Finishing times

I currently work from 7.30-6.30. I'm wanting to reduce my hours to 8-6. The 8am start is fine for all my parents and most of my children finish at 5.30. However, I do have one family that finishes at 6.30 for the occasional time they are both working. Most weeks one of the parents is either at home or finished by 5pm at the latest. I've spoken to them explaining I want to change their contracts but on the occasions when they are working late I am prepared to have the children for longer to accommodate them providing they give me a weeks notice. Mum said don't you want to work til that time - answer "No!" I also have a family and I find that they are always a couple of minutes late when they're both at home and they live on the same street which really annoys me. I know it's non of my business what parents do if I'm paid for looking after their child but it's because they pay they like to get their moneys worth out of me! They can be home at 4pm and turn up at 6.33 and not 6.29 then want to stand and talk for 15 mins. I'm getting later and later and don't want the hassle.

Do you think my request is unreasonable? I don't but mum seems to think I'm being awkward with her even when I've explained my situation. My fear is I change their contract and they say they want me until 6.30 every week! I just don't get why parents never want to pick their kids up! All my other children have gone by 5.30 and these kids keep saying "When's mum coming?" as they've seen her come home!

I think your plan is very reasonable and I'd just keep it professional across all the families by sending a letter stating a change to your opening hours (not asking them, but informing them!). If I was you I would also put a higher fee for 'unsociable hours' after your closing time (6pm) at double fees and, if you want, also a limit like once per week per family. I do double fees for unsociable hours and it has worked fine- if they really need it they'll pay.

I have recently changed my opening hours from 7am - 6pm to 7:30 - 5:30. Like yourself I knew that most of my families could pick up earlier but chose not to. I have also stopped cooking dinner and now nearly all of the mindees are picked up at 5pm. It's so much better for my family. Go for it! I would also charge an unsociable hours fee for the extra time so they will only use you if they actually need to. Good luck :-)

I'm finding a pattern developing here also that the parents who walk are always late.

If they live on the same street maybe you could walk them home. That way they will be going at the correct time. You 'might' be walking past their house at home time? and then you could also control how long the chat lasts as you will be 'in a hurry' to get to your 'destination'.

You're going to have to take charge here and not rely on parents showing you any care or respect - which they clearly don't!
You've tried discussing it with them, but it hasn't helped, so I would simply say that as from X date your working hours will be 8am-6pm. I wouldn't even give say anything about sometimes doing a 6.30 finish. If they ask about later finishes you tell them they can request the later finishes as and when needed and you will let them know whether or not you can do them.

While you're changing times I would also take the opportunity to set some rules about collection times. I would say that you will be having a prompt 6pm finish and all the children need to be gone by this time. If parents need to talk to you about anything they need to arrive early so they can have a chat and be gone by 6. I did this with one of my mums. She was arriving 15 minutes early in the morning and staying at least 15 minutes after her child's finish time. She said she did it because she liked to talk before she left him and after she collected him. I said that was fine, but that she had to do this within her contracted hours, so could stay after her contracted drop off time or had to arrive early in the evening, before her finish time. Not surprisingly she decided that the extra half hour a day to 'chat' wasn't actually needed!

You run the risk of them going elsewhere if they really can't work within you boundaries, but I'm sure you'll feel a whole lot better when you know that you're the one in charge of your business :thumbsup:

I would just say that you are working until 6pm and that's that! Some people just think of themselves...did she think about you? No! She just thought of herself!

You are self employed and if you are finding it too late or too much then cut your hours. I used to work Mon-Fri 8am-6pm but cut Fridays as I was doing too much! 3 families completely understood my situation and said they would prefer to have a 'sane' childminder than NO childminder due to me over doing things :p

I never work after 6pm and only rarely do a 7.45am start. :thumbsup:

Some people seem to think we are limitless in what we provide!

Change your hours anyway. They may not find another CM that could do even your revised hours. If they leave, then they've cut off their nose in spite of their face!

Thanks for the replies. I spoke to parents again and they've changed their shifts to work around one another so shouldn't need me until 6pm. I think the look on my face last week said it all when they were late. They were on time this week!

Yay! Result! :clapping: :thumbsup: