To ask to reduce childminder hours

[Mummyongin]

My 2 yr old attends the childminder 2 days a week. I asked to reduce hrs to just mornings as we currently have £300 per month more going out than coming in. Her charges recently went up too. She is not ok with it as she can’t make up the hours and will lose income. If he drops a day it will be taken by another child and when he gets his funding at 3 I won’t be able to increase days again. Also it is easier to work with him around in the afternoons as he will either nap or have quiet time. I don’t know what to do.

Most companies won't let you work while also in charge of a child, even if you're working from home and the child is sleeping.

Have you asked your manager if they would be okay with this?

You either keep your child’s hours as they at the childminders or remove him and find alternative childcare. Those are the only options available to you.

If you don’t work for a company I assume you work for yourself or family in which case don’t send him at all and then work evenings/ weekends / nap times around your partner .

I would go to the one full day. I can see why the cm won't do half days as they won't be able to fill the spaces around that. There is a chance that the cm will have space to extend at a later date but if not there are rules within the guidance that say we can have extra children in our ratios in situations such as this so if cm is willing she could have 4 children at a time instead of 3

You really can do work whilst a 2 year old has 'quiet time'? Isn't that just ignoring them?

X-post about not working for a company.

But you do need a back-up plan in place for when he inevitably drops his naps or refuses to go to bed while you're trying to get on with work in the evenings.

When you say the CM is “not ok with it” do you mean she’s annoyed but has agreed? Or has she said no?

It’s ok for you to say you need two mornings only. And it’s ok for her to refuse and say she only offers full days.

I don't know any childminders who would offer only 2 mornings per week - it's difficult for a child to settle and disruptive with a child coming and going after a couple of hours. I don't know any nurseries who would do it either. It usually minimum 3.

Also most employers take a dim view and/or it's against your contract to use working from
Home in lieu of childcare. It's also not safe or fair on the child, your employer or colleagues

You either keep your child’s hours as they at the childminders or remove him and find alternative childcare. Those are the only options available to you.

This.

I'm not sure what your Aibu is. Just take a decision based on the above.

Find a nursery that offers mornings. You're going to have the same problem with increasing hours anywhere though.

Can't you cut back costs anywhere else? £300 is a lot to be overspending each month, especially if neither of you are paying any commuting costs.

Surely if you have 300 pounds a month overspend you need to do something more drastic than drop 2 mornings childminder fees. You will end up in huge debt. Move somewhere cheaper or work more hours.
As for the childminder it's fine to ask of course, but equally fine for her to say no.

If OP is doing a super flexible job with no boss, I'm assuming it's some sort of very light touch self employment.

I suspect rather than over-spending, it's an under-earning problem.

You've asked and she has said no so you can only look elsewhere. We're in a similar position with our 3yo, her hours kick in in September so we're just holding out until then the best we can as otherwise we lose an amazing childminder.

I think yabu for the reasons mentioned above but also 2 mornings is really not enough for a 2 year old to really be comfortable there. It's a very long time between sessions. I think 2 days is the minimum, my eldest went 2 days a week to nursery but even I found that to not be enough so when my youngest started preschool he went 3 days.

Overspending/under earning - realistically it makes little difference.

In face, it's easier to increase earnings in a lot of respects if she's in a small self employed position.

Not sure why my post was deleted, sorry but no. Unless you have permission from our line manager to work on this manner you can not work with. 2 year old at home and not have arranged childcare. I’m fed up with women wondering why they are disadvantage in the work place when this happens.

mumsnet face reality here, it’s an important message women and father need to understand. To be successful in the workplace you must have suitable childcare, no ifs, no buts

To be successful in the workplace you must have suitable childcare, no ifs, no buts

Unless we're in lockdown then you have to continue working like you have suitable childcare while also homeschooling and not being able to get out the house for more than 1 hour a day because then employers forgot to give a shit

I’m self employed

If your self employed then set your hours according to childcare, surely that’s the benefit of being self employed.

be fair on other women striving for careers (eg your child minder)

Hi OP have you applied for DLA for your son? This should mean you qualify for more support with childcare at age 2 (we applied too late to take advantage of this). We just got awarded DLA for speech delay and suspected autism (no diagnosis yet). It's been incredibly helpful for us in tipping the work/childcare balance so I can spend more time 1 on 1 with my DS to help him with his speech.

I think long term it’s increasing our income that needs to happen but that’s not easy to do overnight. Think we will probably end up in debt short term to pay the childcare (and everything else that’s essential). We should have a good credit rating I would hope. Feels really crap to be in this position though.

I get where she's coming from, and feel for her, but it's not your problem and she shouldn't be putting it on you.

I'd just send them to a nursery via the free hours. My daughter loved nursery when she got the free 30 hours.

I assumed he would need a diagnosis for this. What evidence did you have to provide? Thanks

@Mummyongin ,if you're self employed you must see it from the childminders view then. She's self employed too. So she can choose what she wants to earn.