How much do you charge for siblings?

[yogamama]

Hi everyone,

I have one DD aged two and another one on the way. My childminder is brilliant (so don't want to lose her), and she's agreed to taking the second child from 8 mths. She's going to tell me her sibling rate in a week's time once she has done her figures. DD will still go to her whilst I'm on maternity leave.

Is there a standard rate for siblings or does it depend on where you live, your own business model etc?

A friend of mine re-trained as a childminder last year and said people in her group charged 25p less per hour for the sibling? Does this sound about right? It's £5-6 an hour where I live (London borough of Richmond) so will be well over £1200 a month for both. Yikes! It is money well spent (I don't underestimate the role she plays in our lives and how hard her work is)but doesn't leave much to live on.

Thanks,

If there was a saving associated with having 2 siblings then she may pass that on - but I can't see what - apart from 1 fewer invoice a week/month - she would save on.

Oh so basically the costs associated per child are the same?

Yogamama - siblings often cause more work, children from different families often get on better and have less arguments

second children get no less care (food, heat, light etc) so generally get charged the same

am in richmond as well and childminder charges £4.60 for dd1 and £4.10 for dd2
would be nice to have a more generous discount, but can totally understand why cm doesn't!

If I have three children from three different families I earn £10.50 an hour

Why if I were to have 2 children from one family and one from another should I earn any less?

I do no less work - I feed the children no less because their brother is there - when we go out on a trip it costs me no less to buy the ice creams

I'm not having a go - I just don't understand the justification for a reduction

well I'm just saying it would be nice, any discounts anywhere are to me! but do understand why I don't

I personally don't do a reduction for siblings, but some childminders will. It is up to each individual minder to set their own rates, hours etc.

i never have (thats because i only started a few months ago) but i doubt i would either because the sibling is still taking up a space that could be used by a full paying child. i cant think of any business's that give you discount for siblings plus having 2 prices would make it more confusing with all the tax/ paperwork etc and why would you give yourself more hassle for less money? thats silly!

Also meant to say (very important point) that when one child leaves (say the family move or a parent loses job) then you would loose 2 children at once so another downside.

lose not loose ignore me i was up in the night for a couple of hours with dd2 teething

Nurseries based at private schools often give a 'sibling discount', but I suspect that's a marketing ploy, rather than passing on any cost saving.

Thanks everyone. All makes sense. Basically all down to however that person has set up their business. I'm new to this and so is our minder so just wanted to know if there was a standard.

Cheers

I think for a nursery with many places to fill that it is one fewer person to advertise for - so they do save money on recruiting a sibling and that is reflected in the saving - also only one invoice each month, only one cheque fee, only one newsletter...