Parents who use CMs. Is it really hard to understand?

[BarbieCan]

That you are paying for a time slot as well as childcare.

That your CM is not being grabby if she charges you in full when you decide that on a particular day you don't need all the hours you agreed in the contract.

That your CM is not being mean when she charges you when your child is unwell.

That your CM is not being jealous when she charges you when you go on holidays but she is still available to work.

That your CM is not being unreasonable when she charges you when you are late.

How can this be explained better so you can understand your CM point of view?

I think some people lose all sense of rational thought when it comes to childcare. It's understandable I guess, but quite annoying if you work in childcare!

Barbie, I agree with you and I think the rent analogy is good. I love our CM and so does DD - and I understood totally the rules when we signed up. Even without the rules though, I hardly feel she should be punished because we decide to take DD out for a few hours or days. When we've given her plenty of notice (several weeks) that we won't need her, she's "closed", so she doesn't charge us. We treat each other well.

When I first used a CM she explained it like this.
We have agreed that you will pay me for xyz time. If you choose not to bring mini hopping at that time you will need to pay me but if I am not available to take mini hopping at that time you will not pay me - simples!!!

All your rules make sense to me :)

Tho I do agree why do some cm charge while they are on holiday? Seems unfair

I'm and away at moment (35* and sunny) but not being paid for it

Thing is you do need to look at overall annual costs

And as always if the cm charges and in contract and parents sign it then tough - read before you sign and querie if anything you not sure about it

What are people's thoughts on term time only contracts and retainers for the summer?

I charge £1 less per hour than my neighbouring childminders, I also don't charge for sickness. But I do charge for all holidays, mine and theirs. I have 15 holiday days a year, and in January me and my parents sync our holidays so we are all off at the same time. That way no one incurs extra childcare costs.
Yes we are self-employed, however, our expenses are so high, we have weekly food bills, toys, resources, annual fees including registration, and insurance. If we didn't find a way of making allowances for time off- we would never have any holiday! This is not forgetting the endless paperwork and training we have to shell out for!!
People make comparisons to how nurseries work, but CMs re nothing alike, we don't have a load of staff, we cook, we clean, we manage, we definitely deserve holidays! Please don't sign something and then complain! X

"What are people's thoughts on term time only contracts and retainers for the summer?"

Can you be more specific please? Thoughts on what aspect of term time contracts and retainers?

I'm not saying the contract is unfair, or when you think about it calmly that you would think it was unfair, but you asked why parents find it difficult, and I was trying to explain to you why it is.

I'll give you another example of paying for subs at 2 different Scout Groups. 1 decided to ask for £x on the first Monday of each month, the other for 4x£x on the first meeting of each term. Over the year, you pay exactly the same, but it's much easier to get the money out of all the parents at 4x £X a term - when the money is there for all the weeks they are going, than it is to get them to hand over the £X at the beginning of a month, when there is a month that they don't actually meet either at all (August) or perhaps for 3 of the weeks at Christmas - you just feel a bit diddled to hand over cash for "not getting anything" that month/week. Logically, rationally, it's the same amount, but if you are struggling a bit financially, the perception is different.

The alternative is to work out how much a year you are going to be receiving from the parents, and ask them if they would prefer to pay more for the time they are there each day but not pay for holidays, or, keep it more even by paying for holidays and having a slightly reduced daily fee.... it's then easier for them to understand that you need to maintain a certain level of income, and what you lose in one way, you gain in another.

What's the going hourly rate?

I think most providers make it clear you pay regardless.. I only pay half for school holidays ( don't use )

BackforGood- I take your point about spreading the cost of holidays, especially if parents are stuggling financially. However, without sounding rude, that's not my problem. I have to arrange my finances in a way that suits me and my family. We are always facing demands of proving quality childcare, and good quality costs.
If I didn't take children out on trips every week, or go out everyday to farms, country parks, canals, and so on, maybe I wouldn't need to go on holidays.
CM have to find a balance that suits them! I know that childcare in my area is in such high demand, any parent that approaches me has no problem with how I charge. And if they do, they have to go to the CM that charges £6.00 instead!

Sorry that was me, I mean do you find parents get confused about having to pay holiday retainers when their children are term time only? It's something that I have been asked about (currently thinking about becoming a childminder) any advice welcome. I think that's still in the area of this thread?

The CMers i know that do term time work out an annual cost and divide by 12 months. I dont know how their parents feel about it but i know the CMers prefer the regularity of the income.

Also, when i worked with colleagues who did term time hours their salary was paid in 12 even monthly payments aswell.

I use a cm.

I completely understand that if I choose not to place my dcs in her care when they are contracted to be so, I still need to pay.

When they were in nursery, if I chose to take them out, or if they were ill, on a day they were meant to attend , I still paid.

Why people think otherwise, I do not know.

But, I respect my cm hugely and my family would not work without her.

Hats off to all cms!!

Oh, and we have a term time contract. No holiday retainer, but we pay a slightly higher hourly rate. Seems fair to me.

My cm also splits the cost evenly over a year, at our request, as we use childcare vouchers and it makes life easier.

Flexibility and understanding on both sides is the key.

I have the opposite problem. My cm is very reasonable and does not charge if we dont use her. Even if my dc are sick whixh is fine as they rarely are and I dont take advantage. But for example if I decide ro finish work earlyand collect dc myself ahe doesn't charge (I dont think) even tho I tell her to. Same fr laat minute days off. So I feel as though im taking advantage and am reluctant to do it.

I have the opposite problem. My cm is very reasonable and does not charge if we dont use her. Even if my dc are sick whixh is fine as they rarely are and I dont take advantage. But for example if I decide ro finish work earlyand collect dc myself ahe doesn't charge (I dont think) even tho I tell her to. Same fr laat minute days off. So I feel as though im taking advantage and am reluctant to do it.

I don't see a problem with term time only contracts. I would take term time only children, however the hourly rate would be slightly higher for those children than for the ones who would give me business all year round.

stealth
You can always give her a generous envelop at Christmas Time.

Stealth, can't you pay her anyway? That's what I do.

I've calculated a monthly wage over a 6 month period based on the hours I expect to send the DC to the CM.

Any extra hours are paid extra at the hourly rate.

Any fewer hours are just ignored.

I don't, however, pay for meals they didn't have.

But then perhaps she works out her own pay?

Yes to Xmas too - we give around 150 euros at Christmas which I feel kind of covers times when I was 5 minutes late and she told me not to pay for 2 extra hours (2 DC).

Thanks for your thoughts

I use a nursery rather than a CM. I completely get being charged when we are away or DD is ill. What I don't understand is how they want to charge when they shut for threatened bad weather.

It used to be that we didn't pay if the nursery/after school club closed, but they changed their T&C's

One of the cms round here is the same as stealths, she only charges for the hours she actually works. The rest of us cms have tried to explain that she is contracted to work for the hours on the contract so according to the contract she should be paid regardless if the children come or not. She doesn't get it and says she won't take money for work she hasn't done. It's up to her, but in the next breathe she is telling us that she hasn't got enough money left over as she hasn't worked enough hours that month.

I like the rent analogy used above, I will remember that one to use next time a parent queries why they should pay when their child is off for the day.

I have a term time only contract with our CM. We spread the cost evenly over 12 months - we both prefer it that way. My CM fills up my DCs' "spaces" with school aged kids during the school holidays.

I completely understand your terms OP. However, some of the other parents that use my CM take the piss as you have described above. I don't understand why my lovely, constantly fully-booked, turning away clients every week, CM puts up with their nonsense. Give them notice and replace them with reasonable adults who value your input into raising their children.

Hoorah for CMs!!!!!