Childcare / playdates

[beela]

DS has a good friend who he goes to school with (they are both in reception, and also went to preschool together last year). Friend’s mum is lovely, we get on well. We both work part time. Every holidays, she asks me if I can take her DS for the day, and she will look after mine in return. However, I don’t really need her to as on the days where we are stuck I usually book DS into the childminder with DD. I usually do this well in advance so by the time she offers we are already sorted.

This time I said I could manage an afternoon, so she dropped him off at 1.30 and said she would collect him around 6, which meant that I really had to give him tea as well – which meant I had to go out and buy more sausages (not the end of the world, obviously, just annoying).After a couple of houres DS and friend got a bit boisterous, DD (18months) got caught in the crossfire, boys fell out with each other, etc etc.

I’m happy to exchange playdates and have him for a couple of hours, or help out when she gets really stuck, but it seems to be becoming part of her planning and I am a bit about providing a day’s childcare when it causes problems in my house and my DC are getting upset when they get tired of each other (as small children always do). I know she would return the favour if I needed her to, but I don’t.

WIBU to say no?

[Littlef00t]

Could you contact her when you're considering the CM to ask if she'll take your son? Then you'd save on the money.

Otherwise just limit the arrangement.

[beela]

I think maybe I'm fussing over nothing. I just need to learn to say no. I'm a bit crap at that.