Am I right to feel a bit miffed?

From whatyou say she sounds as though she is very unorganised and maybe struggling! Your DS would be better off somewhere else.

?odd woman, you would so obv find out the truth?..i hope you didnt pay her???

I have an absess(sp) in my gum and need to go to the dentist desperately but really don't want to take the time off and leave my mindee's and their families in the lurch (also absolutely terrified of the dentist)! Not all childminders are money grabbers and most of us care about the families we support with our services!

Also, particularly at the moment, and def in my area, us childminders need the business as much as the parents need the care for their children.

I would say that you do have the right to be miffed, especially if the minder is having your nephew! That I do not understand!

A contract is still valid until such time that a new one is issued or the old one is cancelled.

If you have agreed to pay the CM for a set number of weeks (many CMs do charge for their holidays), then any holiday that they take over and above that agreed time should not have to be paid for.

My contracts with parents state that four weeks notice of holidays is required (which usually works quite well with main holidays). However, some of them give only a short notice period of occasional days off - this works both ways, and I have occasionally had an odd day off, albeit for dental treatment! I don't charge for my holidays, so I guess that parents are less likely to be unhappy!

I think you should ask your CM for a review of your contract, although if you are considering using a nursery soon, this may not be necessary.

i feel unkind charging for any holidays, if parents have to pay someone else to care for kids while i am away it could end up costing them double....i know alot of minders do charge though.

what notice period is in your contract?, if she is still working but has said your ds cant go, you should not pay her!, and you should only pay her for the hols you agreed too, if she takes longer she knows' she wont be paid same as i take 4 weeks at 1/2 pay, anything else is no pay!

i state 4 weeks notice both ways on all my contracts and policies. however, I also state that when emergencies crop as (as the can do) or if my child has something on at school etc then i will give as much notice as is possible. I dont charge for any of my holidays, then i don't worry if (as i usually do) i take 6 or 7 weeks a year off. I do always endevor to find alternative care where possible.

I think it's complicated

2 weeks notice is perhaps a little short - I have 4 weeks notice in my contract but have on occasion (funeral/child's hosp appt) have had to cancel at short notice.

4 week paid leave is reccommended by NCMA

If she is going to have the other child why isn't she having yours - If I cancelled my long weekend away, I'd have all my mindees - so is something else going on (ie does he finish earlier or something)

I don't technically think the contract is out of date the contract reviews are merely advisory

I think you might need to either renegociate your contract or consider other childcare

plus she's at it charging full price for her holidays

I'd definatelt look around if I were you

I'm a childminder and I know a lot of childminders who are at it round here, seem to think they have a licence to screw money out of the parents

what do you mean you pay for a full day for her holicays and she works them anyway?

do you mean she tells you she's off then she works, but takes your money and not your child?

if thats the case I'd look elsewhere

sorry couldn't be bothered to read whole thread so might be repeating here

DO YOU HAVE A CONTRACT if not why not ?

IF YOU DO AND YOU SIGNED IT you should know exactly how much notice of time off is required on both sides - also how much paid holiday you both agreed to

HOW CAN ANYONE USING A CHILDMIDER NOT KNOW what they agreement is ?

BY THE WAY if you have no signed contract your minders insurance is void

i think if you have arranged with her so that she has two weeks pay per year thats fine
any extra days should not be paid for by you it is her decision to have the day off

cant quite believe she is having your sil child, if this happened to me (which it wouldnt as i am very organised i would then say to you "i forgot to give enough notice to x so i will be working that day after all"

not really worth her taking a days holiday if she is working

well if you have to pay her for 2 weeks holiday per year...

and she has booked 2 weeks holiday this year that you are paying her for

and then she says im not working this day in 2 weeks, and i want you to pay me... and then ends up working anyway then IMO you are quite right to be extreamly cross IMO!

Im sure we would all just loce to take extra holidays at short notice cause we feel like it cause we feel like it AND get paid... but thats not the way the world works!

have a look at your copy of the contract you have with this childminder.. what does it say about holidays?

if it is an ncma contract, then it will specify (on page 2 and 3)what you have agreed to pay your childminder for her holidays as well as how much notice is required.

if it says 2 weeks holiday at full pay, anything after those two weeks you should not have to pay for. also if contract says (for e.g.) 4 weeks notice will be given of holiday dates you will be within your rights to complain that the contract is not being adhered to.

hope that helps..

Its a personal thing tbh 40+. I don't charge holidays, but I don't have any full timers, so the financial impact isn't that great. Personally I feel thats the price you pay for being self-employed!

don't use a childminder but do you have a contract? If she told you two paid holidays per year she is not entitled to her extra days. What is to stop her taking four weeks this year?

I've never heard of anyone giving their CMs paid holidays - I thought you just pay for when the child is there? Is that normal? I've never used a CM myself - was at home when children were little and lucky enough to have doting grandparents less than a mile away.

2 weeks notice is NOT an emergency!!!

duchesse - all childminders should have emergency cover they can call on, but generally its for emergencies only. I.e. if someone is ill and needs emergency treatment or the cm is suddenly taken ill. As cm's are only allowed to care for a certain amount of children, its unreasonable to expect them to keep a space open, in case someone needs a childminder for a whole day iyswim. You can only go over your numbers if it is an immediate emegency and they then care for the 'extra' until a relitive is available to collect. 2 weeks notice is an emergency.