its me again .. advse PLEASE

[Jessymax]

So im putting the wheels in motion for having Friday afternoons off its not going to be for another 4 weeks at the soonest :(
Basically the ONE child I have on a fri pm he comes all day thurs and fri we are friends with parents so that in itself makes it a bit awkward but they basically have no solution to who could have him on a fri pm he starts pre school in sep and is going all day mon and tues and wed morn grand parents will be picking up on a tues and wed they currently have him them full days and parents don't want to gask them to have him fri pms which I understand but they need to figure something out, ive exhausted all options and have really tried to help them figure something out but at the end of the day I feel that's not completely my responsibility im well within my rights to drop fri pms and that is the only session I have one child hence why ive chosen that to have off its not to have a long weekend which is what I think they are thinking. ive worked 6 days a week for the last 6 years so I am not work shy but its time to start looking after myself. Fri pms off will have its perks every other week my partner gets home at 3 so it does mean we have more time together and could even go away.. also means I can clean house top to bottom before he gets back do food shop and put kids stuff AWAY and any paperwork I might have for a completely childminding free weekend. So basically I have no idea what to do as I feel they are going to come back and say we cant find a solution but I have already said in the nicest and firmest way I am stopping fri pms from week commencing.. 4 weeks time...

do any of you have time off during the week? and if so did u start out like that or have to swap people around x

[Mouse]

I do have a Friday off but that came about naturally and I didn't have to give notice to anyone for it. I've often been asked to work it and been given the sob story that there's no one else at all to have lo, but I say no and parents always sort something out.

I agree with you completely that it's up to the parents to make alternative arrangements. It's their child after all and not your responsibility! It doesn't really matter why you want the Friday afternoon off. It's really none of their business if you did want it so you can have a longer weekend.

I think you're just going to have to stick to your decision and tell them (in as nice a way as possible!) that it's their child and they need to be the ones who sort something out. What would happen if for some other reason you had to give up Friday afternoons? They would have to make other arrangements and I'm sure they would. The difference here is that they don't want to as they're still hoping you'll back down. You run the risk of falling out with them or losing the child completely, but the other option is you carry on doing it and end up resenting parents and child. Be firm and you'll find they do manage to sort something out :thumbsup:

[JCrakers]

I used to work a 5 day week, for about 6yrs. I was fine with it until my own two children hit their teens. Then I discovered that I couldn't work a 50hr week and have a stroppy/hormonal dd too. I was making myself ill from overwork and not only hating my job but taking my tiredness and moods out on my family.

I told the 3 families I couldn't work a Friday anymore but said I would do it until something ha been sorted. 2 afterschool children were able to find a space at afterschool club straight away, 18m old went to a friends for the day and 2yr old got a space in a nursery for the day but had to wait 3months for the space. I shared the care with granny as Mum didn't want to put on me.

If you feel that you need to change your working week than do it. You're self employed and that's one of the benefits (there aren't many) TELL the family that you are no longer working a Friday PM and they will have to find alternative care.
Can you not swap a day with grandparents so they do the Friday and you do a Tues or something? Or swap a day with Preschool?

Also, If the parents are 'friends' then you can explain to them truthfully why you need time off and if they are 'friends' then they should understand :thumbsup:

[Jessymax]

thanks both very helpful. Hmm no ive exhausted all options and I really have tried to jiggle things around, our local pre school is stupidly popular every mum and their dog want there child to go there so they only have 2 options for parents and that's either all day mon tues and wed AM or all day thurs fri and wed PM so it would mean me collecting him one day form pre school from sep so grandparents weren't doing 3 days of care but I don't use my car for work and its too far to walk in awful weather for little ones and quite frankly me its about 1.7mile each way! urgh im just trying to please them and I don't really wanna lose them but I think I am just going to send an email or say to their face from 1st week in march I am no longer working Friday pms he can either do thurs all day and fri mornings or tues and thurs til sep and then you will have to figure out or find him another vacancy?

[Mouse]

I think that's all you can do.

Speak to them in person, but follow it up by email or letter so they know you mean it.

I would send a letter along the lines of:

Dear parents

As you know, from 1st March I will no longer be working on a Friday afternoon and will only be providing care until 12.30pm (or whatever time you'll finish). From that date the hours I will care for X will be:
Thursday ...am - ....pm
Friday ...am - ....pm

I will complete an amended contract for you to sign so please confirm by X date (maybe give them a week) that you wish to proceed on this basis.

[Jessymax]

thanks that sounds great I think we MAY have a solution hopefully! x