Do you babysit for free? If not, that cost plus the cost of gas, is it worth driving 70 miles to a job? You raised your family and it's her responsibility to raise hers. It's her boyfriend not husband. She's in a situation she chose to have, not you. Where's his family? You have helped her for 7 1/2 years and she needs to apparently be reminded of that. She chose to work nights, not you. You were not asked before the decision was made. It apparently was a "taken for granted". I would just tell her that you have watched your grandchildren all that time and love them deeply just as you do her. However, his children are not your responsibility. Where's his family? You have given all that time for her. You are not being selfish but it was her decision to take this job. Lesson learned -- we have to take responsibility for the decisions we make and the consequences. She made the decision to work nights and she needs to find the babysitter. She can check with daycares where perhaps one of the workers would be willing to work nights. She can advertise. If your husband works days, then that simplifies it some in that the evenings are for him to relax or the two of you to do things together - not babysit, especially 4 children. I wish you the best. Lynn

Are you going to do this in your apartment? If so, then you better check with management. If you are management or are working in conjunction with management to offer this to the apartment complex, and the kids will be in the clubhouse or some other central location, then I think I'd charge by the day minimum. Otherwise, you might need 4 workers for one hour according to daycare laws, and then need 1 for the other 2. It'd be easier to schedule the appropriate amount of workers if you charged by the day, and you made them sign up and pay for the days by a certain day each month. Any other way, and it could become a nightmare. Of course, I don't know what the childcare laws are in your state, so they might not be very strict, but usually states have some very detailed laws covering childcare.

cutiepatootie04 Thanks for your email and you are welcome! I can't seem to send you an email here so I am going to post here and let you know what I am paying to give you an idea. When I was living in metro DC area, the cheapest non licensed daycare I can find is $140 a week, no food provided. I can leave my baby there for up to 10 hours a day. I have to pay for all absent days. I know the lady charges much more for other kids, on average $180 but they don't pay absent days. I guess in the end it averages out because my child usually only go 3-4 days a week. I now moved to southern Virginia, the non licensed home care costs about $100 a week and I don't have to pay absent days. Some provide food some don't. Licensed daycare center costs $160 - $200 a week, food provided and I have to pay absent days. Either case I can put my child there for up to 10 hours a day. All in all I don't think long term childcare is counted by hour. Say $200 a week for up to 10 hours a day, that's only $4 an hour. Drop in hourly babysit is different. If I were you I will check what the market rate is and charge what you are comfortable with. If you think her rate is too low then don't do it :) It's your time and you should do whatever feel comfortable to you.

"Our primary requirements are water damage resistance and relatively easy to stand for long periods of time in the kitchen." Just use wood then. By the time you have a floor stiff enough for tile it is hard to stand on for long. A major spill for a prolonged period is going to damage almost anything except tile on concrete or a full thickness mud-bed tile job (ad even they can leave joists vulnerable at the edges of the floor).