charging for suncream

**Helen79** · 07-05-2013, 12:12 PM

Does anyone charge parents for suncream and if so how much?
I'm happy to provide suncream and give parents the option of bringing their own or using mine and I can add a small amount onto their invoice. It's easier when we go out just to take the 1 bottle and is easier for parents not to have to pack any. ds's nursery used to charge per term if parents wanted nursery to supply suncream but I can't remember how much it was.

**Mouse** · 07-05-2013, 12:25 PM

I provide suncream, but don't charge parents for it.

I buy some about April time (usually 2 bottles on buy one get one free) & it generally lasts the summer. Parents have the choice of providing their own if they want to. Some do, some don't. Some do & the bottles look so old I wonder how long they've had it in for! At least if I provide it I know it's still in date.

I generally spend about £12 a year on sun cream and don't worry about getting that back from parents. I see it as an expense like baby wipes, nappy sacks etc.

**loocyloo** · 07-05-2013, 12:25 PM

i ask parents to supply suncream, but equally say that although i will put theirs on when at home, if we are out and about & it needs re-applying, then i will use mine rather than carry around lots of bottles!

all my parents have supplied some and i don't charge for supplying cream, although if i had a 'persistant offender' then i would! ( ages ago i used to buy a childs nappies & invoice parents! )

maybe you could buy a bottle per child and charge each child for 'their' bottle, and then work your way through them?

**kellyskidz!** · 07-05-2013, 12:26 PM

I don't charge, I ask parents to provide and also to sign a form saying that if needs be I can apply a certain sun cream product if I think they need some on when parents haven't fetched any in. Not that I've had to, they've all brought their own last month, more organised than me!!

**CLL** · 07-05-2013, 12:28 PM

I wouldn't charge if I supplied it, however my son is allergic to all bar 1 cream I have tried. I would hate a child to have a reaction to the cream i used, So for that reason I expect parents to supply the cream.

**Velleity** · 07-05-2013, 01:03 PM

All parents send their own preferred brand of Sun Cream for their own child and I only use it for their child.

I only use a natural mineral cream for my own children, it's organic and contains no chemicals so would not like another Childminder putting a different brand onto them if I had supplied my own.

**adedwards68** · 07-05-2013, 03:36 PM

I would ask parents to supply a bottle then I can't be held responsible if they are allergic to it

**Rick** · 07-05-2013, 05:03 PM

My policy is for parents to provide all lotions and potions which sun cream comes under.

**ivy** · 07-05-2013, 07:25 PM

I used to purchase the cream myself but with the cost of living gone up parents are expected to supply their own cream . If a child does not bring their own cream i will put on a long sleeve shirt to protect them . I do not give someone elses cream one just in case they are allergic an secondly it is to costly .
Parents sign a from giving me permission to apply cream .

**greanan** · 07-05-2013, 07:34 PM

None of mine supply sun cream so j have a bottle in the house. I actually find it easier just having to take one bottle if we go out etc. for a price of a bottle of sun cream I don't bother charging

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 07-05-2013, 08:11 PM

I ask all my parents to supply suncream, just in case mine produces an allergic reaction - time off, refunds etc.. bag of worms

**littlemiss60561** · 07-05-2013, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by Velleity

All parents send their own preferred brand of Sun Cream for their own child and I only use it for their child.

I only use a natural mineral cream for my own children, it's organic and contains no chemicals so would not like another Childminder putting a different brand onto them if I had supplied my own.

Hi could you tell me the name of the cream you use please? My ds has bad excema and even the highly sensitive ones seem to irritate him.thanks.

Also, I ask parents to supply their own. If caught short I have asked parents if I can apply mine as a one off. I don't charge.

**Koala** · 07-05-2013, 08:21 PM

I used to supply sun cream FREE until a parent moaned that it stained a t shirt, OMG what can you do.

I used to be a bit green and provide loads of stuff free, It may only cost a few quid, but it all adds up, sun cream, spare clothes that never get returned, sun hats, etc..... etc..... I even lent a couple of pairs of 3d glasses for a parent to use at the cinema, I haven't seen them again.

Now I insist parents provide a bottle to be left here. If they didn't, I think I would consider charging, I would have to write it in to a policy.

Your not a charity..

What I do now to stop myself spending MY money on minded children is - I multiply it by 52 (the amount of weeks in the year) because I could be doing it every week on something or another and on every child.
So a bottle of sun cream costs £5 multiply by 52 = £260.00 and if I did that for 10 children that would be £2600.00 I think I would like that to stay in my pocket and it makes me realize that I have to be more business minded.

I think I would charge a round figure of £1.00 per day, remember this is taxable income and also it would make the parents think twice and be a bit more responsible and just bring some sun cream in.

You would need additional written permission to apply your own sun cream though (more paperwork and more of your time to produce , paper, ink, that you aren't getting paid for). It's not just the sun cream cost that you have it's the beurocracy that you would have to accompany it and that has to be accounted for again I reiterate we are not a charity we are a business.

It's not being tight, it's being a business

**Helen79** · 07-05-2013, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by littlemiss60561

Hi could you tell me the name of the cream you use please? My ds has bad excema and even the highly sensitive ones seem to irritate him.thanks.

I'm allergic to most suncreams so use this one for me and my own kids. It's only factor 20 but I used it all last summer and didn't burn at all.

You would need additional written permission to apply your own sun cream though (more paperwork and more of your time to produce , paper, ink, that you aren't getting paid for). It's not just the sun cream cost that you have it's the beurocracy that you would have to accompany it and that has to be accounted for again I reiterate we are not a charity we are a business.

I already have it written into my standard permission form so all parents have given permission for me to use my own suncream.

**shortstuff** · 07-05-2013, 10:15 PM

the parents all provide it for me. It isnt too bad having a bottle for each child as I take their change bags with me anyway and it stays in there. That way there is no confusion as to which bottle belongs to which child.

**Bob** · 08-05-2013, 06:25 AM

Originally Posted by Gail Tracey

the parents all provide it for me. It isnt too bad having a bottle for each child as I take their change bags with me anyway and it stays in there. That way there is no confusion as to which bottle belongs to which child.

That's what I do but as I'm a man I get confused very easily so I stick a name on each bottle as well.

**FussyElmo** · 08-05-2013, 06:35 AM

Originally Posted by Koala

I used to supply sun cream FREE until a parent moaned that it stained a t shirt, OMG what can you do.

I used to be a bit green and provide loads of stuff free, It may only cost a few quid, but it all adds up, sun cream, spare clothes that never get returned, sun hats, etc..... etc..... I even lent a couple of pairs of 3d glasses for a parent to use at the cinema, I haven't seen them again.

Now I insist parents provide a bottle to be left here. If they didn't, I think I would consider charging, I would have to write it in to a policy.

Your not a charity..

What I do now to stop myself spending MY money on minded children is - I multiply it by 52 (the amount of weeks in the year) because I could be doing it every week on something or another and on every child.
So a bottle of sun cream costs £5 multiply by 52 = £260.00 and if I did that for 10 children that would be £2600.00 I think I would like that to stay in my pocket and it makes me realize that I have to be more business minded.

I think I would charge a round figure of £1.00 per day, remember this is taxable income and also it would make the parents think twice and be a bit more responsible and just bring some sun cream in.

You would need additional written permission to apply your own sun cream though (more paperwork and more of your time to produce , paper, ink, that you aren't getting paid for). It's not just the sun cream cost that you have it's the beurocracy that you would have to accompany it and that has to be accounted for again I reiterate we are not a charity we are a business.

It's not being tight, it's being a business

A £1 a day for suncream wow do your parents pay that?

I ask parents to provide suncream however if they forget I have permission to use mine better than them getting sunburn

**Mouse** · 08-05-2013, 06:40 AM

Originally Posted by Koala

I used to supply sun cream FREE until a parent moaned that it stained a t shirt, OMG what can you do.

I used to be a bit green and provide loads of stuff free, It may only cost a few quid, but it all adds up, sun cream, spare clothes that never get returned, sun hats, etc..... etc..... I even lent a couple of pairs of 3d glasses for a parent to use at the cinema, I haven't seen them again.

Now I insist parents provide a bottle to be left here. If they didn't, I think I would consider charging, I would have to write it in to a policy.

Your not a charity..

What I do now to stop myself spending MY money on minded children is - I multiply it by 52 (the amount of weeks in the year) because I could be doing it every week on something or another and on every child.
So a bottle of sun cream costs £5 multiply by 52 = £260.00 and if I did that for 10 children that would be £2600.00 I think I would like that to stay in my pocket and it makes me realize that I have to be more business minded.

I think I would charge a round figure of £1.00 per day, remember this is taxable income and also it would make the parents think twice and be a bit more responsible and just bring some sun cream in.

You would need additional written permission to apply your own sun cream though (more paperwork and more of your time to produce , paper, ink, that you aren't getting paid for). It's not just the sun cream cost that you have it's the beurocracy that you would have to accompany it and that has to be accounted for again I reiterate we are not a charity we are a business.

It's not being tight, it's being a business

Blimey, if you get through a bottle of sun cream per child, per week, 52 weeks of the year I'm moving to where you are. You obviously get way more sun than we do

I'm lucky if I get through 1 or 2 bottles a YEAR for all the children

**loocyloo** · 08-05-2013, 06:42 AM

i tell all parents that suncream stains clothes, and i would rather a child was not burnt, than the clothes not stained!

luckily all the children come in clothes that can/do get dirty and as we go through summer, they get progressively more 'suncreamed'!

**Koala** · 08-05-2013, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by FussyElmo

A £1 a day for suncream wow do your parents pay that?

I ask parents to provide suncream however if they forget I have permission to use mine better than them getting sunburn

No I don't charge that as my parents provide cream, but, if I had a parent who disrespected me enough to not provide items that I asked for I think I would, YES and I wouldn't want a child getting burn't either but after considering the implications of using my cream on a child (it's not just the cost) it's moans about 'it staining clothing, not been the right one, allergies etc... etc... ' if the only way to get parents to bring it in is to charge then so be it, it's like charging for late payment, if thats the only way to get paid - so be it.

And yes I label all the different suncream with the childs names.