Heaven Scent
28-04-2008, 10:39 AM
Right I have a quandry I've been forgetting to charge a parent for tea one day a week since the 7th April when they started now as I haven't set an amount for tea how much does anyone charge. I give milk/water or Juice plus pizza and salad or sandwith ham chesses etc or dips and sticks of fruit and breadsticks or soup and rolls followed by a pudding of fruit fresh or dried/ yoghurts or a sweet pudding e.g. cake and custard or ice cream and fruit or something on those lines. portions are quite generous too. How much would be reasonable for that - do you think £1.00 - £1.50 is too much.
What ever I charge her I will have to put in my fees and make it official - so what would you charge?
I need to know as I already give a good will reduction of £7.50 because the child goes to playgroup all day on a Wednesday but I'm holding the place open for her for the hols and mum said she'd be collecting at 4.30 every day but never does its always 5.00 because she wants the inclusive teas. I've also given her a knock down price for the older child because she claimed that she would be paying for a tea they would never be having. I've taken quite a drop in the rate for the school girl.
This mum has been to other childminders in the area and they have all warned me about her penny pinching so I feel miffed that I've made this error it was with having my mind on all this ofsted stuff that I mis read the contract. I am going to e-mail her today and tell her that I made the error and as its my error I will take the loss of this huge amount of £3.00-4.50 but will say that from this week on though, if S stays for tea on Wed I will have to add the extra to next weeks bill - she pays in advance and is a good payer and pays the whole amount in vouchers. So in that respect they are a good family to have so don't want to annoy her she has signed to agree that Wed fees do not include any meals.
I also know that she has arranged to put lo into playgroup full time from next Sept on top of her free places she will have to pay £7.00 for the afternoon place plus £2.00 for the lunch cover plus £1.80 for a school dinner or provide a packed lunch. She hasn't told me this and I presume she will want the £7.50 reduction per day for this also but I'm thinking of saying if its every day I can only do £5.00 as I'm holding the place for her. Do you think that is fair?
What ever I charge her I will have to put in my fees and make it official - so what would you charge?
I need to know as I already give a good will reduction of £7.50 because the child goes to playgroup all day on a Wednesday but I'm holding the place open for her for the hols and mum said she'd be collecting at 4.30 every day but never does its always 5.00 because she wants the inclusive teas. I've also given her a knock down price for the older child because she claimed that she would be paying for a tea they would never be having. I've taken quite a drop in the rate for the school girl.
This mum has been to other childminders in the area and they have all warned me about her penny pinching so I feel miffed that I've made this error it was with having my mind on all this ofsted stuff that I mis read the contract. I am going to e-mail her today and tell her that I made the error and as its my error I will take the loss of this huge amount of £3.00-4.50 but will say that from this week on though, if S stays for tea on Wed I will have to add the extra to next weeks bill - she pays in advance and is a good payer and pays the whole amount in vouchers. So in that respect they are a good family to have so don't want to annoy her she has signed to agree that Wed fees do not include any meals.
I also know that she has arranged to put lo into playgroup full time from next Sept on top of her free places she will have to pay £7.00 for the afternoon place plus £2.00 for the lunch cover plus £1.80 for a school dinner or provide a packed lunch. She hasn't told me this and I presume she will want the £7.50 reduction per day for this also but I'm thinking of saying if its every day I can only do £5.00 as I'm holding the place for her. Do you think that is fair?