Public holidays

[wendz]

Hi, I'm planning on working as normal on public holidays. Is it ok to charge normal rate on a public holiday or should I be doing that as an extra option? Parents choice if they want to do public holidays?
ThNks

[FussyElmo]

Hi, I'm planning on working as normal on public holidays. Is it ok to charge normal rate on a public holiday or should I be doing that as an extra option? Parents choice if they want to do public holidays?
ThNks

Entirely up to you.

There is no right or wrong way for charging for bank holidays. You do what suits you

[bunyip]

Hi Wendz and welcome.

As a childminder (CM) you're self-employed and are your own boss, so can make decisions like this based on what you think is best.

By all means, find out what other local CMs do, but it's more important to find out what parents want and balance that with your own business and leisure/family needs.

All too often, CMs don't go any further than doing what all the other CMs do locally. This is often because there's an insidious pressure not to break ranks and to stay pally with the local CM crowd. Indeed, a lot of CMs think you're being "aggressive" or "unfair" if you dare to be different. Just remember, the parents are the ones who are paying you, so why should the other CMs be the ones telling you what to do?

[k1rstie]

Hi, I'm planning on working as normal on public holidays. Is it ok to charge normal rate on a public holiday or should I be doing that as an extra option? Parents choice if they want to do public holidays?
ThNks

Hi Wendz, are you planning on being open, so that if the child does not attend, then payment s still made?

This can be a double edged sword. Do you REALLY want to work on these days? Would you rather not spend time with your own friends and family, maybe go to a friends house for a BBQ and a few drinks.

If I was a 'normal working parent' and my worse half was too, and we were both on a paid day off from our jobs, and you were open, and charging normal rate, I think I would send my children, so I could go to a grown up friends BBQ and have a few drinks. Even if you were charging time and a half, it would still be tempting , especially if the sun was shining.

Would you be happy or miffed to have these children, when their parents were having a lovely day out, going to ikea, etc,etc. Wendz, often we have posts on her when parents send their children while on or other of their parents is off. Even a few hours can cause bad feeling.

If you are going to open because there is an actual demand for it, such as parents work in retail, emergency services, public transport, Legoland etc, then I would think about being open. To be honest, it's not something I would publicise, but a matter I would discuss on a family by family basis.

But as Bunyip says, and I agree, many childminders do follow what other locally do, or even what others on this forum do. You need to decide what is best for you, your family and your childminding families.