mum pregnant - when is it reasonable to ask her plans for mindee?

[MrsP2C]

I have only had mindee since beginning of November & although I was expecting her to have another baby at some point (she said as much in our first meeting) I wasn't expecting it this soon!! She's 4 months gone and other than congratulating her I didn't say anything else but of course am now wondering whether she'll still want me whilst on ML or if she's even going back to work again.
I've still got 2 spaces in her days so I don't *need* to know now but when do you think would be reasonable to raise the issue of her plans for Childcare for mindee?
MrsP2C

[sharonmanc]

I did not ask until Xmas and mum is not due until April. I just asked for a rough idea, which she was happy about as she was not sure how to approach me. I add a maternity section to my fee's policy detailing the maximum I could hold a place for, retainer etc . I did it by email and just said could she let me have a rough idea by end of Jan. good job i did as she is going on mat leave a month before due, so I have been able to plan ahead

[silvermist]

One of my mindees mums told me she was pregnant last week. She knows how much I like her lo so I said, "oh I guess youll be taking J out then" she said "Oh no, we will keep him here as normal, 2 days a week, then when I have to return to work after new baby arrives I will put J into the nursery attached to the school he'll go to and you can have the baby"

Talk about forward planning but I was chuffed Id asked her!:D xx

[Ripeberry]

The main family I've had for over 3 yrs have had two more children in that time and they have kept them coming to me even when mum was on maternity leave. So child 1 still came to my setting twice a week for around 8hrs. Mum went back to work and I had both children for 10+hours X 3 days and then child 1 started school, child 2 comes to me for 7hrs X 2days and mum is on maternity leave. So she's planned it so that she has at least two days of quality time for just her and child 3 :)

[blue bear]

I usually just ask very early in what will happen when any comes refarding childcare? To be honest I've always had people waiting for places so mums have paid to keep the place going, otherwise it would be pot luck to be getting back in after ml.

[The Juggler]

i always ask their plans really early as they often have very different ideas to what will work on maternity leave to what will actually work for us!

i.e. they might think they can drop to 1 day during mat leave then come back to their 4 days per week with LO and new baby - they don't understand it simply doesn't work like that. It's easier if you can explain early on what the min. hours/days will need to be for you to keep the space(s) open for them so that if it's not going to work financailly for either party you know early on that you might have to reluctantly part ways, you fill the space and they take a chance the space will be open again when they need it. :thumbsup: