Howmuch do you pay for your helper?

[Momof4]

I have a two floor apartment and don't even use the top floor at all. I use the main floor which is full living room full dining room, full kitchen & 1/2 bathroom. My living room is my toyroom and my sleeping room. I put up 3 playpens and take them down daily. One child sleeps on my couch and I put a sheet and pillow down for him daily and in the corner of my living room is a toddler bed that stays there all the time and I kind of pile toys on it in the evening and have some of the other big toys around that area. It is behind my centrally situated furniture so that it doesn't bother me on weeknights or weekends, it just kind of shortens up the room. So I have no problem sleeping all five children in the same room.

Sometimes when I have a new child start who is crying or waking earlier I put them out in the dining room, but then I can't work in the kitchen at all during naptime and can't use my main floor at all so that sucks. That's why I prefer all of them in one room. Oh yes, and I have blackout curtains so it's pitch black when they are closed and the children fall asleep quickly.

[Cocoon]

I wish my kids could sleep in one room. I put all 3 in one room today to see what happens and now they are awake after sleeping an hour only. If one is up he will wake up others too.

I can't use my main room as we have a open plan kitchen and I sit there whilst they sleep and I can't do anything in the kitchen either as it will wake them up.

[Momof4]

Cocoon, it gives me a good excuse to have to go to my room and relax and read because I can't get much work done when my little ones are asleep either. You deserve a break so take it silly woman! I find I can do some fruit chopping in the kitchen to prepare for afternoon snack just after they fall asleep because they sleep soundly, but then they need for me to be quiet in the 2nd hour of the nap because that's when I will wake them so that's when I read.

I'm blessed to have good sleepers - 2 hours every day or a little more.

[treeholm]

Blackout curtains, great idea! I don't have any window coverings at all... live on an acre or property at the top of a hill, so no one can look in. I can see now that expecting children to nap with the sun shining right on them would be a problem. Something to add to my list of things to get.

[Dayhome Mamma]

Hey Cocoon,
I actually have two assistants. One for the morning and one for the afternoon. Morning one is 5 days a week and I pay her $11/hr right now as she just started 2 months ago. Afternoon one only comes in tues, wed, and thurs and I pay her $12.50 but I am going to give her a raise come September as she's been with us now for a year. I found them through kijiji by posting a detailed ad on how their day would look like exactly and what i wanted my assistants to do. then held many interviews on one scheduled days to meet with all the potential ones i thought might work.
I agree Momof4, that you can't expect your assistants to be responsible for the kids in your dayhome. I totally feel that I am 100% responsible for the kids and their well being no matter who is helping me out, and I make sure that I am able to still handle everything on my own as there are always times that someone sick or unable to come etc....I also feel that I am still the main provider running the show in regards to schedule, food activities, etc and though the thought did cross my mind of how weird it might be to have someone working with me in my own house, I can truly say that I have never felt that either have ever been in my way. In fact, they have been the opposite and have truly been my life enhancers and I appreciate them sooooo much! . Myy whole reason behind hiring them was to enrich my own quality of life as well as the children's but not to replace me. I view my assistants more as an addition to the program, where they bring a renewed energy to the children and I and do things with them that I may have not thought of. I give them the freedom to plan or choose to do their own activities, but still provide a schedule and structure that I find works best. And I don't spend all my money. I would say about 25-30% goes to invest in them, and I would probably be ok with it going up to 40 because that's how much I believe it is worth it. (I also forgot to mention that the one is a nursing student and the 2nd one is studying to be a kindergarten teacher so I don't take any highschool students) I feel my life is 100% better for it and it makes my job more enjoyable and much more stress free which is priceless. But yes, you cannot pass on the responsibility. And no matter how educated and experienced someone is in childcare, I find that mothers know how to handle everything best.

[Cocoon]

I will try to put them in same room again for the rest of the week I will see if they can adjust sleeping in the same room. We have a white blind which is no use at all so I bought blackout curtains. When I close the curtains it is pich dark and it also block the sun. On these hot days I close my curtains and it really helps. Our room is not so hot anymore.

Regarding help, I decided to offer $100 a week for 9 hours work. She won't be alone with kids and I will do the most work. I just need her to accompany me to the outings in the morning and help me to serve the food and tidy up after that. I will change the diapers and even wash the dishes as I'm particular about my cleaning I better go and write an ad.

[Cocoon]

Dayhome Mamma, what do you look for when interviewing? I have no idea what qualities I should look for or how to interview.

And also do you do their taxes as well or they take care of themselves?

Thanks a lot!
Cocoon

[treeholm]

Where does one buy blackout curtains? ...Says the woman with no window coverings in her home except some European windows that have the blinds right in them.....

[Momof4]

Haha, a really good quality fabric will work and you can have them lined if you want top of the line or you can go to Home Depot and find the ones I bought. I'm one of those people who constantly has to budget. Mine were about $25 a panel, just dark brown suede with a good backing and it's dark as night even on the sunniest days when I close them.

[treeholm]

THanks again Momof4. You seem to be rescuing me a lot lately LOL. I am on a tight budget, so if dark brown suede panels from Home Depot work well, that's awesome. My rooms are green or cream coloured, so brown would be lovely.