Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Flip

Original poster

CM Club: How to make a parent give you notice on a good terms if possible?

13 replies

sassyminder · 22/12/2011 21:05

Hi I am a CM and for 2011 I really want to downsize my charges.
It is clear in my ming which child got to go for a number of reasons but I would rather the parent give me notice instead of me doing it.
Thing is< I tried giving notice before to them and it was such a drama, the parent nearly cried and begged me to keep their place for a number of reason and made me feel very guilty. But for many many reasons one child got to go and it is this one, I dont want to lie and I dont want to make them upset, so I am just wondering if there is a way ( a part from praying) that they can give notice to me instead...
I like the child and the parent but, unfortunetely I don't want to work with them anymore.

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 22/12/2011 21:08

you can't make a parent give you notice.

you need to give them notice. if she cries and makes a fuss, well, you;ll just have to deal with it.

Original poster

sassyminder · 22/12/2011 21:10

I meant I want do downsize for 2012

OP posts:

NotTheBlinkingGruffaloAgain · 22/12/2011 21:23

If they have been in any way unreasonable with paying you on time or enough then that is a perfect excuse.

Original poster

sassyminder · 22/12/2011 21:34

They do pay properly, it is not that is their fault really, it is just that I have to choose one, that is all. I just dont want them to feel excluded.

OP posts:

leeloo1 · 22/12/2011 21:44

Agree you can't force them to resign unless you do something dreadful for the child and that wouldn't be the best idea. Just write them a firmly worded letter, very clearly stating something like

Dear X,

Unfortunately due to a change in personal circumstances, which I prefer not to discuss, I will be unable to continue childminding little x. Whilst this has been a very hard decision to make I am afraid that it is final. My last day caring for little x will be (give date appropriate for notice period in contract).

I would like to take this opportunity to say how much I have enjoyed caring for little x and I wish you and your family the best for the future.

Kind regards etc.

Tanith · 22/12/2011 21:51

I don't quite understand why you can't be honest and simply say you want to reduce your workload.
I can't see how you would make a parent give you notice without seriously damaging your reputation.

kkoo · 22/12/2011 22:43

You don't need to give a specific reason. It is perfectly acceptable to hand over a letter stating it is due to a change in personal circumstances. I gave notice to a family recently and it was dreadful, broke my heart and they did not take it well. I made the mistake of giving reasons and it made things so so much worse, as they just could not understand. I wonder if it is even possible to give notice without causing upset (when it's for reasons other than nice things like pregnancy). Just brace yourself I guess. You can't make them give notice.

south345 · 22/12/2011 23:15

I made someone give me notice by suggesting I would give her notice as I was picking her son up from a different school and it wasn't working out. we mutually agreed she would find someone else which took a while but she did, the other childminder now gets next to no money to have his brother after preschool too as she won't charge full days (more fool her!)

leeloo1 · 23/12/2011 13:44

kkoo that must be hard! I think it must be best to not give any child related reasons as no parent wants to hear anything bad/negative/less than idea about their little one.

NatashaBee · 23/12/2011 13:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

minderjinx · 23/12/2011 18:16

I'm afraid I think trying to manoeuvre a parent into giving notice is just daft. If you want to reduce your workload, then you have every right to do that, and you should not be made to feel guilty about that, unless you have misled the parents or made promises you can't now keep (which I'm sure isn't the case).

Why not just say I find myself busier than I really want to be, and though he/she will be sadly missed it makes most sense for me to let X go. You can sugar the pill by saying that you have enjoyed looking after him/her and that it is not just a question of his/her care but all the admin and paperwork that goes with it behind the scenes, and that you are confident he/she will handle the transfer to another carer well (if that is so). You could also say that practically speaking it makes no difference who gives notice, so if the parent would prefer to give notice to you, that is fine by you.

Then all you have to do is stick to your guns and follow through. If you try to force the parent to give notice on some sort of pretext, or to force their hand, for example by raising your fees, it cold easily come back to bite you down the line when you could be reputed to be awkward or expensive.

CeciC · 23/12/2011 18:17

I am not a childminder but I have had 2 very lovely childminders looking after DDs in the past ( now they are in school). Could you wait until one of your mindees goes to school for the changes? It might not be possible for you to wait, but the childminder I have to mind DD1, waited until she started school for her to work just 4 days a week. My DD1 was the only mindee 5 days a week.
As a parent, I might have been able to understand why is my child the one the CM can't look after and if you relay on word of mouth to get mindees, it might work against you.

PositiveOutlook · 27/12/2011 12:07

how old is the child?

i had a little one that i had looked after for a year, he was a very unruly child and instead of settling i was finding it harder to control his tantrums. i advised mum that he was ready for nursery as he had been in my setting for a year and needed new experienes in preperation for nursery/school (he was 2 1/2), i gave mum all of the information about the local nursery that my child had attended and of course told mum that nursery day rate was cheaper than mine and they had longer hours.

the seed was sewn and all worked out for the best. mum loves it and he has settled in really well.

thank goodness.

Flip