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View Full Version : help and advice please



TRACEY1969
03-05-2012, 07:53 AM
i will try and make this brief. Being looking after mindee for 3 years and due to start full time school in Sept. Before signing new contracts i wanted the parents to know that between the hours of 12 and 2.45 i will not be available to pick mindee up IF school ever finished early (normal times are 9am 3.15pm) i can pick up after 3pm and i will not be charging between these hours. parents then started looking for a new childminder minutes later and was giving me my notice. I did inform them that this school only closes at 1pm when its half term and they would have pently of notice to book a hols, this wasnt good enough. Anyway they couldn't find a child minder and have apologised to me and asked if i would carry on with mindee. I told them i would have to think about it due to there actions and that i never handed in my notice but just informing them of the situation. I dont know what to say to them now as they have texted me and emailed asking me to carry on and if the school ever closes earlier than 3pm could they bring mindee to mine then go back to work also they want me to include bakers days and closed periods in my price now so they can have a set amount to give to tax credits. Also they saw my husband in the street and told him i handed in my notice to them. What can i say to them if i continue with mindee as i feel they have blown every up out nothing.

Dragonfly
03-05-2012, 08:16 AM
If you can fill the childs space I'd be inclined to do so, taking you for a bit of a mug and also lying to your husband isnt nice.

Bridey
03-05-2012, 08:18 AM
I would put this down to a big misunderstanding and carry on ... at an enhanced hourly rate! ;)

The Juggler
03-05-2012, 08:58 AM
some people have such mad over-reactions! what did they expect you to do :panic: so you are not going to charge them between 0900 and 1500 every day but they expect you to be available????

I would say no, if you don't need the work hon

BuggsieMoo
03-05-2012, 10:46 AM
If you need the work - then yes - but at an enhanced rate.

If yo don't need the money id be inclined to say no for the follow reasons
1) they gave notice cos you couldnt accomodate them in the hours you did not charge for - what else are they going to get 'upset' about. Id be worried from one week to the next if Im going to get notice.
2) they have lied to your husband - what else have they, could they or are they lying about.
3) as point 2, if they have already lied who is to say they are not lying again re bringing to you etc and that you will get to the early finishes, they expect you to pick up (when you cant) and then that causes more problems.

blue bear
03-05-2012, 11:36 AM
You say you have had lo for 3 years, is this normal behaviour for them?
If your gut is telling you no then go with that. I think I'd be inclined to clear the air, have a meeting get it all out in the open and carry on as long as everything hadbeen fine up to this point.

JCrakers
03-05-2012, 12:04 PM
If you desperatly need the money I would say go for it but if you are ok with the bills etc and not desperate I'd tell them to do one :D In a nice way of course.

I would be both upset and angry at their actions and wouldnt be able to continue knowing that they were so quick to leave :(
If I was absolutley desperate fo rthe money I would have to grin and bear it

TRACEY1969
03-05-2012, 12:46 PM
If you desperatly need the money I would say go for it but if you are ok with the bills etc and not desperate I'd tell them to do one :D In a nice way of course.

I would be both upset and angry at their actions and wouldnt be able to continue knowing that they were so quick to leave :(
If I was absolutley desperate fo rthe money I would have to grin and bear it

to be honest i dont need the money as i am a qualified beautician as well. The hrs as from Sept drop from 27 to 9 a week 3hrs a day but back to 27 in hols. They have emailed me to be available for them in the day and dad will pick mindee up if school finished early and bring him to mine. So i dont know what to charge now as this may never happen in my time with mindee. This isnt the first time for the over reaction, they said a complaint was made againist me from one of the nursery staff regarding picking mindee up from nursery and they said i was 5mins late, no complaint had been made the manager told me.
The mom has rung me up crying now and i have decided to write a letter to them as i feel talking to them at this stage will get us nowhere.

What would i put in the letter i dont know any advise as i dont know if i will continue with mindee but something must be said at this stage otherwise it will get sweep under the carpet.

BucksCM
03-05-2012, 01:08 PM
to be honest i dont need the money as i am a qualified beautician as well. The hrs as from Sept drop from 27 to 9 a week 3hrs a day but back to 27 in hols. They have emailed me to be available for them in the day and dad will pick mindee up if school finished early and bring him to mine. So i dont know what to charge now as this may never happen in my time with mindee. This isnt the first time for the over reaction, they said a complaint was made againist me from one of the nursery staff regarding picking mindee up from nursery and they said i was 5mins late, no complaint had been made the manager told me.
The mom has rung me up crying now and i have decided to write a letter to them as i feel talking to them at this stage will get us nowhere.

What would i put in the letter i dont know any advise as i dont know if i will continue with mindee but something must be said at this stage otherwise it will get sweep under the carpet.

I can't understand why they are saying this?? Why should you be available in the day if lo is at school all day? If they insist then they have to pay for the hours!!
Are you going to be doing something else in those hours?
Put it in writing, be plain and simple...As lo will be at school and you will be paying me a "school child rate" I will not be available during school hours. School holidays ie half terms, easter and summer will go back to the usual day rate as I will have lo for xx hours a day.
Any other days during the school term that your child doesn't attend ie bakers days (??) and early release days, you will need to find alternative care or book the day off yourselves as I am not available until after 3pm.

butterfly
03-05-2012, 01:35 PM
I would say no tbh.

It's all a big mess over nothing really and I just don't think I could put up with it.

I would just say I'm sorry but I feel that this incident has been detrimental to your professional relationship and I don't feel that we will be able to reconcile the situation. What they're asking for is ridiculous, I don't know a single other parent who has asked for this. I had a parent ask if their 7 yr old could combine their 2 hrs before school and 1.5 hrs after school and come on an inset day and I said no because i am not able to do what i would usually do with my younger children if older ones are there.

I just don't think your relationship with these parents would be the same after this.

Bridey
03-05-2012, 01:48 PM
I offer termtime before and after school care. I don't cover holidays - that is my choice.

However I do cover inset days and finishing early at the end of the term on an ad hoc basis. I don't charge a retainer. That again is my choice. Most of the childminders in this town who pick from the school that I pick up from offer the same. If the school is closed, for any reason (inset day, snow - even a dead mouse under the floorboards!) - we take over while the parents are at work.

To me, those extra hours are extra money. I have a copy of the school calender so I generally know well in advance when they are coming and get all the parents to let me know in advance if they require me. I charge an enhanced hourly rate for these hours. I even work out the cost of these hours in advance for the parents who will want to use me each time and add it into the monthly cost for tax credits.

Basically, I provide exactly what your parents are looking for, its no big deal and I thought it was normal - it is around this way!

That is what offering out of school care is about isn't it? Its up to you if you want to do that but I'm not sure why you wouldn't and why everyone is down on the parent for expecting it.

The Juggler
03-05-2012, 01:58 PM
to be honest i dont need the money as i am a qualified beautician as well. The hrs as from Sept drop from 27 to 9 a week 3hrs a day but back to 27 in hols. They have emailed me to be available for them in the day and dad will pick mindee up if school finished early and bring him to mine. So i dont know what to charge now as this may never happen in my time with mindee. This isnt the first time for the over reaction, they said a complaint was made againist me from one of the nursery staff regarding picking mindee up from nursery and they said i was 5mins late, no complaint had been made the manager told me.
The mom has rung me up crying now and i have decided to write a letter to them as i feel talking to them at this stage will get us nowhere.

What would i put in the letter i dont know any advise as i dont know if i will continue with mindee but something must be said at this stage otherwise it will get sweep under the carpet.


if youdon't need the money hon, don't do it. i would say along the lines of

"further to recent conversations, I apologise but as you gave notice on xxx date, I am no longer able to offer a place for x.. I can provide you with a list of alternate minders if you wish or I would direct you to the family information service. I wish you luck with your search for a new placement for x.

:thumbsup: