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March 24, 2011

Regrets Not Welcome Here

Over the weekend I had to ponder and decide if I could take on the job of full-time child care for someone that is a very distant acquaintance. She has a delightful 2-year old boy, fully potty trained, polite, quiet (as a 2-year old can be), and fun. She works full-time at the same company for which I worked until Captain made his entrance to the world almost 5 years ago.

I would have been earning $25 each day that he was here and would have to provide snacks and beverages for him.

No big deal, who wouldn't like an extra $125 each week for letting someone else's kid play at your house and take naps and eat lunch with you?

Well...I talked with her current (soon to be ex) provider and learned that she was leaving him for 10 hours each day. She would drop him off around 7:30 (an hour earlier than the other moms left their boys) and not return til after 5PM. She also doesn't bring him on days that her older boys from a previous relationship are out of school, as they are 17 and 15. She doesn't pay if he doesn't come.

The idea of making $2.50 an hour plus not knowing if he was going to be there or not, plus the fact that Captain will be in afternoon kindergarten at a Charter Academy on the other side of town 5 days a week, plus the fact that Princess will be in preschool 2 mornings a week plus one morning/afternoon for dance class, means that I'll already be spending a LARGE part of my day in the car running people to and fro.

Not too much of an issue, but thanks to the government's insistence that my children wear seatbelts, nay, that they remain in a booster seat, it would require my not only driving the truck but putting the 3rd row seat in the truck. This adds an extra 70 or so pounds without a passenger...which would mean my mileage would decrease, which would mean I would be babysitting this kid, schlepping him all around town to pay for the gas I would use.

As it stands now, I've told her I'm not able to help her out. And I don't feel badly about it at all.

BB spoke with his manager, who is willing to let him come home from work around 3 each afternoon, so BB can pick Captain up from school and then log in and call in for any meetings and to finish his daily work. The only day that wouldn't work is Thursday, on which he must be at the office for a video call with the Shanghai office.

It means that I will just have to get Princess from school, and Captain to school. The only other driving I'll have to do is to/from dance and if I decide to do my Moms group again next year.

It's not that I'm opposed to driving, it's just that the Preschool at the Academy is twice as much tuition as the one the kids currently attend.

I'm glad I decided that I can't take on full-time care. Maybe in 2 years, when Princess is in school daily, and I'm only hauling one or two kids at a time, I could think of taking care of someone else's child. Maybe after-school care?

1 comment:

Inkling said...

Good choice. I about choked when I read how much she planned to pay you. I don't know if that's actually the going rate in your area, but I earned $50 a day three years ago when I watched a little boy. And they paid me extra for various things like outings, mileage, "drycleaning" when he got sick during nap, etc. And daycare here is even more expensive than that for parents. Wow. I am so glad you didn't get taken and that you said no. Good for you!