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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Child care

28 replies

Nat2828 · 02/06/2013 03:46

I have a child minder who looks after my three children Mondays, Thursdays Fridays , Saturdays and Sundays .. On signing the contract it states that she would have my children hours to suit Rota, weekends and bank holidays.. My job is non contracted hours but an example of my rota is;

Monday, thurs , fri, 7am start. So I take my children to the childminder for 6.30am already dressed and had b/fast.. So all she had to do is take my daughter to nursery for 7.30am and my boys at 8.15am. At 3.30 she collects my boys provides dinner and activities .. She collects my daughter from nursery at 6pm and provides the same... I finish work about 8-9pm.

Sat/sun 6.30 start childminder has all three children. and I finish work 8-9pm..

Tues and weds are my days off

Before having a childminder my children attended an after school club and breakfast club however the childminder insisted I give this up and she would provide an all Inclusive fee during school term and holidays.!!!!

Day one the child minder complained that one if my children is very lively and constantly on the go from morning till evening .. Before a contract was signed I explained to the child minder that my lil boy is hyperactive and is currently seeing a peaditrition, so she was well aware if this situation . Day two .. The child minder wanted to put my children in another form of child care for that day expenses in her., so I felt she was trying to get rid of them .. Day three the child minder states on giving her my rota for the following week VIA TEXT MESSAGE AT 1am ( and I have work at 6.30am the same day)"" looking at your shift for next week, I am sorry I can not cope with the work hours. I am totally exhausted. I can not do this.
Weekdays I can manage, but the weekend hours will finally kill me off.
I understand the reason why you have to do it, but I am too tired and exhausted to cope with the working hours. I am so knackered right now, that I don't want to get up in the morning.
I feel very bad right now, I hate letting people down, but I physically can't cope with your working hours. I apologise for this turn of events. I am very sorry to have let you down.
As a gesture of goodwill, I am willing to forgo my fees for the past three days work. The fees that should have been paid to me will be waived for you to regard it as compensation.
I am so sorry Natasha, I really wanted to help you. Your hours just overwhelmed me. Please forgive me.

I now feel lost and don't no where to stand. I have only just started this job so I am on a probation period and if my child care falls through it could cause me to lose my job.. Please help any advice on what action I could take.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
EleanorHandbasket · 02/06/2013 07:08

6.30am until 9pm?

Crikey.

CM was perhaps a bit naive and eager, is she new to CMing? There is no way I woudl take those hours on, the impact on my own family/other mindees would be horrendous.

Did she have a settling in period written into the contract? I believe it's standard on the NCMA ones. She is perfectly within her rights to terminate the contract.

I'm very sorry but I think those hours are going to very hard to cover. Could you employ a live in Nanny? For three DC it might end up more cost effective anyway, and you'd be more likely to find someone suitable who could do the hours.

Best of luck.

Tanith · 02/06/2013 07:00

... Get to know each other and decide if they can work together. Your childminder has given it a go and is unfortunately unable to continue.

What action did you envisage?

Tanith · 02/06/2013 06:57

The action you take is to find alternative childcare.

You are still in the settling in stage where both parties