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Paid childcare

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

Please can I hear some views on this CM

29 replies

meanspiritednamechange · 28/11/2014 16:29

Name changed in case I am just being a total bitch (might be, I am stressed to buggery with a million things apart from this)

My CM, who is self employed and so I suppose can do as she likes, has just announced that for perfectly legimate family reasons (funerals expensive flights etc) she will be off work for 4 weeks from 15 Dec. This is such short notice! It leaves me and DP really stuffed for various reasons.

I feel like I am always chasing her about this, that and the other. I knew she wanted to go away over xmas and started asking her about dates on 10 November. Only because I chased again today have I found this out.

Work is just through the roof and I have no idea what to do. I honestly don't think she grasps that some people don't have a choice about how much work they have and when they can do it.

I now have to cancel other commitments too - basically my one fun thing this xmas was a concert I now can't do. ok that is just whining but my gay childless choir master has no sympathy with child stuff and I am definitely on my 3rd strike now and I doubt I will be asked to sing in anything ever again. It's a good choir and the only music I have left.

Over the year since Jan 14 she will have taken 7 or 8 weeks holiday. Not counting the odd time something comes up and she pulls DP out of work so she can attend to something else. I don't have 7 weeks holiday so no wonder I am feeling incredibly stretched trying to cover all this.

she asks for 4 weeks paid and the rest is not paid but still leaves us stuffed.

who is being unreasonable?

WWYD?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
PuppyMonkey · 28/11/2014 16:38

You might be as well to look at nurseries - at least they will be open all year?

farendofafart · 28/11/2014 16:37

I think I'd be looking for a new childminder. She sounds very unprofessional.

sillymillyb · 28/11/2014 16:35

That sounds awful! Don't you have a contract which states how much holiday she can take? Id be charging her for alternative childcare seeing as she is in breach of contract (not legal, no idea if this is possible, I'm just angry on your behalf!)

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 28/11/2014 16:34

She is BU but sadly perfectly entitled. I think its bad form that she expects to be paid fully for four weeks AL (since when do Self Employed people get paid for their holidays!?)

Its also shit of her not to give you decent notice of her holidays - though fair enough for any emergencu stuff.

I would never have chosen her based on the holiday thing, so all I cam suggest is you start looking for a new CM.

Mine is amazing - AL is given a year ahead (however there is always the chance of emergencies such as funerals etc). She doesnt charge when she is unavailable. She does charge when she is available and you choose not to be there.