Comments on What Do I Know; I'm Just The Babysitter: Needed Versus Earned

Not all parents. We moved our child to find a bet...

2010-01-14T14:40:17.063-05:00

Not all parents. We moved our child to find a better place for her and pay a lot more than we did before. She's worth it.

I haven't raised my fees in years. I'd lov...

2010-01-14T10:07:51.384-05:00

I haven't raised my fees in years. I'd love to but the simple fact of the matter is, if I don't stay on par with the other providers in the area I will lose the kids to the cheaper providers. Because the bottom line IS the bottom line and parents would rather pay less than pay for quality.

Judy, just found your blog and as a fellow 'babysitter' I am really enjoying a quality read.

Certainly self-employed individuals deserve raises...

2010-01-13T00:59:39.473-05:00

Certainly self-employed individuals deserve raises, but please consider that many of us who are not self-employed are working our butts off and have no hope of even a cost-of-living increase (not last year, not this year, not next year...). Perhaps some parents who grumble do so not out of disrespect for their provider, but due to a knee-jerk reaction to the changes this will cause in their finances, especially if a raise is not in sight for them. Why do you assume that parents who question a policy or don't respond in the way you would like automatically disrespect daycare providers? Is it not conceivable that someone could have other motivations that you are not aware of?

Here's a positive post: "I raised my rates and none of my parents complained, because they value me. Ain't being your own boss grand?"

Depends on how much you raise your fees. What perc...

2010-01-11T19:57:06.517-05:00

Depends on how much you raise your fees. What percentage? 2.5%, 3%, 3,5% or more? Most average employees I know where I live are lucky to get 2.5% raise increase, if that, per year. Some get nothing. Increases are a fact of life for everything, doesn't mean we have to like 'em.