While out of town for a week, I had my friend's 7 year old daughter pick up our mail and water a flower pot if it needed it. We live 3 houses down. How much would you pay? I was thinking $2 a day? Too cheap? So probably $10 total.
I was going to say $2.00 to $2.50 per day..
Or $10.00 cash and a gift card to a local ice cream shop as a tip.
I think I'd give her $20 for a week, or at least $15.
Sure, it's not a hard or time consuming job, but it's an important one. No one wants to come home to stolen/tampered with mail and dead plants.
I like to pay the neighbor kids well, it makes them want to (happily) work for me again!
$10 for the week sounds fine to me for a seven year old. This isn't a teenager who is trying to earn money, this is a little kid who probably got a kick out of helping. My girls would be thrilled to earn $2 a day picking up mail.
I tend to err on being a bit more generous so the child will want to do it again someday and feel like it was worth his/her time.
Next time, please make sure you get this squared away with parents and child before you go, then everyone is on the same page with same expectations.
My daughter has been paid up to $20 for watering plants outside, picking up mail and making sure there are no handbills, packages, etc at the door. This was for a next door neighbor.
Another time she was working 2 houses down, going inside to clean out the litter boxes, check on cats and water plants... This family gave her $40 plus a special Hawaiian t-shirt from the red dirt company.
We did not set any prices and she was grateful for what she was paid.
Something I've learned about hiring kids is to have a basic price that the two of you agree to IN ADVANCE, preferably vetted by the parents to be sure everyone considers it fair. ($2.00 a day sounds generous to me, but this may vary depending on your neighborhood). Then mention that a bonus could be involved if the child does a good job.
I've let my generous nature get me into trouble on this several times. I offer a nice payment, describe what I need to have done, and the child slacks, makes a mess, or breaks something. Then I still feel obligated to give the generous payment.
10 seems little cheap to me. I would do 15-20 or 10 and a GC for Dairy Queen too (or maybe pick her up a souvenir from the place your going). She does have to take time out of her day to go and do it.
I vote $10 and ice cream!
I think $10 for the week is great. She's only 7, so she doesn't really have much use for the money and anything will seem like a lot to her. It's also only one minute of work a day, maybe five if she waters the flower.
I would also go with $20 -- or $10 and a gift card or souvenir as suggested.
Our neighbor pays my son (now 13) $20 for 7 to 10 days - he picks up the newspapers, mail and boxes.
So I think what you are offering is reasonable.
Make sure her parents are on board with it so they can walk down with her.
Is she expected to put the mail in your home or take it back to her house and deliver it when she gets home?
Have fun!
For me personally I would do $10 and t-shirt (or some kind of souvenir), or I'd give $20. Anytime my kids did this I think they were always given $20.
Gift card to McDonalds $20
Personally I think $10 is great.
When my child has been asked to do similar tasks (take in mail, feed dogs, etc.) I explain that she's doing it as favor to the neighbor or relative and when we need help they'd (hopefully) do the same. Anything she has gotten paid is a bonus. I would think $10 is plenty for a 7-yr-old since she's probably not even going inside and her home is only three doors down.
My kids did these kind of things all the time for neighbors. $10.00 for a 7 year old is plenty. She will be thrilled.
