I think I might be crazy

[JAK]

for even considering this, but what do you think. I had a single mom call about dc today. She has an 18 month old. The mom will need care 3 nights one week, 4 nights the following week. I have worked this schedule with my baby in Alaska. This would include working every other weekend. The kicker is the hours are 7:20 pm- 8:20 am.

Pros:
I'm always home on the weekend nights unless we are camping and we could plan our trips around when the little girl is here.

If I take on this little one, I won't have to take anymore dck's at all during the day and keep it the 3 girls I have (with great schedules).

My family (at this point) is all for it.

Over the phone I liked the mom right away. I'm meeting with her and the baby in person this week.

Cons:
I'll have someone else's baby sleeping in my house several nights a week.

What if she doesn't sleep through the night?

Other thoughs/comments:
I have a 2 week trial period in my contract, but if I took this on, I may extend it to a 1 month trial period since she won't be here 5 days a week.

How much should I charge? my normal weekly rate is for 50 hours a week with a max of 10 hours a day. One week she will be here only 39 hours, but the other week she would be here 52 hours. Every day she is here, she will be here 13 hours. So do I do my weekly rate (each week no matter how many hours she's here because I'm holding the slot for her) plus and overtime fee for the hours over 10 each day? Or just charge my regular weekly fee? She will be subsidized by the military so she will probably only pay me $60-70 per week out of her pocket. The subsidy program would pay me the rest.

Any thoughts or ideas about any of this? I didn't know if any of you would have any advice (other than to agree that I'm crazy to want to help this mom out), but I guess I needed to write it out to see it for myself.

[vea29]

My main question would be if she did not sleep at night....would it be too much? How would you make it through the following day?

I also don't know how your type of program works....but did you have insurance covering the inhome care....would it cover that or is that "after hours"?

I probably would charge my weekly rate? Because it averages to basically a full time slot.

I may be totally off but that's just my Opinions. Glad to hear yourfamily is all for it. That might make it easier.

[SpeechMom]

I think the regular weekly rate sounds right. She'll be there overtime as far as the daily time limit, but she'll hopefully be sleeping.

I think it's incredable that you're even considering this. It must be impossible to find childcare for this shift, and I'm sure the Mom is grateful to have a safe place for her child.

[BevJ]

If this mom works all night the needs to sleep all day, who watches the baby during the day time? I have no wise words, Jen, but I know you'll make the right decision.

[Diane]

Seeing she's an only child, and she'd be sleeping most of the time she's there... I think if you do it, you should definitely do it on with 1 month trial period to see how it works for you/your family.

Sarah is 19 months old and I know there are nights when she still wakes up... but she usually falls back to sleep quite quickly. (but not all children do) If it were me... I probably wouldn't even consider it because I like my freedom when I'm off and not working. I look forward to my dck's getting picked up... and enjoy my quiet evenings. :) Sometimes that's about the only thing that get's me through my day. LOL

If I'm doing day care, I'd rather have all of the kids there together at the same time. That way they all pretty much arrive and leave for home at the same time... and I’m done with it until the next morning. I know I'd probably dread that 7:20 drop off every night I was to have her. That and I don't like working around anyone else’s schedule... I guess I've gotten too independent. LOL If it were me... I’d wait for someone who needs me during the hours I work, with a child who would make a good fit with the kids I already have.

You seem a lot more open and flexible than I am though, so if you're family is all for it and you don’t mind it... I think you should try it. I'd charge her normal full time day care rates. She's actually pretty lucky you're only charging her that because most of the provider's that I know who do after hour care like this usually charge a LOT more.

Good luck with your decision...

Diane...

[Melody]

I think you should try for a month and see how it goes for you if this is what you want to try. As long as you are going to for the same reasons you would accept a child in the day and not out of feeling sorry for the mother because I think it would be easy to do that and then feel sorry you agreed to it after a couple of weeks.
I know you will make the best decision for you and your family. I'm sure this mother is happy that you are even considering it.

[JAK]

My main question would be if she did not sleep at night....would it be too much? How would you make it through the following day?

I also don't know how your type of program works....but did you have insurance covering the inhome care....would it cover that or is that "after hours"?


I don't know what I'd do if she didn't sleep. It's be like when my kids were little I assume- you just deal with it. She's not here 5 days in a row so maybe that will help.

I have insurance and it covers all hours of care.

[JAK]

If this mom works all night the needs to sleep all day, who watches the baby during the day time? I have no wise words, Jen, but I know you'll make the right decision.
I asked the mom about this. She said she tries to sleep when ever her daughter takes a nap. :nervous: That means she's only getting a few hours of sleep for a few days at a time. The most she works is 3 days in a row. But still, I think I'd go crazy with that little sleep! She also said that sometimes she pays someone to watch her for a few hours during the day. The lady who watches her now will only watch her during the day, then the mom has 2 teens who watch her over the weekend. Now that mom is working nights the lady can't watch her and the teens would have to sleep over and she doesn't want them to do that.

[JAK]

I'll let you know how my interview goes with her on Thursday afternoon.

[angie r]

Bless that poor woman's heart!!! What a schedule! I would do it, charge your weekly rate. Sounds like fun to make money while you sleep!

[JAK]

I got some more info from a provider friend of mine who watched the little girl in January. She (my friend) thinks the mom will drive me nuts. :lol: She said she's one of those really lovey dovey tyes of moms who will hang out forever when she picks her daughter up. I still have my interview set up for Thursday and I have decided to just take the little one on the weekends depending on the vibe I get from the mom. Theer is another provider who was/is also thinking about doing care for her so maybe she can take her during the week and I'll take her on the weekends. It will be every other weekend for 4 months, Fri/Sat/Sun night. We'll see what I think of them in person.

[littlesista06]

Gosh, I feel for that mother, but I feel much worse for that poor little one. Being here, there and everywhere, it sounds. I hope something that suits her best will work out. Sounds like you've got a big heart, Jen, to give up your weekends for work. Keep us posted on how your meeting goes.