childminders: what do you charge teachers children during school holidays?

[justamum]

I ask this because my probably soon to be ex cm has told me she has to put my rates up because she doesn't charge another of her mindees for school holidays.
i think this is crazy, afterall she charges me for my holidays. Its really made me angry, i had only considered leaving her for purely economic reasons becasue she's been great so far, but i think she is being very short sighted. I am her biggest client by far and i think it is utterly ridiculous from a business pov to expect your bigger client to pay for discounts offered to smaller ones.
Surely she is perfectly entitled to charge full price for school holidays, afterall teachers get paid full salary for the holidays? Am I wrong in this? Are you not allowed to charge teachers? & if so why do teachers get special dispensation?

[ThePrisoner]

I don't charge for teacher's children during holidays (and I do have two children from a teacher), and I don't charge a higher hourly rate for them during term-time either.

However, I've been lucky in that I often have other children who come during the school holidays only. It sometimes means that, during the holidays, I can be inundated with children and caring for 8 or more, or I sometimes just have my under 5s.

Justamum - I think your cm is mad for telling you that she's going to charge you more because someone else is paying less!! Putting rates up is one thing, but doing it for this reason is ridiculous.

[justamum]

Nothercules, I know teachers aren't "paid" for hols but you still receive the same paycheque every month, not less during holidays. I think she has been a bit silly in telling me this is why she has put her rates up, she doesn't really need to give me an explanation! If I was a cm I'd go with Katymac's idea, that way the cm makes their money back and the teacher still thinks they are getting a good deal!

[makemineadouble]

theres a thread in teenage asking for ideas for a missing child web site,would all you lovely CM's have a look at it, if just to keep it bumped'add site to your favs incase you ever meet anyone who needs it the woman whoose site it is(Runkid) is a lone mum whoose doing this by herself

Thank you and may God protect us all from ofsted lol

[nothercules]

teachers are not paid for holidays but pay divided into 12. i paid half for hols.


sorry using screen keyboard

[rustybear]

Please bear in mind though that many TA's & other support staff only get paid for term time - even though it's divided up into 12 & paid monthly

[HappyMumof2]

Message withdrawn

[Katymac]

I have started charging a higher rate for teachers and not mucking arround with retainers

As if I have a F/T child I get a F/T wage

If I have a TT child I get a P/T wage

And the final decider (for me) was that teacher get a F/T wage

So it was a no brainer imo

[HappyMumof2]

Message withdrawn

[popsycal]

i am a teacher and my child minder charges me half rates
expect when she is on holiday and she charges me nothing
so she has a 2 week holiday so i pay 4 weeks at half rate (equivalent of 2 full weeks)

[dmo]

i charge 1/4 rates for school hols to keep the childs place

[FeelingOld]

I charge 1/2 rate during the school holidays (mindees mum is a school secretary not a teacher but obviously gets same hols), I am available to work so expect to get paid something.

[justamum]

my thoughts exactly

[Littlefish]

I don't think it's a problem if she doesn't want to charge her friend during the holidays, as long as she doesn't expect you to pay more.

[justamum]

ta littlefish

i knew i wasn't being a whiny old cow! what really irritated me is that she is friends with the other mum & i suspect "mates rates" are involved. HEM!

[Littlefish]

Hi justamum!

My cm charges me during the holidays and I'm a teacher. She's available to work, so therefore, I pay her. In fact, I tend to send dd for one day a week (instead of the usual two) in the holidays so that I can get stuff done! She has 4 weeks off a year, and obviously doesn't charge me for those weeks as she is unavailable to work.

My last childminder didn't charge during the holidays because she didn't want to work either. She actively looked for teacher's children to look after so she could do this.

I have to say that I think your cm is being unreasonable.

[zoeuk1]

i would charge half fee for everyone during school hols if i wasnt needed.

[ssd]

I charge nothing as I don't want to work then.

TBH I don't think it's fair she expects you to compensate her for taking on a teachers kids, that's her decision alone.

I'd either sort it out with her or get another c/m.