CM's - Anyone else feel like a glorified taxi driver?

[surfandturf]

I've had one of those weeks and probably just need a rant!

I've just had so many parents this week who seem to think I'm just at their beck and call - they seem to think I only have their LO to care for not 6 or 7 others in addition to their PFB's. Can you drop little Bobby off here and pick little Jemima up from here? I've been meeting myself coming backwards!!!

None of it is out of my way particularly but I just find I have so much to remember alzheimer's kicking in already

Plus had 2 parents this week send their school aged children to me during the day as they were ill. Nothing contagious so not a problem but too ill to go to school. Why do parents not want to look after their own children? Surely their ill children would be better at home with their own home comforts and cuddles from their own parents? The best ones are when I get a last mninute text just before collection time and mum says 'Can you keep little one for an extra hour so I can go shopping, LO hates shopping'. I have to take my own children shopping FFS!!!!

AIBU? I know I need to learn to say 'NOOOOOO!'

um

first of all do you not have a Sick Child Policy? If the child is too ill for school then they are too ill to be cared for by you. Why did you accept the sick children? Update your policies, have a look at HPA guidance for ref

Secondly, why so hard to say No? The parent texts you to say another hour please, you text back to say No that doesn't suit please come and collect as normal thankyou. End of. Unless it does suit of course.

Thirdly dropping off and picking up from various places - if it's making things tricky then let the parents know.

I agree if too sick for school they are too sick for you too, and you must practise saying 'no', I learnt the hard way but won't be doing favours anymore for certain parents.

Last year for us was absolute mayhem, taking one 6 year old in particular to all his various out of school activities and collecting him from clubs.

This year I put my foot down. I don't mind one after school activity, but this was getting ridiculous! Our relationship with the parents deteriorated from that point and they are no longer with us.

Amazing how calm and quiet and happier everyone seems to be without all the frantic rush. I don't know why parents insist on it. Childcare reasons, yes I understand after school clubs. But we were frazzled, it was costing a fortune in petrol and he was bad-tempered and tired - not surprising with Swimming at school, followed by two after school clubs - and that was just one day!

You're not a nanny, you're a childminder, the children have to fit into your routine.

Do you not charge for late pick ups? The parents keep asking cos you keep doing and it looks like they're now taking the piss.

You need to learn to say no (unless of course it's ok and not causing you any inconvenience)

My children miss out on many after school activities because I work and they go to after school club 3 days a week. When they were too young for that they were with a cm, I would never have asked her to do all this.

If a parent wants their child to attend after school activities, they need a nanny

I now charge double time for late collection. I was finding it was getting too frequent and really taking the piss. Most parents don't even ASK if their lateness is OK. Oh, and they never apologise/acknowledge their lateness either.
Since charging double rate for lateness, my parents have been much more punctual

Agree with so many of the above.

Have a sickness policy. Have an 'out-of-normal business hours' rate for scheduled early drop-offs & late pick-ups. Even more importantly, have a rate for unscheduled late pick-ups.

The parents will soon find a way to take their little ones shopping with them. You will also gain a lot of self-respect, & perhaps some respect from the parents themselves.

At the end of the day, I'm sure most of us want our time, we don't actually want to continuously have to add on fees, especially when it's your own children that suffer as a result.

Agree with the others. Have some clear policies in place and learn to say NO.

I wouldn't take to groups like that as unfair on the other children in my care.
Too ill for school = too ill to come to me, full stop!

Thanks for your replies everyone. I know that I am making life harder work for myself but I find it so hard to say no!

So with the 'can you have X for an extra hour' you would charge a late fee rather than just the extra hour?

ManAboutTheHouse you are so right I would like my invoicing to be more straight forward and adding on late fees would probably confuse me even more, but there again if it stops them taking the mick it won't be a problem for long!

My humble opinion is that often parents do not fully realise we are 'small businesses' and we have to care for children with equal concern....
many parents are excellent and respectful but many are not.
I always point out that my home is 'my office' during working hours and would not want to be disrupted or texted at all times (unless urgent) or asked to run around doing car pick ups which are disruptive to other children...

Time for c/ms to be recognized and valued for what we do.

I do not and will not ferry children around to after school activities-I arrange my own daughters swimming lessons etc for a time outside of my childminding hours,so I'll be blowed if I'm going to take other peoples kids to them!
If parents want children to do out of school activities then its up to them to sort the transport out-and i tell them that.I'm not a chauffer and its not fair on the other children in my care to have them stuck in a car for ages because another child has a ballet lesson!

OP, I charge double fee rounded to the next 15mins for early/late arrival/collection if I have not been informed.

Some parents I even charge double time when they ask for 'an extra hour' as and when. Only because I know it happens too frequently and they take advantage. Not very consistent I know, however it works for me. I just add last months extra hours onto the next months invoice.

Can I point out that the only reason we were able to accommodate aforementioned 6 year old's out of school activities was because we're a husband and wife team - and we still found it utter mayhem!

I'm not a childminder but have used childminders for a number of years

none of my childminders have done extra curicular activities -school pick up and toddler clubs but nothing else

extra hours booked 7 days in advance were charged at standard rate, anything after this was charged at premium fee

none of my childminders have taken sick children and I wouldn't even ask

(and no I'm not a serial childminder user, one gave up when her children reached high school, then I moved, then my DC didn't get into the school the CM covered so now I'm on number 4)

not a cm but agree if too ill for school then too ill to come to you and infect your other mindees

child needs to stay at home and parent to find other childcare