have found a minder but not sure on her terms

Many CM's have back up minders they use or at least can recommend (maybe someone they go to toddlers with so your son would laready know them).

Is it only up to you to cover the CM's hols? What about your husband?

This is so difficult. I know my cm needs a lot of holiday and I hope she gets it. We don't send DS 21 weeks out of the year (some same as local school hols, some different) because of the nature of our jobs. But I have no idea how that fits in with the other kids.

I've never had a problem so far where I've not had childcare... if she were to take 6 weeks off in addition to the 21 weeks that he doesn't attend, I'd have to use a nursery.

Do what is right for you so that you don't end up resenting the cm for taking holidays because that would be awful :( She deserves holiday just as much as you do. And as a CM is self employed, they get to choose all of their own holidays and set their own terms. You have to decide if you like them or not.

But is this for a part time space? Or full time? Maybe the childminder had charged more as it's only a few hours in the day?

I am in south east And charge £5.75 an hour for a full time space, £9.00 for just a few hours.

I take 6 weeks and PH ! no fee, and 1/2 fee for parents hols!

but am full so I guess everyone is happy with it lol!

£5.50 is very high

Perhaps there is more to this? I think hourly rates can be deceptive. A lot of childminders base their fees on how many places they have to fill, and their advertised rates are often for their standard hours of business. If a family requires childcare for less than a full day or requires a pattern of care that is less than a full week but nevertheless makes finding another child to fill the remaining hours unlikely or impossible, some might ask you to pay for more hours than you use, others might ask you to pay a higher rate for the hours you do use. It obviously amounts to the same thing, but I wonder if you are perhaps in this sort of situation? Certainly around here a full week would be around 50 hours, some do 55. If you wanted considerably less, you would be likely to be asked to pay something more than the standard hourly rate for the hours you used.

That's more expensive than my CM in London!

No no, you dont have to give exact location but i was going to have a look for you to find out local fees but you have already done it!! lol

I think you are right that if local fees are between 3 and 4.50 and hers are £5.50 i think it is too expensive. Esp if you can get nursery for £35 a day!! lol

x x

Where abouts in Scotland are you? I charge £4 per hour and offer discounts for full weeks.

I take 6 weeks a year and issue my holidays for the following year in my xmas newsletter so give up to 12 months notice. It states in my contract that i will give at least 4 weeks notice, but i always like to give more. I take half fees for my holiday and full fees for parents holidays.

x

£5.50 per hour is loads imo, it's loads for where I am in south west england, would have thought for scotland that is unbelievable!

Does your CM have children? As she may be talking school holiday time off? My old CM use to do this and it worked out ideal for me as I was on holiday as well.

I have 6 weeks off but I issue my hol list in October for the following year, so often 12 months notice for the latter part of the following year

I agree with Nick (and others) the the important thing here is how much notice you get because you will have to arrang alternative care. I would want at least 8 weeks notice.

I don't agree that you can rely on splitting the hols between you because that doesn't leave enough cushion for things like doctor appointments, sick days, and all the other circumstances which arise unexpectedly resulting in your DS not attending the CM.

If you and your DH have 4 weeks plus phs, you can cover the CM hols between you and still have 2 weeks off together. DH and I have usually covered the hols in relays.

chitchat, I do that too - it means parents pay me less each week that I have their child but I still have an income when I take my hols (only 4 weeks a year ).

Cms really need their holidays, the days are long and often lonely!!! I have no mindees today btw, hence am on MN

When I am on holiday I have CM friends who provide holiday cover if parents need it, but most of the time out hols are at the same time - and I have 2 parents who are teachers.

Our CM doesn't charge for holidays, but she spreads out the payments so that we still pay her on her holidays, which I don't mind.

When he goes to school nursery (pre-school), you will need to know if your childminder will still charge you during those hours. Using combination of childminder and pre-school could well work out, though it may cost more than just keeping him at the current nursery.

Lots of things to weigh up.

Why would you change from Nursery then? Nursery I presume is open something like 52 weeks a year maybe more. You have a set fee per day.

When comparing costs of childcare providers, try to compare the annual cost. That way you focus on how much it will cost you in total, not the hourly rate. Can be hard though to know what is and isn't included in fees.

Of course OP has to compare it with her own hols. Because if there is gap (cm's hols longer than op's) then OP has to find alternative childcare for those days. Why are you all surprised with her op?

you're lucky to find one that doesn't charge for holidays. In my area now, most do now charge for their holidays, and parents pay when they are off too.