Lo for every other week?!
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  1. #1
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    Default Lo for every other week?!

    Hi

    I have had an enquiry about someone wanting a childminder for her 8month old every other week Wednesday and Thursday 12.30 till 2.30. I could provide this space at the moment as I'm just starting. Would you allow this and just charge for so, or would you say you would need to charge a retainer for the week they wouldn't be here? It's a small amount to take up two of my days and would mean I couldn't go out anywhere with the kiddies?! Can anyone advise what they would do in this situation?

    I am happy to do it but I just want to cover myself for the future incase I get another enquiry for them days which would be a child for more hours?! How would you word it?!

    Thanks

  2. #2
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    I personally wouldn't do it for so few hours.

    I have done it before when I had two LO's coming every 2nd Monday, I only charged for the Monday's they were here as I was quite happy to have every 2nd Monday off!

  3. #3
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    It seems you are already wondering what you will do if a 'full' time enquiry comes along. You may kick yourself for taking it. But it is up to you. I personally wouldn't take it. You could charge a higher price but as it is in the middle of the day you will never make up the lost money for before and after. It may work out but initially the child may take a while to settle as it is so short. It's hard to turn work down when we don't know when the next enquiry will be. Best of luck.

  4. #4
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    Thank you. It is so hard saying no when you're just starting! But we have to be careful not to shoot ourselves in the foot for the future don't we!

  5. #5
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    Tricky one.

    On the one hand, any sort of experience is good when you're starting out. So is the 'word of mouth' you get from any sort of client at the outset.

    You've already highlighted the down-side though. It's tempting to take on absolutely anything when you start up, which you can later end up regretting. You can also get a reputation for being the CM who'll take on all the bits and pieces no other CM wants. That can be good or bad. I've built a business on just that, but it wouldn't suit everybody. I can see both sides and fully understand why this would be a complete non-starter for some: it depends what you want, tempered by a realistic appraisal of how much you can afford to compromise on the ideal.

    The biggest problem I'd have is what's already been mentioned. The difficulty settling in and the way it ties you down with the other mindees. Can you work round this and find other times to go out with other mindees?

    One thing to remember is that they're only blocking a place if/when you are on the very limit of your ratio and then have a potential client lined up, ready and waiting and definitely wanting the space. I'm sorry to say this is a mistake a lot of CMs make: talking about someone "taking up the space" when nobody currently wants the space and/or other spaces are there for the taking, IYSWIM.

    Another thought is: can you afford to carry one 'less than ideal' client, just so long as it doesn't result in agreeing to every 'less than ideal' offer?

    If you're going to take it on, you need a complete understanding with the mum about the basis on which you take it on. I'd be tempted to suggest you do it as an ad-hoc arrangement with a definite get-out if you found your full-time potential was being blocked by this less viable client. Could you perhaps charge them only for the time used, with the proviso they'd have to pay the full day/retainer if there was someone else wanting the place full time? This can be very difficult to manage, no matter how honest and up-front you are about it. I guess a current client will consider the space to be permanently "theirs" if/when the time comes. Parents can seem like a dream whilst they're getting what they want, but turn very suddenly if things stop going their way, with serious consequences for a CM's reputation. It doesn't matter that they'd drop you without a thought if their circumstances changed.

  6. #6
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    Are you getting many enquiries at the moment?

    If not, and you want to get started, I'd consider doing it, but you would have to make it very clear to the parents that it may be on a temporary basis only. I often take on the odds and ends that no one else wants and usually find it works out OK. You sometimes find that if parents are happy and see that their child settles well, they may increase their hours.

    I had one child coming to me for 2 hours a day, once a week. After a couple of weeks mum increased it twice a week, then to 2 full days. I've still got the child almost 4 years later, although we're down to just one day a week now - mum doesn't really need to bring him. She just doesn't want him to leave

  7. #7
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    It's a long time between visits to your for this lo,have they been left before, confident with new people and new situations. What happens if this lo turns put to be a 'screamer' it's going to be hard on them and you coming alternate weeks, could mum maybe send lo one or two mornings on the weeks she doesn't actually need one so the lo doesn't have such a long time between visits? Mum could have a shower, make phone call I peace go to hairdressers etc....

  8. #8
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    In my experience, after lunch is prime napping time- mine have always all had a good 2 hour nap, 1-3pm (0-3 year olds).

    This 8mth old might be having a morning nap at the moment, but routines change and often once they drop the morning nap they really usually need a good sleep after lunch to be able to get through to bedtime.

    So, you need to look carefully at this child's routine, the parent's thoughts about routines (they can be shaped to suit family/CM setting to some extent) and how they all may develop over time.

  9. #9
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    Such good points from all of you and so useful! It turns out I'm not close enough to them anyway, if only the mum took the time to look at my profile prior to asking the question it would of saved us all the thought! Good points for the future tho and I was wondering about nap times etc. Hopefully the right LOs will come along soon.. So far I've only had emails regarding evenings! Which I'm not offering as family life has to fit in somewhere too

 

 

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