5Th Grade for Mother's Helper?

Only if she has done this before. I had one who let my 2 boys play in the garage with the power tools. Holy cow! I ended up babysitting 3 kids!

I recommend a little older, to be honest. You don't pay a mother's helper as much as a babysitter. A babysitter has to take a lot more responsibility.

I think she's a little young to watch the baby, so I would plan for her to play with the 7 and 4 year old while the 8 month old is napping. I'd offer $5/hour. I think if she can entertain the older ones for 2 hours while the baby's napping, that would be well worth $10.

IMO, an 11 year old mother's helper doesn't command babysitter prices, because you are not asking her to be responsible in case of an emergency. It's really more of a paid playdate.

My daughter could have done it in 5th grade. My now 5th grade son would also be amazing at it. Even with the 8 month old. You aren't going to be gone from the house, so if there is any need for help, you are there. I would do it.

For a mother's helper, I would do something like $5-8 an hour.

Yes that's a good age. PLEASE pay her more than the $2 an hour as some others have suggested! Who would want to play with and entertain young children for three or four hours and only receive $6 or $8 for their time? That is just nuts. At the minimum give her $8 an hour, you want to make it worth her time and actually want to come back. Poorly paid sitters don't last and certainly aren't motivated to do a good job.

5th grade is about 10 or 11, right? My initial response is - yes, too young for 3 kids even if you are in the house. Now, some kids are REALLY mature, and if she has a ton of younger siblings, perhaps it would be "ok" but I think I would still say probably not. If you are looking for that age group and kind of help, I would look more at the 6th and 7th graders who have had babysitter's training (here you cannot take it until you are 12). At least that comes with a handy CPR class :) Even though you might be in the house, seconds can matter in an emergency. Especially if she is too young to recognize a true emergency and call out for you.

I would shoot for a bit older. Also, don't discount boys - sometimes they are better suited for the job than a girl! I think $7.50/hr for anyone 14 and under would be fine with say a $20/min fee?

Good luck!

she sounds perfect. i'd offer her $8 or $9 an hour. it's more than minimum wage, which is terrific for a kid that age, who is not going to have the responsibility of being an independent babysitter. and she's gaining valuable experience.
good for you for rounding up some help!
ETA, well, i do agree with some of the posts that the baby might be too much for her. why not have her come over while you're not working on projects and see how it goes? some kids are naturally brilliant with infants, others not so much, but i can see how three kids, with one a tiny, might be overwhelming. if it doesn't work with the baby, you could still have her come when the baby's napping and entertain the older two.
khairete
S.

If her mom thinks she is ready that sounds like a great idea! Especially since you will be home. I wouldn't set any long term plans in case it doesn't work out. Just have her come for one small job and call her back if you like how she is with the kids. You may have a great future babysitter, too!

I started as a mother's helper at 10. I had a sister who was 5 years younger than me and I helped in my church's day care pretty regularly (with teens/adults), so I was well prepared and could change a diaper of give a bottle with no problems. I think it all depends on the individual, she may be great! I would work out her responsibilities and rate with her parents ahead of time to avoid any issues. I would expect to pay $5-8 per hour to start, see how it goes, maybe give her a "raise" if she works out.

10 might be good to occupy the 7 and 4 year old by playing with them, but is not old enough to be responsible for the infant. If you want someone to handle all three of your kids, I'd aim for someone who is age 16+. (Grade 10/11)

Ditto mynewnickname.

ETA: Elena's points are really helpful too.

My sister did what Elena did. She would nap her baby and have a neighbor girl around this age occupy the older kids for a couple of hours. It was great experience for the girl and she morphed into their babysitter when she got older.

I don't know about your 8 month old, but if I was in the house and mine could see or hear me, they'd want me. So if your intent was to pop in to check to see how she was doing, that's not so easy with some babies. Just something to consider.

I was just talking to a coworker who's son is about to have his first. My older daughter isn't even married yet so this is kind of out there discussions anyway but my daughter's job allows her to work from home so I though when she does have kids a sitter at home would be a cheaper option.

Nope, apparently they are just as expensive as if you leave the house because they are watching your kids just as if you weren't there. The only upside is you can watch them. My coworker's son had looked into this.

May be different rate wise with a younger kid but the same rate you would pay her if you went out would be the rate you pay her for this.

I did this exact thing, when my dd was an infant. I had a 10 year old girl come over to supervise and play with my son. I met with her and her mom and we established some basic ground rules (no cooking or microwaving, but there were appropriate snacks on a particular shelf (fruit cups, graham crackers, etc) that she could serve at a certain time, and there were some carrot sticks, etc, in a bowl in the fridge that she could serve (again, not unlimited, but at a designated time so as not to interfere with dinner). She played with him and helped him pick up his toys. She was not to just plunk down in front of the tv with him or play electronic games - the point was to have good old fashioned play time (creating a road for toy trucks, playing with Legos, play board games, etc). She supervised him washing his hands, things like that. I did not leave the home when she was there, but took a shower, sometimes lay down if the baby would stop crying for 2 seconds, took time to actually drink a cup of hot coffee and answer emails, things like that. She was responsible, and her mom thought it was a great way to train her to be a babysitter when she was old enough. I was glad that her mom was involved. I would not have been comfortable just making the arrangements with the young girl. I wanted her mom to know what I expected.

If your baby is happy, and in a safe baby seat or swing, and if the girl doesn't need to tend to the baby (just pick up the baby's rattle or toy, or wash the pacifier if it falls to the floor), I think that would be ok. But I wouldn't want her carrying the baby around or trying to give the baby a bottle.

I think one dollar per hour per child is reasonable to begin with. $2 if she's just playing with your older kids or helping them with homework or serving snacks or helping them pick up their rooms. $3 if the baby is in a very safe place and the girl just keeps an eye out and notifies you if the baby seems to need changing or feeding or burping or whatever.

I think 5th grade is a perfect age for a mother's helper. I have two nieces in 6th grade--one would be awesome and the other would be awful (I love them both, dearly, but one is just not into kids). I wouldn't do every day--maybe 2 days for 2 hours each day. I would say $6 or $7 an hour is plenty. Also, she can probably only handle 2 kids...either you watch the 8 month old or have the 7 year old do some independent reading/playing.

Maybe charge $2 per child an hour (so $6 an hour). I think the 8 month old will be a ton a work and responsibility for a 5th grader, so this could be short lived. Most mother helpers I know of get a lot less than a regular teen who stays without an adult. Some even do it for free or as a volunteer credit for middle school.

I do not think there needs to be a $20 min fee either for this age. You should talk to her parent before asking her to help. The mom could tell you if she thinks it is a good idea. Many moms around here think of it as a way to get their 8-12 year olds to be watched so they can leave this house. You could be doing them a favor. The time will need to be clear, so this child doesn't leave your house and even up not having her mom/dad home.

I used to have a girl that exact age who would come over and play with my kids when daughter was 2 and my son was 7. I asked her what she charged. She charged $2 an hour to be a mother's helper. Cheap, I know. I usually gave her extra. (Older babysitters where I lived charged $10 an hour). I think you should ask her and her mom what they think would be a good rate. It was really nice...she loved playing with young children and I could get something done or just have a break. She was very mature and sweet...a very responsible little girl. They would play games, go outside, play pretend, etc. My kids adored her!I do think 5th grade is a little young for watching 3 kids, but I was babysitting a family of 3 (with a baby) starting at age 12 (6th grade). So she might do just fine. You could have her come over for a couple hours one time to try it. Give her instructions on what she needs to do with the 8 month old (for example, call you in to change a diaper) and how to handle babies. Giver her a try and see how it goes.

As a former nanny who understands the value of childcare, I'd go much higher in both age and price. An 8 month old needs a lot of attention. They are just starting to crawl and possibly try to be more mobile. I agree with other that if you want a mother's helper to schedule that time during the usual naptime for the youngest and let the helper take care of the older two. If you want they younger children directly tended to, a 13-16 year old who is familiar with infants would be better if you want someone tending the two younger ones. It depends on the maturity of the helper. Someone who has the ability to make predictions about safety situations, etc, and old enough to have better judgment. I'm thinking at the very least 6-8 dollars an hour.

The *idea* of a mother's helper is that she would HELP, not be the sole caregiver. Mother's helpers usually play with the children and bring the infant to mom when they are distressed, need nursing, etc. They are not babysitters, true, but they also have to have good judgment. If you are wanting to really dig into a project, I suggest hiring a babysitter. If you want a mother's helper, expect to do the project in segments and be available to be interrupted at a moment's notice.

Not in my world !
$2 per hour... Let's take advantage of of a 3rd grader Gehenna you have a 7 year old or better yet take care of your own children.