Working only 8am - 4pm. Does anyone think there would be a need for these hours.

**trickiedickie** · 13-08-2013, 04:04 PM

I am not a childminder yet. In process of registering. So may not even get to offer this to potential parents.

I have four children of my own. 3 at primary school and one starting funded nursery place. I am in Scotland so this means I can only mind 2 children a day. (which actually is fine for me).

The rate other childminders are charging seems to be between £30 - £35 a day or £20 - £25 half a day (think all of these prices include food).

I am thinking of offering 8am-4pm for £24/£25 (no food). So parents would need to bring baby/child's breakfast/lunch.

I don't want to take on half day children as I can only have two a day so would rather wait it out for all day children. Also, I wouldn't mind school children. Not sure what demand is like in my area. There use to be quite a high demand for childminders but over the last year at least another 12 childminders if not more have registered, most of whom seem to have spaces available.

Have any of you lovely childminders had enquiries for these type of hours? Can you see anyone having a need for it.

I was hoping that if I looked after teachers children they might be able to pick up their little ones by 4pm?

Thanks for taking the time to read.

**lynncjt** · 13-08-2013, 05:48 PM

Don't know where in Scotland you are but I'm in the NE. Last year I had a teachers child and that was great 8:30 to 3:30 with the occasional later pick up if there was a meeting after school.

This year year I have one 8:30 to 5:30, one 7:00 to 2:30 (school cook so has to start early) and another 9:00 to 3:30 (she changed her job to get those hours as I did not have after school places for her 2 school age kids.

All other enquires I've had have been for longer hours again, as parents are having to commute to next big town.

So it is possible but will restrict you but if you price it fairly it should work. You would be cheaper than me, as I charge a min fee equivalent to nine hours so that should work to your advantage as well.

Good luck, hope it goes well. I've been minding a year now and really enjoying the good days!

**blue bear** · 13-08-2013, 05:50 PM

All my early years children are school hours only, I choose to do after school children too.

**kellib** · 13-08-2013, 05:57 PM

I'm in Scotland and some days those are roughly the hours I work, one mindee comes 8-4 (sometimes its 10-4) another 9-430.

I do have one that comes 2 days a week 730-5pm but I don't mind that too much.

I also don't have any school children apart from my own son who is 8.

So it can be done

**tulip0803** · 13-08-2013, 06:01 PM

Previously all my pre-school age children went before 3pm and then I had after school children who were all about the same age and it was great.

Now I have one that comes 0715-1630, one that comes 1000-1800, another 1130-1800. In Oct I have one 9-3 another 8-1730 starting (not all on the same day!). If I restricted to the times that you wish to work I wouldn't have any work for the last 4 years

as there have been no enquiries for those hours until last month. It does depend on demand in your area though. You could try offering those hours but you may find that they are difficult to fill particularly if there are lots of minders with spaces.

You are quite entitled to charge a daily fee for a full day whether or not they use all the hours - there are many childminders that do this.

**lizduncan72** · 13-08-2013, 06:56 PM

I'm in Scotland too

the two sibling mindees I have just now have a teacher mum and come 8am to 4.15pm so just a little later than you wanted.

**vikiwizz** · 13-08-2013, 07:03 PM

I'm also new to childminding as will be starting in Sept, I have just signed a parent who is 8-3.30

**loocyloo** · 13-08-2013, 07:59 PM

I have a primary school teacher/uni professor s children - they come at 7.30 some mornings, 8.00 the other mornings. a couple of afternoons they get picked up from school by uni parent and the other evenings they stay till 5/5.30pm. I think this to enable parents to get some work done at home/school/uni in peace and then when they are home, the time is for the children (until they go to bed!)

I've also had teacher parents in the past. most have wanted care until 4.30/5pm to cover afterschool staff meetings/prep time etc, plus some did not teach locally.

**hectors house** · 13-08-2013, 08:19 PM

I have had in the past several children from different families where they had siblings at school - parents had hours that worked in with dropping off /collecting older children from school so found that 8.30 - 3.30 worked well for them.

My mindee whose dad is a teacher comes 8 am - 5.00 pm so don't rely on those hours suiting a teacher - may be ok for teaching assistants though.

Good luck filling your spaces - I currently have one who comes 8.00 until 3.30 and another one 8.30 - 3.15 - so shorter hours can be filled.

**SammySplodger** · 13-08-2013, 09:14 PM

I have 4 Mindees, they do:
8.00 - 4.15
8.30 - 4.30
10.30 - 4.00
and
9.30 - 3.00
Two are teachers, one self employed and the other works for a local council. These were the hours they requested.

It works brilliant for me and my two children, who don't really like Mindees in their faces a d playing with their stuff after a day at school.

I earn less than I did when I had 8am - 7pms, but my home life is now far more harmonious!

**Tealady** · 13-08-2013, 09:43 PM

Wouldn't work for parent's round here. Lots commute to London so often need 7:00am to 6:00pm/7:00pm

**trickiedickie** · 13-08-2013, 09:52 PM

Wow. I didn't expect so many replies. Thanks everyone.

Great to hear that some people have wanted these type of hours. I had thought the hours would suit teachers and people who have other children at school and have managed to work only school hours.

Think as some of you have said, I might wait a while for enquiries to suit these hours.

I have just started the registration process so all of this could be a long way off. I am actually beginning to panic about everything I need to do still.

Thanks again everyone. I am sure you will be sick of me pestering you all over the next few months (and hopefully beyond) if I managed to get registered and get mindee's.

**SammySplodger** · 13-08-2013, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by trickiedickie

Wow. I didn't expect so many replies. Thanks everyone.

Great to hear that some people have wanted these type of hours. I had thought the hours would suit teachers and people who have other children at school and have managed to work only school hours.

Think as some of you have said, I might wait a while for enquiries to suit these hours.

I have just started the registration process so all of this could be a long way off. I am actually beginning to panic about everything I need to do still.

Thanks again everyone. I am sure you will be sick of me pestering you all over the next few months (and hopefully beyond) if I managed to get registered and get mindee's.

The most important thing I did was to decide, with input from my own family, what hours to work - in my case from 8 am to 5 pm. It's your business, so you get to choose how it works for you.

**Rubybubbles** · 14-08-2013, 06:29 AM

Wouldn't work for me, unless I stuck to funded only children I'm afraid.

But you have to be firm and stick to what you want to do or it will drag you down

I have teachers who want 7:45-5:30 so they can do jobs after work x

**Mrsh3103** · 14-08-2013, 07:09 AM

If they are the hours you want then stick to it.

I used a childminder withy eldest ds. She only worked 8-4. I was working 8-6 so really needed childcare 7.30-6.30. She was amazing when I visited her so I worked around it. My mum would finish work early & collect. In the mornings I'd take ds to work with me. He'd sit happily in his push chair eating breakfast while I sorted morning paperwork. I'd take 15 mins of my lunch hour & drop him at his cm. I had a wonderful boss who understood the need for the best childcare you can find

If people like you they will work around your hours!!

**trickiedickie** · 14-08-2013, 10:19 AM

Thanks again everyone.

I think hoping that teachers would be willing to use me with those hours is a bit optimistic.

I agree I don't want to do a lot of hours everyday and have that affecting my own children but then the money I would hopefully bring in will be needed to live! It is a fine balance.

Thanks again everyone, you have all given me food for thought.

**hectors house** · 14-08-2013, 10:51 AM

It's a good idea to know what hours you ideally want to work before you start advertising that way you won't get caught out by a request for hours you don't really want to do. I used to do until 6, but one parent would often be late, so when that child left I cut back until 5.30 which suited my family much better. Obviously you may have to compromise your hours a little bit either end of the day but that is your choice. Good luck with advertising.

**mrstom** · 14-08-2013, 01:14 PM

I'm TTO and only work 8am-5pm. It's been tempting to accept year round care but so far I've managed to hold out for parents who want TTO and it's worked out okay for me.

From September I have:

Child A - 8.30 to 3.45
Child B - 8.00 to 5.00
Child C - 8.00 to 9.00 (school drop off)
Child D - 8.00 to 4.00/5.00 depending on the day
Child E - 8.00 to 5.00

At a push I'll stay open until 6pm but I have my own two children to consider. I charge a slightly higher hourly fee than the average for my area but the flip side to that is I don't charge a retainer fee (which means that most of my parents are better off than if I charged a lower fee plus retainer)

**trickiedickie** · 14-08-2013, 01:29 PM

Thanks MrsTom - when I first thought about childminding I thought I would do TTO and like you not charge a retainer etc and I would work 8am-5pm.

Then I thought well it would mostly be teachers wanting TTO so most teachers would be able to collect their children by 4pm so why not do TTO with the hours 8am - 4pm. After reading some of the replies I realise a lot of teachers won't want to pick up as early as 4pm.

Think I will start off like you- do TTO (not charge much extra for this) and not work past 5pm.

Another thought running through my head would be to advertise as 8am-4pm = £24. 8am-5pm = £30.

Mrstom - do you charge the children who stay until 5pm more than the children who leave earlier? Sorry charge the parents

**mrstom** · 14-08-2013, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by trickiedickie

Thanks MrsTom - when I first thought about childminding I thought I would do TTO and like you not charge a retainer etc and I would work 8am-5pm.

Then I thought well it would mostly be teachers wanting TTO so most teachers would be able to collect their children by 4pm so why not do TTO with the hours 8am - 4pm. After reading some of the replies I realise a lot of teachers won't want to pick up as early as 4pm.

Think I will start off like you- do TTO (not charge much extra for this) and not work past 5pm.

Another thought running through my head would be to advertise as 8am-4pm = £24. 8am-5pm = £30.

Mrstom - do you charge the children who stay until 5pm more than the children who leave earlier? Sorry charge the parents

I charge an hourly rate so parents pay for what they use. My parents are teachers (primary & secondary) and a school nurse (school nurse is the early pick up)