Staff Room Monday Week of the Holidays and counting.

KS that sounds right!, id go with that...if they had booked time away and you went away then no i wouldnt come back....its just the looking after another child id wnder about, but KS sounds like sense!

KS - yeah, I was surprised too as they'll be all on their own dealing with both kids!!! Au pair wasn't silly and just refused to, why should she ruin yet another weekend which should be hers! I would also love to be a fly on the wall when they find out, I can't stop PMSL at the fact that she was sending orders late afternoon and she's already left and they just don't know Normally I'd think it's cruel to leave them in the lurch but a lot of you know just how bad these people are!! The 2 weeks holiday was awful for her, couldn't believe what they were like!!! So, will teach them a lesson!

Back to the retainer.....I think I understand....do you mean that the payment is a retainer to keep the usual space open but doesn't mean I can't take anyone else on? i.e. I can do adhoc care whilst they are away but not give away their contracted space? If so, I'd love to know how you word it in the contracts

Looneytune - On the reatiner side of things, I tell parents the retainer is to ensure their child's permanent place is there for them when they get back from their time off. So I may book other children in if they have booked the time off (ie if they have told me they are off Tuesday to Thursday, I may let another child come on the Wednesday if I'm asked to do some adhoc hours), but would never give their long term hours to someone else as they are paying to retain their place for when they return. Hope that makes sense!

I agree! Surprised they had actually gone away without au pair! I hope it shakes them a little and they appreicate the people caring for their children in the future but I find it hard to believe that they will change their ways. I'm really happy for au pair though she deserves a nice family. Wish I could be a fly on the wall in their house for the next 24 hours.

No, they are away in Cornwall and she left yesterday. She text'd yesterday to say she'd gone but turns out they can't have seen it. Oh well, they deserve it, they really do.

Does she not know au pair has gone looneytune??

p.s. doubt I'll get a call now as turns out shde never got the text (she emailed au pair at 4.30ish saying what to do about b&b guests, to go shopping etc etc) so obviously can't know that no one is there - oops.

who I should have

Sorry, got busy with baking biscuits with ds then went out for the afternoon.

PC - good point, not that money is an issue as i'd give back, it's the issue of who I should I that I was asking. BUT, you've made me think. Should I not be able to take on anyone else? What if I was away and she called to ask but I couldn't help? Like maybe I'd have had a long weekend at my parents but if she needed me at last min, I wouldn't be able to help as 4 hrs away. This has got me thinking about more detail in my policies.....but what??? HELP!!!

We've just been looking at the weather as i was planning a trip out but its supposed to be heavy rain so thought i would save it for friday when the weather is better, I should have checked earlier than i could have taken the kids out to a big park today instead but now dd2 is in bed and they are going home at 3pm it means wednesday we will have to stay in! Any new ideas for stuff to do when you're staying in and its raining?

Hello, I've just managed to sit down with a coffee, I have had new mindee here to play, with her mum and 2 sisters. They all played lovely together my dd 6yrs, mindees 2 & 3 yrs old, 3 girls nearly 1yr, 2yr old and 3yr old. I will be looking after the youngest one once I get back from my holiday.

My 2 yr old mindees last 2 days with me this week as she is moving onto nursery, but her dad said this morning that they might send her back for 1 day a week from October (thinking about it).

Have a lovely day as tomorrow brings rain here so they say!!

I think its because i expect her to know the rules and to set the standard for the others especially the younger ones.

i'm always meaner on my own
bet their gald they are at their nanas this wk

Thanks for the support DMO, She has now come to me all tears saying shes hungry and that its not fair mindee got his own way etc I have told her to go away from me until she understands that she was being nasty to mindee (they are both 8!) I explained if she had choc cake and i had a plate of worms and i tried to convince her to swap for something she really didnt like she wouldnt want to, sop why would mindee swap for something he really doesnt like but she refuses to even try to understand! (sometimes she fustrates me, is it because she is mine?)

dmo, we fly sat too....are youe excited..although we have very late flight..hope its all on time, no delays and no hassles!

not at all i would have done the same

Have i just been a bit harsh or not? I gave each child (2mindees and my dd1) a yogurt each (3 dif flavours) My dd really played up about the flavour of hers and was trying to get mindee to have strawberry instead so she could have her fav 1 but mindee hates strawberries with a passion i said stop being awkward and just eat it or i will take it off you, in the end i got so irritated with her being awkward (this is not the first time she has tried to go out of her way to annoy mindee, she seems to have taken a dislike to him and wants to create trouble) so i took the yogurt off her and binned it. Was i too harsh?

this is my last week then i'm on holiday in sunny spain for 2 weeks
the count down is on ...............
my own boys have gone to their nanas for a week (went last night) so its bliss here and they will be back on friday ready for our flight on the saturday

just wanted to ask...............
its my sons 10th birthday on 19th aug and we will be away i think we should take the presents with us but dh thinks we should wait till we get home cause of weight ect in our suitcases its also our friends little girls 4th birthday while we are away and they are coming with us so i also have to take her presents too
what would you do?

hold on tho..throws spanner in works..can you /do you cahrge parent while the kids are away? if so i dont know if you can charge again for the other two and refuse her your care if she asks????..does that make sense?..like if she mum still needs you, she has paid you a holiday retainer to keep her place IYSWIM?

Morning all, my last day at home! My mums already missing me, dads gone all if you need any help at all, call me... I was only home between jobs! I've got a couple of days settling in (last nanny they appointed mucked them around apparently, so I've got to prove myself) then away with family to Dorset- the families second home is in Upwey which is about halfway between Weymouth and Dorchester apparently, anyone near there? I think Shoshable you are in Dorset? Hope its nice. bye now, gotta pack!

Morning all. [talking with mouthful of cake] Looney I would do the same, ie you have already taken booking so not available. I've got 2 today, baby is asleep and toddler is building train track with my boys. We're going to trot around the village in a bit, visit an elderly couple. OFSTED loved that I took mindees there, roughly once a month, because of them being of a different generation ie mindees mixing with other than children. Must dash, complicated construction needs assistance

Katymac - thanks, that's the way I see, just wanted a bit of reassurance

KaySamuels - yep, she finally escaped!! On their 2 week holiday she had the baby in with her so was up at 6.30 every morning whilst mum slept in til 10, she basically did everything for the baby for the 2 weeks plus was given lists of cleaning jobs etc to do (they were staying at mums dad's place!). She basically never stopped working with them, this new family is a little more money, hardly any work in comparison and she gets her own 2 bed place next door so just turns up to main house for hours agreed But, yes, I feel really nervous as I helped her (gave a lift there) but have to act as if I don't know anything when they tell me . Yes, I will really apologise and say of course I would if didn't have others (if they ask me that is). And IF they need me to do 6.45am starts like before the au pair (instead of now 8.20), I will agree but it will be the usual increased rate (meaning approx £144 extra a month for both).

Thanks for the advice, feel much better now

I would stick to the friend's kids you have booked, they are hardly gonna take the hump and give you notice with no au pair to pick up the slack are they! Just apologise profusely, and say you cannot possibly have them, as you are full, and if you had the space of course you would have had them. Fab news for the au apir, really pleased she got out, may cause chaos for you for a while though!If they need you for extra hours make sure you bill them for it and get the money off them!