Parent just phoned

[Tink]

I've just had a phone call from a parent asking if I work weekends I said I didn't but she just wouldn't take no for an answer.

I need you 6am - 9/10pm Saturday and Sunday and various days in the week.

I told her I can do the weekday ones but not weekends my DD is only 4 and 5 days a week 7-6 is more than enough hours for me to work. I like weekends to be family time.

She then said so can we come visit and talk about what the weekends, face to face and you can tell me how muchaaaaahhhhhhhh

Why don't they listen?

[Daisy De]

I hear lots of alarm bells ringing

[FussyElmo]

Hope you said there was no point in her having a wasted trip as you dont in any circumstances work weekends

[silvermist]

I had a man ring me once, from a mobile, he said" are you the childminder near the shops" I said yes i am. He then said can I come and see you about minding my two girls. I told him I was working and that we could arrange for him to come in the evening. At that moment he said" well Im here now so can I come in". He was at the gate!!!!!!!!!!!!
I told him im sorry but youll have to call back in the evening.

Anyway, he wandered off and that night there was a knock at the door and he said he wanted saturday and sunday care for his 2 daughters. He wanted me to have them from 8am til 6pm both days and also asked if I did overnight care! I explained I didnt work weekends or nights and he got really snotty, saying " dont you want the money? can you afford to turn this away etc etc..
I was a bit wary by now and asked him if he was local and that I knew a babysitter who might be able to help in the evenings.

Turns out he was divorced and had his girls weekends but had a new lady friend and he couldnt introduce her to his kids as yet. Flippin cheek, bet his ex didnt know he was trying to fob his girls off so he could have time alone with his bit of fluff!!!

Some people eh!

[bunyip]

I've just had a phone call from a parent asking if I work weekends I said I didn't but she just wouldn't take no for an answer.

I need you 6am - 9/10pm Saturday and Sunday and various days in the week.

I told her I can do the weekday ones but not weekends my DD is only 4 and 5 days a week 7-6 is more than enough hours for me to work. I like weekends to be family time.

She then said so can we come visit and talk about what the weekends, face to face and you can tell me how muchaaaaahhhhhhhh

Why don't they listen?

Call back. Tell the parent you're prepared to discuss it, but you charge £50 for the consultation/visit. If they turn up (with your 50 quid) tell them you work weekends at a special rate of £500 daily. They might listen to that.

Last year I had a parent 'phone up and ask if I'd do a school run. I explained that I couldn't as I already collect grandchildren from a different school. She then said she'd spoken to the county FIS who told her that CMs had to take account of parents' wishes and that her wishes were that I went to her lo's school. She threatened to report me to the LEA, police, local paper, her MP, plus presumably the United Nations and anyone else who'd listen. I told her to go ahead and do it.

[Kiddleywinks]

She then said she'd spoken to the county FIS who told her that CMs had to take account of parents' wishes and that her wishes were that I went to her lo's school. She threatened to report me to the LEA, police, local paper, her MP, plus presumably the United Nations and anyone else who'd listen. I told her to go ahead and do it.

[FussyElmo]

Call back. Tell the parent you're prepared to discuss it, but you charge £50 for the consultation/visit. If they turn up (with your 50 quid) tell them you work weekends at a special rate of £500 daily. They might listen to that.

Last year I had a parent 'phone up and ask if I'd do a school run. I explained that I couldn't as I already collect grandchildren from a different school. She then said she'd spoken to the county FIS who told her that CMs had to take account of parents' wishes and that her wishes were that I went to her lo's school. She threatened to report me to the LEA, police, local paper, her MP, plus presumably the United Nations and anyone else who'd listen. I told her to go ahead and do it.

Disgraceful do you mean to tell me you actually disregarded her wishes and didnt leave your granchildren

Honestly if common sense was actually common these days the world would be a better place

[bunyip]

Disgraceful do you mean to tell me you actually disregarded her wishes and didnt leave your granchildren

Honestly if common sense was actually common these days the world would be a better place

Yeah, I know. I'm just rubbish, aren't I?

Hmm...as for the parent - common she was; sensible she wasn't. I sometimes wonder if that mum spends her time in supermarket aisles eating 100g out of every packet of cereal that says "20% extra free" on the carton.

[Rick]

Call back. Tell the parent you're prepared to discuss it, but you charge £50 for the consultation/visit. If they turn up (with your 50 quid) tell them you work weekends at a special rate of £500 daily. They might listen to that.

Last year I had a parent 'phone up and ask if I'd do a school run. I explained that I couldn't as I already collect grandchildren from a different school. She then said she'd spoken to the county FIS who told her that CMs had to take account of parents' wishes and that her wishes were that I went to her lo's school. She threatened to report me to the LEA, police, local paper, her MP, plus presumably the United Nations and anyone else who'd listen. I told her to go ahead and do it.

They would probably say......fifty quid daily then. Does no one listen!
Luckily I've not come across anyone like those mentioned in this post. I think my mouth would drop to the floor if I did

[Rick]

I've just had a phone call from a parent asking if I work weekends I said I didn't but she just wouldn't take no for an answer.

I need you 6am - 9/10pm Saturday and Sunday and various days in the week.

I told her I can do the weekday ones but not weekends my DD is only 4 and 5 days a week 7-6 is more than enough hours for me to work. I like weekends to be family time.

She then said so can we come visit and talk about what the weekends, face to face and you can tell me how muchaaaaahhhhhhhh

Why don't they listen?

Who wants to be ready for work at 6am at the weekend!
Why do some parents treat childminders like dirt

[jackie 7]

Ok if someone exited me on a Saturday then £50 would not be enough. I would start at &10 an hour and if I was feeling bad it would bd £:20 am hour. Make them really want cover. Oh snd pay loads.

[TAZ]

I don't think that some people realise that childminders actually have a life outside of childminding

Fortunatly for me I've not had pushy parents to deal with - just forgetful ones!

[Kiddleywinks]

I need you 6am - 9/10pm Saturday and Sunday and various days in the week.

Don't think Mum would want to pay my prices - £132/£144 Saturday, £180/£192 for Sunday
I charge more for weekends, and double for unsocial hours. Early mornings, late finishes and all day Sunday counts as unsocial to me

Actually, send her to me - looking at it again £312/£336 for 2 long days isn't so bad - I could have the rest of the week off

[Tink]

I've just checked my emails and she has sent me an email asking if I have changed my mind!!!!!!!!!!! and i've also had a message via childcare.co.uk she's persistent i'll give her that.

The answer is still NO!!!!!

[bunyip]

To be fair, we all expect other people to work weekends, early starts and other 'unsociable hours'. OK, we can make our individual choices about what we are prepared to do. But I hope that doesn't me that we think of such essential workers as 'dirt'.

In my last 2 occupations I had to work weekends, bank holidays, very early or very late shifts, and occasionally even Xmas day. It's probably why it doesn't occur to me to ask for a higher rate when I do Cming at such times. I know how hard it is for parents who have to work such hours or shifts. I'd happily do more minding at 'unsociable hours' but the stumbling block is that I just wouldn't get enough lo's at the same time to make it viable.

But what would really pee me off would be a parent like the OP's enquirer. I don't feel I'm being treated like dirt because someone asks a perfectly reasonable question. But I do when they act like a child who thinks I have no right to say "no."

[caz3007]

But Bunny if you work unsociable hours in a salaried job you have time off at other times. Parents dont understand that if we work a full time week that we may want the weekends off to ourselves

[Ripeberry]

Some people think they can threaten us with Ofsted to make us do what they want. I would never work with someone like that as it shows that they think you are below them and can be bullied. I had someone once try and report me for not going to collect her child from another school. She wanted me to make sure HER child was picked up each day but MY own kids would have to wait in the school library for up to 20 mins each day.

[The Juggler]

Call back. Tell the parent you're prepared to discuss it, but you charge £50 for the consultation/visit. If they turn up (with your 50 quid) tell them you work weekends at a special rate of £500 daily. They might listen to that.

Last year I had a parent 'phone up and ask if I'd do a school run. I explained that I couldn't as I already collect grandchildren from a different school. She then said she'd spoken to the county FIS who told her that CMs had to take account of parents' wishes and that her wishes were that I went to her lo's school. She threatened to report me to the LEA, police, local paper, her MP, plus presumably the United Nations and anyone else who'd listen. I told her to go ahead and do it. ;)