Pay mommies and daddies

[CPDude]

I have looked at several fee for service mommies. The costs they are charging seem outrageous and I wonder if any of them make any money doing this. I would never use these mommies for several reasons.

1) cost prohibitive ($150-300 an hour)
2) distance is so great that long term stay would be only option
3) many don't offer services that meet my needs or tastes.

Anyone have any experience with these services?. The most realistic mommy I have ever found online charged $260 a day. That is in line with nursing home costs but she was in Bangkok which is a tremendous distance away (2 days by plane) and my biggest fear was going two days without a diaper change!

 

[tobdy1986]

Have you thought about putting up a craigslist add or something. You may be able to find someone in your area who is interested.

 

[Trevor]

Medically necessary caregiving isn't what they're for, so you're not going to see competitive pricing. These people also have no reason to be licensed or specially skilled since it's just for fun. You can go round and round on this but there's really no reliable way to get someone to be your responsible parent at low prices.

 

[sbmccue]

The situation is more a take-what-you-can-get than a buyer's market. In my experience, only a few women are willing to provide the service, and even then, many have restrictions on things like dirty diapers.

I guess "outrageous" is in the eye of the beholder. I don't find $260 per day to be all that bad; I've actually paid more. These ladies all contend with a horrendous cancellation rate; they also have to spend time responding to emails or speaking on the phone, etc. The actual costs far exceed the per-hour or per-diem "nursing home costs."

As I have mentioned in other posts, your best bet is a friend or someone you know who (a) has adult care experience, (b) needs some extra money, (c) doesn't run screaming when you broach the idea of babysitting an adult, and (d) is fun-loving or likes you enough to give this a try.

I'm not sure I'd fly to Thailand to be babysat, but I've had a number of babysitters over the years and the experience isn't new to me. The problem with Craigslist (I've tried it) is that the ads attract a lot of young CNAs who are desperate for cash. I have no problem with being a CNA or needing money, but I'd have to meet someone in a neutral environment a couple of times before I'd consider letting her into my home.