Being threatened with a nursery!

[LittleLegsCM]

Morning all,

I was just wondering if any of you knew about nurseries reducing their rates once a LO turns 2???

Obviously I'm fully aware of the 15 government funded hours at 3yrs and the 2yr trial going on in deprived areas but I mean the actual nurseries reducing their own rates just because LO has turned 2?!

I have a mindee who turns 2 next month and I'm now being 'threatened' in a roundabout way by the parents because I don't do such a thing and they are now considering moving her because of it (who cares about the fact that this LO absolutely cannot cope in large crowds of people and that shes settled & loved coming here for past 7 months, that obviously counts for nothing! )

It's not something I was aware of and certainly don't know any nurseries that do it (or even could afford to do it!) around here but they are adament that it is available to them.

[tess1981]

if you dont laugh you will cry why can a parent not just say any chance you will reduce fees - instead of coming up with excuses, you dont ask you dont get simple as

[EmmaReed84]

It is so hard because I can understand parents wanting to save money. I mean who wouldn't. From my point of view IF it was going to drastically reduce my outgoings, I knew it would not have a detrimental affect on my child and it was a very very good nursery then I would do it.

However that said. From what you are saying moving the child would have a bad affect, then in that case, no amount of money saving would make me do that to my child.

Such hard times for everyone at the moment.

[RainbowMum]

Phone the Nursery, say you are a parent thinking of moving to the area and you're looking into childcare fees - what do they charge for a 2 year old?

[LittleLegsCM]

if you dont laugh you will cry why can a parent not just say any chance you will reduce fees - instead of coming up with excuses, you dont ask you dont get simple as

Oh, they've already done that! The LO was originally meant to be on a full time contract and then it was changed just a day or 2 before signing to a part time contract, because of this they knew my fees were on a scale.
They have literally just asked to increase their hours by 3/4 so that they go down to £4 an hour instead of £4.50 meaning that I barely earn anything more but work more hours so they can pay less. I'm now regretting my rates being scaled!

[LittleLegsCM]

It is so hard because I can understand parents wanting to save money. I mean who wouldn't. From my point of view IF it was going to drastically reduce my outgoings, I knew it would not have a detrimental affect on my child and it was a very very good nursery then I would do it.

However that said. From what you are saying moving the child would have a bad affect, then in that case, no amount of money saving would make me do that to my child.

Such hard times for everyone at the moment.

I completely agree, as a parent, I would probably do the same but the thing is, in this case, mums just been given another full days work & using grandma on that day instead of me AND dad's just been given a promotion (with quite a large pay rise by the way it keeps getting spoke about!) so technically they are in a better position than they was back when contracts were originally signed so the scrimping for a few extra pennies rather than thinking of your LO makes no sense to me

[tess1981]

Oh, they've already done that! The LO was originally meant to be on a full time contract and then it was changed just a day or 2 before signing to a part time contract, because of this they knew my fees were on a scale.
They have literally just asked to increase their hours by 3/4 so that they go down to £4 an hour instead of £4.50 meaning that I barely earn anything more but work more hours so they can pay less. I'm now regretting my rates being scaled!

glad i have a set fee... full day and and half day. full day means you can use the hours between opening and closing as you wish but you dont get it cheaper if you only send child 4 days this week and 3 next week.
half day is from open time to 1pm or 1pm to close you cannot send child after 1pm if using morning session or before 1pm if using afternoon session. you dont use the hours you still pay they are booked for your child. i have less of a headache

[little chickee]

For me it wouldn't matter 2 hoots what a nursery charges.
I'm not a nursery so i can have my own fee structure.

I would not want to reduce my fees at all - at £3.75 an hour i already think thats quite low.

I would politely tell the parent that no my fees don't reduce depending on age and i would be willing to lose the child if necessary.

I won't have any parent dictate my fees.

Been cm for 5 years now, have had and have some lovely parents but have had enough of my share of not so lovely ones that i'm a wee bit jaded and refuse to be told what i should and shouldnt be doing/charging.

[lisa1968]

I think theyve got its a real cheek!! They wouldn't ask Tesco to reduce food cos they can get it cheaper in Morrisons...........or ask a petrol station to reduce petrol cos its cheaper down the road!! Us 'minders run a business too!
I understand your concerns about the child settling elsewhere,but thats not your problem.I know it sounds harsh but you have to put your business head on and tell them no!!

[Ripeberry]

Call their bluff. In the end if the child does not settle and they have to put up with an unhappy child because of their decisions then let it be on their head.
Don't change anything you do or charge to please others.
Give an inch and they will take a mile as the saying goes

[LittleLegsCM]

I've told them that there's no way I could reduce my fees anymore as I still overheads etc to cover so Ive left it with them to make their decision but I just wanted to find out if anyone else had heard of nurseries dropping rates just to see if it something they do or if theyre just finding any excuse to get it cheaper x

[hectors house]

Often free childcare places look cheap but only if you only use them for your 3 hours a day - once you use them for more than this you pay for the lunch time between sessions.

One of my mindees went to Nursery last year and although her mum only works term time, because the mindee needed dropping off at Nursery at 8 am and collecting at 1.30 (instead of 9 am - 12), the mum has to pay for whole day - less her free entitlement and has to have an all year round space that she doesn't need!

[rickysmiths]

Yes it is quite normal for Nurseries to drop their daily rate when the children reach 2. Or in other words they charge more for under twos.

This is because the under 2s have to have a higher staff/child ratio than the over twos when the number of children per adult increases and so costs go down.

I would sick to my guns over the fees.

It can be hard sometimes, I have a parent at the moment messing around between me and nursery, At the end of the day if they want to go to their precious cheaper Nursery let them. They will find in a year that if they leave lo there they will not get free funding, the Nursery opted out of the scheme this year (I am hoping to become accredited) and the Nursery won't do the Pre School runs If they leave me, fine, but I won't take them back to do the school runs for them! Some parents want it all and sometimes it doesn't work. That is their problem not yours. Advertise your space and give notice.

[Jods]

Its irrespective of what the Nursery will/can do with regards to their fees, yours are what you charge, if they dont like it then 'tough cheds', I charge a flat rate of £4.50 an hr, and thats it x

[Pipsqueak]

Morning all,

I was just wondering if any of you knew about nurseries reducing their rates once a LO turns 2???

Obviously I'm fully aware of the 15 government funded hours at 3yrs and the 2yr trial going on in deprived areas but I mean the actual nurseries reducing their own rates just because LO has turned 2?!

I have a mindee who turns 2 next month and I'm now being 'threatened' in a roundabout way by the parents because I don't do such a thing and they are now considering moving her because of it (who cares about the fact that this LO absolutely cannot cope in large crowds of people and that shes settled & loved coming here for past 7 months, that obviously counts for nothing! )

It's not something I was aware of and certainly don't know any nurseries that do it (or even could afford to do it!) around here but they are adament that it is available to them.

irrespective of whether a nursery is doing this or not - I charge what I do and if clients don't like they can go elsewhere. My service is different (and often better) than the nurseries and I remind clients why they choose me in the first place. i explain from the outset I am not the cheapest but I strive to be the best!

And as for 'threatening' you - I would call their bluff and ask them if they'd like you to accept their verbal cancellation.... with a very sweet smile

[The Juggler]

agree with Pip above but on top of that it's ridiculous as probably the reduced nursery fee is more than your normal fee to start with

[LauraS]

Yes it is quite normal for Nurseries to drop their daily rate when the children reach 2. Or in other words they charge more for under twos.

This is because the under 2s have to have a higher staff/child ratio than the over twos when the number of children per adult increases and so costs go down.

I would sick to my guns over the fees.

What she said ^

The ratios are 3 children:1 staff member for under twos and 4 children:1 staff member for 2-3s. My local nursery drops the fees by a princely £6 per week at age 2 (full time).

Stick to your guns. You cannot change your staff ratio because their child is older. An older child eats more, uses more resources, breaks more stuff, wears out the carpet more Whether they are telling the truth or not - they are still 'using any excuse' in my book.

[jane5]

[QUOTE=rickysmiths;1155999]Yes it is quite normal for Nurseries to drop their daily rate when the children reach 2. Or in other words they charge more for under twos.

This is because the under 2s have to have a higher staff/child ratio than the over twos when the number of children per adult increases and so costs go




As Ricky has said this does happen at some nurseries because the staff ratio is higher for under 2's.

I would tell this family that you have the same rate for all ages and they are lucky that you didn't charge more when their child was under 2.

[Starfish007]

My childminder friend has just lost her 2 year old mindee to a nursery this week. A local nursery are taking 2 year olds for FREE if they sign up for their 3 & 4 year old funded sessions! I was gob smacked x

[LittleLegsCM]

My childminder friend has just lost her 2 year old mindee to a nursery this week. A local nursery are taking 2 year olds for FREE if they sign up for their 3 & 4 year old funded sessions! I was gob smacked x

For free?! Surely that means they're losing out for a whole years fees?! How could they afford that?? Absolute madness!!