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Paid childcare

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

Original poster

Childminder wants ££ when children are not there! Is this normal!

79 replies

Suffolkblush · 16/07/2014 11:21

I'm going back to work Mon-Wed in a few weeks. My OH works away for a fortnight at a time on the rigs. My 3 yo daughter is at the local pre-school and my son is 7m old.

When my OH is away I would like a CM to care for DS full time and provide wrap around care for my DD before and after pre-school. I would like to use the service week on week off so that OH can also get time with the kids when he is home.

CM wants £full when the kids are there £half for the hours my daughter is at pre-school and £half when the kids aren't there at all to 'reserve' their spots. So essentially I'm looking at having to pay her £123 a week to do nothing whilst my OH spends time with the kids.

She's the only CM in my village and going elsewhere will probably mean moving my DS out of pre-school which I would like to avoid.

Is this charging style normal practice? I understand she has a business to run but it seems a bit excessive... capitalism at it's most lucrative!

Can anyone advise please?

Many thanks

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Original poster
Suffolkblush · 16/07/2014 11:29

Thanks ladies, saves me the trouble of looking elsewhere!

You know I've always wondered how one of my husbands colleagues could afford to commute from Spain where his family has a 6 bedroom villa. Now I know... turns out his wife runs a childminding business!

OP posts:
vickibee · 16/07/2014 11:25

yes this is normal, she is unable to fill the places with another child as you need them

Sunnyshine · 16/07/2014 11:25

Yes very normal. She cant fill those spaces whilst your husband is off and she has to earn a living too and pay her bills. Its common practice.

Tortoiseturtle · 16/07/2014 11:24

You need to look at it from her point of view. If she doesn't take your children, will she get other children and if so how much will she get paid for them? She may be willing to be paid a bit less by you, because she has time without your children, but she will probably still be working then, with other children, so this may not be worth much of a reduction.