Eglu Cube Coop For Sale

[Chicktastic]

Is it just me being awkward or............................. If you pay for 3 days how many days should you expect your childminder to have your child?????

 

Some people think 5

 

So in that case would you go out to work for 5 days and be quite happy with 3 days pay???

 

I ALWAYS help people out if I possibly can, which usually entails swapping days, working more hours than contracted if needed, working outside working hours etc..... I consider myself VERY flexible, often working 13 hour days, 5:30am till 6:30 pm.

 

Am I being inconsiderate by not wanting to do 2 days FOC??? Because quite frankly I am being made to feel like I should have to do them or lose the child!!

 

Sorry if this sounds a bit just needed to rant

[Chickvic]

That's outrageous - I wouldn't do it. If their child went to a nursery they certainly wouldn't get away with it. How have they tried to justify it?

[Egluntyne]

Good grief. Totally unrealistic. Let them find someone who will do their bidding....if they can.

 

Would they expect their their cleaner to do 2 extra sessions without pay?

 

If you find yourself with a vacancy, you'll soon be able to fill it I'm sure.

[Chicktastic]

because they have kept the child with them the ODD day when off so I OWE THEM!!!! Not to mention all the extra days I have done them in the past (FOC!!!) when they needed to put extra shifts in. Suppose I should also mention too, that this is not just for 1 week it is for the forseeable future!!

 

I am the sort of person who likes do do more favours than I call in, so if I need a favour, I feel like I can ask..... if that makes sense, but this is just too much, surely????

 

Am I being unreasonable??? If I am, just put me in my place so I don't make a fool of myself!!!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Eh ? They want that for the foreseeable future . No way, Jose . Totally unreasonable .

[sadietoo]

They are being totally unreasonable..If they have agreed a certain number of days with you, they should pay you for that number regardless of whether or not their child attends... If they want more days then they should pay for the extra. Do they get paid when they do extra work.?..of course they do.. I am sure you could easily fill the space in your diary with another child for 5 days regularly and benefit from the extra money yourself..since you are the one doing the hard work... so if they want to keep the place open or have additional days then they will have to pay for it. Seemples!! If they do decide to take the child away, they will soon realise how flexible you were....In my experience a good Childminder is like gold-dust!!!!

[BarbaraJ]

Ohh no. Wouldn't even consider it, cheeky parents. I'm into my 20th year childminding and i have learnt alot along the way. I do favours like hang on to children when parents are late and dont usually charge , does depend on parents though. I never do unpaid days though, if they think they can get one, most will presume you will always do them!

[Chucky Mama]

They are taking the Mickey. The more you do for some the more they demand. I would put your foot down big time and have in writing that the days booked should be paid for whether their child attends or not unless a weeks notice if given (or longer if you want). I am sure that they need you more than you need them. If they don't like it they can lump it.

[Yorkshire Pudding]

That's downright unreasonable.

 

I'm sure they will have filled in reams of paperwork when they first set up the arrangement. Can you go back to the original contracts and point out that the rate is £x per hour, and that is what they will need to pay you if they want you to mind their child? I'm sure the contracts also explain the rules about payment when the child has not attended for various reasons. Also that by taking their child for free you would prevent yourself offering the place to another PAYING customer!

 

 

I'm always very careful to make it clear that I understood that, however friendly I am with the childminder, it's their business to take care of children in their home, and that there is never any issue about paying them for their work. These people seem to have mixed up a business with someone who takes care of the child for friendship.

 

You sound like you have been very flexible and helpful to them, but they are being ridiculous and you need to take a firm stand. If they threaten to remove their child, I wouldn't object - you will soon fill a place, good childminders are very hard to come by!

[freddie]

And that is why I gave up childminding..........

parents of children give more care to placing a pet in kennels, and Never quibble about the bill; but their kids.... and the poor person left to "mind" them, well, I was a 3rd(or lower) rate citizen to be at their bidding, who didn't need paying, and would keep their kids till bulls noon with no idea where the parents were half the time...........

A friend does it, and she sets up a contravt with the parents, AND charges a retainer to keep the place even when they go on holiday!! And it works

Good on her I say!!

[Chucky Mama]

A friend does it, and she sets up a contravt with the parents, AND charges a retainer to keep the place even when they go on holiday!! And it works

Good on her I say!!

 

Sounds like a jolly good idea to me.

[The Dogmother]

A friend does it, and she sets up a contravt with the parents, AND charges a retainer to keep the place even when they go on holiday!! And it works

Good on her I say!!

 

Sounds like a jolly good idea to me.

 

Rosie went to a brilliant nursery that did a similar thing.

[craftyhunnypie]

Good grief! If they are not prepared to payfor their childs, love care & safety in your hands, then they shouldn't have had children. Absolutely ludicrous! You are being taken for a ride there I think. The cheek of it! Do not give in whatever you do - you sound a wonderful childminder & you should be appreciated a lot more!

 

Emma.x

[Happy chickens!]

Grrrrr! They are not seeing things from your point of view at all. You are a professional caring for children, doing one of the most important jobs in the world. Why do some parents want to pay the absolute minimum for such an important job? Do they not value their child??

 

My sister's childminder charges half price on the odd pre-arranged 'dad day' when her oh shifts mean he can have their daughter with him, but they can't have days in lieu - how could any childminder swap and change when they need to earn a living from their job?

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

I thought it was the norm for childminders to be paid on days and weeks when the child isn't under their care - if it's ill, or the family wants to go on holiday etc on a retainer basis. This is a complete pain in the wotsit for struggling parents, but would totally protect you as a professional and makes your boundaries very clear. Don't put up with mickey taking. Ditch the client if they're being unreasonable, and implement contracts right away!

[theherd123]

I think they are being unreasonable.

 

If their child was in nursery they would pay week in week out no matter how many times they had their child at home on the odd day. I would also bet that a nursery would charge more than you do to.

 

Some people dont know which side their bread is buttered!

[Looney]

Ok, this is completely unreasonable and also it doesn't allow you to plan how much you will earn / how many other children you can take on (paid!) etc etc.

 

Without making a fuss, if you can ( I think I would be !) speak to the parents. Explain that you are re-assessing the hours and days you do, you need to do some future planning, look at how many children you take and when, say you have been approached by other parents (ok, maybe a little fib ) and you need to work out what capacity you have.

 

If you need to renegotiate your terms of employment to make it clear what you will and won't do then you really should as you can't work for free - a one-off might be fine but it seems a one-off isn't enough for these parents

 

Bogwoppit goes to a nursery and I pay for his three days whether he goes or not. They allow me to ask for extra days if I need them BUT only if they have the capacity and of course I am charged for them!

 

I feel for you as good childminders are so few and far between and a good childminder is like gold dust ....it is parents like this that make a lot of wonderful people decide to give it up. Such a shame

 

xxx

[Chicktastic]

Thanks you guys, it's amazing how much a bit of cyber support does for you!!!

 

I have offered to amend the contract to cover the full 5 days and adjust the payment accordingly, explaining that by the time they get their childcare % from tax credits they would only be paying £18 a week out of their own pocket, in total, for 5 days childcare, but giving them the option to earn 2 more days wages.

 

I have resided myself to the fact that I cannot compromise any more than I have and if it's not good enough then I will have to manage without them. At this moment in time I have not heard anything else from them, but theres nothing I can do, the ball is in their court.

[Olly]

It's always useful to get a reality check isn't it - sometimes you start doubting whether you're right or not.

 

What do they expect you to do on these unexpected 'free' days ... go out and find a random child on the street somewhere to fill the gap? or do they just think you'll say 'oh goody - no children to mind today, I'll put my feet up'!

 

No appreciation of the fact that you are running a business. I'm just guessing that perhaps they work in an industry (local government, civil service, etc) where they do the job they get paid for but don't actually have to show a profit or return ... anyone who's ever had to run their own business (or worked in one) will understand that you're not doing it for fun.

[sadietoo]

Reading through these posts has put me in mind of something else...Many moons ago I worked for an accountant who had amongst his clients a local private school...Believe it or not the head said that he could provide the education for far less and still make a profit, but if he charged less he would lose loads of children...because some people (parents) seem to think when it comes to private education that unless you are paying an arm and a leg you aren't getting anything worthwhile....

 

I think the same applies generally to childminding...certain nursery schools seem to be able to charge what they like and they have a waiting list...childminders on the other hand are treated as rubbish.... messed about and dictated to by many parents ...maybe the only way society will value them more is to pay more for them......

 

Just a thought

[Clur]

Not excusing them by any stretch of the imagination, but maybe the parent's are struggling financially and think 'oh well if we don't ask....'? Is that possible or do they generally just take the mick?

 

Childcare can be incredibly expensive whether nursery or childminder though I know most childminders (ours certainly) are worth their weight in gold if you find a good'un!

 

Don't blame you at all for pushing back on them, you are running a business after all.

[jlo]

What a liberty! (Can't really type in the style of Catherine Tate but you know what I mean.

 

I have to say that I was not impressed with the retainer charged by my childminder over the holidays though. One day I was stuck and needed someone to look after them on a day when I normally worked. I only need her for a couple of hours and she said that she wasn't available. I did object to paying her in those circumstances.

[sunshinesupernova]

I pay nursery one month in advance. No swaping days and no fees returned if lo is off sick or not sent for whatever reason.

 

I pay for the place. If my child is booked to go on a regular basis - there is then no space for antoher child.

 

I don't question it.

 

FREE DAYS ???? I don't think so....

 

Personally - I wouldn't. If you do it once...

[Chicktastic]

I have to say that I was not impressed with the retainer charged by my childminder over the holidays though. One day I was stuck and needed someone to look after them on a day when I normally worked. I only need her for a couple of hours and she said that she wasn't available.

 

Jlo, thats rediculous, the point of a retainer is that your childs place cannot be filled by another child. If she found another child that fitted around your child's hours, she shouldn't charge one.

 

If the child only comes term time, the retainer in the holidays is usually half fee but I make it quite clear that the parents are entitled to use the hours they pay for, so for half fee, half the normal hours. This stands whether the parent is working or wants to go to Meadowhall shopping!! I also give parents the option to not pay retainer, but this waivers the right to any extra care during the holidays. That is not to say that if a parent is stuck, I won't help them because if I can I will!!!!

 

I do however know that 99% of childminders do not let the parents know of this entitlement!!! I put everything like this down in writing, the parent gets a copy and I keep one, we both sign it.

 

but maybe the parent's are struggling financially and think 'oh well if we don't ask....'? Is that possible or do they generally just take the mick?

 

For 5 days care it would cost them £18 out of their own pocket as the inland Revenue pay the rest. Don't want to judge but they can still afford to drink/smoke/have designer clothes etc...

 

Sorry, still ranting Tell me to go boil my head!!!

[Clur]

 

but maybe the parent's are struggling financially and think 'oh well if we don't ask....'? Is that possible or do they generally just take the mick?

 

For 5 days care it would cost them £18 out of their own pocket as the inland Revenue pay the rest. Don't want to judge but they can still afford to drink/smoke/have designer clothes etc...

 

Sorry, still ranting Tell me to go boil my head!!!

 

 

Ha, well in that case I'd tell them to prioritise and that they can go and boil their own heads