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View Full Version : Help !!! Confused about complicated fees!



katie0183
10-01-2008, 04:10 PM
Hiya all,

Wanted to know what you guys would do as completed confused. A parent has phoned me enquiring about me childminding her 2 year old boy However shes unsure whether she wants to go full time 7.30am-6.30pm mon to fri or 3 1/2 sessions at nursery 3 days a week and me for the rest. Theres one big snag... she doesnt drive and i would have to go and pick up her little boy and drop him off. This is 3-4 miles away from my house and would only take about 5 mins, even so it would mean for any other children i would have to say i dont start till 8am to give me a chance to get there and pick him up. As this is my first childminding child i potentially dont mind doing this as DP is home till 8.15 and could look after our DD till i come back. Even so im confused cos she works in North London and due to the trains she might be late sometimes... (that cant be helped) however what are everyones feeling on this and how would everyone charge? She said sometimes she may be back as early as 6pm but im going to say that i'd drop him off at a set time regardless of when shes home so (if i get anymore childminding children) it doesnt impact on there pick up/drop off. So answers on a post card please :)

ajs
10-01-2008, 04:15 PM
personally i think it sounds too confusing and wouldn't touch it with a barge pole
but
i charge for all the hours that i may work so if she wanted you until 6 but more often then not 7 i would charge until 7 every day then if she's early lucky you but it covers your time if she's not.
alternatively you could charge a late fee of say time and a half (i don't know what your rate is but i know it is higher in surrey then here) so any time after 6 you get 1 1/2 times your usually fee also telling her that you will drop at a set time may be hard if she's just not there could she call you from the train so you could leave when you know she's definately home
sorry not sure if any help

katie0183
10-01-2008, 04:23 PM
With regards to the dropping off i meant that if she was early then thats tough. She couldnt expect me to drop everything and drop him off to her. However regardless of whether she was early or not i'd still charge her. I think realistically i'd charge her till 7pm just in case and have that stated in the contract. Hope that make sense and thanks for your advice.

berkschick
10-01-2008, 04:25 PM
Hi,

Who will be dropping the child at nursery? Because if it is you then I would still charge her while the child is at nursery as you may not be able to fill the few hours the child is not with you.

Love

Debbie

katie0183
10-01-2008, 04:28 PM
I'd be dropping him off at Nursery. She was thinking of the afternoon session 1pm - 6pm.

berkschick
10-01-2008, 04:31 PM
Thats not so bad then, at least you would be free to have another mindee after you had dropped him. As long as she isn expecting you to collect him from nursery and drop him home afterwards!

If you are happy to do it then I would charge her till 7 regardless, except of course the days he may be at nursery.

Love

Debbie

sarah707
10-01-2008, 06:27 PM
I'd say she needs to be looking for a childminder closer to her home, so she can take and drop her own child... sorry, but you're not a taxi and the responsibility of doing that every day would weigh on you.

Plus, you'd get there to collect and I can guarantee after the initial flurry of good intentions, the child won't be ready - so you'll wait and maybe one day you'll have a coffee - and it'll turn into an hour...

I would certainly consider it if the parent was disabled, as we have to be inlcusive and I've done it for people in an emergency and I'll go out of my way if they need something for a one-off... but I wouldn't do all that she's asking as a regular thing... :panic:

Lou
10-01-2008, 06:33 PM
I agree with Sarah, its a massive commitment, although you might not want to turn her away, by agreeing to it you might end up having to turn others away because of it if you see what i mean.

Just have a serious think about it before you agree to anything, and dont forget if you do agree, yes charge her til the latest time and also charge petrol money.

bubbly
10-01-2008, 06:34 PM
I'd give her the phone no. of a good minicab service or driving school lol :D

deeb66
10-01-2008, 07:02 PM
I'd say she needs to be looking for a childminder closer to her home, so she can take and drop her own child... sorry, but you're not a taxi and the responsibility of doing that every day would weigh on you.

Plus, you'd get there to collect and I can guarantee after the initial flurry of good intentions, the child won't be ready - so you'll wait and maybe one day you'll have a coffee - and it'll turn into an hour...

I would certainly consider it if the parent was disabled, as we have to be inlcusive and I've done it for people in an emergency and I'll go out of my way if they need something for a one-off... but I wouldn't do all that she's asking as a regular thing... :panic:

I have to say that I agree with Sarah....you could be shooting yourself in the foot by agreeing to do this as a permanent arrangement....it could really cause you problems when you take on other children.

Sorry I couldn't really offer anything different.

Tily Bud
10-01-2008, 08:16 PM
Ive nothing more to add just listen to the good advice the others have given. It is all too easy to grab the first thing offered when you are just starting up and this can sometimes really muck up later better hours/ mindees :rolleyes:

I know from experience :rolleyes:

Cheryl x

gailee
10-01-2008, 09:13 PM
just putting my two pence in !! What happens if your car wont start or flat tyre ?? and the cost of your fuel you need to think about to?? I do a trip for one of my mindee but i do it because its family! i pick up from a pre-school which is 5 miles away i have to leave 30 mins before he comes out because of traffic and if its bad weather?? i do this every day except wednesday i don't mind but your always clock watching so really think about it before you except ok thats it for me gailx

Blaze
11-01-2008, 09:29 AM
As above...personally I wouldn't do it, but if your really desparate then go for it...just make sure it's ALL writtn in the contract. Keep us posted!
Tasha:)