Would you......

[snufflepuff]

Give notice to a mindee to open up the space for another? If, for example, you had a mindee only contracted for a few hours then had an enquiry for a full timer, would you let the current mindee go? Does your priority lay with the children or your business/ income?
Im not in this situation or anything, i was just curious!

[Mouse]

If I had taken on a mindee who was only contracted for a few hours I would already have explained to the parents that if someone else came along wanting more hours then I would give notice, or give them the option of increasing their hours.

I wouldn't do it if I hadn't already explained that to the parents. I've never given notice just because something better came along & I never would.

[Minstrel]

I'm in the minority anyway- because i steer clear of full timers like the plague!

Obviously i like to be full and busy but i prefer to have a varied week made up of many part timers instead. Must be in my personality because i get bored easily and think a full timer would make the week drag.

Also avoids the financial reliance on one family.

So personally i wouldn't.

[Mollymop]

it depends I think on how well I got on with the child/ren and the parents.

I wouldn't normally no, I have had lots of better enquiries in the past but to be honest it has never crossed my mind to terminate a contract in favour of another.

But if I didn't get on with parents or couldn't click with a child then I would consider it.

One mindee is leaving me next month, I have had her for almost 2 years since she was a baby - mum will want me back when she finds a job (college student) but we are not sure when that will be, she is worried that I mindees space will be filled by then and she can't afford to pay me a retainer......... Because I love the mindee almost like one of my own, if I took on anohter child in her space I would terminate their contract in favour of having mindee back even if it were less money

[sandy64]

i filled a 1 day a week place when it suited me then my 4day a wk left so new i would suffer but a new lo came along i explained i could do 4 days now if they had family to do the one day after a month i applyed for a variation and got it but was lucky as grandma would of done if not, so its always worth asking parents if theres someone to help out.
i would find it hard to finish with 1 to fill with a fulltimer evan though it isnt finacially good for buisness.:)

[nokidshere]

I prefer to have part timers anyway so no I wouldn't.

[TheBTeam]

I wouldnt do it if i had taken the old child on with only a few hours, it might be different if a full timer gradually kept reducing the hours there might come a point when I would be saying that if a full timer comes along I may have to give notice, but I wouldnt do it out of the blue or to a child who had always had a few hours.

[funemnx]

I must admit that I have thought about it from time to time when I've been asked to have another child. Fortunately, I haven't actually had to go through with it (and not sure I could!) I suppose every situation if different (how good is the relationship with the parents/child I had already)

[PixiePetal]

If I had taken on a mindee who was only contracted for a few hours I would already have explained to the parents that if someone else came along wanting more hours then I would give notice, or give them the option of increasing their hours.

I wouldn't do it if I hadn't already explained that to the parents. I've never given notice just because something better came along & I never would.

This is the way I work too. Never had a child more than 4 days a week anyway. Least has been 4 hours once a week and I explained situation to the mum at the beginning. When I was offered 2 days with 2 siblings and it clashed with the 4 hour child, I offered to swap to another day which she took and said she respected my work and understood the situation. It worked well for us all.

[karen m]

would never favour 1 child for more hours

[miffy]

If I had taken on a mindee who was only contracted for a few hours I would already have explained to the parents that if someone else came along wanting more hours then I would give notice, or give them the option of increasing their hours.

I wouldn't do it if I hadn't already explained that to the parents. I've never given notice just because something better came along & I never would.

I work this way too.

I just wish some parents had the same scruples! :rolleyes:

Miffy xx

[Trouble]

yesterday i would of said no but after today definately:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[claireLouise]

Once you have given a commitment to a family especially a child it would be unprofessional to serve notice purely for more money!

Best Wishes

[peanuts]

not necessarily unprofesional - a few years back i had a family of 3 ask to increase 3 days to 5 as i had wee one for the other 2 said no, family of 3 gave notice to go to another minder and other wee one gave notice the week after as gran retired.

so now i do what suits me not them.

[Millenium]

As Mouse has mentioned, if I took on a child for one day a week thereby effectively blocking a full-timer, I would always discuss the situation with the parent at the outset.

The dilemma is do you resist taking on the part-timer in the hope that a full-time enquiry comes long but how long can you afford to wait?

You could be talking of a difference of as much as £180 a week between the one day child compared to the five day child and in the current economic situation, that is a lot of money............

[mama2three]

I would love to think that I wouldnt do it - but at the end of the day a lot depends on my own financial situation at the time - and I would have to put the needs of my own children first.
Hopefully things will never be so tight I have to do something like that!

[Playmate]

We have done it in the past, but only to one's whos parents have mucked us around with hours etc. We no longer take on ones that are less than 3 days because of filling gaps, but there are 2 of us in our business and a mortgage to pay :D

[PixiePetal]

As Mouse has mentioned, if I took on a child for one day a week thereby effectively blocking a full-timer, I would always discuss the situation with the parent at the outset.

The dilemma is do you resist taking on the part-timer in the hope that a full-time enquiry comes long but how long can you afford to wait?

You could be talking of a difference of as much as £180 a week between the one day child compared to the five day child and in the current economic situation, that is a lot of money............

That's why I do the same as mouse - my 4 hour child was £16, the two days of siblings was £145. Luckily I had already had the conversation at outset and could swap her day so had them all.:thumbsup: