cross

[nipper]

Have been thinking about whether to carry on since a change in my personal circumstances. I have informed parents stressing that I was not giving notice, just a heads up. Earlier this week I found out that I had been called to interview tomorrow. 48 hrs notice is short notice I know, but I wasn't aware of when we interviews would be. I called mum to tell her (not text) and I wish now I hadn't been so upfront. she has basically said that she has asked her employer who has said she can't have the day off as holiday as its too short notice. Her husband also has deadlines/targets to meet at work so cannot have the children. I have asked fellow childminders but as it would be for all day, most of them would be well over their numbers.

I feel gutted that I have had to withdraw from the interview. I know other jobs will come up but I feel cross that for all the times I have been flexible for families, this I how they repay the 'favours'.

[kellyskidz!]

I know how you feel but 2 days is not a lot of notice and its not mums fault if he boss wont let her have the time off at such short notice. Mum is in a difficult position too.
Could you rearrange the interview? Or maybe ask mum about asking other family members if they could have her child
I don't think its a case of repaying favours if she genuinely can't have the day off work, I think you need to have a chat and explain how important this is to you and try to work something out together xx

[Minstrel]

Gosh I hate to say it but I think you're being a little unfair. Presumably you are contracted to have this child/ren and it is very unprofessional to ask a parent to take the day off so you can go to a job interview.

[nipper]

It's for a teaching job which usually involve having to teach a class of children. I think two days is short notice as well. I suppose all I can do in future is ask to have more than 48hrs notice.

[Koala]

Yes it is difficult when it is obvious parents need us so much, we are so important, valued and cannot be replaced when we ask for a day off!!!!

Our job is so high powered and off course is reflected in our pay

I wonder what mum and dad would say to their employer if they were getting paid £3-£4 per hour less expenses if they were refused a day off, short notice or not.

I'm sorry but I would be taking the day off - I don't consider that it is unprofessional but would look at it as professional development. And yes maybe the situation doesn't call for good old honesty and consideration for your families, maybe consider ringing sick the next time and don't give them any notice.

P.S. it's not your problem their boss wont give them the day off, I didn't realize their employers controlled your life!! your contract is with the parents and not their boss, Take the day off and don't charge - pull a sicky - there is nothing they can do, ok they may think badly of you but tough, you tried to be considerate, asked and tried to give them notice but no. I wouldn't have given them the option, It seems to be more and more that parents don't give too hoots about us so look after yourself because no one else will.

[munch149]

I'm sorry but it's there problem not yours I would go to the interview it's for them to sort out their childcare arrangements. What if you were sick

[nipper]

Yeah hindsight is a wonderful thing. Wish I hadn't been so honest now. Something I need to work on!

[Koala]

Yeah hindsight is a wonderful thing. Wish I hadn't been so honest now. Something I need to work on!

I think I would be so cross, I would probably ring them to collect their children now as I didn't feel well and confirm tonight I have D & V and would be off for the rest of the week.

Yes, it is spiteful but also self preservation and maybe a good lesson for them to learn. I once booked 2 weeks hols in term time 6 months in advance (for a family wedding abroad not that I need to justify myself) and a term time only parent said to me - obviously I am not going to say you can't go but she did make a big deal of it, I arranged another minder to help out too and still this wasn't good enough, there is no winning with some folk and yet we try our very very best to HELP! why do we bother. Can you tell i've had my gut full of selfish parent? I'm gonna have to take a chill pill

Good luck with your career move and DO WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU.

[ajc]

Go to the interview, apologise but say that its too important to you not to go. Goog luck!

[kellyskidz!]

Totally disagree, we are paid to look after children and we have chosen this job knowing that is what we will be doing.
As a parent who has worked for a horrible boss I know how much I dreaded asking for time off. No, the boss doesn't control Mums life but they DO pay her wages. How do we know that this lady isn't afraid of losing her job by taking days off, how do we know she isn't under threat of redundancy? Why should she take an unpaid day off work because her childminder has a job interview which also means if her childminder gets the job she will have to look elsewhere for childcare, on top of working as well.
No, sorry, I think not enough notice has been given to the parents and while its unfortunate for you, it unfortunate for Mum and Dad too.
If I'm honest I'd be annoyed that my childminder asked me to have a day off so she could go to an interview to look for another job, because where does that leave me,but that's just my opinion. It's not all about us and the days we need to have off, its about what we've signed up for, looking after other people's kids while they work and its about being fair and I don't think 2 days notice is fair.
I know where you are coming from, as in its an important interview and its totally up to you if you goo to it anyway, but I don't think you can be annoyed with the parents and say they're not returning favours x

[AdeleMarie88]

Whilst I agree with the notion of helping each other out, I think in this instance your asking way too much. Favours for me would mean bringing around some snacks or something, not having days off so I can go for another job interview.

Whilst it's honourable you told the truth, I'm not sure what reaction you expected, if I told my parents that potentially they will have to look for other childcare, I definitely wouldn't expect them to then accommodate me with days off whilst I went for job interviews!! I think you will risk a nasty parting of ways if you go to this interview and leave the parents in the lurch!

Good luck!

[line6]

I always try to think what I would want as a parent and treat my clients that way. So I would say 2 days notice is too short - especially for a job interview that you have told them about. They are probably already stressed about the possibility of losing their Childcare. They probably already take days off at short notice due to sickness of their children (and maybe if you have to close) and therefore any boss is going to be annoyed by another request. It's not like it's an emergency hospital appointment or something.

Yes it is annoying for you if you can't go but surely any reasonable potential employer would realise you can't just drop everything. If you were employed elsewhere you may not be able to get a day off. Maybe you could rearrange we a little more notice??

[Koala]

I think this is definately an agree to disagree situation.

And I totally disagree that as a childminder we should devote our lives to others.

Yes it is short notice - however - it isn't the childminders fault - and it doesn't matter what she wants the day off for.

And yes the parents boss may be a control freak ogre who won't let them have the day off! and in turn they are doing the self same to their childminder!!

[Koala]

I think this is definately an agree to disagree situation.

And I totally disagree that as a childminder we should devote our lives to others.

Yes it is short notice - however - it isn't the childminders fault - and it doesn't matter what she wants the day off for.

And yes the parents boss may be a control freak ogre who won't let them have the day off! and in turn they are doing the self same to their childminder!!

And p.s. if the parents feel that their job is so vulnerable maybe they should look for another job like our colleague childminder is doing and I wonder what would happen when the parent gets an interview and needs extra care at short notice or wants to reduce their hours to cater for their new job, do you seriously think the parents will consider their childminder then or just do what they want??

At the end of the day you cannot live your life dictated by other people.

I do not want to come across as flippant with my commitment to care - I am NOT, I am very professional - but I seriously think everyone has every right to expect consideration for their requests and an interview is very important and can make all the difference to peoples lives.

[dawn100]

I'm torn as can see this from both sides. If I was using a cm I think I would be a bit annoyed by 48hrs notice for something that's not an emergency, but then on the other hand being the cm I wouldn't want to miss the interview due to being stuck looking after a child.
Can you not ask for the interview at a different time due to being only 48hrs notice. Did the school not inform you what days the interviews would be taking place ahead of giving you an interview?
Are you able to swap the day your are having the lo, whenever my kids have had hospital appointments at short notice I will try to swap days around so parents don't have to take a day off as employers are often more accomadating to swapping days than days off. Obviously only works if they aren't full time and you have spaces you can swap with.

[KatieFS]

There are 2 sides.

I would consider a parent as an indirect employer, and if I had a job interview I wouldn't be telling my employer about it. I'm sorry if that makes me a bad person for fibbing but when I had a team of people to manage.. If one of them said could I have afternoon off in short notice to go for new job guess what I would have said!

I think you may have been too honest under these circumstances.

And let's be frank, yes we're paid to do a reliable job but everyone is entitled to a life without telling people you work with it for everything about you. I do feel we give alot of ourselves to the job and at times I protect my privacy from my parents. When parents circumstances change, we are not needed then we need to find new business.
There is no reliability in our income.

I plan to move on at some stage, but certainly won't be telling parents about interviews.

[KatieFS]

Can you resched the interview? If you fib now it's too obvious and a nasty cloud might hang over the relationship

[unalindura77]

Ahhhh that's a tough one!!! So sorry you will miss your interview...if anything this situation will make you want to leave childminding even quicker.

[The Juggler]

ok, i was in this position last year. however, I did have lots of weeks notice as the interview date was in the application form. I had to prebook the date and then cancel if I wasn't called for interview. I didn't tell parents I had a job interview, I said it was a hospital appt. I think 2 days notice is unacceptable (did they not say the interview date in the job advert???).

however, next time, in your application I'd explain my current job and say that due to personal circumstances you could not attend an interview at less than a week's notice. i told one interviewer last year that it would be easier for me on a thurs as I didn't have any children and they held the interviews on a thurs - for everyone! So if you don't ask you don't get.

Sorry you missed out this time. i sometimes think too much honesty can be a bad thing. I got offered my job and turned it down in the end so I'm really glad I didn't say where I was going that day.

[nipper]

I rang the school and explained the situation. I could tell the Deputy Head was disappointed and then I said I was withdrawing my application.

Must employ the mushroom method next time (keep them in the dark and feed them **** from time to time...sorry just making the most of a crappy situation).