Am I too expensive?

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 11-09-2009, 09:00 PM

To be honest I don't think that your rate is the problem. It is that you haven't built a relationship with these parents due to the short time of them coming and you weren't an immediate "yes" when she asked for more than her current contract.

I think she would have been checking out the other options in case you said no and found the difference in price.

I bet if you call the nurseries they won't do the time and not for that price.

Personally I am not sorry if people don't come to me because of price (this has happened twice this week) and I have openly told parents that I am not the cheapest but I do offere a competative, professional service and that they should go the nurseries or after school clubs if they want cheap.

Value what you do if you can afford to.

**sophiestars** · 11-09-2009, 09:45 PM

It makes me so cross when parents expect to pay an absolute pittance for their childcare. I still can't believe that in some areas some minders charge £2 or £2.50 they must be running at a loss all the time!! I personally charge £4 an hour and think I work ****** hard for that considering all the extra paperwork that I have to do out of my 'paid' working hours. If I added up all the hours I actually work including paperwork I'm probably only earning about £3 per hour then take off the money I spend on toys, craft supplies etc it's more like £2.50. How many jobs are there where you have this much responsibility, paperwork, and being observed by an inspector every 3 years for £2.50 an hour? Not many!!!

I think all childminders need to have more value in themselves and charge what they deserve. There should be a minimum national rate of at least £3.50/£4, with an agreed rise every year. I know nurseries can absorb cheaper fees more easily but childminders offer a much more personal service. How many nurseries send home a detailed diary of everything the child has been doing that day, or let the children sleep and feed to their own routine? I don't think there are many nursery workers who are doing learning journals etc in the evenings and weekends either!!

**mississmoomoo** · 12-09-2009, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by sophiestars

It makes me so cross when parents expect to pay an absolute pittance for their childcare. I still can't believe that in some areas some minders charge £2 or £2.50 they must be running at a loss all the time!! I personally charge £4 an hour and think I work ****** hard for that considering all the extra paperwork that I have to do out of my 'paid' working hours. If I added up all the hours I actually work including paperwork I'm probably only earning about £3 per hour then take off the money I spend on toys, craft supplies etc it's more like £2.50. How many jobs are there where you have this much responsibility, paperwork, and being observed by an inspector every 3 years for £2.50 an hour? Not many!!!

I think all childminders need to have more value in themselves and charge what they deserve. There should be a minimum national rate of at least £3.50/£4, with an agreed rise every year. I know nurseries can absorb cheaper fees more easily but childminders offer a much more personal service. How many nurseries send home a detailed diary of everything the child has been doing that day, or let the children sleep and feed to their own routine? I don't think there are many nursery workers who are doing learning journals etc in the evenings and weekends either!!

Well said

.I totally agree about having a national rate it would be alot simpler and stop parents looking for a cheapey over quality.

**mississmoomoo** · 12-09-2009, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by DebbieS26

To be honest I don't think that your rate is the problem. It is that you haven't built a relationship with these parents due to the short time of them coming and you weren't an immediate "yes" when she asked for more than her current contract.

I think she would have been checking out the other options in case you said no and found the difference in price.

I bet if you call the nurseries they won't do the time and not for that price.

Personally I am not sorry if people don't come to me because of price (this has happened twice this week) and I have openly told parents that I am not the cheapest but I do offere a competative, professional service and that they should go the nurseries or after school clubs if they want cheap.

Value what you do if you can afford to.

you are right about her looking around she was looking around before she found me and she knew when she visited that I start at 8am and she agreed to that, but I think she used me as a go between till she found somewhere that would take her kids at 7.30am which this nursery does.

I have lowered my price to 3.50 on my web etc now as I have no other mindees other than the 2 that are leaving in 2 weeks so I will have to see what happens over the next few weeks.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 13-09-2009, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by mississmoomoo

you are right about her looking around she was looking around before she found me and she knew when she visited that I start at 8am and she agreed to that, but I think she used me as a go between till she found somewhere that would take her kids at 7.30am which this nursery does.

I have lowered my price to 3.50 on my web etc now as I have no other mindees other than the 2 that are leaving in 2 weeks so I will have to see what happens over the next few weeks.

Why aren't you willing to start earlier?

**margimum** · 13-09-2009, 08:26 PM

If you work from 8 until 6 at 3.75 an hour thats only £37.50 per day. usually the daily rate is a bit less than a ten hour day would be.

**Minstrel** · 17-09-2009, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by margimum

If you work from 8 until 6 at 3.75 an hour thats only £37.50 per day. usually the daily rate is a bit less than a ten hour day would be.

I wondered this too???

If i was a parent using you for a ten hour day i would want you to charge me the hourly rate (£37.50) and not your daily rate (£40).

**HomefromHome** · 17-09-2009, 06:03 PM

dont change your prices til you know what other minders are charging in your area.
my area is 3.25-3.50 BUT a lot of minders are charging 4.00 if its less than 20 hrs per week.
at the moment i offer 10 percent (where's the flippin percent button??!!??) off the weeks total for 40hrs or more in a week.
if you're supplying food too i dont think its too pricey but it does depend on your area and what others are charging - nurseries are always going to compete - and i agree with some of the others - i think you were a stop gap. bad, but they do it!

**Ripeberry** · 17-09-2009, 07:29 PM

Best way I've found to explain to parents about fees is to keep it at an hourly charge but it varies according to how much they want.
For more than 20hrs a week I charge £3.40 an hour and for less than 20hrs a week it is £3.50 an hour.
I can't be bothered with daily rates, I'd rather they pay me for what they owe. But I do round up the fees, so it's either a full hour's fee or a half.
But always rounded up in my favour

**Vickie** · 21-09-2009, 10:22 AM

Hi, I'm soon to be registered (just going through the process) and to be honest it amazes me that CM's all charge different rates! surely the government should look at this and have a fixed hourly price? When you consider that the local services want us to do all the training courses, and book work and policies and lots and lots of paperwork with each child, surely they should sort this out! In my area it seems to go from £2.50 to £3.50ph, but to be honest I want to charge a little more... I'm not being greedy, but surely if we all charge a little more in the same area, then parents would choose a childminder on what they can offer instead of what they charge!

Have we ever thought about holding a petition to get equal rights of pay? we don't even get minimum wage?? Come on government, help us out, you do all the thorough checks on us and send Ofsted inspectors to grill us for hours, surely we are worth a little more....

**oldtimer** · 21-09-2009, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by Vickie

Hi, I'm soon to be registered (just going through the process) and to be honest it amazes me that CM's all charge different rates! surely the government should look at this and have a fixed hourly price? When you consider that the local services want us to do all the training courses, and book work and policies and lots and lots of paperwork with each child, surely they should sort this out! In my area it seems to go from £2.50 to £3.50ph, but to be honest I want to charge a little more... I'm not being greedy, but surely if we all charge a little more in the same area, then parents would choose a childminder on what they can offer instead of what they charge!

Have we ever thought about holding a petition to get equal rights of pay? we don't even get minimum wage?? Come on government, help us out, you do all the thorough checks on us and send Ofsted inspectors to grill us for hours, surely we are worth a little more....

We are self employed !!!!!!!!

We charge what we think is the market rate for our area

The last thing that I would want, is for government, either local or national getting involved in pricing my service.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 21-09-2009, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by Vickie

Hi, I'm soon to be registered (just going through the process) and to be honest it amazes me that CM's all charge different rates! surely the government should look at this and have a fixed hourly price? When you consider that the local services want us to do all the training courses, and book work and policies and lots and lots of paperwork with each child, surely they should sort this out! In my area it seems to go from £2.50 to £3.50ph, but to be honest I want to charge a little more... I'm not being greedy, but surely if we all charge a little more in the same area, then parents would choose a childminder on what they can offer instead of what they charge!

Have we ever thought about holding a petition to get equal rights of pay? we don't even get minimum wage?? Come on government, help us out, you do all the thorough checks on us and send Ofsted inspectors to grill us for hours, surely we are worth a little more....

I have spoken to a lady today who is just starting and she thinks that she will work out her fee based on her expenses. So when she is polled and asked what that will be, maybe £2.50 an hour, would you be happy to work for this as our rate is about £4 per hour

No thank you - I like being self employed, I am a business and want to dictate my own terms and not the government sticking in its pokey nose.

As to minimum wage - if you have more than 2 children at a time I think you will be on more than the minimum wage. Some childminders in my area are on an average of £30.00 per hour in the school holidays, if not more.

**Fizzbomb** · 26-09-2009, 09:07 AM

I charge £5 per hour. No daily rate. I have no idea what other CM's in my area charge. I've never advertised and turn work down on a regular basis. If parents don't want to pay there are other options available to them.

**Mollymop** · 26-09-2009, 11:22 AM

You are not too expensive hunni.
If they are that bothered by the £10 per week, just let them go and get on with it, their choice and their sad loss.

**Allie** · 26-09-2009, 11:36 AM

I've just been forced to reduce my rate and to be honest it's completely broken the loyalty I felt to the family, but as they are my only ones until christmas I felt some money was better than none!

I only did it because I've worked for the family for 4 years but I wouldn't be pushed with a new family as if they start like that what will they be like in a few years?

Allie

**BubbleBobble** · 27-09-2009, 02:13 PM

That is a bit off having to reduce your rate after you've been minding their children for 4 years. Why did you have to do that?
I'm not registered yet but already I'm working out rates and I'm not going to set my rate too low as I'm sure parents will try to haggle you down! Not everyone buys on price though, some go for quality so here's hoping!!!

**Allie** · 27-09-2009, 05:19 PM

Parents who put the fee ahead of their child's happiness leave me feeeling so mad

my tight family actually said how much their children love it with me but they could now get it cheaper (almost let them) but very quiet round here at the moment it's the first time in 18 years I have not had enough minding

Allie

**mississmoomoo** · 28-09-2009, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by Minstrel

I wondered this too???

If i was a parent using you for a ten hour day i would want you to charge me the hourly rate (£37.50) and not your daily rate (£40).

That included meals

**mississmoomoo** · 28-09-2009, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by DebbieS26

Why aren't you willing to start earlier?

I have decided to work earlier, I thought it was enought to work 10 hours a day 5 days a week but I have decided to start at 7.30 and changed my fee for full timers to £3.00 per hour and for part timers £3.50 per hour excluding meals. so they have decided to stay with me.