I have been living here in Austria for 4 1/2 years. My boyfriend and I have tried numerous times to apply for a visa for me so that I can live and work here legally, but we only get the runaround. My only source of personal income (pocket cash) is Babysitting. My man (saint that he is) handles the bills. Anyways here is my problem: Currently I am working with several families. I charge different prices per hour depending on how many kids they have and quite honestly how much I know they can afford. Some pay more others pay less. I try to be fair to the parents and myself at all times, because lets face it I am not willing to work for tiddlywinks here, and I'm not trying to rip people off. Two of the parents I work with have sons who are classmates (7 year olds). Mom number one pays 7 an hour for her one son. I only see him once a week on wednesday, pick him up from school and play until mom gets home 2 hours later: giving me a whopping 14 euros a week from her. I also add that she is the only parent that pays me so less. Normally I don't take less than 8- but this is a friendship price at this point because I have been watching her kid for 3 years now and don't want to ask for more. Mom number two has the 7 year old and a kindergartner. I charge them 8. Last week they both needed me on wednesday. I arranged to pick up all three boys from school and Kindergarten, and take them to the home of mom number two to play, and mom number one could pick up her son there and I could remain behind with the other two until somebody came home. Fine and dandy, everybody is happy. Everything went according to plan, and it turned out that mom number two would desperately need me again the same time next week, and could we do it again? Mom number one was fine with it, so the deal was sealed. Then came time for payment. Everybody got charged their normal prices. Mom number one payed 14 as usual for 2 hours, and mom two paid 28 for 3 1/2 hours plus a 2 euro tip from their uncle. Why is it then that both moms seemed to feel ripped off? Apparenty since we were doing a tandem babysitting that day, they had the idea that I was going to lower my prices or something. Mom number one told me that " Well, thats just not the way things are done here." This is not the first time this has happened with these two. The first time Mom number one had scheduled a playdate with the other boys, but then mom number two had to work late so I was called in. I charged both moms as usual: but mom number one was upset because her son had been an invited guest in the house and she didn't understand why she should pay. I didn't know about any of that, I just knew that I was going to be babysitting all three. I tried to give her her money back, but after she had made a fuss, she wouldn't accept it. I believe I wound up leaving it on the sideboard in the entry hall. Anyways, I am now upset. I told her that if all three boys were to be dropped off at daycare for example, the daycare would not be making special deals. She told me as a teacher she isn't going to be getting paid more if she has more kids in her class. I just said well I can only talk of my past experiences as a daycare giver watching up to 12 kids from babies to preteens at one time, and every parent has to pay the fee. I also said that I have no idea how things are done normally here in Austria and I wasn't trying to rip anybody off. I now feel like I am the one being ripped off here. The difference between what I do and her teaching is that she gets a salary. I get chump change - often being paid in only/mostly coins. I do a good job and the kids like me. I feel that if they can't handle paying my totally normal and in my opinion not outlandish prices- then its time to look for a new babysitter. I haven't even talked to the other mom yet- tonight -woohoo. They broke off our deal for this wednesday as well- because they both feel that its unfair. But they both still need me! That means that my schedule for tomorrow is thus: -Wake up at 6:30 in the morning to take mom number 2's kids to school and kindergarten. Why, I ask myself, am I getting up this early to do work that will result in 8 euros in my pocket? -pick up mom number one's son at 4-6. -then hot foot it somehow to the home of mom nomber 2 for babysitting at 6:20. They both seem to be fine with this plan. The stupid thing here is that mom number one still has to pay the 14 euros anyways! This is ridiculous. Thank you for reading my rant. I am done now. If you were in my position What would you do, and who here is out of line? If you have any experience with childcare in Austria please share your knowledge so that I might know how things are done here. Thanks a bunch.
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Wow, I feel your pain. I've been baby-sitting full-time for the past two years since I graduated from college, and it can be incredibly messy. I don't know if things are different in Austria from experience, but since it's a western, developed country, I expect not. You have to deal with stingy, awkward parent situations like that in the US too, so I wouldn't let them get away with telling you "It's just not the way we do things here." Sounds like an excuse to me. I agree with you. It is ridiculous for these moms to fuss over a few euros when you are a good baby-sitter, they have built a relationship with you, and you are actually putting in the time, regardless of how many children are there at a given time. It is no different from day care (other than you are probably doing a MUCH better job watching these kids than a daycare with multiple children of various ages). If they're unhappy with you, they should look for other childcare. Hopefully they will see how foolish they're being and just pay you. This is your livelihood, and just like any other job, if you're not being paid fairly, you need to do something about it. Your employers should do the right thing and pay fairly, but if they won't, it's not good for you to eat the costs. You sound like a good baby-sitter who can get plenty of jobs. I wouldn't sacrifice for these people any longer if they're not willing to hold up their end of the deal.
