How to Pay a Mother's Helper

A mother's helper is a young teen or preteen who helps a stay-at-home mom around the house while the mom is at home. The mother's helper may do chores, baby-sit or run errands. Because the mother is usually around, there are fewer responsibilities for the mother's helper than a nanny or housekeeper would have. Paying a mother's helper is different as well. Here's how to do it.

Instructions

    • 1

      Find out what minimum wage is. The minimum wage was designed as a minimum pay amount allowable by the government for someone to live on. Since a preteen doesn't support herself, minimum wage is only an indicator for you and not a requirement. Start with the minimum wage and move downward on the pay scale.

    • 2

      Base the pay on how flexible the mother's helper is required to be. If you need her at intermittent times as often as you call, pay her extra (like a retainer fee). If she shows up once a week on Friday afternoon, you can pay her less.

    • 3

      Determine how much you can afford to pay her. Offer it and ask her to go home and talk it over with her parents to see if it is fair. Perhaps you can cut back on certain duties if the pay doesn't seem reasonable to all involved.

    • 4

      Pay the mother's helper not with money, but with the item or service she is saving up for. Pay her in something she needs that you have or can get for her easily. A mother's helper may accept a gift card to her favorite store or movie tickets in exchange for her childcare services. If you are skilled at cutting hair, offer to give her a new cut in exchange for an afternoon of playing with the kids while you get cleaning done.

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