Mindee sickness / absence - advice needed please

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I currently look after a 10 month old girl. She started with me on Sept 3rd, three days per week, term time only as her mother is a teacher. All has been good so far.....

A couple of weeks ago, mindees grandmother passed away. She lived quite a distance from us, so I didn't have the mindee for that week. Last week, mindee was ill with D&V, so she wasn't with me for last week either. She's now fully recovered and I've had am email from her mother asking if I could have mindee for 4 days this week instead of 3. So, would you charge for the extra day, or would you suck it up since you've not had the mindee for a week?

WWYD?

I would charge, but I'm mean like that. If you are nicer than me and do it as a freebie, make sure they know it is a one off.

Well, I did rearrange my day to accommodate her and I gently reminded them that it would be a chargeable day. I got a stroppy email back saying they thought I would be more flexible, etc etc. DH thinks I should def charge, but I do feel a little bit guilty.

Why the hell wouldn't you charge?!

You are a professional offering a service. Of course you should charge. It's not your fault she wasn't in. You were available. She sounds a cheeky mare!

Of course you charge.

Will she be "flexible" and still pay you if you are not available to work?

Don't feel guilty. This is your livelihood.

Well exactly Frazzlerock. I would quite like to respond to her email, but I'm not sure what to say. I don't want to fall out with them...they're a lovely family but I don't want it hanging over us.

This is their PFB and they have no experience of CM's (plus I think they are feeling the pinch financially). Thanks for all your replies...I do feel reassured that I've done the right thing. Should I reply to her email?

Mindee was off sick ffs. I can't understand why the mother would expect a free day. That's crazy. What a loon.

Just write back and say that your terms are quite clear in her contract and you don't vary them.

People get weirdly aggrieved about having to pay for childcare they "didn't use".

The fact that they pay for that place to be available to them on an ongoing basis seems to elude them.

I know, its odd isn't it. I don't phone my gym and say I haven't been for a month, can I have the next month free please??

As a parent I would expect to be charged!

I would charge.

I am still stewing about this, and I've just remembered something else. When we were organising the settling in sessions, she asked if I could have the mindee from 10am - 4pm on one particular day and she would be happy to pay me for it. I agreed....when the day came, there was no payment, no reference to any payment and when I mentioned it, she was shocked and said she thought it was all part of the settling in process.

I don't have to talk to parents about payments much ... I just email them an invoice :)

Cheeky. Very cheeky. Did she pay you for it in the end?

I know this isn't AIBU, but YADNBU. As a parent, I'd expect to pay.

I also email an invoice at the end of the month via an app on my iPhone.
Although I've just given Childminding up so not anymore!

As a parent I would expect to be charged. I had a CM who got completely taken advantage of by another of her mindee's parents. It ended up with her being substantially out of pocket (parents always paid late, deferred payment, said they couldn't afford to pay etc etc despite both full time working - the mum was a HT). I used to listen to the CM tell me the latest sob story and think .

You are running a business. If you want to offer a freebie then up to you but they have no right to expect it.

I use a CM for my son and in this situation would definitely expect to pay for the extra day - no way would I ask not to be charged!! (If however CM chose not to charge then I wouldnt argue, but I certainly wouldnt be expecting a freebie).

Charge. They sound like a potential nightmare and you need to set the expectations.

If they had been with you for years always paid on time etc and wanted to swap a day which made no difference to you then that might be a nice gesture of flexibility, but this isn't flexibility - it's wanting a freebie which they have no reason to expect.

Thanks for all your responses. Yes, I did get paid for that day.

I'm not looking forward to seeing her tomorrow.

If it makes you feel better, I had a similar situation. It was only an extra hour in question though - but I charged.
Don't worry about facing them. They shouldn't have assumed.

I can see why they might hint at it but they don't have the right to expect it (ie not to pay). If they bring it up again, I would say that if you do it for one person you will have to do it for everyone who asks and that simply doesn't work when keeping track of numbers etc, so there are no exceptions.

If they were good payers, I would prob give the day for free, just because she had two weeks off before. But, because she seems a bit cheeky, I would definitely charge her!!