First Customer being quite pushy!

[NinaBowen]

Hi I have just joined this forum. I had my registration visit from Ofsted today and all went well so now just waiting for my certificate. I had a few weeks ago put flyers up around the village and I have had an enquiry from one of those. We met on Sat. The parent wants me to pick up from the local school which is fine but he wants to collect at 5.20pm! I did say that this might be a problem as dinner would have to be ready for before 5pm in order that dinner was all finished by 5.20pm and I wasn't sure if this could be done. Anyway he said that his current childminder does this! (They use a childminder 1 day a week but they are looking for someone now for 5 days). Anyway I said I would give it a go and we would see how we get on. Anyway thinking about it over the weekend it is really going to affect my own family I have two small children of my own and considering it will be for 5 days a week I feel it is a little unfair of him too to ask! So even though we agreed 5.20pm (although nothing in writing) can I now go back to him and say that I feel it would be better if collection was 5.30pm or perhaps even later. I am then going to have to ask for more money too which I don't think will go down very well! Sorry this post is my first and is very long but any guidance you can give me would be much appreciated.

Nina

[sarah707]

Welcome to the forum! I hope you are having fun looking round

We have a lot of children here for tea and, to fit it in and give them a little time to digest before going home, we plan tea for 445... to finish at 515... they leave from 520 onwards.

Sometimes you have to be a little flexible if you want the work!

[Ripeberry]

For the sake of 10 mins I'd tell him to pick up at 5.30. He could be late each day anyway.

[madmamma]

For the sake of 10 mins I'd tell him to pick up at 5.30. He'll probably be late each day anyway and not turn up till 6pm .

IFYPFY

*I Fixed Your Post For You

[caz3007]

We used to have early tea as my afterschoolies went home about 4.50 after having a cooked hot meal. I have one full time LO that goes about 5.20 and she is fed before she goes. I prepare my meals earlier in the day or batch cook.

To be honest in this job you need to be flexible to a degree, but if you dont want to do it, then just say, but be prepared to lose the business

Good luck x

[Bridey]

I only mind after schoolies and I cook for up to 8 mindees a night. They all have different collection times and yes, I've had to move dinner to a slightly earlier time to accomodate them. Alternatively, I pack up their pudding to eat at home. My son and I eat later (we all eat the same thing so I keep our dinners warm)

You do have to have a degree of flexibility with this job if you want it to be successful - as long as its all contracted of course! If you are not prepared to do that then parents will go elsewhere. People aren't going to want to hang around after a long day at work. They want to be at home enjoying their children.

What time do you do dinner for your little ones?

[mummyof3]

I don't do an evening meal I just offer a snack at 4-4.30 and majority go home about 5.30 which then means my children are always late eating their tea. This is something I just accept as 'one of those things' if I worked in an office I probably wouldn't be home until after 6pm anyway.

Billing a parent to collect at 5.20 will be a bit awkward anyway surely? I charge a set fee until 5.30pm.

[uf353432]

I have to agree with the others and the existing childminder has already set a precedent - so in their heads it is something that can be acheived.

I had 6 after school today 4 collect at 3.30, 2 more collected at 4.30 from football sat down at 4.45pm - first ones collected at 5.05pm!!! 2 courses eaten. I did happen to mention to dad that he can't have it both ways - have the kids go to after school club AND collect earlier than normal - he was happy to wait the few mins whilst the boys ate pudding. Fortunately I pre-empted the situation and at 5 to 5 I got the five minute timer out and said when it ran out they could chit chat as much as they wanted - but until it ran out they needed to concentrate on eating. Worked like a charm

Thats a very tight day - all other occassions I feed them at 4.30 and most are leaving at 5.30 so they have a while to chomp.

[PixiePetal]

I will do a cooked meal for any mindee saying till at least 5.30. Otherwise it is a pm snack to keep them going till they get home. Most EY mindees eat here at about 4.50/5pm

My own kids are teens so we all eat later together once I have cleared the tea time mess away

[Bridey]

at 5 to 5 I got the five minute timer out and said when it ran out they could chit chat as much as they wanted - but until it ran out they needed to concentrate on eating. Worked like a charm

That made me smile. At my house its quiet time during dinner but they can chat all they want during pudding! I was finding the smaller ones used to just sit there open mouthed watching and listening to the older ones chatting and completely forgot to eat. Now we don't have that problem and everyone leaves on time.

[Demonjill]

I only provide the one cooked meal at the one time so if it doesnt suit - tough!!

The latest mindee i have goes away at 5pm at the moment so I dont do cooked dinner - they can all get their "proper" meal at home
I wouldnt give them a meal at 4pm just because they were getting picked up at 5pm
All my parents are happy with this, never questioned it or even assumed their child would get a cooked meal at all.

It would be different if child was with me until say 7pm though

I only start cooking my family's tea at 4.45( usually to eat 6ish at earliest- thats the time I have ALWAYS ate my tea even when i was growing up at home) anyway so not going to cook earlier for other folks kids

[mayberry]

I cook at lunch time so don't have this problem, maybe you could do the same?

Dawn xx

[angeldelight]

Hi I have just joined this forum. I had my registration visit from Ofsted today and all went well so now just waiting for my certificate. I had a few weeks ago put flyers up around the village and I have had an enquiry from one of those. We met on Sat. The parent wants me to pick up from the local school which is fine but he wants to collect at 5.20pm! I did say that this might be a problem as dinner would have to be ready for before 5pm in order that dinner was all finished by 5.20pm and I wasn't sure if this could be done. Anyway he said that his current childminder does this! (They use a childminder 1 day a week but they are looking for someone now for 5 days). Anyway I said I would give it a go and we would see how we get on. Anyway thinking about it over the weekend it is really going to affect my own family I have two small children of my own and considering it will be for 5 days a week I feel it is a little unfair of him too to ask! So even though we agreed 5.20pm (although nothing in writing) can I now go back to him and say that I feel it would be better if collection was 5.30pm or perhaps even later. I am then going to have to ask for more money too which I don't think will go down very well! Sorry this post is my first and is very long but any guidance you can give me would be much appreciated.

Nina

Wanted to say welcome to the forum Nina

I agree with most replies here, but it is also a good idea to maybe cook a hot meal on lunch if it suits you

It will be a shame to lose the job for just ten min

Good luck whatever you decide, let us know

Angel xx

[flowerpots]

I feed all my children at 4:45 so they have all finished by 5:15. you could do this

or

Tell dad you serve meals at (whatever time you serve) and either lo wont be fed when dad picks up or lo will still be eating when dad picks up. Then its dad's decision to decide. Alot of my mindees go home arond 5:15-5:30 so you may come up against this alot if you dont want to move the meal time.

Welcome to the forum.

[miffy]

Welcome to the forum Nina.

I would serve tea a little earlier so dad could pick up when he wants.

Miffy xx

[onceinabluemoon]

I don't do cooked tea. I cook for the little ones at lunchtime and the bigger ones have to eat and home with their parents at night. I offer them some toast or crumpets etc at 4pm.

Sometimes you just have to say, sorry I can't do that but I can do xyz, you may not get this work but there will be others.

[VeggieSausage]

I get tea ready for 4.45 and I think its possible to be finished at 5.20 if you are organised.....I would encourage the earlier going as the later it gets including delays by parents can really cut into your family time.....

[loocyloo]

mindees have tea around 4.30ish. usually DD & DS eat with mindees too, although DS is starting to wait and eat with us later.

mindees get picked up anytime from 5.10 onwards.

i do sometimes find myself saying 'less talking, more eating' and reminding one mindee to put food in his mouth!

mindees who go home for a cooked tea, have a snack whilst everyone else is having tea.

[Goatgirl]

I don't do an evening meal I just offer a snack at 4-4.30 and majority go home about 5.30 which then means my children are always late eating their tea. This is something I just accept as 'one of those things' if I worked in an office I probably wouldn't be home until after 6pm anyway.

Billing a parent to collect at 5.20 will be a bit awkward anyway surely? I charge a set fee until 5.30pm.

Hi ,
I would say do what you are happy with. If you change what you do for every parent who comes along you'll soon feel resentment and not enjoy your job.

They don't employ you after all - you offer a service which they are or are not prepared to pay for. I know you are starting out and want the work though, so understand the pressure. I also know pushy parents stay pushy until they realise who's boss, so I wouldn't do it if you really don't want to.

I would have a good think about what YOU want to do re times etc, then let them know how things are .

I also just do a large snack when we get back from the school run. I've only had one family go elsewhere because I don't provide a hot meal.
I don't do a cooked lunch any more either as I found there were too many stressful things associated with cooking: trying to accommodate all the different likes and dislikes, the waste, the time spent apart from the children etc. Now they provide packed lunches and I provide all snacks and drinks. Parents can provide dinner at home

Good luck with your decision

best wishes,
Wendy

[AliceK]

mindees have tea around 4.30ish. usually DD & DS eat with mindees too, although DS is starting to wait and eat with us later.

mindees get picked up anytime from 5.10 onwards.

i do sometimes find myself saying 'less talking, more eating' and reminding one mindee to put food in his mouth!

mindees who go home for a cooked tea, have a snack whilst everyone else is having tea.

Same here. Dinner is at 4.30 and mindees start going home at 5.15pm. It is a rush after school but is perfectly possible. Me and DH eat later once our own children have gone to bed. You just have to be super organised

xxx