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hoochi
12-05-2008, 07:26 PM
i wasnt going to charge for small ones e.g playgroups or play centre but what about day trips out entry into parks or anything like that x

sarah707
12-05-2008, 07:40 PM
I don't pay for entrance fees ... they are down to the parents to pay.

I have had the odd occasion where parents haven't been prepared to pay so the child misses out and then I might go every 3 or 4 weeks... but not regularly. Money I earn goes down enough providing meals without paying for outings as well...

Except in the holidays, we might go to a few places, but we keep costs down by taking picnics, so we can offset with an ice cream etc.

Your business, your decision but don't do anything you might come to resent. :D

fionamal
12-05-2008, 07:41 PM
My fees cover them all, i only ask that the kids are given some spending money for gift shop, ice-creams etc.

We tend to go to places though that are either free or only cost a couple of pound and keep the expensive places for a one off visit.

angeldelight
12-05-2008, 07:44 PM
I do the same as Sarah

Angel xx

mrsb
12-05-2008, 07:51 PM
My fees cover them all, i only ask that the kids are given some spending money for gift shop, ice-creams etc.

We tend to go to places though that are either free or only cost a couple of pound and keep the expensive places for a one off visit.
I do this too :)

hoochi
12-05-2008, 08:30 PM
thanks ladies think i will check out the local free play areas i just wandered if parents expected trips and to be included in price but i think i will state if i did do any its additional cost

berkschick
13-05-2008, 08:59 AM
Soft play, Toddlers, etc I pay for but if we went anywhere more expensive in the hols I will charge the parents the entrance fee.

scottie
13-05-2008, 09:04 AM
HI AM NEW TO THIS SO I HOPE I GET IT RIGHT BUT I WOULD NOT NORMALLY ASK FOR COST OF A TRIP BUT MAYBE ASK FOR THE CHILD TO HAVE SOME SPENDING MONEY AFTER ALL THE FULL COST CAN BE PUT INTO YOUR WEEKY ACCOUNTS JUST KEEP PROOF OF COST :clapping: WELL HOPE THATS OK BYE

jaja
13-05-2008, 09:13 AM
depends where we are going, and how much it will cost. we go to a play area and it costs over £4 then i get parents to pay and i will cost the dinner and an icecream, depends how many children i have with me and how long we are going for, how far ie petrol ect and hours i have the child for.

I have a four hours a weeks and in holidays only twenty, but in holidays we go out and i ask for outing money, we tend to have to travel at least 30 to 50 mins in the car to get there and we tend to go all day, so parents are happy to pay. If a only came for 4 hours in holiday times then we wouldnt be going anywhere, because by the time we got there we would need to come home again.

Plus just think about how many children you would be taking, for example if you went to sundown its £8 per child so if you took five kids it would cost you £48 to get in without snacks, meals or anything else.

good luck with what you decide to do. x

Oh Sorry if i rambled and lost you half way down xx

Banana
13-05-2008, 09:16 AM
Totally depends on where you are going,

for example, wacky warehouse is £2.50 a child, I would pay this myself.

The zoo - £9 a child, I would ask for the parents to pay for the entrance fees as it costs me £14 to get in.

Bascially anything more than a couple of pound I ask parents to pay

xx

Spangles
13-05-2008, 09:28 AM
I go to the local softplay place with my son at the moment so when the full-timer starts and she turns one I'm hoping the mum will pay for her to go as it costs almost £4 which means I would basically be working for free for an hour!

If she doesn't pay I'm not going to be able to go anymore with my son which will really cheese me off! Ha ha!

I won't charge for toddler group as that's only £1 three times a week and I think it's fair enough for me to pay for that and petrol etc but much more than that and it's too expensive I think! Do you think I'm mean?

I'm in an easily cheese-offable mood today!!!! :)

ChocolateChip
17-05-2008, 11:24 PM
I don't think you're mean at all, Lorri, it's all too easy to spend your wages in this game!
Our parents usually give us money for family memberships for the zoo and pony farm as our christmas present, so at least me and my kids get in free, I pay for toddler groups, etc, and u3's are usually free anyway where we go.
I think where older ones are concerned I will play it by ear, if they are more or less fulltime in the hols, then I will pay for at least one trip, and see how it goes with part timers, no point paying out more than I'm earning. :)

Blaze
18-05-2008, 02:28 PM
I put it in the contracts that parents pay for playgroups (I split the cost between children, so only works out under £1 each) & outings...I have a policy on this as well, so I don't get into difficulties if parents refuse to pay for a trip ....otherwise the other kids would have to miss out/or i would have to end up out of pocket! :)

kellsbells
18-05-2008, 06:02 PM
It is difficult though! I became a child minder so that I could spend more time with my daughter in the holidays and one of things that is worrying me as I would like to take her to a few places in the holidays, Had it all planned out that I would charge parents so my daughter wouldn't miss out on trips and mindees would get to go out on day-trips too and I have just taken on two children whose mum is a single parent, I for one know how difficult it is with one never mind two so now I will have to either pay for them myself out of the fees or not go.

:eek:

tulip0803
18-05-2008, 06:11 PM
Like some of the others I would pay for little things like soft play but bigger stuff ask the parents for the cost of getting in and spending they never worried. I did try to limit the big trips to a couple in the holidays instead we would go to the museum, park, town farm,country park, beach, free open-air pool, library, river to feed the ducks, anywhere children got in free:) . My children were happy cos we were doing something, the minding children were happy cos we were doing something and I was happy cos it was minimum cost. Picnics and balls, bats, outdoor games are great cos the children have a great time and it doesn't even have to be very far.:D

nell57
18-05-2008, 06:58 PM
I'm pretty much the same as everyone else, paying for toddler groups and soft play areas, then asking parents for the more expensive trips, never had anyone refusing so far:)

Helen

ruby
18-05-2008, 07:16 PM
we do the same pay for soft play etc but anything big we ask the parents to contribute
not had any problems so far


cathy

avril
18-05-2008, 07:21 PM
I pay for all trips but ask parents to send money for gift shop and ice creams.

Tatia
19-05-2008, 09:10 AM
Same as a lot of you, I pay for toddler groups and soft play but for a bigger trip (like Old McDonald's Farm next week) then I expect parents to pay entrance fee. I still provide lunch (picnic) cos I do that at home anyway and I would spring for ice cream.

sue32
22-05-2008, 09:22 PM
I dont charge for trips as I have worked this in to my fees, I get paid for 52 weeks and feel asking for trips on top would get my parents asking for a refund when I am on holiday

kellsbells
23-05-2008, 06:51 AM
Hi Sue never thought of it that way, I feel your right on that one, I think I'll be taking your view on that, Then If the kids are having a good time and the parents can see that you are being fair then if you are unwell, or being paid when your not actually working (as I get paid for 52 weeks of the year too), it makes things fair on both sides of the contract doesn't it.

It's all about give and take, keep them happy and then you won't lose a customer! :p

SimplyLucy
23-05-2008, 07:04 AM
I don't charge for trips because I tend not to do any that cost a fortune! I have 3 siblings in the holidays and it would cost their mum a fortune.

Instead we go to the park, onto Dartmoor, down to the beach, walks by the river, walks in the woods and other such exciting things.

We also go to the cinema once a week in the holidays. We go in the car to the park and ride (the kids love the bus!), we always go in the morning to the kids club showing, it only costs £1/£1.50 per child and I get in for free! It's great, the kids love it, I've taken children as young as 18 months, they love it too. The parents think it's a great idea. I take our own snacks and drinks (dry cereal is ideal) and it works out to be a really cheap day out all paid for by me!

Pipsqueak
23-05-2008, 07:22 AM
Like Blaze I have a policy on this, anything over a couple of quid I ask the parents to pay for, i(f they choose not to pay it and the majority are going then its up to the parents to find alternative childcare that day - there choice not to allow child on trip).

Once I have paid for my 3 kids and myself - I don't charge any extra for fuel, then it would work out darned expensive if I had to start paying for mindees!

kellsbells
24-05-2008, 02:52 PM
It is different for everyone though, I only have one child, If there are child minders with more than one then it works out expensive to pay for mindees as well as their own, plus when you put it through as expenses you can't really put through your own children, so it really depends on each individual minder doesn't it.

miffy
25-05-2008, 03:12 PM
I don't charge for trips out but am thinking of changing this now with everything getting more expensive including petrol, food and entrance fees.

miffy xx

tortoise
27-05-2008, 04:40 PM
I think I must be a bit mean because I charge of any trips that we go on that has an entrance fee. But I do tend to go to things that are free most of the time. I do take my dd and one mindee to a soft play each Wed and his mum always gives me the cash before we go.:)

Eagles4ever
27-05-2008, 04:58 PM
Pipsqueak or Blaze -could i see a copy of your policy on this please as I've got one parent who doesn't see why she should have to pay for any trips I take her child on :angry:

So far I've managed to arrange trips for days when I don't have this child but during the holidays that won't be possible as I've got him every day and I don't think its fair the others miss out.

Sue x

Hannahlg
27-05-2008, 05:27 PM
we dont chrage for trips etc

me and my mum put away money each month after the prents have apid and she ahs paid me an herself for outing and stuff we buy etc

like last month we got £1000 each - well i didnt had to pay give my money for my summer hoilday to my mum so she could pay for the rest of the hoilday. and after the £1000 each we still put some away for trips and stuff we need to buy

but my mum has known people who do chage

fishbones1
02-06-2008, 09:29 PM
I am going to ask my parents (when I get some) to pay £10 per month for outings and if it is not used I will keep it and they don't have to payfor the following month until it has run out!!! Does this make sense???

I just feel I would be paying for trips If my daugther was in a nursery or childminder so I don't see the harm in asking parents, having a childminder is cheaper than a nursery anyway.