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Paid childcare

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

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Original poster

Childminder wants 2 weeks off in Sept/Oct

44 replies

Debbiethemum · 01/02/2006 10:40

I am peeved as our childminder wants 2 weeks holiday in Sept/Oct. DS is in school and this will be his first term in Year 1 so we cannot take him out of school then for our holiday (also its too cold to camp in England then).
It looks like I will have to take at least a week of this as parental leave so I won't get paid but she will!!!!
I know she is entitled to holiday and not just when I say she can have it, but do childminders with non-school age children normally do this?
I guess I am asking for permission to be angry.
I am very annoyed as this was just after she has given me 1 weeks notice (contract states 1 month) to go on holiday, which I can cope with by persuading my boss to let me work from home for 2 days - I wonder how much work i will manage as I also have a dd of 21mths.

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Waswondering · 01/02/2006 11:05

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Original poster

Debbiethemum · 01/02/2006 11:12

Yes waswondering. I would be stuck if we only had 1 months notice. We will just have to cope, I just wanted her to be a bit more flexible. I printed off loads of flight prices for her and booking this early there isn't much in it. Definately less than the extra money she would get if I chose the holiday dates (full pay), rather than her choosing (half pay). I also suggested June/July as it would be easier to take ds out of school then and the weather would be better for our camping holiday. But it has to be Sept/Oct.
I just assumed that childminders took the main holiday in the school holidays.

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Booh · 01/02/2006 11:13

I am a childminder and I always have my holidays in school term time!

It is far harder to take them in the school hols as I have the children who are at scholl with me as well!

My parents know when my holidays are as I tell them at the start of the year. I am having two weeks in July, a week in September and a week before xmas.

You decided to pick a childminder over other forms of childcare, and were you not aware that you would need to find cover for her holidays

BonyM · 01/02/2006 11:16

Debbie - sorry you are annoyed about this, but tbh I would have thought that a childminder is entitled to take time off whenever they want to.

This was one of the reasons why I chose a nursery when I went back to work after having dd1.

It's a pain, I know but don't think you can really do anything about it.

saltire · 01/02/2006 11:19

TBH if i felt that my mindees parents were "asking" me to take my holidays to fit in with theirs, i would be very annoyed. She is giving you 8 months notice.

You should have all this clear in your contract with her. Some CM's with pre school age children tend to take thier holidays at different times, i did, because i wasn't restricted to school holidays. That meant that i was availiable for minding during the long school holidays.
However, i can understand why you are annoyed about the last part, where you say she has only given you one weeks notice, is this for a different holiday then?

hotmama · 01/02/2006 11:19

Agree with BonyM - also thought dealing with childminder sickness would be a nightmare - hence dd goes to nursery.

Does the school offer an after school club that you can use? Is there a local nursery that does an after-school club?

Are there any other childminders that you could use?

saltire · 01/02/2006 11:20

Meant to say, if you ask around now, then their may be another CM availiable to holiday cover.

Original poster

Debbiethemum · 01/02/2006 11:21

Yes I know she is entitled to take holidays when she wants to. I am not stopping her.
I am just cross that we have to use either parental leave & therefore don't get paid or our annual leave and don't get a holiday ourselves.
I never said I was rational though !!

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Original poster

Debbiethemum · 01/02/2006 11:24

I don't see how we could use another child minder - even if we knew one. Not so much of a problem with ds who is 5 and will be at schoold but dd will only be 2, is still very clingy and only has a few words so would be very difficult to explain to her.

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beasmum · 01/02/2006 12:02

Perhaps you can think a bit more positively about it all? As everyone has said, she is entitled to leave and has given you oooodles of notice. Why not look forward to a 'home holiday?' you either take annual leave (or have 8 months to save a bit a month so that parental leave could be 'covered' money wise). Then you get the pleasure of your two year old's company for two weeks, and can plan some fun holiday activities together. Could be lovely.

Also, this is only two weeks - would this stop you having a holiday this year? Would you have one in the summer? Don't quite understand how the childminder is stopping you having a holiday!

Original poster

Debbiethemum · 01/02/2006 12:31

Beansmum
That is a better way of thinking about it. I do like the idea of some nice home holiday.
We should be able to save enough to cover 1 weeks parental leave and split the other week between dh & myself as annual leave.
The problem with using just annual leave to cover the childminders annual leave, once you have also booked Christmas off, 1/2 day for christmas play, 1/2 day for sports day, 1 day for volunteering at the school, some days in reserve for childminders or children's sickness there aren't two weeks left for you all to go away together in the summer.
But you are right and I will plan instead some nice activities to do with dd during the day and some play dates for ds after school.
See I am already happier about it all.
Thanks for letting me vent.

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cece · 01/02/2006 12:37

my childminder has 2 weeks in May and 2 weeks in Oct every year - one of these weeks each time is usually half term.

So it does interfere with school but as she gives me loads of notice I don't mihnd too much. I usually get my mum to come and look after them - she loves it!

However, last Autumn my mum hurt her back and couldn't come at the last minute. So we struggled for 2 weeks with working from home, days off and enlisting a couple of pther childminders I know for the odd day!

cece · 01/02/2006 12:39

why do you pay her when she is off???

When my childmionder is off we don't have to pay!

RTKangaMummy · 01/02/2006 12:41

Perhaps her DH or DP has to take holidays outside school holidays ???

I am glad you are seeing the positive chance you have in taking your child to school and seeing his classroom etc.

Isyhan · 01/02/2006 12:44

I am planning to be a CM just going through registration. I am planning to take holiday thats fair isnt it after all everone is entitled to a holiday and surely 8 months notice is sufficient however I am not planning to charge parents during the time I am on holiday as I will be unavailable.

Original poster

Debbiethemum · 01/02/2006 12:44

Cece - its in the contract to pay her

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Booh · 01/02/2006 12:45

I get paid four weeks hols as a childminder! THought this was the norm?

uwila · 01/02/2006 12:46

When I used a childminder, we did not pay her for her holiday. And, she would arrange another childminder fried to look after DD whist she was away for the same hours and the same pay.

Childminders are not employees and I can not understand what would entitle them to paid holiday.

Is it in your contract that you will pay her for holiday?

nzshar · 01/02/2006 12:47

Some cm's charge full price for thier holidays, some half and some dont charge at all. There is the beauty of self employment, a cm can choose, then it is up to the parent which cm they want.

Isyhan · 01/02/2006 12:51

Well you pay one way or another. I will make sure when setting my hourly rate that I can survive over holidays as any self employed person must do!

uwila · 01/02/2006 12:51

Ah, it's in your contract. Well, then you are comitted. I would renegotiate this if I were you when the contract is up for renewal.

Isyhan · 01/02/2006 12:54

yes nzshar - its just a question of choice really. Did you go for a CM with lower hourly rate Debbiethemum?

cece · 01/02/2006 12:58

guess I must be lucky as I don't pay for her when she is on holiday, or off sick or during the school holidays when i DON'T USE HER! sorry about the cap hit the wrong button!

Original poster

Debbiethemum · 01/02/2006 13:04

Actually I went for the only childminder with a vacancy!
She is really nice though & loves the children, we have recently renegotiated the contract so she gets paid a flat rate for the week so the same when ds is at school or on holiday. I don't mind paying her half rates when she is on holiday (if I didn't the weekly rate would go up so she would still get the same money over the year)

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Bozza · 01/02/2006 13:15

My CM has just informed me that she has booked a week off in March. I am glad it is in term time because we only have to cover before/after school. This is the reason that I have my DS (4)with a CM and my DD (1) in nursery. Although it is a pain having two drop offs and pick ups at least DH and I can probably manage the 3 days while DS is at school with early/late starts/finishes, playdates etc.

IMO it was rather rude to suggest to her when she takes her holidays. The time you choose for her holidays may not be convenient for other mindees familys. My CM has 4 weeks hols at half pay. I have 4 weeks hols also at half pay. Next week I intend to inform her of my 4 weeks (Spring Bank, last two in Aug and Christmas).

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