Nursery closing early Xmas eve and still paying

[purplehairrinse]

Aibu for being annoyed they are charging the whole day but we have to collect before 12?

Gosh that’s a lot of hours, when do you get to see your child? 😔

When my children were at nursery Christmas eve was a normal working day for me unless I booked it as holiday. I can't remember what time they closed but a half day would have been difficult for me regardless of the cost

Just reality my friend. Youd be better off making your peace with it.

You view your nursery worker in the same way as your dog walker? Fuck me. What kind of nursery are you sending your children to? Are they kennels, to continue the analogy?

You’d be fine with your nursery workers just putting plaster on a grazed knee but offering no comfort or succour or willing tears or making your child feel better?

Yes, the “service” is 100% different precisely because children are involved. That’s literally the fucking law.

I swear, MN is a parallel universe sometimes.

It beggars belief, doesn't it?

Of course - it's a service!

You're paying nursery to provide suitable care for your child, just the same as you pay a dog walker to provide suitable care for your dog.

This is exactly why someone is saying check your contract. If you've signed up for this you can't say "fuck that."

So what does your contract say? If you don't like it, you don't sign the contract and you send your kid somewhere else.

Sorry but I think you have completely got the wrong end of the stick with the sentiment of what was meant.
By saying the childcare provider is a service is correct. It doesn't for one moment imply that that service is not one that shows kindness and care.

Is this something they do every year and is in their contract?

Or maybe they have realised there will be only a couple of children in rather than full numbers, because it's Christmas eve, so they have decided to close.

In any event, your child won't even be in that day as their father has 3 weeks off so you were always going to be paying for him to attend on 24th when he wouldn't be there 🤷🏻‍♀️

No, presumably because it’s other people‘s money paying for the bulk of your child’s education 🙄

I dont blame you for being a bit irritated. Lots of us have to work and can't finish early.

When DD was still in nursery a couple of years ago they'd ask us all a week or two before if we were planning to pick up early. They were clear there was no pressure but they found parents often picked up early on Christmas Eve so if they could plan for it with their ratios they could let a bunch of the staff finish early. I thought this was a nice balance.

Yes, exactly - thank you.

You're paying them to provide childcare between the hours of X and Y. That includes following all appropriate laws and legislation, being caring etc.

Let's just say the poster in question seems to have a very, um, utilitarian, attitude to childcare.

No, that's your assumption.

Of course childcare should be caring and all the rest, but as you were so keen on saying, the "reality" is that it's a service that's being charged for.

If they're not going to open, they shouldn't charge.

If it's in the contract that OP signed it perfectly legitimate

It's fair enough to charge for a booked session if the parents cancel, but the nursery shouldn't charge if they are closed!!

I don't charge my private clients if I am off sick, or have a week's holiday. I only charge for sessions provided, or if they cancel within 48 hours of a scheduled appointment.

That doesn't mean she can't be pissed off with it though.

Do you ever contribute to teacher gifts (probably not given your other posts)? If you do, why? Is it like bunging a fiver in a card for the Postie? Is that what they’re worth to you, teachers and other people WHO STAND JN LOCO PARENTIS? People who provide a service? Do your parents provide a service if they babysit your kids?

I’m stopping now. This is utterly miserable. Merry fucking Christmas to you.

She can be as pissed off as she likes, doesn't make any difference. This is why understanding your contract is important.

Yes, they are people who provide a service. Just as millions of other professions are filled with people who provide a service.

That doesn't mean they don't do an amazing job. It doesn't mean they shouldn't be paid well, supported and cherished, but it's still a job, not some virtue or life-calling. Though I know MN loves to make it out to be.

It's not my contract. It's the invoice and it's full charge for that day.

Look at your contract for holidays they can take at their discretion.

'have to collect' ? are we supposed to sympathise with somebody 'having to collect' their child early on Christmas Eve.

How much is it?

from one day to a half days ?

if it was a lot I’d be pissed. If it was like £25 I wouldn’t be bothered as much.

Christmas Eve is a normal working day for millions of people, so yes, I would sympathise with people having to scramble for last minute childcare.