parents reducing hours

**Maza** · 09-06-2023, 08:00 PM

Maybe I've been really lucky in the past, but I've never encountered parents wanting to reduce their hours - until recently.

I've had two reduce their hours by just half an hour in the morning, and I strongly suspect two more are going to try and shave some time off in the morning or evening in order to fit in with their older child's school hours. So not enough to hoof them and replace them, so to speak, but enough to have a financial impact when you add it up over the course of a week.

The other thing that has shocked me, is a total lack of empathy in the way they let me know. My current parents are generally lovely and well mannered, but it's been a case of 'I won't need an 8am start from September because big sister doesn't start school until 9, so I'll just switch to 8.30 starts". Another parent, who is replacing her first born here with her second born in a couple of months proudly told me that she has applied for a part time job, and if she doesn't get it, then baby brother will just do the same hours as older brother. It was only after she had gone that i thought, "Oh, so if she does get it, she will be reducing her hours or days".

There are so many financial ebbs and flows in our profession!

**loocyloo** · 09-06-2023, 08:10 PM

It's a nightmare when they do that!
I do a morning school run, so I say that mornings start at 8am or, they start at 9am. If they choose an 8am start, they can drop off until I need to go to school, but they still have to pay.
I have a 'rule' that the minimum number of hours a child can do in a day is 2 hours, so that usually keeps my after school children from reducing their hours ( or at least the payment! They can pick up early if they like! )

X

**Pixie dust** · 10-06-2023, 07:40 AM

I have had a parent do something similar recently as they changed their job so wrap around care was no longer needed for the older sibling and the younger one just does school hours. To be fair I was quite happy about it as the older one often caused arguments with the others so it was a blessing. I don't think parents think about the business side of things for us and the financial implications.

I do the same as Loocyloo due to the school run. I have had parents arrive in the past as we are literally heading out the door

**Maza** · 04-10-2023, 07:40 PM

I think another one might be wanting to shorten their day and collect a bit early

She's usually here until 6, but has been playing up at bedtime and so I think parents are thinking that if she has more time with them in the evenings then she might go to bed easier.

I don't know how much they would want to reduce it by...I've got a feeling they might ask what is the earliest time I can serve dinner so that they don't miss out on that. Part of me doesn't want to offer dinner if they reduce their hours, but I have another child each day who will be here for dinner, so I wouldn't really save any money as I would still have to cook anyway. Really don't need a financial hit in the run up to Christmas.

**loocyloo** · 05-10-2023, 06:21 AM

Tricky one Maza.

I wouldn't offer to serve dinner any earlier, as it then becomes stressful. If they want to pick up earlier then suggest they arrive at X time after dinner or pick up at Y time before dinner, but that you need to know as you need to know if you are cooking for that child or not. If I only have one ( or 2 ) children for tea, then they sometimes have leftovers that can be quickly heated up along with a few fresh veggies.

**Pixie dust** · 05-10-2023, 04:53 PM

I don't do a cooked evening meal for the children so not really an issue here, we just have a light snack. All my families finish by 5pm now and I like being finished by that time I think I will struggle if a new family comes along and wants a longer day.

**Maza** · 05-10-2023, 09:03 PM

Don't get me wrong, I'll love an earlier finish (although I'll always have another one here, so not really an early finish). The other problem is, if they cut down the hours, then the child will be pretty much only be doing their 30 free hours, and so I wouldn't be able to make up the difference by charging a higher hourly rate for the extra hours.

I'll just have to wait and see if they do ask to reduce their hours. Both mum and dad have let slip comments in the last couple of weeks which made me think that that's what they want to do. I think they might ask me tomorrow or Monday.