Childminder wants to close at 1pm for the rest of the week

[SweatySpider321]

Woke to a text from my childminder, announcing due to the weather we need to try to collect our children at 1pm for the rest of the week -530pm is the usual finish time. I’m not even a week into a new job and my husband has no leave left (mainly due to covering her annual leave). It’s not in our contract and it’s funded hours we use with her

Yes, I do feel the same. It’s ridiculous.

Dog walking is reasonable though as the ground temperature will burn dogs feet.

If a childminder has so many children that she struggles to keep them safe when it’s very hot, she has too many children in her care.

It is ‘her fault’ though - the op says her partner used up his annual leave covering the childminders leave.

I’d just say we are in meetings and can’t collect them, appreciate its hot but we aren’t in red alert and it wouldn’t be any cooler at our house so I’m sure they are just as safe at yours and does mean you don’t have to find other times to offer the funded hours.

id really really want to say my husband would take leave but used it all up to cover hers!!

Exactly

Wow, I work in after school club, there is no chance we'd be allowed to finish early. I can't fathom her finishing early , I know it's hot, but surely she can make provisions for the children. I'd look into a new child minder

She said ‘try’ you’ve looked at possible alternatives, you’ve ‘tried’ therefore you let her know you will collect usual time. If you’ve a spare fan I’d offer that you can loan it for the day x

I think thats terrible. You have childcare for a reason, because you need it to to working.

Is her house warmer than everyone else's? Does she still expect payment still? Is there a way you can contact parents of other children who attend to try and do a unanimous 'its unacceptable '.
Everyone has to work, life doesn't stop due to the heat. Consider reporting this to the local authority too. Then maybe try move to a nursery and leave her!

What a nightmare. I would message every childminder in the area and try and move asap. Not much help for this week though 😐

Our school said we "can if desired" pick them up at 1.30, but there is no insistence we should. That's also a school, with lots of kids crammed in, giving out body heat, and in an old building not designed for it. I'm assuming she is a one man band so will be basically the same as a home and only has a handful of kids and she can build activities and play to be safe/cool - is your child actually any cooler/safer in your home than hers or can she be cooler without kids there for some reason? If there's a good reason (e.g. her kids rooms are all in an attic/top floor or something) then fair enough for wellbeing but it sounds more like she wants an early finish for herself and this is a good reason to pick! I'd say a childminders was a good place to be, to be honest, she likely has a garden and shady space, she can set up paddling pools or indoor water play and they can make ice lollies with fruit juice, or that game where you freeze dinosaurs in ice and melt them out. There's loads of warm weather things you can do with pre schoolers. Worst case scenario set up fans and wack cbeebies or a Disney film on. I never minded our nanny or childminder doing "chilled" activities but I would have minded them totally not caring for the kids and asking me to do it!

Been here, got the t-shirt. Childminder's really grind my gears, sometimes. I told my last one in a similar situation, "Well, if you're struggling to do the job/contracted hours, the entire purpose of your job; I'll find someone else who can do it. Do you have a list of childminder's in the area?" I was a bit more subtle and did actually look for someone else while she messed us around for a few more weeks.

Can you actually imagine a surgeon turning around and saying, "I'll be stopping this operation at 1pm, even if the job isn't finished. It's too hot. I'll carry on in the morning."

All she has to do is sit in her house, fans on, AC on, draw the curtains, ice lollies, cold drinks, cartoons on. It’s not rocket science.

To be fair, not many houses have air con.

I / we most definitely are going to be “those” parents, we aren’t going at 1pm today and l told her that at drop off. It’s only going to be 26 here tomorrow! I’m not feeding into this nonsense all summer. Yes, it’s warm and most places in this country it’s going to be very hot but not where we are. I think it’s that she has little respect for us with the lying, trying to close at lunch with little notice etc

Good for you OP. Stand your ground on this one. But do move CM. Do you trust her to give your child good care if she is annoyed?

That’s hardly fair on the other parents. It’s not only public facing roles that are important.

That’s a dreadful insinuation, and an insult to childminders everywhere!

At 32 degrees which is the forecast where OP lives. There is no risk to life at 32 degrees. What a pile of horsepoo.

The CM should just be honest. Too hot, so sad, won't charge you. Book a babysitter with what I would have charged you.

Ridiculous and I bet she still wants paying!
She’s literally in her house with some kids, same as millions of other families across the country.

A childminder is in the happy position of being in control of the environment and activities she chooses to put on.

Schools don't have air con, some don't even have windows with blinds or even that open properly. Teachers can't just decide to have water play outside in the shade, they have to teach maths in what is essentially a greenhouse.

It isn't safe to walk dogs in this environment, many dog walkers are offering an adapted service of visiting the dog for company at home, letting them out for a few minutes, ensuring they have water etc.

A childminder in her own home and garden can adapt everything as necessary to the weather.

Id look for another childminder. She entered into a contract with you and now she's breaking it. At the very least I hope you are not going to pay her. Possibly if she lives in a flat then it might be excusable but if she has a house with outside space then she can make it safe and provide shade and water activities. Sounds like she can't be arsed to make the effort

Good for you. What did she say when you told her?

I'm in Merseyside
Our schools are open
I've not seen any closed

I think you're showing very little respect to your childminder,tbh.
Of course it's short notice - as it is with school closures, nursery closures etc.

But - you do you.

Whilst I see it very annoying, I can also understand the predicament childminders, schools, nurseries are in. They HAVE to follow health and safety and do the risk assessments. A red weather warning means “danger to life” and so as a professional setting they have to follow guidelines.

My children’s nursery is open til 12.30pm only all week. It is just one of those things we have to suck up and deal with unfortunately.

For those asking what the difference is between being at the childminders vs being at home. The difference is that she is a professional and has to follow guidelines, we as parents do not.

Attitude like that might end up with childminder giving OP notice, then she might have more issues than she does now

No but if the child gets ill, or sleeps in a room above regulation temperatures, there are more repercussions for the childminder than the parent.

Nobody is calling teachers, road workers and bin men a cheeky cow.