Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want to pay childminder for 30 mins children aren't in her care

53 replies

BelieveInPink · 16/11/2011 15:53

Most poorly titled thread goes to...moi! I thank you.

My two daughters have a childminder 3 days a week after school. To get there they have to get on a bus. The bus doesn't get to the designated stop until 40 minutes after they finish school, but I am paying the childminder from 3.15. This might seem petty to moan about but it does add up to about £15 per week.

Anyway, my question is, AIBU to expect not to have to pay until they are actually in her care? Or should I like it or lump it and pay her from 3.15? Genuinely interested and have not approached her because I wanted to get opinions first.

By the way, I will probably get asked why I didn't clarify this when they started. Originally her house was the first stop, so the kids would be on and off the bus within 5 or 10 minutes. After the term started the company changed the bus route.

Please be gentle.

OP posts:
IneedAbetterNickname · 16/11/2011 17:37

You're not serious about allowing your 5 yo and your 8 yo alone on a bus are you?

The school my DS' are at (they are 7 and 5) wouldn't even let them leave school premises on their own, let alone go on a bus! If I'm honest I'm Shock

banana87 · 16/11/2011 17:46

It's not a public transport bus is it? It's a school bus, right?

beachholiday · 16/11/2011 17:47

The OP's children are met at the other end by the childminders older children wineoclock. It does sound like its public transport but it could be some sort of school bus?

MissCricket · 16/11/2011 17:51

I am a Primary School teacher and I agree with Ineedbetternickname... Maybe you could find a cm closer to the school who can go and pick them up? Good luck!

HappyCamel · 16/11/2011 17:52

I was on a public bus for 45 mins at 8. It was fine. But it was in the country, not a busy city.

Eglu · 16/11/2011 17:54

Have you people never heard of school buses? They are perfectly usual for children who live more than 2 miles from their nearest school.

onessa · 16/11/2011 18:55

If it is not a designated 'school only' bus then I would not let my children at such a young age to catch a public bus alone. There are far too many things that COULD happen--hopefully WON'T happen but could.
I wouldn't be able to rest at work knowing that my children weren't being personally collected from school by a responsible adult.
An emergency phone number in a bag is just not good enough.
I suggest like a previous poster, that a new childminder, that could collect from school would be safer.
Also I am surprised as our school would never allow a childout of the door unles they could see the person who was collecting them.

FoxyRoxy · 16/11/2011 19:02

My ds is 10 and takes the public bus alone. There is no school bus for his school.

In answer to the op yanbu to want to save the money but I think it's something you need to just suck up unless you want to change CM.

betterwhenthesunshines · 16/11/2011 19:18

I would also be worried about letting an 8yo be responsible for a 5yo on the bus. Can the childminder not come to meet them at the school? That's what I would expect for children this age. Maybe you should look for another childminder who is more in line with the care your children need at their age. It's not fair to make her children responsible for your children on the bus either. Unless it is a school-only bus.

Whatever, she can not get alternative emplyment for 30mins so if the eal is after school care then you should pay for it, but she should provide it. Time for a sit down review?

spottydogpencilcase · 16/11/2011 19:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RomanKindle · 16/11/2011 19:27

I think YABU. I've never heard of a childminder charging for parts of hours.

You aren't having any extra expense or inconvenience. As a previous poster pointed out the bus is providing 45 mins of childcare for free. Your childminder is still available from 3:15 so I think it would be unfair to think that you should save money and she should be penalised because the bus has changed route.

spottydogpencilcase · 16/11/2011 19:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Dozer · 16/11/2011 19:35

YABU.

maypole1 · 16/11/2011 20:48

So gather the reason why you don't have the childminder pick them up because you are to tight tipsy extra

Yabu so if something happens on the way to the childminders I take it you will be leaving work and rushing down to the school or expecting the childminder to deal with it

Original poster
BelieveInPink · 17/11/2011 16:33

The bus is a school bus. With only children from my daughters' school on it. A teacher personally escorts the children on to the bus.

The reason my kids go on the bus is because the childminder doesn't have a 7 seater car so can't pick up my two, her two, and another child from the school in one car.

I am not too tight that I would put my children on the bus just to save money, Maypole, in fact I hate doing it. I have no choice. (waits for someone to tell me I do have a choice because I could give up work...) There are two other childminders who pick up from the school and neither had two spaces. The other reason I chose this childminder is because she is a mother of children at the school so my children know and like her very much.

Wow, people sure can make you feel shit on here. Thanks to all the people who gave their opinions (which I took on board and have chosen to leave as it is) withouth judging or passing nasty comments. I appreciate it.

OP posts:
Original poster
BelieveInPink · 17/11/2011 16:34

Oh sorry, forgot to add, Maypole, if I had an emergency call then yes of course I would sit on my arse, not be bothered and let the childminder deal with it.

Arsehole.

OP posts:
Trills · 17/11/2011 16:38

YANBU to let your children go on the school bus btw.

Lotkinsgonecurly · 17/11/2011 16:40

I can see both sides and appreciate you are in a tricky situation out of your control, must be hard letting them get the bus too. Is it worth asking if you could split the difference? Or ring the bus company and complain!!!

Original poster
BelieveInPink · 17/11/2011 17:58

Thanks. :-)

I have accepted I pay from 3.15, and the reasons why I should. I didn't start this thread incredulous that I had to pay it, I asked for opinions and I have taken those on and have changed my viewpoint.

I did drive home feeling completely shitty that it's felt by some that the school bus is a cruel or irresponsible thing to do. So I mentioned it to my CM. She knew at the beginning of our contract that I didn't feel totally happy about the kids having to go on a bus, but I felt assured by the fact that they would be ushered on, someone would always be there at the other end, the fact only 12 children would be on the bus by the time mine had to get off (one stop before hers, the next village school) and that her own children would be on it so she would have even more reason (as if she wouldn't but ykwim) to be at the bus stop. I said today that until 3.45 comes and I don't get a phone call that I don't really relax and that I was particularly anxious about my youngest. She understood and actually said that a teaching assistant is always on the bus with the children, which was later backed up when I asked my eldest. This made me feel much better. Further to this, she has offered to pick them up from school on the two days that she has my two and her two. Thursdays they will still have to get the bus.

I don't really know why I felt the need to post this update. I'm not a tight person, or someone that doesn't put her children first in every decision I make. I'm genuinely interested to know if the idea of children going on a school bus is that badly frowned upon.

OP posts:
Trills · 17/11/2011 18:17

I went on a school bus with no adults on it from my first day of school. (the first day my mum drove behind the bus because she wanted to drop me off but I wanted to go on the bus because I was a "big girl", apparently :) )

The people who are shocked at it clearly don't live in the same sorts of places that you live and I grew up in.

JWIM · 17/11/2011 18:22

OP we have children in all years including YR travelling on school transport - some on a dedicated school bus with a few stops and others by taxi but no additional adults other than the driver in either case. It is not unusual and you should not feel it is wrong for you to make use of the service.

RomanKindle · 17/11/2011 19:51

I think the people on here who were shocked at them getting the bus were thinking they got on a regular bus with just the cms older children. Surely no-one would object to kids being put onto a school bus with a ta present and being met at the other end. What would there be to worry about? I'd be happy to let my just-turned 4 yo doing that and I'm generally quite helicoptery.

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 17/11/2011 19:58

I went on a school bus from 3 and a half and survived (and this was back in the 1980's). Many children in rural areas travel to and from school on buses. Maypole yet another insightful and helpful post Hmm

cheeseandmarmitesandwich · 17/11/2011 20:03

Oh fgs people, it was obvious they were catching a school bus, no need to make the OP feel bad!

I caught the school bus every day of primary school from reception onwards. At secondary school I had to catch 2 public buses each way. School bus was always the highlight of the day and I still have fond memories!

I do think you have to pay the childminder though, OP,

ChristinedePizanne · 17/11/2011 20:07

I went to school on a bus from the moment I started school. Get a grip people!

Swipe left for the next trending thread