Childminder wants ££ when children are not there! Is this normal!

[Suffolkblush]

I'm going back to work Mon-Wed in a few weeks. My OH works away for a fortnight at a time on the rigs. My 3 yo daughter is at the local pre-school and my son is 7m old.

When my OH is away I would like a CM to care for DS full time and provide wrap around care for my DD before and after pre-school. I would like to use the service week on week off so that OH can also get time with the kids when he is home.

CM wants £full when the kids are there £half for the hours my daughter is at pre-school and £half when the kids aren't there at all to 'reserve' their spots. So essentially I'm looking at having to pay her £123 a week to do nothing whilst my OH spends time with the kids.

She's the only CM in my village and going elsewhere will probably mean moving my DS out of pre-school which I would like to avoid.

Is this charging style normal practice? I understand she has a business to run but it seems a bit excessive... capitalism at it's most lucrative!

Can anyone advise please?

Many thanks

I have kept my rates for existing families the same too - though not for anywhere near 11 years thankfully. But if they have a new child and a new contract, the new one is at the current rate. I have had families with 3 children on different hourly rates. My expenses are close to 40% of my income and I do know I could spend less but I also know that part of the reason parents choose to entrust their children to me is that I don't begrudge paying for good food or plenty of toys and trips out. I wouldn't enjoy the job if I was always worrying about saving pennies.

Those figures are wrong blame my iPad and not checking, yes I aim for 30% expenses, so lose 50% in total.

My fees are top end and I get 6 weeks full paid holiday, and 10 weeks at half fee from my families, we only do 3 terms of 12 weeks each, and they have paid me when I had to take time off for an personal reasons, they pay me regardless, and for a full day when I only do 8-4 so what goes around...... I probably still get a lot more than most when you average it out.

Why should fees be the same for all families? New starters go onto increased fee rates. I do spend a lot on equipment, new car seats and pushchairs, season tickets for most farms, zoo, music classes, top quality resources. I constantly reinvest into my business. I certainly do not feel hard done by, I am higher rate tax payer.

Just joining in this conversation, in the past week I have had two ladies question me about my income, one nanny who thought I was mad to be a CM because she earns so much more than I do when I do double the work, (love to know how she knows my income) and secondly, a horrid woman who runs local stay and play, who expected me to pay £2per child, I had 4 with me at the time, and when I said no let's go to the park, she said, well it's a bargain for you, if you think about how much you get paid.
Fuming, is not the word.

I have 4/5children a day, and charge £5.65p/h (different rate for term time only schoolies). I am very happy with my wage. Even happier when my hubby becomes my assistant. I am neither poor, nor rolling in it. I have a peaceful little life in N London.

Although, I am originally from the Midlands, I have friends who still CM there, and they charge £3.50p/h approx. I wouldn't be able to afford the life I have now on that. So I understand how this general idea of CMs being skint comes from, because I would be if I still lived there! We will never be millionaires though unfortunately, not unless we win the euro millions!