Do you charge for trips???

[porky1979]

Hi, I was just wondering as the summer holidays are fast approaching, do you ask for money off the parents for trips to zoo's, farms etc. The lo I look after was under 3 last summer so most places I could get him in for free but now he is over 3 I was wondering if you think it would be acceptable to ask the parents for entry fee's. What does everyone else do?

[loocyloo]

i say i will ask parents for a contribution towards entry fees, if they cost more than i am prepared to pay! sometimes i use vouchers, annual passes, or get a childminder/group entry discount, that brings the cost down.

although we are out and about most days/weeks, i only do an 'outing' a few times during the summer holidays, so tend to absorb the cost myself.

the main reason i stopped asking parents to contribute, was that for one summer holiday i only had one child i would have had to have paid entry for, and this childs mother, would have seen me asking for a contribution towards entry as the right to say whether or not she thought the outing was suitable, appropriate, sensible, practical etc and then if she said no, would still expect child to come to me, therefore ruining a day out for everyone, so, although i told her our plans, i never gave her the option of deciding if the trip went ahead!!!! ( it was this childs first school holiday with me, and so she hadn't been asked to contribute before, although she had said she would be happy to, i decided life was simpler if I made the decisions !!LOL!!!)

[Pixie dust]

I never ask for a contribution but we don't go out to lots of expensive trips during the summer I try and do free things or use my tesco vouchers.

[AliceK]

I don't ask for anything. I decide if we go and where we go and to be honest most of the time we can do free things or for very little cost. If I decide to go somewhere that will cost a bit that's my decision and I will pay for it myself.

xxxx

[boxtree7]

Depending on where we are going if taking a trip to town i would ask for bus fare .... and maybe packed lunch

[Andrea08]

all my trips out, meals, and admission fees are included in my fees,

if it was a large trip out with say a children's centre and i had to pay towards the coach etc then i might ask for help otherwise its up to me to pay,

it cost my cm friend over £70 to take all her LO's and afterschoolies to the zoo one yr but we only do this big trip once a yr in the 6wk summer hols and as some wont be bk in the sept its a nice send off.

xx

[love381]

I never charge extra - it's my choice to take the children on a trip, so my choice to pay!

I think it's unfair to ask a parent to pay for something they have no asked for, they have asked me to care for their child and pay me to care for their child and they have not asked me to take them out on expensive trips and bill them. x

[mushpea]

I pay for all the trips etc because what happens if you get two parents that are willing to pay and one whos not or cant afford it?
I tend to go to the free things like parks etc so it doesnt really matter.

[QualityCare]

I don't ask parents to pay its my choice to go on a trip, if l say l am going out most will give their children spending money, I don't go anywhere where we have to pay entry there's usually plenty of free things to do.

[ChocolateChip]

I never charge extra - it's my choice to take the children on a trip, so my choice to pay!

I think it's unfair to ask a parent to pay for something they have no asked for, they have asked me to care for their child and pay me to care for their child and they have not asked me to take them out on expensive trips and bill them. x

Agree with this, and with Loocy loo, wouldn't want a parent scuppering our plans for the day.
I am very lucky where I live, we have umpteen places like woods, the moors, country parks, nature trails etc that are free so I balance them out with 2 or 3 other places that I will buy a cm or annual pass for. In the hols I probably do 2 'big' days out and then do free stuff on the other 3 days.

[Happy Bunny]

I try to organise outings that cost nothing or a small amount.
This year I have told parents that we are going to one of the museums in London, the only thing I have asked for is spending money for their children.

[porky1979]

Thanks for the replies, looks like I will find the cheap things to do then. I am just concerned because I think the parents do expect me to take him out, they have given me leaflets on zoo's, farms etc which to me seems like a hint they want me to take him there. Thanks again, it is always interesting to see what everyone else does.