Is the childminder right to charge me this way?

My nursery doesn't charge the contracted late fees on the odd occasion I've been late (always due to unexpected traffic / roadworks). I call first if I'm stuck I traffic. It's enough of a deterrent to have him be that last one out clearly holding up other people going home.

I hope you don't give her a Christmas bonus if she's going to be so mean!

They also charge me for a whole day rather than just the hours I have ds in.

Do you like this childminder and are there lots of others in the area? It doesn't bode well that she's not a bit flexible. She's looking at getting many years work out of you if you are on your first, very young dc. I think a warning first time would have been fair.

I'd start shopping around for a cm whose willing to have a bit of give and take.

As a childminder I have in my contract late fee's. I do used my discretion. We had really major roadworks near us not long ago parents were leaving work early but still ending up late. I didn't charge, had parents late when we had snow but yes new parent I would be more likely to charge esp if you didn't contact me to know you were late.

I like most childminders have our own children we want to spend time with before bed.

I love my CM. Ds is contracted to go 7-5 two days per week. I usually drop him at 7.15 and collect at 4.30. However on the few occasions I've needed to collect later she's given him tea and not charged extra. I am very lucky!

Fiona - can I ask if you have checked your contract to see if the late fees are in there? I would assume they will be, but if, for some reason, they weren't in there, and you hadn't been warned about a penalty for late pick-ups, you would be within your rights to query it.

First time I think I would let go but I would mention it and say you are late normally I would charge a late fee but as this is your first time I wont
But if happens again I will

Or something like that :)

What did she fine you?

Regardless if you pick up early you need to pay whole day as obv cm can't fill the last hour

Late fees should be in contract and fining on 6mins seems harsh on first lateness. A warning should be enough but understand why she fined as well if often has late parents

Some cm charge whole hour or one I know charges per min so if half an hour late pays £30!!!!! Stops latecomers tho

As leeds said a 6min fine is poss half an hour fee so maybe £3.50 tops if higher rate cm or unless does as my friend does Above

Out of curiosity what was the fine op?

'if this was genuinely your first ever time'

The child has only been there since September. If she'd been there two years and never been late I bet the childminder would have let her off, but starting to be late less than 3 months in....it's a bit different.

I agree to a point scrambled she may have only been 6mins late but was probably another 10mins before she was out the door and unfortunately our day doesn't end there. It does sound harsh however having been in that position myself I would charge in order to prevent bad habits starting

That is very petty and I too would be cross. I know CM's are allowed to charge late fees but if this was genuinely your first ever time and by such a small margin then I think she should have just let you off with a friendly word so you know not to do it again.

I can understand her doing this,6 mins today can turn into 60 tomorrow, I expect she wants to make it perfectly clear that any lateness will be met with a fine. I would do the same tbh.

Pressed post too early...I don't think the fact that you pick up early means anything really, that's your choice!

It does seem a little tight-fisted, however I've been there where a parent is constantly 10mins late and I always wished I just charged from the start!

Also worth noting 30mins fee for me would be £2.50 so it's not going to break the bank, but if you are miffed you need to mention it. She hasn't done anything wrong but you need to be very open with one another!!

I think she could have just given you a warning for being late the first time.

I don't think the hour early should be taken into consideration or used as a trade off.

I think the CM should have used her discretion if it was a once off.

Because Toomuch that wouldn't be logical. The OP can't be 6 minutes late on an early pick-up day, she'd be 54 minutes early.

Fines are pretty common for childcare. Be grateful it wasn't £5 per 5 minutes as in some nurseries.

Where did the op say that outraged? I wanted to clarify because I can't see where she's said which day that's all?

I think we should bear in mind that half an hour at childminder rates is likely to be less than £5. It's not a massive fine.

TooMuch you've misunderstood. She was late i.e. outside her contracted hours. So she pays 8-6 (regardless of whether she collects early or not) for example and turned up at 6.06pm. If she turned up at 5.06pm she'd have been 54 minutes early and not 6 minutes late.

I think if she is going to be this stringent, I would want her to put the exact procedure in her contract. Frankly, she has been harsh. I do understand some parents really start to take the piss, but she could have just said something to you the first time it has ever happened. With my lovely cm, I was very occasionally late and she was relaxed about it. In turn, whenever I could be early, I was as I knew this eased her burden.i also paid her a little more per hour than the rate she wanted to charge me as I wanted to pay the amount I felt was correct for the job she was doing. I don't think your cm's approach is encouraging the good relationship it can be, even if it's contractually and legally correct.

I charge full days. I charge double time for lateness, but for a few minutes the first time, I would just give a warning, even though my contract allows me to charge.

Am I right, Mon - Thurs (for example) you pay for 8 hrs and use 8 hrs. Fri you pay for 8 hrs and use 7.

One Fri you used 7 hrs + 6 mins and were charged a late fee for the 6 mins?

If so she is wrong (morally and contractually unless she has a strange contract) if you were late on an 8 hr day then she is right.

Fiona, it's fairly obvious that the childminder has to charge you for the full day even though you regularly pick up an hour early. That's because she can't magic up another child to look after for that odd hour to make up her salary. You pay her by the day, not the hour. I'm surprised you would even ask about this, as it surely must be obvious?

I do think she was mean to fine you for lateness, however. She should give you at least one day's grace, and charge you if you are late on the next occasion.

It is her right to ask. It is greedy and a little bit ridiculous, but she has the right to make you pay

Fair enough op but i wouldnt be oveky impressed ith her and I wouldn't bother giving her ny kind of Christmas present - a tiny bit of wiggle room isn't much to ask. I am very kind to my cm, but she is very kind to me

thanks the man above I have a lovely cm