Termination Dillema

Received notice from a family yesterday, who only started in Feb. Due to their other child starting school in September they want "consolidate their childcare usage".

Therefore they have given me more than four weeks notice as they have said their childs last day with me will be the last day of term.

However, I would prefer to have been given the four weeks standard thus finishing earlier as:

I have been asked to provide holiday care for an ex-mindee who is now at a private school. This would allow me to cover the whole of his holiday as they break up sooner.

It will also make my own son's induction days at primary school easier as with this little mindee gone, I get an extra afternoon off a week, which co-incides with the induction day dates.

I am thinking that I want to put in my acceptance of termination letter that I am now infact giving four weeks notice that LO's last day will be 9th June.

However this could open up a can of worms as the private school child's parents is friends with the leaving child's parents.

Time to put myself first?

I totally understand - it will be a hard pill for the family to swallow but hey ho. You work to benefit your family as do all your parents and family comes first, mas long as you stick minimally to your contractual obligations nobody can expect any more. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

If I was you I'd do it. I do this job to benefit my family and now I always put us first whereas in the past I've put mindees first too many times.

I agree if you need you can explain your situation if you think it will make things gs easier

Do you know anyone else who could help out for the 2 week cross over - either take on the current child for a couple of weeks until the end of term, or could have the private school child for until your space is free?

It seems a shame to be unable to attend your son's induction days or to take on the private school mindee as soon as they break up, but if this family had left things & only given you notice 4 weeks before the end of term , you wouldn't have been able to do it anyway. Personally, it seems a bit of a kick in the teeth for them that they have given you more than the required amount of notice & it's now going to go against them. I'd try to find a way of working round it.

I say do it, but when or if you give reasons I would only mention the benefits to your family.

I do agree that it looks harsh to give shorter notice than they have given you, and it could rebound on you if they feel you are ditching them for a better prospect. I think I would just say you will of course need to fill the space and hope you can find someone to fit neatly with their proposed departure dates (who knows, they might offer to be flexible with their finishing date if the need arises). I'd also let them know now that you intend to take your dc's induction days as leave if they are still using you for childcare by that point.

Have just recently done this and regretted it., one leaving on maternity and gave me lots of notice and I couldn't fill the space for when they were leaving so gave them four weeks notice.. They weren't best pleased and it was hard to keep relationship going for last four weeks.. Feel maybe I could have hung on and maybe something else might have fallen into place if I had.. If u can hang on and take the days you want as leave they can't really complain if leaving anyway xx

Have you have the private school child before? Continuity of care- can you have them both?