Since last summer I have been stressing about how I am going to pay for day care with 2 kids. During the school year my bill will be double what it is normally with just Caleb. On a slow week I will have to pay about $140. That is about 20 hours of day care for both boys. If I were to have a busy week (which is about every other week) I would have to pay $3.25 an hour extra... it adds up! Which compared to every where else, this is really cheap and I am not complaining on what she charges, just that I have to pay it! :)
But, in the summer my hours almost double- that would make my fees 4 times the amount than I had to pay this Fall for just Caleb! Ugh! So, I had the epiphany of maybe hiring a high school girl to watch the kids in the summer. I asked my assistant at Kids Club, who is a high schooler, if $100 a week sounded fair. She thought that it would be a great deal... so my next problem would be if the day care would let me take the summer off without having to pay... So I talked to the owner yesterday and she said it wouldn't be a problem! YAY! We discussed maybe having Caleb attend a couple mornings a week still so he stays in a routine with them and still has the "kids" outlet. Which is he goes to day care on Tuesday and Thursday mornings a total of 8 hours it would only be $30. Then $100 for the high school girl- $130/week! Versus at least $280- That is a deal!
I put my high school assistant on the job of finding me a responsible girl who lives in town or who has her license. She has already given me one name of a girl that goes to her church, so we will see how she pans out. I was going to have any "candidates" start babysitting this Spring when Chris and I go out, etc. But, then I realized that Chris and I never go out, so we are either going to have to start, or I had another thought- have them watch the kids on "No School" days and over Spring Break, etc. That way I won't have to be spending even more money than usual, I would be saving the money I pay the girl, by not having the boys in day care.
This may not seem like a very big deal to many people, but this is a huge monetary relief for me! I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders! Aaaaaah. Now, I have to task of actually meeting these girls and deciding who I like better... I have never been on this end of the whole babysitting thing and I am not entirely sure what to do. It isn't like I can ask Caleb and Carter who they like better! Oh, well. I guess it will be a learning experience for all. Should I ask a high schooler for references? Do they have references? I don't know....
I think you should ask for a reference. It could be from a teacher. That will teach them responsibility and give you maybe a better insight if you're torn between two people. You should watch how they interact with Caleb when they're at your house. If they're very stand-offish, they may be nervous, but at a certain point, they have to get over it and prove they are capable.
ReplyDeleteJust what I did when I interviewed our nanny.
I would keep both girls on the hook, in case one can't make it for one reason or another. Its nice to have a backup!! Good luck with your hunting!! Love you! sis
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