would you charge?

**sunflower** · 06-01-2010, 09:07 PM

Hi I had an extra 2 kiddies today as school closed at 2pm
would you charge?
I ask another minding friend and she said shes not going to as its not the parents fault it snowed

**Blackhorse** · 06-01-2010, 09:10 PM

is it for the hour difference?

**sunflower** · 06-01-2010, 09:17 PM

2 hours as i collected at 1.15pm when i dropped another child off to preschool at same school.

**polly0** · 06-01-2010, 09:18 PM

Its not your fault it snowed either!!!

My school finished for christmas at 1.30pm, i charged

Pipsqueak · 06-01-2010, 09:21 PM

Ditto what Polly said - not your fault it snowed.
Any other childcare provision would charge - fault/cause is not the concern here - you working to earn a living is.

**sophiestars** · 06-01-2010, 09:31 PM

I would charge, at the end of the day it's not your fault it snowed either and the parents are lucky you would take them for the extra time, otherwise it would mean them coming out of work to pick them up.
You worked the extra hours so you should be paid for them.

**Blackhorse** · 06-01-2010, 09:38 PM

I voted no as I think it depends what kind of relationship you have with the parents.

All my parents would offer to pay me straight away but I had children for an additional hour on the very odd occasion and havent charged them for it. Like if they were stuck in traffic or when the school finished early before xmas.
I do charge them for planned full days though if that is what they request...

anyhow...they appreciate that and when I was 3 days ill they didnt ask me to pay the money back either....
so at the moment this arrangement suites everyone.

If my circumstances were different I might have also voted YES

**tashaleee** · 06-01-2010, 10:01 PM

If the parents asked me to collect then yes I would charge - you didnt plan to have the children and you are running a business

**Mouse** · 06-01-2010, 10:07 PM

I agree with Nicole. It would depend on the parents.

If I had to have the children for a whole day because the school was shut I would charge, but if I just had to collect them a bit early I probably wouldn't.
My current parents are all lovely, I know they would appreciate me collecting the children and I know they would offer to pay. I also know that if I didn't charge, they'd more than likely bring me some chocolates or flowers as a thank you

**LeanneC** · 06-01-2010, 10:26 PM

I am charging

I had a parent text me saying she is dropping child off at 9am I was eating my breakfast and moblie was upstairs so left a voicemail then a call ( I was in shower as no children due to arrive) she asked dh what the roads where like by us as she was dropping child off and on way now!!

Im charging a full days fee as i would have only had him for after school normally.

I was a bit cross this morning though as she presumed that I would have child, and didnt even check with me first but gave me 10 mins notice!!

**The Juggler** · 07-01-2010, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by sophiestars

I would charge, at the end of the day it's not your fault it snowed either and the parents are lucky you would take them for the extra time, otherwise it would mean them coming out of work to pick them up.
You worked the extra hours so you should be paid for them.

if you couldn't have had them, she probably would have paid someone else. If it were a regular parent that I had good relationship with I wouldn't charge in emergency like this unless over a couple of hours but if it's a favour for someone who is not a regular and not a friend, I think I would.

**The Juggler** · 07-01-2010, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by LeanneC

I am charging

I had a parent text me saying she is dropping child off at 9am I was eating my breakfast and moblie was upstairs so left a voicemail then a call ( I was in shower as no children due to arrive) she asked dh what the roads where like by us as she was dropping child off and on way now!!

Im charging a full days fee as i would have only had him for after school normally.

I was a bit cross this morning though as she presumed that I would have child, and didnt even check with me first but gave me 10 mins notice!!

that is outrageous. to expect you to have a schoolie all day without even checkign with you first. I did this yesterday for a mum but she was asking 'are you sure' 'is it too many big ones' and was really lovely but to not even ask is outrageous

**RedDragon** · 07-01-2010, 08:31 AM

Depends on the way the parents pay me in other circumstances.

I have 1 set of parents who are very good at picking up the children early and still paying me, 1 parent who takes the money off when I couldn't work because I had had very bad news and couldn't work.

**Andrea08** · 07-01-2010, 08:35 AM

I charge a session/flat rate not by the Hr, so it wouldn't effect me but if you charge by the hr and you work it then you have to charge,,we are not babysitters its our job, if you had to do a few hrs overtime working in tesco because of the snow some one couldn't get to work would you do it for free???

good luck hun x

**loocyloo** · 07-01-2010, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by The Juggler

that is outrageous. to expect you to have a schoolie all day without even checkign with you first. I did this yesterday for a mum but she was asking 'are you sure' 'is it too many big ones' and was really lovely but to not even ask is outrageous

i had a mum say last night '' i'll drop X off at 8 as usual '' and was most put out when i said i couldn't have X as child is not contracted for a thursday!

**Twinkle** · 07-01-2010, 08:47 AM

I voted no for the extra couple of hours.

All of my parents are lovely and have/will offer to pay. They have all paid me when I took unpaid leave for my father's funeral and on the rare occasions I am sick.

The only one I will be charging is the parent who made no attempt to leave work early when everyone else had been told to leave due to the weather and then rang me at 4:30 saying "looks like you'll be having lo overnight because I'm stranded". If she had asked me to have him, I would have. To tell me I'm having him is a big mistake lol. Needless to say she did pick him up, in her partners 4X4 afters having first dropped off two other people who were stranded, at 7:30pm.

I most probably sound like a right grouch - but I hate being taken for granted

**miffy** · 07-01-2010, 09:03 AM

I would charge - it wouldn't be fair on those parents who are paying for full day care otherwise.

Miffy xx

**tigger** · 07-01-2010, 09:08 AM

I would charge as they are using your services aren't they? It's not their fault it snowed and it's not yours. If you couldn't have had them they would have had to make alternative arrangements and probably would have had to pay someone else.