Picking up and dropping mindee's home!

[nicole_kirsty]

Hi,

Had a potential family round this afternoon. They said that they were changing their childminder as the one they have just started to use cant do the drop off time they want. They liked me and their son seemed happy (under 1 year old), as they left they said would find out termination notice of the other childminder (not been with her long) and let me know tomorrow if they wanted to place their son here.....but she called this evening saying that they really liked me but wanted me to pick up and drop off their son from home?!!!!! I was put on the spot - and agreed to pick him up but wouldnt be able to drop him off as is full time (mon to fri) and would interfer to much with my family. Didnt really think about it but picking up could also get tricky??! Especially in school holidays if/when i have more children than i do now! Guess if they come back then will have to just play it by ear!

Anyway will cross that bridge if and when it happens! But question is......Do any of you pick up or drop off and if so does it work??

Thanks
Nicole

[Andrea08]

hi i do a pick up /drop off service,, if parents are on time getting ready it works and if some one is in on time ,,,
often i have turned up and they are not ready and it could make every1 else late ie for school or if parents are coming to mine to collect and im still dropping off,, BUT its part of my service on the network for teen parents, i work round it but have had lots of experiance.. not much help sorry but you need to think of the children you have and can you commit to the service if not ring them bk,,,also why do you have to drop off at home?

[nicole_kirsty]

Thanks for you reply!

Not really sure why i have to drop home as parent both come home from work and both parents drive! Think they are just doing it to make their live easier as my house is few mins in the opposite way that they need to go to get to/ from work!! The CM that they use now is on the way to mums work and mum drops him off.

Well if they do come back will give it a go and if its not working will have to tell them!

Thanks x

[westbrom44]

I do it if it is convenient for me, ie, on the way back from school run, and saves me having the extra child on the school run.

I do it if the parent is ill or if I want to go out for the day and am picking them up early.

I also only drop off if it is convenient or as a favour.

I certainly wouldnt do it in your case as it is not always convenient and they are in their cars anyway! If it means a major trip out for you and your children I wouldnt, or maybe they will pay extra for this extra, beyond the call of duty perk!

[loocyloo]

i have only picked up from home if, like others have said, it is convenient or i needed a minded child earlier than normal!

i currently drop one child home, one night a week, but that is because i have to get my son to a piano lesson at the same time child is collected, so i drop her home instead! out of my way to do so, but then i don't worry about the parents hanging around/or them being late to collect !!! i don't charge for it either!

i've never had a parent ask me to pick up/drop off, i'm not sure i would unless it was actually on my way somewhere!

good luck!

[Jules12Wed]

I have picked up pand dropped off but only at a time that suits me. One parent is training to be a nurse and means occasionally when she is on placement that she is not home till 10.00 p.m. but Nan is home from 8.00 so I can drop off to Nan, as it is 8.00it does not interfere with other mindees but I do sometimes have to say I can drop off earlier or later but not at 8.00, she obviously has to be flexible cos she is relying on me and the boy is such a pain that no other childminder at my school would have him!!!!

[rickysmiths]

I will only do it in an emergency. I will not load all the other mindees in and out of the car to be a taxi service I'm afraid You may also need to check your car insurance it could be affected if you are picking up and dropping off on a regular basis like a taxi.

[angeldelight]

It is all well and done it making it easier for the parents but what about yourself ?

Make sure you are happy with the arrangments first

Good luck

Angel xx

[Mummits]

I wouldn't now pick up or drop off except as a real favour - for example if the parent was unwell - or if it suited me better, for example dropping off in passing on the way back from an outing. I have just had to put my foot down with one set of parents because I strted dropping off as a temporary favour (while dad was away on a business trip) but it was clear that they were expecting it to become a regular event. We are only 10 minutes walk away and I said to mum I couldn't justify interupting whatever my own kids were doing and dragging them out in the car - and besides it wasn't very green, and she said she would be happy for us to walk her DS home in the buggy! I said I thought it would make more sense for her to walk round and fetch him.

[Roseolivia]

I only picked up after school on my way home as mindee lived round the corner from me and mum went to college. I drop off godson twice a week which is ot of my way but i wouldn't do it for others. If i did i'd charge for it.

[helenlc]

I pick up and drop off my full time mindee (only mindee except his brother in the holidays, so it doesnt affect any other minded children.

The morning isnt too bad as I pick him up on the school run but in the holidays its a pain as I dont otherwise need to go out and from next holidays will have to take my own kids with me as DH back at work now.

Evening drop off is a pain as I dont usually need to go out at that time. DH is home from work so my 2 can stay indoors with him but I have to be clever about what I cook for dinner ie something in the oven Dh can take out when ready iyswim or dinner doesnt get started til I get back.

Mum's train station is a 10 minute walk from my house but she would then have a 20-30 minute (wit LO) walk back to her house.

However, I agreed to it as had no other mindees or enquiries and needed the work.

When I take on another child, I may have to re-think the dropping off if I am expected to feed the other child that comes as I woul do dinner for about 5ish.

Make sure you are really ok with it before committing to it - to be honest I am starting to resent having to do mine. Then the mum mentioned last night if I could have mindee when he starts primary school - so whilst its nice she wants that length of commitment he only turned 3 last month so means another 1-2 yrs of picking up and dropping off:eek:

[westbrom44]

I think you also have to think about how much it would cost for a taxi, so maybe charge extra for that.

When I was picking one up after the school run, it was because mum was always late, making us late for school. I offered to do it as it meant we were on time.
I was paid from 8am, but picked child up at 8.50am. It was on the days that mum worked from home. It was also not at all out of my way as I had to quite literally pass their house!

[yummymummy]

I had a mum ask me after about a month of having after schoolie if I would drop off 3 times a week as she lived about a 10 min drive away and felt that it would be too late for mindee. It was rubbish really she just didn't like putting herself out to make the extra journey. She caught me at a time when mindees really thin on the ground and I agreed to do it twice a week. I did it from reception until year 6 and can say that I got severely sick of it, it really interfered with my family life, dinner etc as wasn't until 6.15pm. I used to get really cross when she was always home and in her pyjamas and other times when she was standing on the doorstep to drag child out to late hair appointment or beauty treatment. But of course none of these things were any of my business but I couldn't help feeling cross as I felt it was such an inconvenience to me and she was using me. She did pay £5 a day drop off charge, but this was still much cheaper than a taxi and obviously she was secure in the knowledge he was safe and cared for.
So I would say think very carefully, I only dropped after school twice a week and it was a nuisance and I also think because I agreed to do this she felt she could ask me to oblige on many other things too (but thats another story!!!)
Hope you make the right decision in the end :thumbsup:

[Polly2]

I have done it in the past but it got to be a pain so I wouldn't do it now. Don't forget to charge extra for fuel if you decide to go ahead.

[HomefromHome]

i did when i just had part time children - one of my ums didnt drive so was no probs - agreed to pay me til i got them to their house (she could drop off as early and bf drove them in).
i think it depends on your circumstances.
i couldnt now as (finally!) have 2 full timers and my own dd plus after schoolie, and another p/timer.:)

[hectors house]

I have picked up and dropped off on occasions when parents car broken down or dropping child off at parents friends when parent had a family emergency but if both parents drive and they knew where you lived right from the start I wouldn't do it.

I know childminders who live in villages where the parents drive from the town to the village then back to the town to work again - where would you be if all parents wanted this option?

Say to them that you need time to think through all the options before you let them know.

[FizzysFriends]

I pick up my b/a schoolie as otherwise mom would have to drive 10 minutes out of the way and then we would get in the car and drive back the 10 mins as they live 2 mins from the school.

I have also dropped off when the younger one is home ill so mom doesn't have to take her out.

I also drop off after trips in the school hols where we have haven't got back for the usual pick up time (prior arrangement obviously).

I have in my inclusion policy that I will pick up and drop off if circumstances deem it nessesary, the parents being lazy or not wanting to do it is not one of those circumstances.