Oh for goodness sake!!

[smurfette]

Grr sorry just having a rant! Have worked with one mum for the last four years, had the older one who is now in school since 18 months and still do sometimes, middle one been with me since one month and new baby born in oct hasn't yet started .. I had a space come up in oct and talked to mum about what she needed for baby (she is self employed ) and she was all no don't need anything for ages.. So I filled the space. Now happily full I think until June .. Unforeseen circumstances not withstanding ! Today she says to me have you any space for baba?! No! Can't just produce one to order! I know it's an enviable position but I have had my times when can't fill the Spaces but honestly she never thinks ahead (we have a free playschool year here at age 3, and her plan was to move older one to that for three full days a week to free up space with me for middle one .. But didn't get organised in time and lost the preschool space!) you would think she would have learned. Oh and this is also the mum who has been moving house for the last two years but can't actually decide if staying in or moving out of area so I never know where I am! Just before Christmas they had house repainted and put a lot of furniture into storage and dropped into conversation she would be leaving it there as house going on the market ! (In past they were gonna buy one but not sell theirs just rent it out) now she is talking about sept with me as middle one is due for the free year . Head spinning!!!

[shortstuff]

Your patience must be being tested to the max!

[loocyloo]

HUGS.

how frustrating for you. I'm frustrated and they are not even a family of mine !!!

I've got a new LO starting tomorrow ... granny has been looking after LO, but only wanted to do 2 days, not 3 ... mum said she had been explaining to granny that it wasn't a 'pick and choose what day' type of thing, LO booked in with me on a Wednesday as per grannys preference! mum rang tonight ... granny has now told her that actually, she only wants to do 1 day a week! I don't have a spare day! I 'might' have a day coming free in march ... who knows! mum was very frustrated with granny! ( and its her mum! )

oh and I also had a phone call from someone saying ' we'd like to start at the beginning of feb ' ??? who are you ??? ... turns out to be someone I spoke to about a year ago! they didn't even come and visit or anything!

[samb]

I have a family the opposite - super organised but frustratingly so as they want to know definite spaces now for months in advance. I thought I had offered them amazing package and she is still pushing for more. Im getting really frustrated. Older one I have had since 10 months and is due to start funded hours from Easter. Funding here is 66% of my usual fee and mum is cutting hours to only use funded hours whilst on maternity and I am charging a 30% retainer for baby's space. So basically I am getting paid less for both spaces than I would for 1 child who is not funded. I've now been asked to put in writing more changes for sept (when baby is due to start). Just getting frustrated now.

[smurfette]

Wouldn't this job be so much easier without the parents lol?! Loocy loo you were having same probs as me last year weren't you, I had four of my 5 parents all pregnant and leaving at different times do you remember? You couldn't get yours slotted properly in together either.! Granny I suppose will have to manage on two days Til you get a second one what else can they do?!

Apparently dad of this one said to mum 'it would be awful if smurfette couldn't take him' .. Then why not organise yourself when I asked you so I could?! Like I said they have been moving for two years lol!

[smurfette]

I have a family the opposite - super organised but frustratingly so as they want to know definite spaces now for months in advance. I thought I had offered them amazing package and she is still pushing for more. Im getting really frustrated. Older one I have had since 10 months and is due to start funded hours from Easter. Funding here is 66% of my usual fee and mum is cutting hours to only use funded hours whilst on maternity and I am charging a 30% retainer for baby's space. So basically I am getting paid less for both spaces than I would for 1 child who is not funded. I've now been asked to put in writing more changes for sept (when baby is due to start). Just getting frustrated now.

Samb that actually Sounds worse my sympathies!! You have been more than fair she is getting a good deal there!

[smurfette]

Your patience must be being tested to the max!

Yeah huh! Certainly is!

[loocyloo]

Wouldn't this job be so much easier without the parents lol?! Loocy loo you were having same probs as me last year weren't you, I had four of my 5 parents all pregnant and leaving at different times do you remember? You couldn't get yours slotted properly in together either.! Granny I suppose will have to manage on two days Til you get a second one what else can they do?!

Apparently dad of this one said to mum 'it would be awful if smurfette couldn't take him' .. Then why not organise yourself when I asked you so I could?! Like I said they have been moving for two years lol!

Yep ... That was me! Got them all settled and sorted and then another set of conundrums occurs!
It will work out ... I find it usually does. I'm trying to be more relaxed about it all!

Hope yours settles down... Can you take a sibling baby under continuity of care?

[loocyloo]

Yep ... That was me! Got them all settled and sorted and then another set of conundrums occurs!
It will work out ... I find it usually does. I'm trying to be more relaxed about it all!

Hope yours settles down... Can you take a sibling baby under continuity of care?

Lol ... Just had another mum text me ... Child is upset at coming so mum wants to discuss. She thinks its because he associates being with me when mum and dad are away ... They were away individually alot last term (always one at home ... But preoccupied ) And actually I was the only stable thing! Child was with assorted different friends other days and even got dropped off and picked up from me by friends and really didn't know if he was coming or going as no routine! Poor thing. Obviously child can't articulate that and so is creating about coming to me. Just got to work out how to tell parent this!
Plus child is not boss in my house and this has been a hard lesson. 2 weeks hols and constant parental attention is going to make it hard again! Arghhh!

[smurfette]

Lol ... Just had another mum text me ... Child is upset at coming so mum wants to discuss. She thinks its because he associates being with me when mum and dad are away ... They were away individually alot last term (always one at home ... But preoccupied ) And actually I was the only stable thing! Child was with assorted different friends other days and even got dropped off and picked up from me by friends and really didn't know if he was coming or going as no routine! Poor thing. Obviously child can't articulate that and so is creating about coming to me. Just got to work out how to tell parent this! Plus child is not boss in my house and this has been a hard lesson. 2 weeks hols and constant parental attention is going to make it hard again! Arghhh!

Ah no that's not fair.. Sounds like you were the only consistent one!! All a nightmare now they are back love my time off but don't like resettling them and re establishing we are boss! Hope chat goes ok with mum

All the pregnant ones are gone on maternity, one I had to give notice to early cos I simply couldn't make it fit to get someone to replace and I kept losing money as they were all leaving a day at a time.. Felt awful but had to look after is first

One emigrated, one has got an au pair as daddy does shift and I couldn't fit both little ones in .. Couldn't hold two spaces full time for what was either one or two days a week or sometimes non at all. The fourth one is the mum I posted about.

We don't have continuity of care here, (Ireland) just a limit of three under preschool age. I can ask to have more if I want to take more on a full time basis but it is more red tape cos I have to notify another department and this then triggers inspections etc., I am classed as casually minding now and we don't have to do any paperwork etc! The problem really is I took her middle one on odd hours when I had her older one cos I could manage as the other three I had were 2.5/3 years and it was just odd hours so was ok.. But now on the days I have her middle one and therefore the days she would want me to have baby I also have a one year old and the others are toilet training or just about to. To be honest I don't feel inclined to make my life harder for the few euros she would pay me wouldn't be worth it! ESP if they aren't possibly staying! She should have got herself organised .. Due back at work next month! She can do a lot at home even with the baby I think it's meetings really she needs help with., well daddy will have to have some time off or someone in family will have to help!

[natlou82]

You do need to be super organised to do this job and I don't think parents realise that. Yesterday I had a little one not picked up on time cause both parents had not communicated what time pick up was!!

[smurfette]

You do need to be super organised to do this job and I don't think parents realise that. Yesterday I had a little one not picked up on time cause both parents had not communicated what time pick up was!!

For real?! That's crazy!

[Kiddleywinks]

oh and I also had a phone call from someone saying ' we'd like to start at the beginning of feb ' ??? who are you ??? ... turns out to be someone I spoke to about a year ago! they didn't even come and visit or anything!

Can't believe I had exactly the same thing happen! Conversation went along the lines of
'Hi Kiddleywinks it's X again, Happy New year'
Errr... Happy New Year - sorry, who is it again?
'Oh, it's X ABC. Y and Z's mum'
Nope..., sorry...., can't place you. What can I do for you?
'Well, I'd like Y to start on Monday before and after school and Z to do 8 - 6pm, work have confirmed full time hours from Monday'
Ah right, well then, erm... we seem to have a problem, as I don't actually have any available spaces currently, and I can't see your name on my waiting list.... Have we actually met?
'Yes, I came over the other month and you said just to let you know what hours I needed. So what am I going to do now if you can't have them?!'
I'm really sorry, but when you say the other month - which month exactly as I still can't see your name, and to be honest, I've not really had any spaces for the best part of 2 years....

It was 2 1/2 years ago!! When I first started up and had spaces galore!
Gave her some numbers and sent her on her merry way

[loocyloo]

Ah no that's not fair.. Sounds like you were the only consistent one!! All a nightmare now they are back love my time off but don't like resettling them and re establishing we are boss! Hope chat goes ok with mum

All the pregnant ones are gone on maternity, one I had to give notice to early cos I simply couldn't make it fit to get someone to replace and I kept losing money as they were all leaving a day at a time.. Felt awful but had to look after is first

One emigrated, one has got an au pair as daddy does shift and I couldn't fit both little ones in .. Couldn't hold two spaces full time for what was either one or two days a week or sometimes non at all. The fourth one is the mum I posted about.

;-) and I thought mine were complicated!

Well .. Mum came back for a coffee this morning... I explained that I thought LO was using me as a 'catch all' for everything plus with me, life was 'normal' whereas with the friends he was pandered to! ( Didn't quite say it like that! ) mum wants LO to carry on coming but 'has to listen to child' so if LO keeps creating, child will leave! Hey Ho! Will miss child but LO is hard work. Plus side ... currently uses some funded hours and if leaves mid term I still get funding paid for whole term!

But LO came happily, pottered round exploring and waved mum off without a backward glance!

[loocyloo]

Can't believe I had exactly the same thing happen! Conversation went along the lines of
'Hi Kiddleywinks it's X again, Happy New year'
Errr... Happy New Year - sorry, who is it again?
'Oh, it's X ABC. Y and Z's mum'
Nope..., sorry...., can't place you. What can I do for you?
'Well, I'd like Y to start on Monday before and after school and Z to do 8 - 6pm, work have confirmed full time hours from Monday'
Ah right, well then, erm... we seem to have a problem, as I don't actually have any available spaces currently, and I can't see your name on my waiting list.... Have we actually met?
'Yes, I came over the other month and you said just to let you know what hours I needed. So what am I going to do now if you can't have them?!'
I'm really sorry, but when you say the other month - which month exactly as I still can't see your name, and to be honest, I've not really had any spaces for the best part of 2 years....

It was 2 1/2 years ago!! When I first started up and had spaces galore!
Gave her some numbers and sent her on her merry way

:-) :-) :-) Oh that is fantastic! Made me laugh out loud.
Glad it's not just me who gets these phone calls!

I think sometimes they don't 'get' that we work with small numbers unlike a nursery that might have more flexibility.

[Daisy1956]

Love it. They think we sit at home just waiting for their call.

[smurfette]

Incredible kiddleywinks ., that must be a record!!! You obviously made a very good impression!

[Kiddleywinks]

Incredible kiddleywinks ., that must be a record!!! You obviously made a very good impression!

Think I was more 'last chance saloon'

[smurfette]

Think I was more 'last chance saloon'

Lol!

Sigh. So now I have another problem .. Mum wants baby three days a week from June. (Part time from feb) afternoons for middle one and poss older one from sept plus poss all day for oldest in summer . Got this out of her after text to say what are you up to?!! What are you needing??! Are you moving?!! (Offer in on local house apparently.. Sure don't bother telling me anything!)

Also have had text from a mum who used me ad hoc when she was home with her little ones, has gone back to work knew I was full and put them in nursery, not happy and can I take them?!
Lovely mum fab kids would love to!

All Change in sept as several need pre school run and just not sure I can do it (would be 12pm pick up then lunch and nap before 145 school run for my own.. Mental!)
Why doesn't it rain but it pours? !

[loocyloo]

Oh my. I do feel for you.

I'd be sitting there with my spreadsheets and working out who what where and if feasible!
Good luck!