How much retainer?

**patconn2** · 20-12-2007, 07:12 PM

The background - i have looked after a child for 2 years. her mum is a nurse so works different days all the time. this has never been a problem - until now! they have just had a baby so mum is on maternity, not back to work till september. I have always been very flexible, sometimes half an hour notice! she is only contracted for 15 hours a week, one week dont have child - next week might have her 30 hours. i have always been able to fit this in so it wasn't really an issue.

Problem - another mum has asked me for 20 hours over 2 1/2 days which would be the same days each week starting in march. can only take this if the first mum specifies days, which she doesn't want to do. I now have to negotiate a retainer for me to allow her to be flexible, for which i haven't had to charge her before, but i don't have a clue how to work it out. also need to work out retainer during maternity. she is actually trying to cut hours so that her payments go down! without paying retainer. could be earning £350 per month from march can i afford to turn back that money for the sake of a 15 hour contract!

help - based on the 15 hours being over 2 days, how is it best to work out what to charge for the other 3 days as a retainer?

why is it so complicated, when i was just coasting along. hate to negotiate retainers but have had my fingers burned once and learned a harsh lesson. it will not happen again!

any help would be greatly appreciated, my head has no turned to mush with thinking about it!

Donna
xxxxx

**Blaze** · 20-12-2007, 07:23 PM

Hi there,
Strictly speaking you should work out what you could earn for those other three days...do you have a daily rate? Then half that figure ie say your dily rate was £30 or for a full day youwould earn £30 then you would half that, then times that amount by 3. Alernatively you could base it on you charge X for 15 hours over 2 days, so 71/2 hours aday, times that by 3 & half the amount ...either end figure would be your retainer...just depends on you personally as to which figure you charge!

Personally I would take the parent with fixed hours from March...you are a business after all!
Tasha

**LittleMissSparkles** · 20-12-2007, 07:24 PM

Hi

you will cut your own nose off if you do not take on the parent with fixed hours every week, think how much money you will be throuing away ???? I know you dont want to let the other parent down but is she doing you any favours .... not by the sounds of it. If she paid you a full weeks fees regardless then you would nt be quite so out of poket but i would bank on it she wouldnt want to do that ....

Donna you are a business and have bills to pay too babe dont be soft and do what is best for you, I think the other mum would struggle to find anyone to cater to her needs been so flexible and chopping and changin at a moments notice.

Only my opinion you must do what you want to do and whats right for you

xxxxx

**angeldelight** · 20-12-2007, 07:32 PM

I agree with the others but how loyal is this mom to you ? Do you have a good relationship with her normal or is it you doing all the giving
I would not really want to let someone down after 2 years of minding for them but it sounds like things have changed for you now she has had the baby?
Would you not get more work from her though does she not want you to have the new baby along with the other child you mind ? So would that not give you more money ?

If you do want to take on this other child like it has been said it is your business so the nurse will just have to fit in with you
I have had children whose parents are nurses and I have been flexible but they are never so loyal back

So I think you should do what YOU feel is right

Not many minders will be messed around with different hours so you might just be lucky and end up holding onto them plus also have the new child

Do not sell yourself short where the retainer is concerned though

Good luck let us know how it goes

Angel xx

**patconn2** · 20-12-2007, 08:28 PM

thanks so much for all your comments, the fog is starting to clear!!

i do have a good relationship with the nurse, we both run the toddler group now, and i think that is why i have been letting her take me for granted. i do, however, draw some sort of line with all my mums as regards friendship. my real weakness is in negotiating contracts.

The nurse does want me to take the baby but then her first child will be in nursery and she is disputing that she needs to use 15 hours for each of them. she wants to go down to 10 hours for each of them! as it stands if she does that i will be losing 40 hours of full rate earnings to hold her 10 hours on any days! I definately need to lay it on the line with her in the most polite way! Hopefully when she realises the difference in the amount she will have to pay if she doesn't fix her hours she will fix them, but she needs to decide quick.

I am speaking to her again tomorrow so fingers crossed it all works out!

away now to work out my figures, thanks for all your help. will let you know the outcome.

donna
xxxxx

**angeldelight** · 20-12-2007, 08:40 PM

You do know that even if her child goes to nursery she must still pay you because she is still taking up a place ?

Good luck tomorrow let us know how it goes

Angel xx

**Schnakes** · 20-12-2007, 09:04 PM

Hi...just thought I would add a comment.

I think that if it was me I would tell her to not bother with keeping the place and take on the other child. But I would word it so that it was to her benefit - like you are saving her loads of money etc...but really encourage her to come back when shes off maternity leave. Ive found that this business is very transient. You are better off taking the money from the permanent person and hoping that the nurse comes back to you in Sept and that you have spaces. No point in mucking about - esp if she is already getting cold feet about fees etc. You dont want to lose out on a potentially lucrative client for the sake of old times. Well - I wouldnt anyway!

Sx

**angeldelight** · 21-12-2007, 09:07 AM

Yep I agree with that

You might end up with both sets of parents then

Good luck

Angel xx

**patconn2** · 17-01-2008, 08:32 AM

oh my goodness what a saga!!!

in brief (since just before christmas):

changed terms and conditions in preparation for april when i do all my contract reviews.
nurse had a strop - she can't pay retainer on her maternity pay!

explained to her that i am not on maternity and my fee doesn't change with her income!! (does her weekly shop at M&S). she needs to read terms and conditions and figures for future childcare and get back to me.

explain to potential parent what is going on and apologise for keeping her waiting.

after new year:

nurse says she will fix her days to monday tuesday - same days as potential parent! she can't fix any other days as husband will be away overnight. already have child 1 on fridays and her working thursdays and fridays before was never an issue.

i give her figures for retainer. another strop!!!

again explain to potential parent and apologise.

yesterday nurse drops off child. what i want will not work. "you have had child 1 for 2 1/2 years and now i will send her to a nursery, she needs it anyway"

i am now in floods of tears and feel truly awful.

spend all day stressing and trying to juggle things.

nurse picks up child1 looking like she has just walked off a beauty counter, while i look positively sick!
actually she can fix her days to wed and fri which would work out better! work would prefer her not to fix a mon as lots of people have this already

could i work out cost and let her know so she can change her standing order!!

i am exhausted. have not been sleeping for worrying about her child care. i must be a horrible childminder to put money above the children and all kinds of other mental torture

anyway its all worked out in the end

a great big thanks for all your advise

will hopefully handle it better next time

Donna
x

**angeldelight** · 17-01-2008, 08:35 AM

Blimey no wonder you have been stressed with it all

Glad to hear you have sorted it now hope it all runs nice and smooth for you from now on

Good luck

Angel xx

**miffy** · 17-01-2008, 09:00 AM

Hi Donna

I missed the original posts but have just read through them

What a stressful time and over christmas too

Glad it's all worked out for you in the end and good luck with the new parent

Miffy xx

**berkschick** · 17-01-2008, 09:13 AM

Im glad it has all worked out in the end. I am sure some parents dont realise that we too have a living to earn!

Have you been able to take on the other child too?

Love

Debbie

**Banana** · 17-01-2008, 12:17 PM

Glad its all worked out for you!

I feel stressed just reading that!!

And no you are not a bad childminder for thinking of childminding from the financial aspect too - we all do it, nobody does the job just for the job - otherwise we would all do it for free wouldnt we

xx

**patconn2** · 17-01-2008, 03:40 PM

if the nurse doesn't change her mind again then yes i will be able to take the other child. his mum works from home for 4 hours on a wednesday and is flexble with whatever times will fit around the nurse for that day.

think the nurse just wanted to protest at being forced to do something she hasn't ever had to. i created my own monster with her - i have only said no to her twice in 2 1/2 years. we are back on track now and she won't have the chance to take advantage again

donna
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