DO NOT SHOUT AT ME

[Little Pumpkins]

I charge for floating days even if not used, after all its taking space up

[MissTinkerbell]

I agree with others - she's pushing her luck expecting both. I'd offer EITHER the 2 floating days (and ask for at least a week's notice) or the 5% discount.

Or you could offer the 2 days and the discount provided she pays a 1/2 fee for those 2 days - after all your services are available and SHE is chosing not to use them.

I've told my parents that if my services are available and they don't use them (a day off or such like) then I will still charge full price. They've all been perfectly happy with this.

[breezy]

It's your business so you must decide, personally I'd say no to the floater days if she's already got a discount.

[ajs]

she does already know that she should pay for thedays and that's the point she wants to be able to have them for nothingi don't know if she thinks i will discount the days as well as give her two days off but i just thought i'd see what you would say
(as if i didn't already know to be honest)

i know it's her pushing her luck but as charleyfarley says if she does decide i am too expensive i could lose it all, i am sure she knows that and is blackmailing me but i cannot afford to lose her completely
i have already told her that i will offer one but not both, she hasn't replied but i do know she's away with work until thursday night so i may have missed her.
thanks for all of the replies though. i could offer her the half price days and see what she says to that

[fishbones1]

I think I would offer her the two days (making sure they are set days) at half price, full pice if not used and maybe a smaller discount than 5%. If the days are set you may be able to fill with emergency childcare or such like.

Good luck with what you decide, hope all goes your way.

[lishylee]

hi i would probably do it but im a right softie
i have twin girls come to me 3 days a week 8am till 6.30pm im getting £7.50 an hour for them so good money but some weeks there dad works nights so is around during the day and he keeps them at home these weeks i only charge them for the 5 hours those days i wouldnt pay £75 a day to someone to have my kids when they wernt there lol

leanne

[angeldelight]

What did you decide to do Mandy ?

Angel xx

[miffy]

I've just read through this thread Mandy and I agree this mum is trying to blackmail you into doing as she wishes.

As far as I can make out she is the one who wants to change the arrangements - you were quite happy with your 3 days a week (although I'm sure the extra money would be very useful)

So what's in it for you if you do the extra two days?.............Well if this mum has her way not very much - you have already offered her a reasonable discount but she wants more (I suspect grandma still wants to see the child a couple of times a month and mum has asked for the floater days so she is not paying you when grandma has her).

Mum has recently had a promotion so presumably a pay rise to go with it yet she is trying to pare down what she pays you whilst expecting you to do extra work for her.

I think she's got a right cheek and if you offer both a discount and floater days you will (like I think it was Sarah who said it) end up resenting it later on.

You are worth the money you charge and she should respect that. Ooooh I think I need to come and sort her out!

Miffy xx

[carolinel]

i know what most of you are going to say BUT please don't shout i just want your opinions

i started with e in sept working wed thurs and fri 29 hours a week no problem
grandma had her mon and tues

in april mum asked me if i would have e full time for june as grandma was away for much of it no problem so far

in June mum was promoted at work and asked me if i would start full time with e
i said yes and then mum asked if we could work out a discount as i would be working 49 hours with her @ £3.75 an hour and was there a full time discount on offer
well this month i offered her 5% which took her bill down to £800 this month.
i am happy with that really as i do agree a full time place is a lot of money but it's also a lot of hard work for me too ( i think someone posted yesterday about if we were generous to our parents)

anyway i woke up this morning to an email asking me if e goes full time permannetly will i offer her 2 floating days (that she amy or may not use as e can go to grandmas) a month which if she doesn't use will be £75 less money for me
i replied that i can do one but not both so if i offer the floating days i cannot offer the discount too.

what do you think, am i being petty, would you offer the discount of about 5% and give her the option of two unpaid days off a month bearing in mind we are going into a recession, and i would still be earning about £700 - £750 from one child a month or should i just offer one not the other or would you offer no discount or floating days and risk losing the child to nursery

yes, we're heading towards a recession - that's going to effect all of us not just working parents! iygwim

[Heaven Scent]

Because I look after 2 children full time 50 hrs per week for not much more than you would get for your full hourly rate I cant help thinking that you are earning a fair amount for one child. I've been looking at the FIS site today and have seen that the most of the minders in cheshire give quite a considerable discount for a full time place - after all it is convenient with no chopping and changing and no school runs etc. so my thoughts on this are unless you are inundated with enquiries I would still offer her some sort of discount for the weeks she uses up the full time hours but not when she isn't and that in those weeks she needs to pay half rate for the 2 days so there won't be much in it and also explain that you can only offer this so long as you do not have an enquiry to fill those days but as soon as you do then she must either give them up completely or pay for them in full. Also say that if one of those days is a BH you need payment her to pay 3/4 because she may or may not have wanted them and that way you have split the difference and are being as fair as you possibly can be as you shop monthly in advance for most foods and freeze them as you need to be organised and don't get much time for shopping due to long working hours together with all time outside these for all paperwork and accounts especially now with NEW EYFS - extra burdon and all that.

I think its worth keeping her a bit sweet as I do feel that although more families will need both parents out at work well paid jobs will be few and far between and families we will need to be competitive enough price wise for people to be able to afford us - After school clubs around here are so inexpensive - the staff must be on an absolute pittence - same for the nurseries (- I was really rather well paid in my last Nursery job - over double the going rate at the time with lots of leave plus free nursery places for my children - I was one of the lucky ones. I know as time went by I wasn't just a nursery assistant or room supervisor type thing but when I went back at first I was just teacher of a small group of 3&4 year olds from May- End July.- then Started teaching in the prep class in Sept) - Sorry about the ramble but I think I'd rather have a bird in my hand than 2 in the bush - If you generally like parent and are fond of the child and they pay on time then I'd try to keep her sweet but not all on her terms yes show willing within your limits and she has to realise that you have limitations on numbers and cannot keep days open for her just in case she wants them its just the same as a retainer for school hols etc. It doesn't work. - Good luck with what ever you do

[ajs]

she threw another offer to me the other day
working mon to thurs which is 40 hours and said what discount would i offer her then

i know she is being very cheeky BUT and it's a big BUT i cannot afford to lose her (i am sure mum knows this too) and i think i am going to offer her a 5% discount on either full time or the 40 hour option but not the floater days i am not holding two places for no money ever.
i may say to her that i will let her have days off for half fee up to a certain number of days of course and that i have to have a week's notice of these days.

i am happy to have e for just the three days, and actually think i would prefer it if she dropped down the days but we don't know what's happening with d's job so this could be our main income soon
i will talk to her on monday as i need it sorting and let you all know m xx

[miffy]

Mandy - just make her one offer - 5% discount.

That then leaves you with something to barter with (week's notice for half-fee days) later if she doesn't bite.

Good luck

Miffy xx

[ajs]

good idea batman thanks

[miffy]

You're welcome - hope you can sort it out

Miffy xx

[Heaven Scent]

Hope you get it sorted but I wouldn't give her 5% disc on part week offer her 2.5% on 4 days. Have you got other mindees? if so say they already pay you going rate and you cannot be disloyal - Thats how I put it to my cheekie parent who started in April. I met her half way(ish) and put it all in writing - a complete breakdown of the discount and what it meant to her in real terms and more importantly I Put the heading 'Final Adjustments to Fees for S&O'

I know what Sarah Nev is saying about resentment as I feel it a lot with my main family because they are onto a good thing 2 F/T children for £225 pw and when they do anything out of line I hate them for it because I feel they are really taking the P*** and they do - These are my family who take days off work and never have their children with them - because they are paying me to have them!!!!!!!!!!!! Expected me to go to their daughters sports day on Fri and are very disappointed that I won't be taking her to a gathering of mums and children from PG on Wednesday next @ a local soft play place- I can't do that sort of thing for all mindees - I have my own two children that I need to do it for.

The other stingy family are not that bad but took £4.00 of the bill for the kids tea when we had a family apt re holiday jabs and I got back a bit late and Dad arrived early and he took them without tea. I just cannot be bothered with the hassle I do let some things go that I souldn't sometimes but I'm going to created a new portfolio to give to all parents before Sept and state lots of things in writing that I haven't beforea and blame it on the EYFS - I'm not going to lie but will say its necessary for me to state them in writing now - working in partnership with parents - but I may phrase that differently as they may think it means that I only have to work in partnership with them and not them with me - I may have to say Parents and Childcare professionals working in partnership. I'm going to say they now need to inform me where they will be from day to day ie if working from home etc as I need to know priority emergency number for each day - time saves lives type of thing - I hate people thinking they can take me for a fool. I think its obvious if someone turns up in jeans one day when they normally wear smart casual as a big give away - or more to the point both parents turning up in jeans to collect when its usually just dad as he works closer.

Anyway I digressed again because of my resentment - over giving them a good deal and then they continue to take the ****.

[Hannahlg]

i woudnt offer no discount or floater days

if she is going to be using a full time place up she should pay for it. A nuresy wouldnt offer it

[Heaven Scent]

If you look at most nursey price scales they do offer a reduction for a full time place and full and etc.

[emmadines]

I charge for floating days even if not used, after all its taking space up

i agree!! as you wont be able to use the space

[helenlc]

I had parents who came to see me and they said that Dad worked Wednesdays but sometimes has these off. They asked what would happen fee wise if Dad took the day off and had the baby. I said that I would still charge as I was here and the place could not be filled at such short notice.

They were not happy!!

They had got in touch with a friend first who is a childminder and asked about full time care. But by time they came to see me, they obviously cut the purse strings as they wanted me to have him Mondays, Nan on Tuesdays, Dad (possibly) on Weds, Aunt on Thurs and Mum on Friday!! Can you imagine how confusing that will be for an 8 month old baby?

I would say that you are fine for child to go to Grandma as long as you have a weeks notice and that you will still be paid as you are available.

[miffy]

How did you get on with this Mandy - have you talked to mum yet?

Miffy xx