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Adiamond
29-12-2009, 12:05 PM
Happy new year to you all :)

I mind 2 brothers after school and holidays, mum is a shift worker and she pays me for 5 nights after school and full time for school holidays. I usually have the boys mostly 3 sometimes 4 nights after school and 3/4 full days in the holidays, anyway just recently mum has been asking me to have them extra at really short notice i.e the night
Mum has just given me her rotas for the next 3 weeks and after sorting my diary out one of the days she wants me to have the boys is the same day as our 6 monthly family dentist checkup :eek:
There is no way I can take the boys along as we are always there ages!!
I will have to let mum know I am not available on that day but I feel as though I should be at her beck and call 24/7 as this is what she pays me for but we need to attend doctors/dentists ect...
What would you all do? I feel as though I daren't make any appointments incase she needs me as I feel I can't say no :(

Tink
29-12-2009, 12:09 PM
We have lives too!! yes fair enough she needs you but you have to remember it is your business and you too need time for family and the appointments we all have.
As long as you give her enough notice then there shouldn't be a problem, that way she will have enough time to sort something out for the boys.

Hope your ok hun xx

Heaven Scent
29-12-2009, 12:25 PM
I tend to take mindees to appointments unless it involves me stripping off and I can't find a responsible adult to sit outside the curtains with the mindees. Its what we provide (or what we used to provide) - a home from home service where the children can experience all the things they would if they were at home with their mums - if you and your children are happy and relaxed during your visit to the dentist then surely this will bode well for the mindees. I would take the mindees for a family check up but not if I had to have a tooth removed or some sort of other proceedure that you may feel unwell after - you have to be able to care for the children after all.

loocyloo
29-12-2009, 12:31 PM
if you don't want to take the boys to the dentist with you, tell her you have an appointment, and please could she make other arrangements for that time, or could you offer to find someone to cover you for that hour or however long you will be?

i generally end up taking mindees with us to the dentist for our family 6monthly check ups (and if anyone needs treatment i arrange to go back another time without mindees) i have never had a mum have a problem with me taking the children, and in fact, for a couple of children, it helped them when they had dental appointments! as they had already watched/talked about the dentists!

Adiamond
29-12-2009, 12:47 PM
Thank you all for your replies :) I would normally take mindees with me BUT not these 2!!!! They aren't the best behaved children in the world and the eldest is 7 and is rather nosey lol!!!!!
My son doesn't like the dentist very much so I need to give him my full attention to reassure him :)
I do need time off for family appointments!!!!
I am thinking of putting something in my January news letter about this!!!!! x x x

mammumof4
29-12-2009, 01:11 PM
could you not call the dentists and re arrange the appointment, my dentists are very helpfull and know im a childminder, if not then tell the parent you cant have the boys on that day and in future she should give you more notice :)

The Juggler
29-12-2009, 02:34 PM
if she has given you very short notice. tell her you can't do it or offer to work the day but she will have to pick up early/drop late to accommodate the dentist.

Heaven Scent
29-12-2009, 04:23 PM
If I have to attend an appointment that I cannot or would prefer not to take children to I arrange it for the beginning or end of my working day so that I just start later or finish earlier and that is then less inconvenient for parents who then only have to take a couple of hours off or find alternative childcare at the beginning or end of the day sometimes friends/family can help out for a couple of hours at either end of the day but often not in the middle as it tends to mess up a full day. There are always ways around it without upsetting parents - goodness knows that work is hard enough to come by these days - I've had a very lean year this past year and I will do a lot to keep parents happy - I went privately to see a doctor this year rather than let parents down at school pick up time in Sept. If you cant change the appointment can you not ask a friend to come with you and keep the children outside the room but keep the door open so the children are within your hearing at all times while you and your son are being seen. I know how it is to have a child who is frightened of the dentist - my daughter was terrible - actually she was afraid of everything i just had to work around it.

miffy
29-12-2009, 05:14 PM
Can't you just explain to mum that you have an appointment and can't take the boys with you - as long as you give her sufficient notice so she can make other arrangements then there shouldn't be a problem.

Good luck

Miffy xx