Hope your not lost.....

I don't know if i'll be explaining this right so bear with me..n if get lose say lol. Here goes...
I am about to sign contracts (on friday) to care for a 5 year old 2 days a week before and after school and will be starting at beginning of Nov. I charge £4 per hour for hours between 8-6 and £5.50 for unsociable hours. Mum is going to pay weekly which I am fine with. At first I asked her for 4 weeks deposit upfront and a weeks fee when child starts with me. She's struggling with money and asked if she could only give me 2 weeks deposit plus weeks fee when child starts I said thats fine (didn't want to lose my first mindee). The thing I don't know what to do about is we have spoke about a retainer for holiday as this is a term time only contract. This is where it gets confusing (well for me anyway lol), we have been looking to relocate to Sheffield (was all going well but then it fell through, so back to square one and looking at houses again). Well anyway we are still looking to move within the next few months hopefully just after xmas well find a house before xmas and move after xmas. Nothing is set in stone and haven't mentioned it to my parent who to any parents until we know we are actually moving. Also we have just found out I am pregnant (early days) so not saying anything to parents until further down the line. So this is another reason why we are wanting to move quickly. Sorry for waffling, back to the question......Should I still ask for a retainer?Or can I still ask, maybe a stupid question. I have 4 weeks off for holiday (2 weeks for xmas and 2 weeks during holiday), I charge half fee for my holidays. Also how do I work this out? Should I just get mum to pay me the 2 weeks holiday during xmas when she pays the other weeks in December?? If your lost then so am I, everything has come along at the same time so don't know whether to laugh or cry.....

Lets start with Congratulations on being pregnant:clapping:

As for the rest can't really help, I don't charge retainers on term time only, don't charge for my holidays and good luck for the move

sorry not much help, someone else will i'm sure

Congrats on pregnancy.

re the house move I wouldn't tell them until the for sale sign goes up. Then you still don't need to tell them anything until it happens.

As for the retainer I charge half fee and if you are paid monthly then they would just pay the retainer as normal at the beginning of the month and then I would. Charge the top up fees on a weekly basis or would invoice on the next invoice.

A friend of mine is very good and puts any deposits into a bank account so that she doesn't spend it and if neded to return it then I t is there when she needs it