How much are parents willing to pay for outings

**LaUrA K** · 09-03-2009, 09:56 AM

I havnt been registered that long and not really had children long enough to take out for the day. How much and how often are parents willing to pay for outing say to the farm etc. We go to toddlers usually 3 times a week and i pay but surely we dont pay for big outings aswel?

**rickysmiths** · 09-03-2009, 10:03 AM

I do, it is built into my hourly rate. Ever since I started minding I wanted to keep the money side of things simple. The thought or asking up to 4 parents every week and more in the holidays for extra bits of money for this thing or that thing and accounting for it to me would be a nightmare.

Much easier to include it and put the costs incurred down as an expense for the business.

All my parents provide ontop of their fees are nappies and formular milk.

**huggableshelly** · 09-03-2009, 10:03 AM

you charge the parents for a full entrance fee and request pocket money too.

why are you paying for all toddler groups? I request additional fees for toddler groups if parents want their children to attend. It should come out of your fees.

with one parent i used to pay one session she paid the other, but if I go to the ballpit the parents pay not me.

**LaUrA K** · 09-03-2009, 10:21 AM

I thort all childminders paid for toddler sessions. its only £1.00 per adult. For soft play centres etc i have asked for money i dont no how often to do that tho. Personally i wud pay everyday for some1 to take my child out but i no sum ppl are not that bothered.

**sammy** · 09-03-2009, 10:31 AM

i normally pay for outings as i want to take my own children too, i wouldnt expect them to pay me as i think they have enough to worry about managing to pay childminding fees, plus they would probably say dont take them, as i remember offering to take one to a ball pit in my time and she said no its ok. when i said i was going to pay she jumped at the chance - cheeky i know but thats how they think!! i also didnt charge for minding fees as i was going to ba late back - i have her son for 2 hours in morning and was going to be about 4 hours. so she got 2 hours free and entrance to ball pit! tbh i didnt like her attitude about saying yes when i offered to pay, so havnt done it since.

Anyway i do charge for 1 toddler group that i go to as its £35 per term and im not prepared to pay that. I do pay otherwise.

**Hebs** · 09-03-2009, 10:35 AM

I'm with rickysmiths on this one!

I pay for all outings, toddler groups etc and put the cost through my books,

I do however ask parents to provide spending money for the kids IF they want too

Otherwise what would you do if you planned an outing and a parent refused to pay??

**rickysmiths** · 09-03-2009, 10:35 AM

I go to three toddler groups each week and it costs between £3 and £3.50 each time I go depending on if I have 2, 3 or 4 children with me so that is a total of £10 per week on toddler groups in term time. Also I would be claiming for 8 miles mileage another £3.60 per week.

To be honest £13.60 expenditure in relation to the income from the three full time and one part timer I have is not a lot. As said above I can't be bothered to ask all the parents for little bits it is built into the hourly rate.

This way at least the parents know what they are paying.

If you charge for each outting and one of the parents says 'no I can't afford it' what do you do?
Do you pay for the one that can't? Do you cancel the outing for all the children? If this happens each time you want to go out what do you do?

At least if it is included in the hourly rate you are in control of what you do and when.

Hebs has just said all I have!!!

**rickysmiths** · 09-03-2009, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by sammy

i normally pay for outings as i want to take my own children too, i wouldnt expect them to pay me as i think they have enough to worry about managing to pay childminding fees, plus they would probably say dont take them, as i remember offering to take one to a ball pit in my time and she said no its ok. when i said i was going to pay she jumped at the chance - cheeky i know but thats how they think!! i also didnt charge for minding fees as i was going to ba late back - i have her son for 2 hours in morning and was going to be about 4 hours. so she got 2 hours free and entrance to ball pit! tbh i didnt like her attitude about saying yes when i offered to pay, so havnt done it since.

Anyway i do charge for 1 toddler group that i go to as its £35 per term and im not prepared to pay that. I do pay otherwise.

Thats less than I pay, £35 for a 12 week term is less than £3 per week!!! Hardly expensive.

**huggableshelly** · 09-03-2009, 10:42 AM

none of my parents have ever refused to pay, i write it into the newsletter stating the date entrance fee and I would appreciate help towards the cost of the trip. my parents often give me more than needed so children have spending money too, they always spend more than they are given so i pay the rest.

I attended 2 toddler sessions a wk, right now I do not attend any as the preschool I have is 5 monrings in nuresery and 5 with me but usually only comes 2 or 3 to me pending on parents shifts.

I used to pay the one that adults were charged for £1.50 per adult, children no fee. the other was boogie babies its £3.50 per child per session, parents have to pay that not me.

Ball pit fees ... I take all mindees to the ballpit once every half term, i ask parents for £3.00 each entrance fee, its £3.50 for over 5's £4.00 for over 7's then ontop of that I pay for cakes too so i think its only fair to expect parents to pay.

this is my opinion only and how I do things, i'm not posting for argument issues lol.

**wendywu** · 09-03-2009, 10:42 AM

I pay for all toddler groups etc, but in the holidays i ask them to pay for the cinema and theme parks. I try not to do any more than 1 expensive outing a week. This is easy in the summer, harder in the winter trying to find cheaper outings.

**sarah707** · 09-03-2009, 11:07 AM

I think everyone works in different ways and there are no right or wrong answers to this one.

We have to understand that some parents simply will not pay for extras... I have one who scans school letters, sees 'voluntary contribution' and smiles.

Others over the years have given me a little purse with money in it every Monday and told me to spend the money as I need through the week and ask for more if needed.

But we also need to remember that some childminders earn maybe £3 or less an hour because of the area in which they live and the local economy. It would simply not be appropriate for them to pay entrance fees out of their own pocket.

However if they stay in all week they could easily feel isolated and alone and that isn't a good state to be in, so they need to ask parents for money and hope they agree how important it is that their children are taken out to socialise.

For these reasons I believe that each situation needs considering on its merits.

**Angela234** · 09-03-2009, 02:10 PM

Our toddler group is £2.75 per child i usually take 2 have took 3 sometimes if they were siblings it would be 75p for second/third child.

Most other outings are walking freebeeies park, ducks, childminding group, sing and signing ect

I do use the stream train to a local farm park in the summer holidays that can add up i only do it once or twice.

If i drove a car i think i would limit paying outings

My fees include all snacks meals and trips

Angela

**Jules12Wed** · 09-03-2009, 02:17 PM

I don't charge for toddler groups or outings during term time but I have an older one and before I took him on I told the Mum that if we went out in the holidays she would have to pay. She has always been absolutely fine, in fact the first day I had him I took him to Paradise Park and she gave me £50 cos didn't know how much it would be.

**Bananabrain** · 09-03-2009, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by Angela234

Our toddler group is £2.75 per child i usually take 2 have took 3 sometimes if they were siblings it would be 75p for second/third child.

Most other outings are walking freebeeies park, ducks, childminding group, sing and signing ect

I do use the stream train to a local farm park in the summer holidays that can add up i only do it once or twice.

If i drove a car i think i would limit paying outings

My fees include all snacks meals and trips

Angela

Hi Angela, just noticed that you said you don't drive. I am a non driver and thought this might be a problem at first. Was just wondering if you've ever had parents query you walking everywhere?

Sometimes parents look at me as if I've got two heads when I say I don't drive but Ofsted seemed to think it was a positive. Noticed you've got 'outstanding'{well done you} Have Ofsted ever commented on you not driving?

**Spangles** · 09-03-2009, 02:26 PM

I pay for toddler groups and all outings so far as they are places that I decide to go to, the parents don't request it.

I guess if I was considering going somewhere expensive I might ask if they would consider paying.

Saying that, I only have one mindee plus my own son so it's not like I'm taking a few out and it costs a fortune.

x

**Mrs.L.C** · 09-03-2009, 02:30 PM

I dont charge for Toddler groups as I do this for me as well as the child so I dont feel isolated and I put the cost towards expenses. However I do charge for the larger trips such as childrens theme parks, farms, cinema etc that I do mainly in the school holidays. Parents are given plenty of notice and I add the cost onto that months invoice. If the child was in a nursery or at school then they would be charged and these do cost more than your average toddler groups, esp if you are taking 6 children of different ages

**vix84** · 09-03-2009, 02:30 PM

I charge £45 for a full day, or £5 an hour. If I have part-timers I charge for a minimum of 3 hours. This means I cna cover the trips out to toddler groups/soft play etc.
I now ask parents to provide all food/drinks/snacks/nappies/wipes etc. so all I spend on is trips and petrol.

I prefer to only have to invoice for the days and not get into the complication of trips out etc. and like said before - some parents may say they cant afford it and it then means Im in a tricky situation as we like to go out etc.

I do say on the contract that I pay for toddler groups etc. but for any special trips example - to the zoo or something like that, then I ask for a contribution to cover the costs.

Luckily my part-timer is here for 2.5 hours from 3pm onwards - we dont go out at that time, but I think if he were here in the morning, then next time I would charge £6 an hour to cover trips out or I wouldnt earn very much.

Pipsqueak · 09-03-2009, 04:16 PM

Like Sarah says we all work differently. I pay for small trips out - the routine stuff like toddlers, soft play and will occasionally absorb the cost to somwhere like the railway museum/ceramic experience etc. I will pay for ice-creams and a memento from a day trip out.

BUT I will give plenty of prior notice of a biggie day trip out and ask for the money - ie to a farm etc but I will always keep the cost under £5 per child and normally say no more than £3 per child spends.

Biggie trips are reserved for school hols and may 1 biggie for a 2 week holiday, during the summer hols then perhaps 3 pay outings - the rest is freebie or really low cost stuff that I will pay for

**ajs** · 09-03-2009, 04:34 PM

i do it differently for each family as i know what they prefer and it suits me
one gives me £20 when ever i ask for more petty cash
one i add the expense to last months bill and she pays retrospectivley
and the other i know cannot afford to pay for trips or outings so i absorb as much as i can for her, but if i do go on a big trip to the seaside or on the train then she will always give me a little towards it..
but saying that i do pay for toddler groups myself and snacks if we're out