Shift workers

[Adiamond]

Good afternoon everyone, I currently care for 2 brothers after school and school hols.
Mum is a shift worker and normally I have the boys 4 nights a week, but she has just got a new boyfriend and she rang me with her new rotas which will take us into the new year and most weeks she is only wanting me 2 nights a week!!!!! I think the boyfriend will be having them.
This makes my money half per week and I am holding 5 nights open for her!!!
I get on well with mum but I need to sort this as I cannot rely on her money and I feel as though I am short changing myself :mad:
Please can you all tell me what you would do????
Thank you

[Minstrel]

I have lots of little ones after school that all fit around each other. BUT parents pay for all the sessions that they child MAY need to attend and just call me (sometimes only on the day) if they do or do not need me to collect. Simples!

[moogster1a]

What's on the contract? Does it specify a minimum number of hours or days that she is obliged to pay you for? If not, I'm afraid there's not much you could do. I wouldn't hold the places open though!!

[estrelas]

I'm the same, I have about 7 kids who share the after school slots.
I only charge them for the days they use, I'm lucky as I have two sets of parents who wait till I tell them which nights are free for them to use, the other nights they go to their grand parent.

If you she contracted for 4 nights tho, surely she should pay atleast the next four weeks as notice?

[Adiamond]

That would be PERFECT but how do I do it?????
For instance I hold Mon-Fri after school 3-6pm open for the boys should I ask mum to pay for all this? This is so hard I HATE dealing with the money :blush: x

[Minstrel]

Tell her that to guarrantee the space they will have to be paid for- otherwise you have waiting list of people who will use them instead. Calling her bluff maybe but doesnt sound like you would be loosing a lot anyway?

[estrelas]

Mine tell me a few weeks before the nights they want. if they don't use them they still pay.
You need to talk to her and say she needs to pay to keep a night open x

[Adiamond]

Thank you, I will have a chat with her later!!!!
From 4 nights to 2 is a drop in my wages of about £40 per week :rolleyes: I know it's not loads but they fill my over 5's places for the whole week if you know what I mean????

[Adiamond]

Has anyone else had this problem and if so what reaction did you get off the parent and how did you explain it to them?
I am feeling quite worried about all this :( I feel as though I am being taken for granted a bit but then I don't want to lose the boys!!!! x

[Mollymop]

I have the same kind of predicament going on here at the moment.

Mum doing placements at hospital some weeks, other weeks she is at uni, the weeks she is on placement she only needs me 3 days a week before and after school. When she is at uni, she needs me most days before and after school, but her shifts change while on placement, so the days change from week to week

Also, her B/fr has moved in with them, so he is picking them up 3 hours earlier - so the children are leaving my care at 3.30pm instead of 6pm.

I told mum that I am still charging for the days that she doesn't use - as I have to keep the space open. After all she signed the contract to be before and after school all week, and she is fine with this, she knows that I need to earn a wage and can't be messed around with differnet days each week - losing money one week and earning the next - that is not what we agreed, so sheis fine paying.

I am going to charge less though while Dad collects - I will charge til 4pm instead of charging til 6pm every day - i would feel too guilty charging exta hours I didn'thave them plus getting paid for when on the days I don't have them

I am sure you're mum will understand that you need to charge all week to keep the place open - if she just wants Mon, Tues each week fair enough, but the next week she'll want differnt days and that is when it is hard to fill places, so she should understand.

Good luck x

[Chimps Childminding]

Could you charge full for the nights that she does use you, and half for the other nights to keep the space available for her? I know it still means you are losing some money, but maybe not as much!

[The Juggler]

I would ask her outright what she wants to do. Does she want to drop to 2 nights only. If so, she will need to give you a month's notice and then fix the days she wants so you can fill the other nights with other children.

Good luckxx