Having to cancel a parent visit due to my child's illness. Advice please.

[trickiedickie]

Spoke to a potential new parent on Tuesday night and arranged visit for tomorrow morning. My 3 year old son was sick twice during the night and three times since 8.30am.

The new parent is a first time mum (nothing against this), just think she may not be aware how often wee ones are sick over the winter months. So, I am worried that cancelling tomorrow's visit will put her off using me. Her wee one is 15 months and she will need 3 days as of April.

I am desperate for the business as only have one mindee who is leaving at the end of JUne.

I am going to phone her within the next hour. I was just going to say I was sorry but there is no way I would take the chance that her wee one got ill too and that any day next week would be great for me. If she does come out next week I am going to say that I am getting to know a few childminders (I am a new one) and hopefully my mindee's will build up a relationship with them so if any of my own kids are sick I could ask another childminder to watch her wee one (if they had space and it suited her).

any advice on how to reassure her that I am reliable.
Thank you so much.

[Mouse]

One of the disadvantages of using a childminder instead of a nursery is that there may be days when the childminder can't work and parents are left to make alternative arrangements.
I always explain this to parents at our initial meetings and recommend they have a back up plan in case I every need to take time off work, but I wouldn't want to demonstrate it to them too early for fear of it putting them off using me!

If at all possible I would come up with another reason for having to cancel your meeting. Don't draw attention to the downside of childminders before you've even met! Phone up & apologise, saying something has come up, but you'd like to rearrange the meeting for next week :thumbsup:

[emma04]

I agree with mouse. Tell her you've got a training course that you forgot about due to the Christmas break!

Good luck!

[trickiedickie]

Thanks. Exactly I am panicking that she is highlighted to this drawback of using a childminder before we even meet! Usually my husband would have managed to get out of work for a few hours and just driven around with son or been upstairs with son. He just can't get out of work tomorrow.

I have been wracking my brain thinking of an excuse but everything else makes me sound even more unreliable.

Anyone think of anything else

[CookieCutter]

I had to cancel a parent visit because my dd was ill. Parent signed with me in the end, and one of the reasons was because she respected the fact that I put my child, and her child's health, before the prospect of business.

I think honesty is always the best policy, if she would decide against having you as a cm because your child is ill right now, chances are if would become a problem in future anyway.

[trickiedickie]

ive just cancelled with her/ sorry i am typing with son on my lap.

just told her the truth. ill explain about using other childminders if i cant do it in future. shes coming wednesday