schoold runs how many schools?

[lizzyb]

just wondering what u all thought at present i do 2 different school pick ups the schools are approx 2.5 mile apart and come out 15 mins apart so i have always managed fine, i have no been asked by one of my parents to do a nursery pick up from a school about 3 mile away but on a very busy route and i really dont want to do it anyway ive said i cant but have just taken on a new mindee who goes to a 3rd school which is in fact in the middle of the 2 i already do so i feel i am able to do this one easily ( hubby can collect my los if needed so i'll only have to do the 2 schools) parent who ive said no to is now annoyed at me as she thinks as i have been minding her ds for longer i have a loyallty to him and should be doing the school she wants rather than the new one im taking on! im feeling rather guilty but really dont want to be doing this nursery it would also mean id have her son for half hour before nursery then 1 hour after so this would also take up a whole afternoon session for me.
what do u think am i being unloyal?? would you put the mindees you've had the longest first??

[rickysmiths]

Personally I keep to one school.

I have tried two only a mile apart but it was a nightmare getting little ones in and out of the car twice especailly in very cold or wet weather. I will never do it again.

In my experience schools never come out on time either.

You also have to think if it snows but it is not bad enough for the schools to close but you would rather not be zooming around in the car with mindees.

What if your car breaks down?

[samb]

I wouldn't do 2 schools either let alone 3 (unless I could walk between them). In terms of "loyalty" unfortunately you can't always remain loyal in business however I would try to accomodate my current mindees first and would explain why I couldn't to my current family. I have 1 who wants her son to go to a local pre school but all 3 are full so she is waiting for a place to become available and wants to take first place offered. As they all start and finish at same time this makes it a bit tricky for me already going to 1 school and 1 pre school. I have said I can do the 1 I do already or the other closest IF the school are ok with me collecting 10 mins earlier than the collection time to fit with the other pre school runs - would be for 2 terms - but I cannot do the other 1. If they come back to me having gone with a place at the other 1 or having to collect at usual time I will have to say I cannot. Sometimes it is not about being "loyal" but about being "practical".

[Mamma4Ya]

I am lucky in that all three schools in my area are within 5 mins walk of each other so in the car its a doddle. As you are allready doing the schools and the new one is on your route then it makes sence to do it. I would not worry as the parent should realise that you need to be practical and sometimes being loyal is not an option.

[ChocolateChip]

I am fairly rural so wouldn't even consider trying to get to another school, unless I decided to expand and get an assistant who could help out.

Lizzy, I would just explain to the mum what you have said here, it's not a question of loyalty but a question of what is doable, it makes sense to go to another setting already on your route, but not to drive in another direction and risk being late, etc. Hope she understands

[marleymoo]

we cover 4 schools and nurseries (morn and afternoon) but one of us goes in one direction and the other goes in the opposite direction. we are very well organised. loyalty doesn't really come into it for me. it's all about practicality and what is more profitable and/or cost efficient. I'm a business not a flaming charity.

[Twinklestars]

I did 2 schools last year but have now cut this down to just my sons school now, there was 10 mins between but a 5 mile drive and the first was always late making me late for my son. The mum wanted me to start picking up her other son at the same time as my ds from somewhere else with no parking nearby so I told her I wasn't prepared to do it anymore so she found someone else, can't wait to only have to go to my sons school and no rushing from toddlers which is there to pick someone else up

[The Juggler]

dear god, 1 is enough - I have always done nursery, infant and junior of same school but juniors is on another site so it's a nightmare - a human traffic jam in an undoable 10 minutes between bells.

I would never attempt to do more than one primary school in different locations this year for the first time in 7 years I have the luxury of just doing the junior school - no nursery or infant children at all just under 3's and over 8's

[mushpea]

I go to two schools that are a short walk between them and its not normaly a problem,,, as for the nursery I would explain that you didnt realise just how busy the road is that is on and its not a practical idea with getting the kids in an out of the car ,, also if you did do it I would charge the parent for the full afternoon session as you cant fill that space an presumably she will need that space in the holidays so will need to reserve it.