Advice needed from experienced childminders.... Please.

[helenprock]

Ive been offered a 5 month old baby for 3 days a week for all year round.
Both the children I currently mind are in term times only.
I cant get my head around working all year round.
Massive commitment isnt it? No more weekends away if Im workign on a Friday till 6pm?
Am I being nerd and I just need to get on with it or shall I stick with what Ive already got?
Any advice would be gratefully received. I just dont want to take on anything that I later regret.
I really really like the parents and the baby. I really want to do it.....
I told them Id let them know today.

Thanks all...

[FussyElmo]

Have you asked them if they could work around you being term time? Sometimes it suprising how many can especially with the financial saving?

If not and they really want all year round then weigh up pros and cons.

Im term time only and I am determined to carry on being so. I want the time with my children before they grow old and dont need me anymore.

I would resent giving that up at the min.

However if you want to do it and are happy to do so you would still get 2 days a week off. Would it impact on your families lifestyle taking the child on - as you say no more long weekends away :thumbsup:

[Rick]

I guess it depends what 3 days they are as well. If working on the Friday could potentially not be working again until next Wednesday. The other upside of course is you can earn a bit if extra money! You could always ask if they don't mind you taking 'quite a few' weeks off but not quite as many as term time only. As mentioned, they might welcome a chance to save a bit of money if they can do it.

[VeggieSausage]

I think you could have the odd friday off if you were going away, I personally don't work Fridays but I do work the rest of the week and all year round and its fine. I take 4/5 weeks booked off holiday in the school holidays anyway. If however you want to keep to term time only then say no....

[funemnx]

We do this job because we like children and are good at what we do - however, we don't do it for free. Do you need the money? How much easier would having this extra money make your life?

Is there any way this Mum can change her days to Tues, Wed, Thurs?

I work full-time all year round and have just booked off 7 long weekends (Thursdays and Fridays) but all my children are adults so it's different for all of us. You can take as much or little holiday as you like - being self-employed has it's perks! :)

[jadavi]

I have this every time a Monday or Friday is mentioned as I try to keep them clear or minimal. At the contract meeting I ask if there is anyone who can have the child on the occasional time I go away. I always give them stacks of notice and it has worked out so far
The nature of our job is so fragile as parents can leave suddenly for so many reasons. If I was financially dependant on this job then I would not dare turn it down. One child three days a week in the holidays would still give you lots of free time.....

[helenprock]

It would be Tues, Wed and Fri and there is no changing it whatsoever. The days are set solid.
My job today is to decide how many weeks off I need/want and then they - if agreeable - will find someone else to have the baby.
Which is brilliant of them. They really want me and I really want to work for them but I dont want to make a commitment I then cant keep.
We dont need the extra money because the money Im already earning is making such a BIG difference as Ive not worked for 6 years.

My boys are 5 and and 6 and I want to be with them while they are still so small.

Common sense says stick with what Ive got already term time only and move on from this family.

But yet Im agonisign over this?

[christine e]

As your children are both at school I assume you wouldn't be going away until early evening (4pm) at the earliest so another option is that you are ready to leave for your weekends away as soon as the little one is picked up at 6pm (bags packed and children sat in car ready) or you ask if little one could be picked up early 4 or 5 pm on the Fridays you want to go away or even if this could be arranged with a family member every Friday. Keep talking with parents as I feel that you will be able to sort something out

[helenprock]

They are both from different countries and they dont have any family nearby. It would be me and only me that they woudl be relying on to look after the baby.
I guess thats why I feel the pressure. They need to work and they need a childminder that is much more flexible than I currently am.
I have small children still and Ive only just started the job. So Im still finding my feet and its just such a massive responsibilty.
Agghhhhh!
Sorry about this ladies....
Blinking nightmare.

Husband keeps telling me is my decision.

I think Im going to have to reluctantly say no. Just because to say yes and then find out its too much is affecting my time with the boys - would be a horrible thing to do to them.

Ive drafted an email to them asking them what they want of me at Christmas. And suggesting that I have 5 weeks off in the summer holidays.

I dont think working the week long holidays would be a problem for me - but the long summer holdiays would be.

What do you think?

[dette]

personaly i would say yes ,there are not many holidays this end of the year ,see how it goes ,the parents will have holiday entitlements and if you need an occasional friday book it as a holiday and they can book the day off work.if it doesnt work out remember that you can give notice ,even if its 6 month down the line,these 3 days a week will pay for some fabulous weekends away with your family,you may find it not too much of an inconvenience.i always said i would never work weekends but a parent was desperate(he had just moved to area) so i said i would help out for a while and try and help him find alternative care,im still doing it 18month later i do every other weekend and i find it ok.LO comes with us on family days out and the extra money helps to pay for them.

[jax clinch]

When I started childminding I said no to school holidays or after school but my children (I have 4 children aged 9,6,5 and 3)) love having other children so I have a 1 year old who comes 3 days a week and fits in nicely. We can still go out in the car and the parents are happy for her to fit in with what we are doing. I think if you are honest with the parents initially and say that during the school holidays you may need them to be a bit more flexible then you probably won't find it too much of a pain.

[funemnx]

With one or two of my parents when I've been unable to offer them all of the days I have either shared with another childminder or the child has gone to nursery 1 day per week - would the parents be open to baby going to nursery 1 day and you the other 2?

[helenprock]

No. They have made it clear that as lovely and flexible as they are. They will need the 3 days all year round set in stone. I cant say I want a friday off no matter how much notice i give them.
This is the only thing they are ridgid on. Everything else they are completely flexible on.
As in I can take little one anywhere/everywhere with me which wouldnt be a problem.

The reason its so hard is that the only thing I DOTN want to do is mess them about and start the job then realise that I dont want it. I think if I feel wobbly about it all now then that might happen.

I wish I could just say - lets see how it goes. But thats what they dont want. They want commitment and I guess Im not ready.

Im going to turn it down..... Thanks for listening to my rambles laides. I so gutted about it all but I think Ill know how I feel about it all more in 6 months or a years time. Ive litterally only just started up.

Anyone want a lovely job in Kent?

[bunyip]

Do they really mean "all year round" as in 52 weeks of the year, irrespective of bank holiday, Xmas, etc. ??? :confused:

I'd be most concerned about them being 100% dependent on you for 100% of the time. If the family has no 'plan B' then what on Earth happens when you or someone close to you is sick? That in turn will put you under unfair pressure to keep working when you aren't well enough. :(

I'm afraid their expctations are beyond what is reasonable and they desperately need to get themselves a family/friends support network before they even think about childcare of any description.

[chriss]

You have to do whats right for your family, and of course your own children are the priority. Their childcare is their "problem" so dont fret once you have made your decision. :)

[dette]

are this family seriously planning on taking no holidays !!!! perhaps they havent thought about holidays,there arent may businesses that are open 365 days a year.if this is the case and they wont concider your holiday requirements then i too would say no

[FussyElmo]

Do they really mean "all year round" as in 52 weeks of the year, irrespective of bank holiday, Xmas, etc. ??? :confused:

I'd be most concerned about them being 100% dependent on you for 100% of the time. If the family has no 'plan B' then what on Earth happens when you or someone close to you is sick? That in turn will put you under unfair pressure to keep working when you aren't well enough. :(

I'm afraid their expctations are beyond what is reasonable and they desperately need to get themselves a family/friends support network before they even think about childcare of any description.

I agree with Bunyip here. They are saying you cannot have a firday off no matter how much notice you give. Im sorry but no parents would be dicating to me which days I could or couldnt have off. They are entitled to holidays like everyone else Im afraid I would be telling them to use them.

I beginning to think you have a lucky escape :thumbsup:

[Telabelle]

Looks like you've made the right decision for your family.
In my experience there will usually be another family along soon. You would regret it if you accepted this job then the next enquiry was another lovely family wanting term-time only.

[helenprock]

Yes. All year round. Its massive isnt it.

They just dont have any family in this country. I do understand as I had to do it all on my own as well.

Once I agree to have the baby - if I cant (half dead or dying) have the baby then she will have to cancel her work. Not somethign she wants to do.

They have got a holiday at easter booked and one in sept/oct but I would need to make my decisions on any time off i want NOW as opposed to when I want irrespective of how much notice i gave them.

If I told them I wanted 3 or 4 weeks off in Sept (which I would want) then they would be fine with that as they will find someone else to have the baby.
But other than that - how do I figure it all out?

Ive emailed to say I cant do it becuase I cant commit to all year round. So its done now. Im a bit gutted but Im sure there will be another family along who only want me in term times - and I do know that terms times (for now anyway) work best for me and my family!

Thank muchly all. So good to thrash it out.

x

[helenprock]

Do they really mean "all year round" as in 52 weeks of the year, irrespective of bank holiday, Xmas, etc. ??? :confused:

I'd be most concerned about them being 100% dependent on you for 100% of the time. If the family has no 'plan B' then what on Earth happens when you or someone close to you is sick? That in turn will put you under unfair pressure to keep working when you aren't well enough. :(

I'm afraid their expctations are beyond what is reasonable and they desperately need to get themselves a family/friends support network before they even think about childcare of any description.

Exactly. You summed it up beautifully. Thank you. Seeing it in black and white makes me wonder why I was so confused. Thank you. x

[LauraS]

It does sound (and I very rarely say this) like a nursery might be a better option for them x

[LauraS]

Ps. I think you made the right decision. You feel obligated because you like the family and feel for their situation which.is lovely, but you have to out your kids first xx and you would only resent the commitment after a while.

[Rick]

It does sound (and I very rarely say this) like a nursery might be a better option for them x

I agree (and I don't say a nursery is better very often either!). The parents would be almost certain to guarantee care when thy need it as nurseries can cover sickness more effectively.

[helenprock]

Youre absoloutley right. They do need a nursery but the baby is only 5 months old and it would literally be a crime....
So I guess they need a more experienced childminder that knows their business better than I do and who has much older more independed children.
Im so glad Ive had this opportunity to thrash it out. I was so confused.
Wanting to do it and being able to do it are two different things...

THANKS SO MUCH ALL. Blinking troopers listening to my ramblings on a Sunday. :o:o

x