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Thread: outings

  1. #1
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    Default outings

    When taking your mindees out to the farm or soft play stuff, do you ask them for the money first, or invoice them afterwards OR pay for it yourself and put it thru the books??

    I took my mindee to soft play last week and it cost ME 17 pounds! EEEKKK!

  2. #2
    TheBTeam Guest

    Default Re: outings

    I generally pay for all outings, i am just careful with what i do to keep costs down. I put the cost as an expense in my accounts.

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    Default Re: outings

    Quote Originally Posted by TheBTeam View Post
    I generally pay for all outings, i am just careful with what i do to keep costs down. I put the cost as an expense in my accounts.
    Same here, but there is no right or wrong way it is up to you decide

    Cx

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    Default Re: outings

    I ask for the money up front.

    I didnt used to until I went to soft play one day with 2 boys I had extra ,it cost me over £30. I thought to myself, I might as well have taken the day off!

    I learned my lesson.

    If I go to palygroup though, I dont expect anything, because it only costs £1.

    I find parents are quite happy to pay, as long as I dont take them every day!

  5. #5
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    Default Re: outings

    I normally pay for outings and put it through the books. If its a bigger outing where the costs are higher i normally ask parents for £5 per child to put towards the entry costs or to buy something from a souvenir shop.

    Over the years i have found lots of places that hardly cost anything apart from the petrol.
    I'm not paranoid - the world IS out to get me!

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    Default Re: outings

    I pay for it myself but i only have one full time mindee. I'm going to have 4 on Thursday but hopefully if the weather stays nice i'll take them to the beach and get fish n chips for lunch (which they'll share between them).

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    Default Re: outings

    I have £6.50 each week on top of my fees built into my monthly figure and this covers soft play and food. If we go on an organised outing then I ask the parents and they are happy to pay which I invoice before we go but in the holidays we do things adhoc, such as the pictures, and I do it and then bill them on the next invoice.

    I think communication is the key and we don't take the mickey. I inform parents of what I do with the children in the holidays and they are happy.
    Debbie

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    Default Re: outings

    I don't make any extra charges for outings. I've always said that the parents pay me the contracted amount for their contracted hours and how I choose to entertain their children during that time is up to me....it can be cheap, eg a walk through the fields past hen houses, sheep and cows or more expensive e.g. a trip to a children's farm. Parents often send their children with 'spends' in the holidays to cover souvenirs, icecreams etc. Also when we go on outings in the holidays this is the only time I ask for parents to provide a packed lunch rather than me provide it (it took too long for me to get a huge picnic together for everyone).
    We're lucky here in that our local soft play centre has special rates for childminders which gives £1 off entry, so on school days it's £1.95 per child and in school hols it's £2.95 per child.
    During the hols I usually have one day a week with just older children (10 yrs +) and we try and do something more exciting. This has included days out at Lightwater valley, Magna, Ice skating etc. These can be quite expensive but if you look online you can often find half price entry tickets (it's all about preparation and planning)
    In cloud cuckoo land somewhere

  9. #9
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    Default Re: outings

    I dont charge extra for outings as i was worried that one day i would haved say two parents that paid then one who couldn't afford it, what then, you cant just leave one behind and its not fair that the others miss out either.
    we tend to do things that are free ie parks, walks, bug hunts, pond dipping, libary etc. my view is that bigger trips such as zoos, theme parks etc are family days out for them to do at the weekend, having said that we are off to the zoo tommoro that said we have yearly tickets so will cost nothing for me and my kids and the mindee coming with us is to young to be charged but i would still have gone if i had to pay for him.
    I also cant fit everyone in the car on my two busy days so we have to do cheap free local stuff and the parents know this and are happy with it.

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    Default Re: outings

    I don't charge any extra's for outings etc.

    I just put all costs through my accounts.

    But I agree with what Debbie said and that is as long as you discuss it with parents and give them plenty of notice it shouldn't cause any problems if you do charge extra

    Dee
    Dee
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    Life may not be the party we hoped for.......but while we're here we should dance!

  11. #11
    Lady Haha Guest

    Default Re: outings

    My outings costs are included in my fees too. And I put it through the books. You can put the cost of anything you spend on yourself through the books too, like a 'large luxury hot chocolate with all the trimmings!', thats my treat at soft play!!!

    I get paid the same daily fee whatever I do with the kids, so one day it might be a picnic at the park which costs nothing at all and the next it might be a trip to softplay costing over 20 quid including drinks etc. It balances out in the end!

    This week for instance: three to four kids each day

    Tuesday - Free craft drop in session at the library and then the park

    Wednesday - Adventure Park place costing about 40 quid all in!

    Thursday - Softplay costing 25 quid all in!

    Friday - Magic Day at the park which is free.

    So my outings expenses will be 65 quid, but I'll have been paid just over 200 quid!


    And I make up for it in term time, when I'm getting paid and not taking them anywhere!

  12. #12
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    Default Re: outings

    Hiya...I think it depends on where you're going to take your minded children. I've decided not to charge for mother and toddler groups, but for special trips like going to the farm, I have asked the parent for consent and the entrance fee up front. Also, I guess it would depend on your hourly rate - I discussed these kind of issues from the beginning whilst we were going over all of the paperwork to make sure that we were both happy. It's interesting to read what everyone else does though!

  13. #13
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    Default Re: outings

    Same as Claire above - I won't charge for going to toddler groups but I would ask for entrance fee for special trips. I think I will limit them though and try to pick inexpensive places to visit to keep costs down as its always in the back of my mind how often I go at the cost of my son's school trips etc.

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    Default Re: outings

    I have taken out a childminder membership for our local farm, which allows me to take four children. Lots of other childminders around here have done so to, so if we have more than 4, we can often borrow one. The cards just say a child. It might be worth asking at your local farm whether they do this.

    Also, generally on Wednesday during holidays I am not going to work, but have decided to occasionally have my term time girl on that day as well by choice. We usually go to Legoland, so I asked parents if they could buy an annual pass, which they have. We went on Wed and had a fab time, she is almost nine and fits in really well with my kids, not like working at all.

  15. #15
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    Default Re: outings

    which farm is that mumtodaniel ?


    I charge for additional costs such as farms, soft play, boogiebabies and any other term time costly activity

    toddler groups and messyplay are paid for by me and claimed through my books
    Busy losing the will to live mwuahahahaha!

  16. #16
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    Default Re: outings

    Quote Originally Posted by TheBTeam View Post
    I generally pay for all outings, i am just careful with what i do to keep costs down. I put the cost as an expense in my accounts.
    same ere,,, i only ask for the children to have a little pocket money if we are going out for a full day or the zoo etc so they can buy a small gift to take home.

  17. #17
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    Default Re: outings

    I decided from the beginning that I would pay for all outings as I didnt want to be in a position where one set of parents are willing to pay and another are not.

    During term time, its only toddler groups and once a fortnight they do a cheaper entry to the soft play so we go there.

    In the holidays I have my own two children plus 3 and 8 yr siblings. I just alternate between a fre day ie park, feeding ducks, garden, walks etc and more expensive ie soft play for all, cinema, farm. That way, it seems to balance out that I am not working for nothing!

    I put it through my books as an expense.
    Helen

  18. #18
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    Default Re: outings

    I pay for outings and put it through books - its just part of the service I offer but everyone is different.

 

 

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