Starting at 6.15 am?

[Tippy Toes]

Hello again

I have had a call from a mother who needs childcare from either 6.15am - 7.45pm or/and 6.45am till 8.15pm two days a week. (I would be taking the child to school at 9 and picking up at 3.)

Have you ever worked this early?

Not sure of I will be able to function this early?

Also what would you charge for these hours?

Thanks All

[mama2three]

It depends on how much setting up you do before mindees arrive , I am up at 6 to be ready for 7.30 mindees , a friend jumps out of bed 10 mins before they arrive as everything is out from the previous evening . I have to go from lounge to setting and back again each day so theres no way i could do it.

[terrydoo73]

So the way I am looking and reading this is - she wants 3 hours before school and 5 hours after school = 8 x 2 days, a total of 16 hours. I would be charging her loads. What have you set down as your "normal" business hours - if it is start at say 8 am and finish at 6 pm then anything before or after would be double time surely??

[gigglinggoblin]

I would charge at least £6 per hour for anything outside normal hours, if you dont have any other children I think its fair to make a decent hourly rate. Dont think I would want to tho, it would disrupt my own kids too much I think but thats a personal choice

[Twinklestars]

I would probably do it but would make it clear to mum that my kids wouldn't be up that early, and that I would get them ready at 7.30ish when they wake as I don't normally start so early. I would also charge a higher hourly rate.

[AliceK]

Personally I wouldn't do it. It takes me just over an hour from getting out of bed to being ready for work. I have to start at 7.30 soon so realistically I need to be ready for 7.15 in case they are early so that'll mean me getting up at 6am every day and I'm dreading just getting up that 15mins earlier than normal.

xxxxxxx

[sarak31]

I wouldn't do it. I start at 7am (usually don't start until 7.30am) for one and it's sooooo hard - am dreading the winter months trying to get up and ready for then when it's so black outside. I find even if I'm set up ready for the day there are still little things to do before a baby starts like peg the washing out, empty the dishwasher, sort dog etc that you can't do once they are here - I need that 30 or so mins in the morning with no children to get things straight! If I started at 6.15 I'd have to get up at 5.30 and would definately charge double time until 7.30.

[miss mopple]

I wouldn't do it either as it would have way too much impact on my family. I couldn't convince my youngest it was bedtime at 7 if I still had mindees here for a start.Its an awfully long day for the mindee too

[Hebs]

I have started at half 5 before and i started at 7am today,
Only you can decide if you want to do it x

[Monkey26]

It is your mental state and physical capabilities that you need to think about-i state that i am open 7.30am-6.30pm anything before or after these times are charged at time and a half and parents know that they will be billed accordingly ie i had a parent who had a weeks training course that meant she was dropping her lil one off at 6.30am for the whole week-her bill doubled and i was knackered by the weekend-i don't think i could do it long term but a one off is fine :-) x

[ChocolateChip]

I do this for a family where mum works a 24hr shift and dad works 6-6, so if she is still 'on' they come to me at 5.50am, and sometimes she gets 2 shifts in a row so they are back with me after school until about 6.10pm.
She is suppposed to work 10 shifts a month so it can vary, sometimes I only have an early once a week, sometimes 3 times, like this week!
Mum is very understanding, she is a friend (which is why I agreed to do it)
and we have worked out a weekly price that she pays me whether they are here or not, we are both happy with that, but to give you an idea of my prices-
Normal rate is 3.40, before 8am or after 6pm is 6.00, so for your enquiry I would charge 28.60 a day plus £1 towards a cooked tea so you might as well say £30.
As regards getting ready the girl is 7, so I put a sheet and quilt out on the sofa for her and she goes back to sleep until just before 8am when she goes up to get washed and dressed for school. The boy is 12, he has ADHD so doesn't really settle very well, but he has gradually got used to the idea that he must be quiet at that time of the morning, so he will either watch tv or play x-box football quietly, sometimes he will have homework or do drawing or we will play top trumps or do jigsaws, anything QUIET until my lot start to get up at 7.30, then he takes himself off to the school bus just after 8am.
After school is just whatever we generally do, and if anyone is here later than when my lot go to bed, the same rule applies, quiet activities/ tv.

I usually make sure the place is safe/ tidy the night before, I get up at 5.30 and have a quick wash, make a coffee and get out the bedding and stuff ready. Occasionally I've just had the daughter which was great as I curled up on the other sofa and snoozed with her!

So it can be done, it's just a case of trying to be organised the night before, and if you think it will fit in with your family, hope this helps with you query

[The Juggler]

I couldn't - I stuggle to be awake for 7.30am. However, never mind early start it's a very long day. If I was working that early I'd not work that late also - think very carefully about it hon.

[suzyblue]

I was asked to do 6.15am recently for a schooler and decided not to as I didnt think I would be in any fit state to look after the other kids all day. The mum made other arrangements and he now gets here for 8 when I start work.

[miffy]

Too early for me!

If you need the work/money then I'd do a month's trial and see how it fits in.

Miffy xx

[Ripeberry]

I know the parents have to work, but the poor kids must just want to go back to bed, especially when it's dark and cold outside
Maybe do it as a trial (4 weeks) using a short-term contract, but make sure you charge extra for unsocial hours.

[julie w]

Once a week I have a mindee come at 6 am. I dont usually start til 7. He is 6 years old. I agreed with the mum that if he was to come that early I would put the tv on and do my ironing or paperwork in the room with him, things I normally wouldn't do when I am minding. She is fine (and grateful) about that and it works well for me cos I get all my ironing done that morning before the others arrive.

[Dragonfly]

I start at 6.30 every Monday, I dont think i will do it again once he finishes july as the little boy seems to pick every noisy toy going and my husband works a 12 hour day but doesnt get up till 7.15 so Im for ever thinking of the noise issue!.

[Jelly Baby]

Hi i have a second job which starts at 6am so have to be up about 5.15am. It is very tiring after a while but you get used to it!..BUT i dont think i could do it with mindees as would disrupt my family too much..(at the mo they stay asleep while i creep out!) only you can decide that though.
Good luck x

[bexcee]

Personally I wouldn't do it. I just wouldn't function at that time of the day and then be able to work all day. And what about the poor children being made to get up in the middle of the night to go to the childminders? I don't start before 8am when everyone is up, dressed, fed and pretty much ready to go. Wouldn't be fair on my own children to have people arriving so early.

[Millenium]

The choice is yours alone to make. However, do carefully consider how you will charge for this. My core hours are 8.00am to 5.30pm and anything outside of those hours is charged at double time - it's not that I am trying to deter parents from requesting earlier starts or late finishes - it's just that this is common practice around here and generally speaking a 9.5hour working day is long enough!