Childminder terminating contract

[hoolahoolay]

Surely I'm not being unreasonable. So my son is due to start with a childminder next week when I go back to work after maternity leave. We have settling in sessions this week

So she sent the invoice for January out early December and she said to let her know if there were any errors, the due date on the invoice was 1st January. For one reason or another we haven't paid it and instead of reminding us she has messaged this morning to say she's terminated contract as invoice is 5 days late.
Surely she could have sent a payment reminder.

WTF can I do now?

As a business owner myself, I can wholeheartedly say Yabu and good for her.

@TheEyesOfLucyJordon
Presumably that poster meant five chances in that, the childminder allowed OP to get to five days overdue the payment before she acted. I think that's bloody fair enough and more days than I'd have given in her shoes.

Five extra days. That should be plenty. Paying for childcare so you can work doesn't "slip your mind"

@TheEyesOfLucyJordon

It depends how in demand your business is.

I assume this childminder has demand else she would have chased.

I have a waiting list in to the next street, so if my choices are between someone who I'm going to have to spend time checking and chasing every month, or someone who just pays the invoice first time; I'm going to choose the latter.

How rude are you op to start a thread like this and then ignore everyone who has taken the time to reply. The childminder has had a lucky escape I think based on your not paying and now your flouncing off on here when people quite rightly inform you that you were wrong

Yep, I can see that. But she's likely in a bit of flap re the childcare and may not have come over as well as she might.

I just feel some sympathy for a woman coming off maternity leave and facing this. I guess most of you have been on maternity leave, possibly dreaded going back to work, been sad at leaving your child for the first time? That's how it goes, isn't it? Pulling the OP up on her message is a bit ..... unfeeling.

Paying for childcare so you can work doesn't "slip your mind"

Exactly this! It's such a significant important bill, how on earth does one just forget to pay it? 😳

Offer her a 200 pound bonus for the inconvenience to stay on.

Of course you are. But one quick reminder may have led to a fruitful relationship. Why not take the time to send a reminder in early Jan?

I fully support what the CM has done. I work with children and families and know that chasing up payments can be a full-time job.

I think that the CM may know from experience that it is much easier to say no at the start than to 'evict' a family from the setting when they run up big bills. Once you get to know a child you like them and you feel sympathy for the family.

I hope that the setting made it clear about their policy in the event of non-payment of bills, however the 'one thing and another' comment made by the OP does indicate that the CM's bill was not actually a priority. I hope that there is a family member nearby who can help out while another place is sought.

@TheEyesOfLucyJordon I was fucking devastated to return from mat leave, I cried every day for months. But I still paid the person providing care to my child because I valued her as a childminder and she needed to be paid for her time caring for my child! The two aren't mutually exclusive - you can be sad and anxious about your return from mat leave and still remember to pay bills.

I used to be a childminder and occasionally, parents who paid late were a real problem and it was difficult to recover the monies. This was my only income, so it left me in real difficulty. Plus I’d already paid all of my childminding expenses.

Your attitude really shows a lack of respect for the person that will look after your child. If you couldn’t prioritize paying the bill the first time, that would really be a red flag for me going forward. I don’t think the CM is being at all unreasonable.

Looks like it might have.

With identical emails sent out about invoices, I have had the following happen with non payers...

1. Never turned up to the class or responded to any further email. Result - one lost sale, whilst all my costs remained the same

1. Turned up to the class anyway and paid whilst there

With a new client, how am I meant to know if you are planning on being 1 or 2?

In my experience, parents who need reminding to pay their bill can be a nightmare. It’s hard to recover the money. Especially as this is a first bill, it bodes really badly for the future.

Tell me you don't run your own business without telling me.

Ah, OK. Yes, I can see that. But it looks like the OP may have forgotten. So, without a reminder, the chances are not really chances.

I do agree that OP should come back and address some of the messages. However, as I've said, she's probably fretting a bit right now.

"Even the biggest companies have debt departments"

Seriously??? Only big companies have debt departments, solo child minders do not.

OP could always have set herself a reminder on her phone, or in her calendar, given reminders are so so easy.

Why didn't you pay ? Surely you realised it was important to start the arrangement on a good footing. She's probably worried this is going to be a recurring feature and not something shes prepared to risk.

Indeed. But a little understanding still wouldn't go amiss.

I think most of us navigated the return from mat leave, while managing to respect the needs of the childminder who has bills to pay. All this sympathy you have for the OP, yet none for the woman trying to keep her business afloat.

But the 'understanding' you are demanding here only goes one way.

OP could always have set herself a reminder on her phone, or in her calendar, given reminders are so so easy.

Exactly!! My entire life is a series of iPhone calendar reminders 😂 (however paying my bills isn't in my phone as I do that naturally every month, because, well, that's just what you do as an adult isn't it....? 🤷‍♀️)

Rubbish. I have every understanding for the woman trying to keep her business afloat. Just send the reminder. It would have sorted it, more than likely.