do you ask for money re lollies and outings?

[newandlearning]

hello..

my two long term mindees I'm charging £4/hour .. one is full time and one is part time. for this they get all snacks, wipes, drinks, outings, lollies, cakes etc.
recently I had my inspection and am happy that the inspector really liked what I was doing.

I've now had a summer mindee who I'm charging £5/hour and her mum even offers me £10 per week for outings etc.

alot of peep in my neighbourhood charge around £3.50 to £4.00 .. but 2 minutes down the road cm's are charging £4.50-£5 per hour plus getting extra for the summer hols expenses.

I'm beginning to feel put upon with my 2 long term mindees .. I've asked for a donation for outings but been told funds are tight.. now part of me feels its not all about money and the other part of me feels liked I'm not valuing myself by accepting this... if feel really harsh to say 'no XXX you can't have a lolly.'

please can you advise me how you would move forward with this.. I don't want to upset the apple cart and lose my business altogether but feel a bit resentful...:( ...

I'm trying to be creative here.. am thinking instead of buying lollies at the park I get kipling cakes and do lollies at home..

how do you all keep these sorts of costs down??

:doh: soz.. maybe I should have put this question under fees & charges.. x

[Mrs.L.C]

To me it depends on how many children I have with me. if I only ahve a couple I dont mind buying ice creams at the park but whens theres 5 more this starts to get expensive esp during the holidays when we are out and about most days so I do say we wont be getting ice creams at the park but we will get some choc ices from the shop later which cost about £1.50 for 10. I still get asked now and again by the children but they know I will say no.

For the big trips that will cost over £5 per child, I ask parents to pay some or all of the cost and say they can take extra spending money if they wish. I give parents plenty of notice of planned trips and most know that they will need £5 per week extra during the big holidays

I pay for toddler groups/indoor play areas etc during term time

[PixiePetal]

To me it depends on how many children I have with me. if I only ahve a couple I dont mind buying ice creams at the park but whens theres 5 more this starts to get expensive esp during the holidays when we are out and about most days so I do say we wont be getting ice creams at the park but we will get some choc ices from the shop later which cost about £1.50 for 10. I still get asked now and again by the children but they know I will say no.

For the big trips that will cost over £5 per child, I ask parents to pay some or all of the cost and say they can take extra spending money if they wish

I pay for toddler groups/indoor play areas etc during term time

I do the same but don't do spending money as some come with lots and others with none. Most like ice poles which we have from the freezer at home - cheap as chips :thumbsup:

[Heaven Scent]

I charge a 50p less than you for an hour and between 8-6 and that is the average around here and when I've spoken to other minders on here its about the average countrywide except maybe in London and some affluent areas - I live close to some quite affluent areas including where Lots of footballers and wags live and its still about the same as here so I think you are not doing too badly - I know of some minders round the country who have increase their charges for their existing families because one family on their books leave or because they don't get on with a family and end the contract - they say they do it to make up the money they lost - that is really unfair - and then they wonder why these parents serve notice.

I believe that a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush and if you upset these existing parents and they leave you then you will have no income while you wait for new mindees. i have only ever asked parents for money for an extra and that was for a christmas party which cost £11.50 and I only asked for half of the money because these were 2 f/t children from the same family and I felt they paid me enough all year for me to foot part of the bill.

If you have 3 f/t children at £4.00ph plus a couple of afterschoolers then you must be earning a reasonable wage. I don't know what you did in the past but I know that if you worked in childcare, retail or office work and you had to pay for childcare for your own children then you would not have as much income after expenses. it may not be the totally best paid job in the world but its not the worst either if you are working to you full capacity. I'm not and I still won't be in Sept but by then I will have enough children to provide me with a half decent income compared to what I used to have as a junior FE Lecturer and now I don't have any childcare expenses or any travel expenses to work.

If I were you I would go on the Sure Start Childcare Link and check what other minders and nurseries etc charge. Nurseries usually include treats etc but not big outings where an entrance fee and hire of a coach are concerned - but if they go out in the nursery mini-bus and there is no entrance fee or it is very low they tend not to charge extra.

Actually, when I say i charge £3.50 PH none of my parents actually pay that as I have a weekly rate of £125.00 + a daily rate of £30.00 (for up to 10 hrs)

I will just say tread carefully as you may end up worse off than you are already.

[RainbowMum]

I provide a fully inclusive service at £3 per hour & that is top rate around here. I buy multipack lollies/choc ices etc and put them through expenses - I figure I'd rather treat the mindees than the tax man:p

Days out I find free places to go - country houses with play areas, parks seaside etc. I am also a member of English Heritage - I get this each year with tesco rewards and it gets us in some lovely places. If I do want to go some where that costs more than I can afford I sound out the parents first.

[FizzysFriends]

I charge £3 per hour and food is on top of that.

I rarely buy things when we are out, when I do its places that I know are cheap (the tea shop at the furnace does ice pops for 10p).

I try and do cheap outings and I pay for these I do tell parents at contract signing though that if we are going somewhere expensive I will ask for a contribution before hand but haven't had to do that yet.

[Mollymop]

I charge £3 per hour and this includes everything except meals and nappies/baby formula, etc. I will be charging for trips out though. I have just paid £2.50 for 5 children to see an Owl show at our local library. I had to pay inadvance as there was only a few tickets left - in all it cost me £12.50, I haven't asked the parents to pay as it isn't too much money. But trips to farms, etc, because I would have to use a taxi I will be asking for a contribution. I am afraid that if the parents don't want to pay then we won't be going as I can't afford to pay out too much.