I've recently returned to work & have gone down the Childminder route for more flexibility as my working hours require this. Our CM is lovely; she worked in the nursery my older DC attended before having her own DC. So I do feel I know her & she is great with DD. However; this is her first CM role, so we're both a little green & embarrassed about Contract etc. She is genuinely very easy going, but still hasn't produced any sort of contract even though I have casually mentioned it a few times. She did say at one point that we wouldn't be paying when DD wasn't with her, but in a discussion about parents paying the nursery exorbitant prices when children were sick etc. So not entirely sure exactly what she meant. I have paid her the BH I get with work...but really would prefer NOT to pay for the weeks I'm off work. Is this unrealistic? It does feel a bit unfair actually....she deserves holiday pay. What do other people do? Also, I guess I need some sort of arrangement on paper for circumstances when she or her DC are sick....how do I press the point without making her uncomfortable? My DD has been with her for a few months now, and everything's been going very well. TIA