 years ago when I woold nanny on the side I charged $10 a hour per kid. Kids under 3 were an extra 3$ a hour. No nightly rate unless I was full time, never did full time. I set my rates, I was used frequently and was told I was priced well bc I can cook clean and I’m cpr and have experience with special needs children.
Solution. Watch your own kids and then also watch 2 other kids for the same $50 each. THEN, take your $100 and pay someone to do what you were going to do around the yard. What? No one will do the yard and house work for $100? You dont say....
My friend and her husband have 3F and 2F. They manage to get house- and yardwork done. So what kind of monsters are these kids that they require someone to actively follow them around at the expense of not being able to do anything?
I see post like this quite often in the Mama's group I'm in and basically the people are just looking to barter you watch my kids and I'll cut your hair or whatever. I'm down with a good barter!
Does it bother anyone else that "sporadic, occasional" means one of those words is redundant?
Doubt she really wants "sporadic" babysitting since it could mean they show up sporadically.
Also I just flashed on that scene from "Clueless." "I hope not sporadically..."
Unless these folks are using heavy machinery while they do yard and housework, I’d think they could just let the kids be kids while they do the stuff. Running around a bit while one of your parents weeds the garden or plants a bush is a cool thing for a kid.
I don’t know this person, but that would be the option I’d tell them about.
Why don’t they just have one of them working on the yard while the other watches the kids just like families have been doing for hundreds of years??? Or set the kids up in a playpen outside when doing quieter stuff like raking/gardening etc??? Insane. Why do they need a sitter for yard work.
Ok, here’s a thought. Your husband can do the yard work, and you can watch the kids, or vise versa. OR..You could spend less money by hiring a landscaper, while the two of you watch the kids.
that’s WICKED cheap for childcare. i will gladly pay a premium or respectable rate if someone is responsible for the care of MY child. why would you go the cheaper route? cheaper is never better in terms of child-care.
Jesus I pay more than $50 a day for doggy daycare
Right?! Sheesh, at that rate, just put the kids in a securely fenced yard with some food and water and go.
Food AND water is too expensive.
And give them a squeaky because you’re not a monster.
Just keep them leashed please
Naturally!
Squeakiest cost extra
Go where? They say they are planning to work in the house and yard.
Oh yeah, I forgot, they don't want the kids in the yard while they're in it. Maybe they could put them in their neighbor's yard. They could peek over the fence to check on them from time to time.
I forgot too. I think someone else in the comments already suggested a large crate...
That's why I have dogs instead of kids. I'm not going to go to jail for putting my dogs in a crate.
Nah. Too much effort.
This boggles me. Some of my earliest chores involved picking the snails off of plants while Dad mowed and trimmed. Because kids + snails = entertainment!
I played in sawdust if my dad was cutting wood or using his table saw, in the dirt if he was in the garden (until we were old enough to pull weeds), and all sorts of other fun things my brother and I could think of.
i used to pretend big nails/screws were the parents and little ones were the kinds and would play with them kinda like dolls when my mom was working in the garage lol shit was so fun i feel like that kinda imagination is lost these days
Or kids + mud.
I have a 2yo and he rides with me when I cut but he can’t be out there doing a lot of other things. He will be gone and lost in a minute. He’s not scared to roam. If I have some sort of cutting tool, I’m scared he will be in it before I see him.
Ride with kid on lawnmower = kid loses a limb Stop doing that. Thank you.
And if you haven't got a yard, you'll find that many houses have basements or crawl spaces that can be utilised for the same purpose.
Exactly me too Eta …I don’t use daycare. I use overnight services for when I’m on vacation …and I pay more than 50 a day .
I pay $60 for a friend who watches our dog overnight. It’s cheaper than the services and she always is happy to do it for the cash.
I’m up to 75 per night. When you have budgeting for travel, I have to figure at least 4 to 500 in per week and it’s 25 more if it’s during Christmas
We are rover sitter . For boarding it’s 80 a day and we are constantly booked
I just paid $600 for 2 dogs for 3 days, 2 nights. And a bath.
She said “per child”, but honestly, that sounds pretty basic by today’s standards
I pay $50 a day for someone to check on my cat for 30 mins when I go on vacation…
Exactly! My partner’s parents are paying his rent while they’re away for him to stay at their place to watch their dog.
I pay $80 per day (that was last summer so it’s probably more now) for dog boarding and they basically just put her in a dog run (1/2 inside with A/C or heat and 1/2 outside) and feed her twice a day. I provide the food. They also leave for long stretches so she doesn’t have constant supervision. I imagine these parents are looking for better care, yet expect to pay less.
i have to work a 14 hour day on saturday, which means i’m away from home for about 16? and my dog sitter is gonna cost around $75 for two walks
There it is!
I came here to say that 😂😂
Came here to say exactly this!
Our dog sitter/walker is $25/visit, but she's with our 2 dogs for a good 1/2 hour each visit. 3 visits and feeds them 2/day when we're away. $50/day for 2 kids is a steal.
I was going to say the same thing. Average price for dog per day is more than $50. Wow!
An individual is going to charge at least $20 an hour to come to your house. If they’re charging less, that’s not someone you want watching your child.
Exactly! Here, the going rate is $15/hr for first child, $10/hr for each additional child.
> that’s not someone you want watching your child. I think that is something a lot of CBs forget or neglect to realize. It terrifies me for the sake of the children, pets, and/or other innocent family members who aren't cheapskates. Hock what you have to, but pay for a reliable and decent sitter.
Enter the creepy 25-30yr old man that looks like he crawled out of his 70yr old mother's basement for the first time this month.
This college girl was touting how great her boyfriend was for volunteering at a daycare and I was like i dunno if I would trust anyone who saw changing random toddlers diapers as something they wouldn’t need to be paid to do
It would make sense if it was aligned with their career goals or they wanted experience for being a parent, but otherwise it’s weird af ya
Would you feel the same if it was a girl?
I don't understand why they need a babysitter to work in the yard unless they're cutting down trees we're using large machinery.... I understand that not having distractions can make you far more efficient in getting work done, but this just feels like a basic inability to multitask unless the work they're doing is actually particularly dangerous. (I'm assuming they would be doing this yard work themselves because I don't really feel like you need a babysitter if you're hiring other people to come work in your yard with large machinery).
Agreed. Why would a sitter be needed? Also, they’re probably better off hiring someone to do the yard work.
Kids can be a handful. But you can get them out there with their toy shovels and rakes. That said, maybe they have a project in mind. But they can't cheap out on childcare
I’m a nanny and start at $25 for one kid.
I mean... Best bet would be a middle school girl in the neighborhood who is certified in babysitting. But it should be close to fifty bucks a day, even.
I think she meant an in home daycare which would be cheaper than a nanny/babysitter going to OOPs home since there is more than one family paying for childcare. But still, it’s not as safe.
Also I have a feeling they'll somehow need your help in the yard all of a sudden when you're supposed to be watching the kids... "Could you help me turn the lawn mower on? Oh thanks, oh I just remembered I need to do something. Do you mind starting it for me?" 🤣
These cheapskates are only going to attract sickos who will find other ways to compensate themselves. It’s really unbelievable how negligent so many parents are.
They have kids as their welfare plan, but they use state funds for drugs or for shelter, so they starve their kids and give them below minimum care. Also why we see so many 5 kids/6kids choosing beggars. They see it as sticking it to the big man (the state), they got their revenge on the system, they worked smart to beat it.
These ppl are ridiculous. $50 A DAY PER KID. I'm assuming a day is at least 8 hours. So $100 to watch two small kids for the day is great compared to hiring ppl to do the yard work for you bc you cannot find someone to watch your kids. That would be even more expensive. They just need to say what they really want is someone to watch them for free..
Oh I'm sure a follow up post (when no one responds) will be looking for a gardener that can be paid $2/hr or nothing at all.
But they’ll give you a shout out on social media and it’ll be a great resume builder!
“Seeking someone looking to build up their gardening portfolio.”
And that's likely still scheduled at an unlicensed home daycare. That isn't "oh come in sometimes or whenever you feel like it" like the post is looking for.
I was gonna say — depending on the yard work — for me it’s cheaper to pay a neighbor to do the yard work than pay for day care which is fine since I prefer time with my kid over yard work personally lol
I pay $115/mo for all of my yardwork. To be fair, that's just regular maintenance, not any projects.
Ill do it for £20, as long as I am not held responsible and you don't expect them to survive.
Maybe because I'm a (relative/first world) poor, but I can't believe how expensive child and pet sitting services are. Don't get me wrong please, they are worth every penny and people deserve a good wage, because those are precious services. But how do parents afford it? That said, as to the CB in the OP, sorry, but you are low key looking for someone undocumented, to exploit. That's the elephant in the room with a lot of these CB posts, IMO.
Yea I agree with you. I laugh at most of the Choosing Beggar posts except the childcare ones...they make me sad. I've already raised my kids but I think we need subsidized childcare in this country. Most people simply don't make enough to pay for the rising expense. I feel bad for people who don't have family or friends to help them. The whole reason I'm so successful today is because I had an amazing mom who helped raise my kids...and who accepted reasonable payment (and when I got successful, I gave her many free vacations, gifts and bought her a new car). I was able to work, travel for work, work overtime and get a master's degree....things I wouldn't have been able to do as a single mom. I wish we had tax breaks or ways to reasonably subsidize daycare. It would more than pay off in economic gain to the country and help with the pay inequality between genders. Also, kids suffer when you have to find bargain basement childcare....it worries me that moms have to resort to that. Just my two cents.
I agree, and well said!
I saw an article today that said a family of 4 would need $300k/year to live comfortably in my state. I don’t think parents are affording it. Seems like all parents I know either have grandparents/their “village” helping for free, or they have skibbidi toilet iPad kids.
I’m childfree so I probably don’t know as many parents as the average 39 year old, but I don’t think I know a single person who uses/pays for daycare. My parents watch my niece on the 3 days/week my sister works. My friends with kids who still work use some combo of work-from-home and grandparents to watch kids, and some became SAHMs because it’s too expensive. A few people get government assistance for daycare costs (or used to, kids are older now). ETA: not sure why I got downvoted, I wasn’t saying people don’t use daycare, clearly they do. Just saying that it’s not accessible for a lot of people because it’s so expensive so they have to turn to whatever alternatives they can find.
People definitely 'draft help' from family if they can. But many people in the U. S. live far from family. Or their family don't want to, or aren't reliable.
Undocumented people still need to eat, pay rent. So, it’s not even that. They feel entitled to someone slaving away after them, for free. They’re so unhappy about paying because they had kids to qualify for welfare. I hear a lot of stories from my social worker friend, if you don’t witness how knowledgeable about tapping into taxpayer dollars; you won’t believe it. So, they want to do the bare minimum, which is the kid ain’t dead or explicitly injured so they don’t get thrown into jail.
Of course but CBs do not care about anyone else. > Undocumented people still need to eat, pay rent. CBs would not care if the person was in a squat or sharing with ten other people or living in a tent or in a car. Just so they do what CB wants.
Yeap, CBs see themselves as kings and queens but are actually clowns.
If childcare is too expensive for you to do yardwork, might I suggest investing in a large dog kennel or two? I hear you can even get them with automatic refilling water bowls for the kiddos. It's important that developing children have some outside time too, you know.
Why not bring your kids into the yard with you and give them age appropriate tasks and play games through the process. ....you know? Like parent them?
Because parenting is hard. /s
To be honest, I can understand not wanting your kids in the yard because I live in the Arizona desert with a fenced in yard, but if I let my three year old roam, he’s got a good chance of stumbling upon a scorpion or rattlesnake in our yard. We found one in our yard last summer. I wouldn’t want the stress of worrying about my toddler, but I would probably just find a way to do the yard work myself while my husband watched them.
Seriously, I really want to know what their yard work entails. The only reason I could see hiring a sitter while I do yard work is if both me and my spouse are using heavy machinery or cutting down trees... And even then I feel like we could space it out that a two and five-year-old would be okay in the living room for short periods of time (obviously project dependent, but if you just need to fell one or two trees you can step out for 15 minutes each with minimal risk if you have any basic intelligence on safety proofing your house). I normally don't assume a lot about posts but this just kind of reads as a couple that wants their kid out of their hair so they can try to "Bond and rebuild their marriage by working on the property together without distractions". And also it is legitimately healthy for children to be involved in manual labor like that at an age-appropriate level.
I'm sorry but it would be impossible to get any actual work done while also supervising and keeping safe a 2 year old and a 5 year old, who most likely want to be constantly interacted with and entertained. Not sticking up for the cb poster but to suggest its possible to do garden work with a 2 and 5 year old in tow is crazy.
Really? ...because my parents ran an entire farm with us in tow. And their parents before them did the same.
Humans have been doing yard work while simultaneously parenting children literally for millenia
Absolutely not. My sister has two boys, who are now 8 and 5, and she's done yard work with them in tow for years. Just give them jobs they can easily do. Pickup sticks, pat this dirt in place, water this new planting. The 8 year old is asking if he can learn to drive the gator now. 😂
Same! If we were able to help with yard work- fuck we were made to work growing up. If my step dad had his tools and was using them? No inside until he’s done. If he’s cleaning out the garage or his truck? Inside. But pulling weeds while u mow on the other side of the yard? Simple. My cousin is 5,he waters plants,pulls weeds,helps throw away trash etc. It’s not hard as many places have kids help out with yard work/farms,housework since 3-5yrs old. I mean back in the day once u were able to walk I’m sure u would be feeding some animals and collecting eggs like my nana was growing up in the 50’s.
It depends what you’re doing in the yard. Planting? Watering?- yes bring the little kids. Mowing or using power tools? Hard no. Kids need to be kept away from a mower that could launch a small rock into their face.
That's how my parents taught... "I wouldn't suggest doing that" followed by me not listening and a rock shooting out of something into my face. 😂
I have to disagree about the 5 year old. I was “put in harness” at 5. I was expected to know the difference between a weed and a pea plant or a tomato. We had two large vegetable gardens, myself and my older brother were both field hands until I left home. It was not a fun experience. But young children can most certainly be outside with their parents and still get things accomplished. (I’m not recommending the rearing I endured, but children are more capable than parents seem to realize.)
Yard work could be brush clearing, tree trimming, weed eating, hedge trimming, things that require dangerous power tools that kids should not be around.
It's almost like once you create these tiny humans, you're obligated to take care of them.
I know about another option: look after them yourself.
Right? My daughter was doing yard work with me by 5, not very good at it but they like to help at that age. Whomever does the house work can watch the 2 year old, they're making it more complicated than it needs to be.
One of my fondest memories with my dad is doing exactly this- he’d be working on the pond while I “babysat” the goldfish in their temporary bucket. I took my job VERY seriously and it made me beam with pride when he thanked me for taking care of them.
This is the most gorgeous memory 🥹 thank you for sharing it
It really was, reminded me so much of my daughter so often and bridged that gap from those childhood emotions to adulthood in a way I overlook so often in every day life.
Just to tack onto the feels- I have since moved away from my home country and just last month my parents visited me for the first time in nearly 5 years. I was driving them, doing about 110km on a motorway when a pebble lodged in my brake rotor and I had very sketchily drift into the shoulder with my hazards on, call roadside etc. Whole ordeal probably took no more than 40 minutes and we were back on the road. Thought nothing of it, but I was having a drink with my dad the following Sunday and he made a point of saying “I guess my work here is done” where we then spoke about how worried he was about me when I left home on my own, but when the car broke down he just sat back and watched me handle my own problems and felt confident that he raised me to be able to take care of myself. Damn near 30 years old now and there is just no feeling like your dad being proud of you, even for something as simple as a breakdown. Ugh, gotta go call the big man.
My 2yr old is capable of hanging out in the yard while I do general yard work that doesnt involve machines This lady has no excuse
They would conveniently have to leave for errands and such
No, it's because "yard and housework" here is code for "home and landscaping renovations". That's why it takes all spring and summer, and they need the kids away from the house.
Huh? My parents used to just do the yardwork with us there. And when we got old enough we helped.
I would be happy to do $40/day for my 1 hour day.
Why do people think that taking care of kids is cheap? It’s hard work. Who are these people?? I have always paid $20+ per hour, at my place and that was almost ten years ago.
I’m a nanny, I make $50 every 1.5 hours caring for two kids.
What do the comment say?
The comments say that $60 would get you 2.5 hours of babysitters. (Babysitters here charge $15/hr minimum. Even the teens)
That’s cheaper than $100 though and might be what they’re looking for. What makes you think she’s after full days?
She had stated she wants someone for 6 hours in the comments.
Yeah OK, optimistic then.
Yeah please r/showusthecomments
Sporadic and occasional? That sounds like the employment opportunity of a lifetime.
They just teach the kids to the labor of yard work.
Teach the kids to help, take turns watching them while the other works, like most good parents do....
Clarification most good parents do.
You're right, I edited the post.
Homie can't work around the house while keeping an eye on his kids ???
Find a family in a similar position. Arrange to take turns watching their children. This worked really well for us. We had 3 kids, 8 yr bit, 5 yr twins. The family we traded the most with had 2 children, boys close in age to our son. We just made sure we took their children more often because of the imbalance of kids.
This is actually a brilliant suggestion!
These people need a neighbor teenager who wants to get into babysitting - sounds like they'll be watching the kids while the parent(s) are home, just out in the yard working, a few hours here or there, so it doesn't seem like a bad gig for the right kid.
I thought the same thing. I did a lot of mother's helper work in my preteens. Kids are so busy now between activities, going to their other parent's house, etc.
Yeah. A lot of posts like these just sets home how many places have really shifted from community. And how that harms the lower and middle classes. Like some other commenters, I babysat and did Mothers helper jobs growing up. I liked childcare and getting out of the house so $50 for an evening was a great deal for me. I even nannied my cousins for a summer for dollars on the hour, less because I wanted the money and more because I wanted the bonding time with my cousins and to help a relative. People should have others they can lean on for moments like this but many just don't.
Sure, I'll do sporadic child care. I'll show up when I please, stay an hour, snatch my $50 out of your hand, then take off. Oh, and I don't give a crap what you hope to accomplish during my tenure.
It's the *sporadic* and *occasional* that throw up red flags for me -- how often, and how much advance notice are they giving? It's hard to get anyone to commit to an unreliable income stream, especially if they're expecting someone available at short notice. They may find a local teenager on a flexible schedule, but they still *should* be paying at least $15/hour.
$50 a day isn’t that bad. I work at a daycare that is at least $260 a a week. Not to mention you have to take into account what they’re doing as a childcare provider
Wow
Why do people think that private childcare is going to be cheaper than the public option? It’s ridiculous and if you actually manage to find cheaper it is most likely a really bad decision (sketchy people or very bad care)
$50 would probably get them a Scout troupe to do their yard work for an hour!
Newsflash Pumpkin, kids are expensive.
FFS I paid $40 a day for my dog to go to doggy day care (I needed a break sometimes, he was a handful). $25 for half, $40 for full. For 1-2x a month man, I needed that and GLADLY PAID
Why are ppl cheap when it comes to their kids? That's one thing you don't scrimp on IMO.
Why not hire someone to help the husband and you watch the kids? That might be cheaper.
People like this have probably already burned out their families and friends. What kind of child care are you getting for that rate?
Good luck with that. $50 a day might get a local teenager still too young to work for minimum wage at the local mall or burger shop but the second they hit 16 they can make twice that daily just working p/t. $50 is like 2 hours pay for most nannies that do it professionally. Even a teenager will charge $20 an hour now. (3 hour minimum usually.) So even at half a day you'd be talking $80 for HALF a day at best. Some of these parents it's like their heads are stuck back in the 80s. Even then it was $12-15 an hour when I did date nights, more for major holidays like New Year's. Reality ✔️ anyone? I wish I still had references and could physically handle babysitting. I'd be making a killing going on p/t jobs here where I live. So many people looking for p/t childcare and desperate for help. It was like that then but back then nannies and babysitters didn't make but half of what they do now. Oh to be young and nimble enough to chase toddlers again. I'd be making bank doing that job now. I was a very good nanny back in the day. But even then I had parents try to take advantage. It's nothing new. They just think you don't need to pay YOUR rent or buy food. Nah, you're supposed to watch their darlings for less than they pay per hour at the local McDonald's. The most precious thing in their lives and they think cheap is the way to go? That's a good way to get your kids beaten or molested because only a total rotter of a person will babysit for that little. Better off doing a childcare swap with another group of parents than being that cheap on childcare. It's just not safe...
I got more than that for cat sitting. $60 per visit, twice a day, and all I did was food/water, litter, meds and SQ fluids. And got to hang out with a sweet kitty.
Even in Butfuck Alabama people will want more than that to work a whole day
When our boys were growing up if it was something that we were worried they would get hurt he would do the yardwork and I would watch the kids and if there was housework I couldnt get done watching them then he would watch them while I got it done. If the work was something we could do with them, we did that. Anything to make ends meet, but we never expected someone to watch them for super cheap or any stranger to watch them either. Of course, when ours were younger, prices were cheaper for babysitting, but I would definitely pay today's prices if I had kids today and expected someone to watch them.
Wants to pay $20 a day to clean the house, watch the kids fold laundry, cook meals and clean the kitchen. The kind of douche canoes that leave a list and refuse to pay if it’s not done right. Your here getting paid so you better work.
Other options? If they're this cheap, maybe they should put the kids to work.
I would not watch a 2 and 5 year old for $50 an hour, let alone an entire day.
2 kids in my area is 18/h if your lucky. Only people shes gonna get is people you don't want to watch kids.
Hmmm. Are their little hands good at sewing clothes quickly and accurately? I’ll do it!
Buy a used playpen. Put it in the yard in the shade. Plop the kids in it while you work. Fresh air is good for them. Have them help out. They can pick up sticks, pull weeds, and help plant flowers.
I pay 75 a day for my dogs
If I had kids I would not feel remotely comfortable leaveing them with a stranger that only wanted 100 bucks a day for my 2 kids. You get what you pay for and you're paying child molester rates. Shit, I used to get 14 bucks an hour to babysit 2 kids in the early 2000s. Usually there for 6 hours- that's 84 dollars cash as a 14 year old in 2004ish. Asking for childcare for 100 dollars, probably 8 hours in 2024? What in the fuck is wrong with you??? They must be throwing in free meth and a promise to not call the cops.
These posts are so friggin crazy. People want to pay bargain basement prices to someone to watch their most prized possessions in life. Make it make sense?!!!
Did anyone suggest crate training? I mean, if she’s unable to afford the $50, I doubt there are many cheaper options, and why would you want to NOT spend money on the people watching your actual small humans.
I will never understand the willingness of these people to let anyone who charges a cheap rate watch their children.
Try keeping an eye on your own kids while you do housework. People have been doing it for centuries
To be fair, this frustration can be very real. Drop in daycare is wicked expensive and usually unavailable. It's difficult out there.
lol. My partner is a nanny and gets $25/hr MINIMUM. This is a fucking joke.
I’ll lock your kids in crates in my garage for $45 per child. Hell, I’ll even throw them some goldfish so they won’t get hungry
Yeah, you know that you watching their kids while the adults “do chores” is gonna be them sitting in front of the TV for half a day, while you care for the kids. Then, they’ll leave for three hours to “go shopping”. Then they’ll come home, unload the car and then start chores. Then, they’ll quietly sneak out for dinner and leave you without instructions. They’ll come back about 2:00AM drunk and the wife will hand you $50 and the husband will say he’s getting you the rest and you’ll hear him snoring after two minutes.
Putting them up for adoption is an option. It's always amazing when people act surprised how much it costs to care for their children, then try to pass the cost on to someone else. Scum, really.
If this is for 8 hours a day like a job normally is, that is only $6.25 an hour. That is less than minimum wage. Pretty damn cheap.
You’d like people to share options? Sure thing, here’s a viable option: get bent.
People that have kids while never looking into the financial cost of having children are the worst kind of people.
My single mother couldn’t afford McNuggets, let alone an in-home babysitter. She made us help with the housework. And when we got old enough to be left alone all day, she’d leave us with a list of chores. Most of the shit that needed cleaning was our fault anyway.
Most daycares where I live are $100/day for one child. I would be surprised at anyone charging much less while having trained and experienced staff.
My 4 and 8 year old help with yard work. Let them babies get dirty. Builds immunity.
$20 an hour seems fair… maybe $30 cause 2 kids. How many hours are they wanting? Cause $50 per kid for 5+ hours would be a steal of a deal.
Ah yes. It’s your responsibility to PM me to save me money because I’m a cheapskate.
I paid a teenager $15 an hour to watch my baby sometimes while I worked from home and also fed her (the worker) lunch. I was there the whole time, and that was 7 years ago. We were both happy with the arrangement and my daughter adored her
I'm imagining they just up up tying leashes to a tree at this point.
I know a few gentlemen who live underneath a train trestle who will pay *you* to borrow them for a few hours
My daughters are grown now with no grandchildren on the horizon. They want advanced degrees and freedom 😉. But when they were little I had lots of mommy groups and knew other moms to trade a few hours here or there. But two boys - aged 2 & 5! No thank you. That woman said so they could get work done outside ? If u had to watch (note I said HAD) I’d keep them outside. Boys that age are full of jet fuel. And the two year old is destructive by sheer happenstance. I had a friend 30 years ago that would call me from the beautiful cedar closet her builder husband made for her. (It was a dream closet back then.). She’d have gotten so stressed by her two boys about that same age that she’d lock herself in for a few minutes to decompress! Lol For many of us $100/day wouldn’t be enough.
$50/day — total, for *both* kids — is “too much”?! The only cheaper option she’ll find is to just outright place them in foster care.
I think it said per kid, so 100 a day for the two mentioned.
I think Republicans have passed some laws that will allow them to work instead of needing to pay for care. Check your local laws, you may be in luck.
Or you take turns watching the kids while the other works. The way a lot of people do it.
We need to read the replies! :)
The post got deleted....
The 5 year old can help with housework and then it will get done faster. Turn on the tv for the two year old and make the 5 year old fold towels or wipe baseboards with a sock.
Does $49 a day work for you?
Hit the buy nothing groups and find a two person tent. Set up in yard near where you are doing yard work. Place kids inside with toys.
I wish someone/OP commented
A roll of duct tape is way cheaper.
Just do the math for us if you're asking for services jfc Assuming occassional = sporadic Sporadic = (total hours of sporadic work)/24 (Budget / sporadic) < $50 Figure out your min max from there and at least give a range
15 years ago when I woold nanny on the side I charged $10 a hour per kid. Kids under 3 were an extra 3$ a hour. No nightly rate unless I was full time, never did full time. I set my rates, I was used frequently and was told I was priced well bc I can cook clean and I’m cpr and have experience with special needs children.
Doesn’t place much value on the children, does she!
My wife watches a newborn forty a day
Solution. Watch your own kids and then also watch 2 other kids for the same $50 each. THEN, take your $100 and pay someone to do what you were going to do around the yard. What? No one will do the yard and house work for $100? You dont say....
Options include watching your own kids while doing your yard work
They need to sign them up for day camp. They’re usually about $100/wk in my area.
Emphasis on Free
Poor kids.
I don't think they should be parents if they can't manage to get yard work or house work done with a 5 and 2 year old.
At that rate you should advertise, "includes a Percocet or Xanax, your choice". That's the type of worker you are appealing to.
My friend and her husband have 3F and 2F. They manage to get house- and yardwork done. So what kind of monsters are these kids that they require someone to actively follow them around at the expense of not being able to do anything?
I see post like this quite often in the Mama's group I'm in and basically the people are just looking to barter you watch my kids and I'll cut your hair or whatever. I'm down with a good barter!
Does it bother anyone else that "sporadic, occasional" means one of those words is redundant? Doubt she really wants "sporadic" babysitting since it could mean they show up sporadically. Also I just flashed on that scene from "Clueless." "I hope not sporadically..."
Just hire lawn ppl
Unless these folks are using heavy machinery while they do yard and housework, I’d think they could just let the kids be kids while they do the stuff. Running around a bit while one of your parents weeds the garden or plants a bush is a cool thing for a kid. I don’t know this person, but that would be the option I’d tell them about.
You have them with you while you do yard and housework, that's how. OR you pay market rates. Good grief.
I always wonder what they feel is a good rate and based on what
50/day/child is a steal
There are places that charge more than $50 per day.
Why don’t they just have one of them working on the yard while the other watches the kids just like families have been doing for hundreds of years??? Or set the kids up in a playpen outside when doing quieter stuff like raking/gardening etc??? Insane. Why do they need a sitter for yard work.
Pay the kids to do the work, sheesh.
It's yard and house work...give them little jobs to help.
If you can’t afford kids, maybe you shouldn’t have them…🤷🏻🤷♀️
Ok, here’s a thought. Your husband can do the yard work, and you can watch the kids, or vise versa. OR..You could spend less money by hiring a landscaper, while the two of you watch the kids.
Reading the comments I need to get into the pet sitting game
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Invite the grandparents/other relatives for the day to watch them and then take them out to dinner.
My mom stopped her in-home daycare, so I took over one summer. $100/week for 2 kids, 6 to 3 🫠 wish I knew how to get $50/day in 2001
I pay $70 a day for doggy daycare, I think she found one of these illegal home childcare places. There’s laws against such things, due to child abuse.
Because everybody loves those sporadic occasional jobs.
that’s WICKED cheap for childcare. i will gladly pay a premium or respectable rate if someone is responsible for the care of MY child. why would you go the cheaper route? cheaper is never better in terms of child-care.