to think it's mean sending your baby to your childminders on Christmas Eve when you're doing nothing else

[woahthere]

Usually I look after little ones during the day and then get older children ofr after school care. This week I have had the after schoolers during the day along with the little ones. Frequently this week I have had epole show up several hours late because they couldnt be arsed to get out of bed (Yes, I am being paid but it is really annoying when you have to get up and be ready by 8 for people to then not turn up till 10.30 as you cant go anywhere do anyhting in this time).
One family, asked me to do a full day then didt turn up all day. They then asked me to do another full day and turned up at lunchtime. They then asked me to do another half day nad eneded up being an hour late.
Another family, Ive looked afer the babe nearly full time all week. I KNOW for a fact she is doing nothing at the mo and is just at home. She gets all her childcare paid for by her uni, the other day she was meant to pick up her baby at 2.30. At 4 despite me having texted saying 'where are you' I was still waiting, she then turned up na dI could smell that she had been drinking!
Anyway, tomorrow, despite the fact that she had told me that she didnt need me tomorrow she has now said she will be bringing her little one to me after all. There is nothing I can do about it becasue i have been paid to work it but she had said she didnt need me and has now somehow changed her mind. I ahve worked so hard this year, above and beyond the call. She will be at home I know and she said 'I wont drop her off till after lunch because I want to stay in bed tomorrow', so this means, that on Xmas Eve, she intends to drop off her daughter in the afernoon meaning I will be working until 6.
Why would you not want to be with your kids on CHRISTMAS eve fgs! She doesnt need me to work, I think she is just trying to get her bloody money's worth!!

thankyou boo, i have overstretched myself unwittingly this week. noones fault, the weather took everyone by surprise which is what led to a lot of the late collections, and then have had a bit of messing me about happen, all of which led to me making ill advised post yesterday which expressed a bad side of me, and thats not me at all. I know not massive excuse either but I did have real bad PMT and I think it actually does make me say some very silly things sometimes, the kind that you should think and maybe not say. I feel very sad about the reaction I got.

no kitsichick, youve just read one thing not everything about it.

People should not be unreliable. You'd never keep a nanny or a nusery place if you were so I don't see why they should treat childminders any different. But an awful lot of people have worked today. I have. It's not a bank holiday.

Nor is it wrong to have someone look after your children whilst you do something you want to. Men and women do it all the time and it makes them better parents. The martyr position which says every second I am not working I will be with my child does not suit most men and women.

I suggest you get some boundaries for your business and also research Uni funding before you continue slagging the mum off.

She would only get up to 85% of funding. It's not just for uni attendance. She could be doing coursework, planning or Xmas shopping. It's actually none of your business.

Hear hear Xenia

Your post of 0100 is also completely inaccurate. She will of be paid childcare costs she has incurred. She provides an estimate you are then asked to provide a form detailing actual payments from childcare provider. Any overpayment/underpayment is adjusted in next payment.

Where is Scottish Mummy? She would ROFL at all the "precious moments" and "why have them if you cant be bothered looking after them"! It certainly has been Mumsnet bingo on this thread.

Woah, just out of curiosity approximately how many hours or days pr year do you get paid for which aren't utilised by clients ?

Diet
She provides an estimate you are then asked to provide a form detailing actual payments from childcare provider.

Are you certain ?

Any CM would have to know about this.
Which begs the question what would have been put on said form for 24th if this hadn't occurred ?

OP is adamant she would have been paid.

Yes I am certain. She confirms charges on a CCG2 form completed by childminder 3 times a year.

She still would have incurred a charge unless childminder didn't charge. Eg booked time off.

When I book DS into nursery we have to pay for 50wks of the year- I'll holiday, etc. The only period we don't pay for is their two week close down.

yabu.

i had a day off work the other day but i still sent LO to the childminder as i would still have to pay for it. what a waste of bloody money! i did pick her up abit earlier cause i missed her. but enjoyed the peace nether the less..

however.. if you was to say to your parent that she didnt need to pay for LO if she didnt come to you then that would make you YANBU

I think it's extraordinary that this country (we, tax payers) pay for childcare of students. We certainly didn't used to. No wonder we've gone bust.

YABU

christmas holidays from uni are long. more than a fortnight off from childcare and kids can have re-settling issues.

Lots of uni work is due in after christmas, At uni you have more non taught hours of work to do than actual class time

If you don't wanna work late on christmas eve then you should have set out your holidays in the original terms

If people don't show for arranged days then charge them in full

enable parents to study - enable them to earn - enable them to pay more taxes.

don't enable parents to study - don't enable them to get a job which is financially worthwhile after childcare costs - leave them at home not contributing taxes to society.

the taxes they pay over their working lives will work out to be a lot more than the childcare costs paid while they study.

yab (slightly) u

as a cm you can decide when to work or not,so next time take the day off or work till 12 and if a parents says she doesnt want to use you, then changes her mind,tell her you are not free as you havnt included her dc in your numbers

saying that, xmas eve isnt a bh and although i dont work it ( as a nanny) lots of my friends do - it is a normal day of the year

but some of my friends are miffed that they have to work their 12hrs day and both parents are about (finished work) and sit about watching tv/stay in bed

do they not want top xmas eve with their kids,getting them excited et?

the late picking out is wrong and you need to nip it in the bud NOW and send out a newsletter in the new year, stating that for the first 5/10mins will costs £5 fee and every minute after that you will charge £1per minute late fee

but as others bald and looney have said pop along to the cm/nanny board and you will prob get a bit more sympathy

whoatthere

unfortunately the wording of your OP has piut peoples back up, you very clearly say @to think it's mean sending your baby to your childminders on Christmas Eve when you're doing nothing else@

so ALOT of people that do send their kids to care and then go home and tidy/shop/rest etc feel got at

you are happy to take her money , so whats it got to do with you what she does???

It would be ironic if the mindee mum is a MNer. This would be be a most interesting thread for her.

I think you (OP) need to let go of assuming that your thoughts on when it is morally right or not to leave your child with a childminder are right. It is the fact that parents choose to leave their child with a CM that kees you employed and whilst for you xmas eve is a day you want to spend with your children,it will not e for everyone.

If you let yourslef get worked up over this, where does it stop..?Is that mum who takes her birthday off work and sends her child to the CM in the wrong? What about NY's eve? The child's birthday?

You are being paid to care for the child, not to judge. and if the child is late, just be grateful for eing paid to do nothing! Although, I do agree it would be common courtesy to tell you an ETA if they'll be late, I know I would.

No I know englansmistress, I dont usually judge, feel a bit rubbish now that I did, was just beyond tired I think.
I dont agree that I should be grateful for being paid to do nothing though if the child is late because this can impact on other children if we have made plans.

If you have plans then continue with them and the mum can ring you when she relieses that you aren't at the house and you can say where you are and she can come to you

It's not fair that the other children miss out on a m&t , trip to park etc

Have read quite a few posts not all. Childminding is a very personal service, so its difficult not to do each other favours, expect give and take etc., OP was saying on one hand she'd tried to be understanding if people were late because of snow, but she seemed to resent it. I can imagine feeling a bit ambiguous about it etc. but I think that's what a contract is for, to protect you from some of this, and in fact to protect parents as well. Both parties need to stick to it or call it a day.

I had an unpleasant experience with my childminder years ago and she did this sort of thing, made comments on why was I leaving my child with her when I was only going shopping etc., but was still happy to take the money and then would do things like tell me at 8am as I dropped my child off before I dashed off for the train that she would be going to Marks and Spencers for a day's shopping and I didn't mind did I!

So although I find it hard to be objective, I'd say you need to be stricter. That will mean you not having a say on why your clients leave their children with you. But it will conversely mean that they stick to your rules, which should be set in stone. I'd say that's fair? Think that's what blondeshavemorefun is saying?

And next year, why not close at Christmas, not put yourself through this. Its easy to be wise after the event etc., but now you know.