It seems like the perfect solution. A friend is returning to work, she lives next door, and they are looking for daycare for their infant. Home all day with your own child, will this obvious solution be the best for everyone involved? It could, if you plan and discuss things openly and honestly with both parties before the first day begins. Before entering into a business arrangement and becoming a daycare provider for a friend, be sure to ask these 5 questions to your friend and of yourself first.
Question #1: How will we handle payment and time off?
Daycare centers and full time nannies require that employers pay even when a child isn’t in attendance, whether a holiday or an illness. Some nannies even ask for paid time off for vacations and holidays. Discuss openly your own expectations for payment and time off before providing daycare for a friend. If you cancel because your child is ill, should your friend still pay you? If they do the same, what is the plan then? How much advance notice does your friend need if you do need the day off for appointments or vacations?
Question #2: What are the policies for illness?
Of course, you’d hope a friend wouldn’t put a vomiting child on your doorstep, but how long do they need to be healthy before they return? Most daycare centers require 24-48 hours without vomiting, diarrhea, or fever. Will you follow the same requirements? Similarly, what are your feelings about colds, coughs, and runny noses? Be sure to address these issues before daycare begins.
Question #3: What will happen if it doesn’t work out?
It’s all well and good to make arrangements to watch your child and another child when a friend returns to work, but consider discussing what will happen if you find that this arrangement doesn’t work out for both parties. What if your child doesn’t react well to dealing with another child on a daily basis? What if you find the schedule too constricting after being able to do what you wanted on a daily basis before? Or, what if your friend decides she’d feel more comfortable with a licensed daycare center afterall? Talk about this openly and honestly in case the worst should happen.
Question #4: Can you go on outings as you normally would?
Discuss expectations for childcare. Can you still go about your normal day, running errands, heading to storytime at the library, or grabbing lunch at McDonald’s? Or would your friend prefer that you stay close to home, perhaps only going for walks and not driving with her child? Be sure that you are in agreement what you can do and what they’d prefer you skip. If you are the type that needs to get out of the house every day, and your friend would rather you never get behind the wheel with her child, this could be a deal breaker.
Question #5: What if the unexpected happens?
Can you keep the child longer if an unexpected meeting comes up? Are you willing to watch the child if your friend is ill and is home in bed instead of at work? Who should you contact in case of an emergency where you can’t be reached? Planning for the unexpected can be helpful and can keep the lines of communication open.
Watching a friend’s child when they return to work might seem like an easy choice. However, be sure to ask these questions of yourself and your friend before work begins, or you may find that the situation isn’t what either of you had been hoping for. In addition, don’t forget to research requirements in your state concerning babysitting and in home daycare. Many won’t consider one child part-time as a daycare center, but it’s best to research this first before you begin. Watching a friend’s child could be the ideal solution, if adequate research and discussion is handled first.
