Minimum hours

[Merlot]

Does anyone have a minimum number of hours they will work for?

I usually say it's 5 hours as they're taking a full space.

I have a LO at the moment full time Mon-Fri. After Easter they will be starting nursery so hours cut to 4 a day and sibling starting. Sibling doing 3 full days and 2 days at 5 hours. However, first child will be 4 hours only because of being at nursery and parents collecting from nursery. I will be having first child for same hours as sibling in the hols. I haven't said anything to parents yet. Problem is I have another parent on a different day who wants the spaces full time at 8.5 hours. Would rather have full day but can't let first parent down. Do you think I'm being tight or petty if I said it's a minimum of 5 hours per day? Don't want bad feeling as they've been coming for sometime and I know I'll have extra hours in the hols.

[KateA]

I charge for minimum of 6 hours a day, if I was doing drop off and or collection for nursery and I was their emergency contact I would also be charging my full hourly rate for those hours.

[Merlot]

I charge for minimum of 6 hours a day, if I was doing drop off and or collection for nursery and I was their emergency contact I would also be charging my full hourly rate for those hours.

I do charge for nursery if I take and collect. Got lo in morning and nursery is pm and parents collecting after that so am not the emergency contact.

[watford wizz]

My parents pay for the space regardless of other settings the child may attend whilst with me.

[Mouse]

I don't tell parents I charge for a minimum number of hours, I just tell them how much it will be for the times they request. I've found parents don't like to think they're paying for more hours than they need and some will get their very last minutes worth if you charge for a minimum number of hours (not that I blame them). I prefer to stick to the hours they've requested, but charge the amount I want.

If my fee was £4 an hour, they wanted 4 hours, but I wanted to charge £20, I wouldn't say I was charging a minimum of 5 hours. I would just say that the fee for 4 hours is £20.

With your parents I would say that the rate you were charging was your full day rate and that your part day rate is charged at a higher amount.