what to charge a family of 3 after schoolies

[*Jigsaw*]

I currently have 3 children (2 twins (5yrs) & their older sister (7yrs)) I have them on tues and thurs afternoons - 3:15-5:45pm (alhtough mum always comes at 6pm), I provide snack and dinner

I normally would charge £5ph for all other children.

they were my first clients when i started in jan '10 and I was advised by a childminder friend to charge them a sessional rate of £30.

but if you work out the hours, really it should be £45. the problem is they eat so much !!! and Im considering putting my fees for them upto £40 as really they are taking up 3 spaces.

my contract review with their mum is in aug, so am thinking of putting it up.

what would you do and how would you approach the subject. Dont want to loose them but in effect Im offering them a get 2 get 1 free place !

thanks

[jaja]

I would start the conversation with you have been reviewing your practice and paperwork to tie in with other minders in your area and have reviewed you prices also, you have had to recalulate the fee and it would be £....price per hour plus meals and then give her the figure of £45 and then see what she says, if she says i canrt afford it or seems really not happy then sugest that you give her £5 per week discount because there are three and "you understand how expensive it can be....blah blah blah until she agreeds. dont back down....

your business and your rules, you are free to put your prices up if you want too. I havent sinc 2006 )i think it was then) but only because in the area we all charge the same ish....lol... remember you are self employed not employed by them

hope this helps

xxxxxxx

[*Jigsaw*]

Im pretty sure she can afford it, as before me she was paying a full time live out nanny wage.

would you write a letter or just speak to her ? she is a friend as well as a parent of minded children !

[Pipsqueak]

I think £40 is fine but the trick is to make it sound like you are giving a discount as Jaja describes.
How do you mean they eat so much - do you not just put out xyz and then once its gone its gone.
I have after schoolers and they would eat till the cows come home if I let them and its often made worse by Harry inviting his friends round (+9yr olds and I assume their parents never feed them either!). it can cost me a fortune.

What I do is have a snack rota of what I am serving up each evening:
toast
fruit/veg
tortillas
pizza etc

I put out enough and they can help themselves (however I have one 6yr old who will stand and try to stuff as much into his mouth as possible and then stand on guard so no-one else can access it).
There is a jug of juice and then water out - again to help selves.

This is around 3.45/4ish

all mine go between 5 and 5.45 so really there is no need for much else.

if they are really hungry (and I state that loosely) they might get an ice pop - amazing how ice-pops can 'fill' them up.

I cannot afford nor want to be a freebie cafe.

[*Jigsaw*]

for example the snack could be:

3:30-4:00 apple slices, cheese cubes, little sausages and bread & butter all on their own plate

but they always still say they are hungry !

then dinner

5:00 could be either pasta bake or sauages and mash etc..

then pudding is ether yoghurt or homebaking

but straight afterwards they still say are hungry (depsite portion sizes being more than enough)

by the time they go home at 6pm they are saying to their mum that they are starving !!!!

[louise-marie]

for example the snack could be:

3:30-4:00 apple slices, cheese cubes, little sausages and bread & butter all on their own plate

but they always still say they are hungry !

then dinner

5:00 could be either pasta bake or sauages and mash etc..

then pudding is ether yoghurt or homebaking

but straight afterwards they still say are hungry (depsite portion sizes being more than enough)

by the time they go home at 6pm they are saying to their mum that they are starving !!!!

Why not cut out the snack and have tea at 4.30, big plate of bread and butter in the middle to fill them up

[berkschick]

I have 2 fairly new mindees aged 8 and 10. I have them 3.30pm till 6pm and I do not provide dinner. I do provide snacks and drinks included in my fee.

I did the Mum a sibling discount as they are out of my numbers and good hours.

Anyway after the first night of "snacks" I refused to provide it anymore! They ate more than I would have for a main meal in snacks! And because they wanted more so did everyone else. They now come with a snackbox and thats all they get! Mum knows then exactly what they have had. They have at least 5 things each a night, big things like dunkers, sausage rolls, fruit salad, etc!