Lovely email to get while away on holidays!!

[smurfette]

We have been in Portugal for a week and had a lovely time .. I deliberately didn't take my iPhone with me as I wanted peace and quiet to spend with my family, even though its normally attached to me!

However on Thursday I went online to my emails to print out our boarding passes for coming home only to find an email giving notice! Quote parent 'tell u now so you can put up an ad while you are away'!! What now?!!! Out of country with no Internet!! It was sent later the day we left, but she knew we were flying out at 6am as I had emailed to ask how little one was as he wasn't well earlier in day and I told her I had been running around madly packing.!

I am really gutted, he is my fave mindee have had him since 7 months now 2.5 years .. Apparently he is going to a preschool local to them as a place has suddenly come up., here we have a free preschool year the year before they start school so I didn't think he would go Til next year. There has been one or two problems lately with parents not paying on time (wondering now if some of it was them saving a deposit for preschool) and dropping too early and picking to late with no apology which I have pulled them up on so I wonder if they are now finding me inflexible and will be able to drop him in to preschool earlier and pick up later for all in fee?

I don't really understand it I have bent over backwards for this family (I have him five days one week and three the next as they don't want to pay five days and granny has him other days) and I don't charge a retainer and have always managed to fit in ad hoc around him, recently I did ask them to swap the three day week to mon tues wed instead of wed thurs fri as I had option of filling the thurs and Fri which they said was fine granny didn't mind which days. Maybe she does or won't take him now? But then why not come back to me and talk to me about it?? And why can they suddenly afford to pay a nursery more fees than I would charge even for full time???

On top of it all she thinks she can count the week I was away as weeks notice and wants him to finish end may .. I did give them a contract which says four weeks notice but they never returned it and since I was new to it all I never worried (everyone else on contracts now!) and it doesn't say not including hols but will put that in for future, have sent email back saying I expect fees Til June 7th.. Not sure now if it will get nasty

I am so upset this is how they have handled it why not tell me face to face??!! Not to worried about filling space as its busy here but am so attached to him I am really upset

[blue bear]

It always seems to be the ones you bend over backwards for that walk away without so much as a thank you.
Without a contract mum holds all the cards really, such a shame to loose such a lovely little boy too.
I don't accept notice by email what if you hadnt received it. Not a nice end to your holiday.

[littlemiss60561]

Aw that's a shame. Bit crafty sending it when they did. My end of contracts need to be in writting , not email, and notice begins from when I receive it not when it was posted. Not sure how you will get around it with no contract because they could get away with paying you nothing if they wanted. Have you got anything in your policies about giving notice that they've signed? Again I don't know if this would be enough to enforce without a contract.
Good luck with it all and tell them thanks for the timing!

[MessybutHappy]

Hugs, this is awful and will remain so for a while, but I'm sure you'll make his last few weeks with you really special. Perhaps the family have sent an email because they too are feeling a bit rubbish about the decision? Doesn't excuse, but might explain?

[CLL]

I feel for you. Just makes me realise that it can all change in an instant. On the one hand parents use us because they see us as more flexible and family orientated than nurseries but then when they want to leave they treat us like a company and not an individual who has cared and loved their child for years. I would just print out a formal letter stating you are sorry to see x leave, you have enjoyed caring for him. The last day of care will be x and payment of £x is still owing. Good luck.

[ziggy]

what a horrible way to end ur hols, i am so sorry, hopefully you will soon find a more caring family.

I've noticed the more you do for some families the more they take advantage, sad

[rickysmiths]

Not nice to get on holiday but personally I would not have replied until I got home and then it would have been in writing. The fact they did not return the contract I don't think matters because they have used you for so long they have accepted the terms of your business by Custom and Practice.

[smurfette]

Not nice to get on holiday but personally I would not have replied until I got home and then it would have been in writing. The fact they did not return the contract I don't think matters because they have used you for so long they have accepted the terms of your business by Custom and Practice.

See I said this to hubby too and he didn't think I had a leg to stand on but I feel if u get into a taxi you don't sign an agreement to pay a certain amount, by getting in and travelling you agree to pay! Is it not the same?! She is due in the morning if I hear nothing I will have words then, I will tell her the four week notice is there to protect me from having no income and her from suddenly having no care and how would she like it the other way around !

I didn't send a reply Til last night and made a thing about not having email while away and had not got home Til just then

[The Juggler]

Not nice to get on holiday but personally I would not have replied until I got home and then it would have been in writing. The fact they did not return the contract I don't think matters because they have used you for so long they have accepted the terms of your business by Custom and Practice.

I agree hon. by using you for all this time they have implicitly agreed to the terms and conditions of your policies and contracts.

so sorry to hear this has happened.

[smurfette]

Thanks all.,

Have not had a reply from Email surprise surprise ,,
Think I may be in for a confrontation in the morning ., really think I have compromised by counting my weeks holidays in the four weeks notice and only asking for three weeks but the more I think of it the more cross I am at the way they have handled it and the fact they are hoping to get away with only two weeks notice ,, would say they knew about this long before last week if she has booked two weeks off work so why not mention it before and give the four weeks?!! Just wish they felt they could have talked to me about it and I feel so disrespected they obviously have no appreciation for all I have done wish me luck for the morning probably won't sleep a wink tonight

[pipandbaz]

Ah that's awful big hugs chin up xxx

[Becci26]

I never understand why parents do things this way, it just makes those last few weeks much trickier than they need to be - I had a mum give notice to me 2 days before my wedding day last year - did not help my stress levels!

Chin up Hun, tomoro will be better than u are anticipating.

Ps did u have a nice hols? Good to have u back

[Bluebell]

aww so sorry to hear you have had such a rubish end to your holiday. It sounds like she didn't want to tell you to your face but wanted to give you, well what she thought was, longer notice. As a parent she obviously doesn't have a clue what is fair to you or what your notice period is - in that it does not include holiday period!

Think of her as being ignorant rather than malicious and hopefully tomorrow morning when you see her you can get all this sorted amicably. It would be such a shame to end it on unfriendly terms.

think about what is important to you - the money or her leaving on good terms. Could you fill the space easily if she left before her full notice period?
If she is not approachable in the morning it might be as well to set it out formally in a letter so that she can clearly understand what is expected. It may be that they realise at a later date they need you for wrap-around care or holidays or school pick ups once at school so it would be good to get your point across without falling out.
good luck with this - I really feel for you.

[Shamai]

Oh Murphf that is an awful thing to do to you. They are obviously feeling guilty which is why they didn't speak to you earlier or face to face. As for the fees stick to your guns as much as you can, did you take a deposit? If not you might just have to take what you can in this instance. I am finding the discourteous manner of some parents unbelievable at times but suppose we just need to toughen up, stop doing favours and start charging appropriately. You can't however help getting attached to the little ones, hope tomorrow goes OK, let us know how you get on x

[RuthJ]

Aw, really feel for you. Such a rotten way for your holiday to end.

Hope it goes ok tomorrow xx

[wendywu]

She needs to give you 4 weeks PAID notice and do not take anything less, your holiday makes no difference,

[lisbet]

That little boy will have appreciated the loving care you gave him and he'll carry it with him as he grows up xx

[jackie 7]

Why is it the families we are kinder to dump us in a horrible way. Get them to pay the 4 weeks owed. Contracts are king! There is no way a space comes up that fast.

[shortstuff]

Im sorry you are thinking about an uncomfortable meeting in the morning. I really hope she is suitably embarrased and that it goes well. I will be thinking of you in the morning x

[smurfette]

Thanks Gail nervous wreck this am!