Half term

[kathryng90]

So, I am feeling so disheartened. I am a cm and have spent the day organising activities/outings for my mindees. I am fortunate that my babies are both on holiday this week so have my kids (aged 4 and 9) plus schooler mindees aged 4,5,5,6,9,10. All legal and within numbers and I drive a minibus.

I am going to the cinema (kids £1.50 club), museum, soft play, halloween event all which have cost implication plus park, walks, crafts, treasure hunt and ghost walk all free. Phoned parents tonight to ask for wellies, coats and extra money of £10 each. I charge £25 per day (7.30-6). They send packed lunches. Have had 3 out of 6 parents object to extra cost.

Do I go regardless and foot the extra myself (seems unfair on parents who said yes) or just go to free activities? I simply can't afford to pay for them all. Can anyone think of a solution???

As a parent i am happy to pay extra on occasion but i would have wanted to be consulted earlier, a couple of weeks ago, giving you the time to plan alternatives of parents didn't want to pay.

On the whole though i think you should plan according to what you charge really. My childminder only once asked for extra for a big event that was happening. She took them to farms, to a variety of parks, she had annual passes for a couple of places and used those.

Same. I'm happy to pay for extras, but I'd like a bit of warning and discussion. Overall it sounds like you're planning a lot for the extra £10 but some parents might not have planned for it or be able to afford it.

You are only charging £25 per day, for a whole day? Better you than me!

It sounds like a fab week - I might book myself in :)

No offence to IamA and Thurlow as I luffs them both... but honestly, if you are sending your school aged children to a CM in the school holidays for only £25 per day, I think you should be more than happy to pay £10 for a weeks worth of activities and you should be able to work our for yourself that you need to budget for some 'spends' in the holidays. You'd spend a hell of a lot more if you did those things with them yourself and surely you wouldn't want them at the CM's all day everyday and there's a limit to what you can do 'for free' in the Autumn half term... No?

£2.50 per hour for a childminder and they are objecting to a £10 for entry fees etc for a whole week. Honestly, I'm gobsmacked.

I don't know what to suggest, other than telling them what is happening each day, how much it is going to cost and asking them which days they'd prefer not to bring their children, but then I'm arsey like that and not suited to childminding. I love the children, it's the parents and ofsted I couldn't cope with!

What do you have in your contracts about expenses?

I would probably drop the soft play but foot the bill for the rest of it if getting the money from the parents isn't possible.

True, in my defense I've been revising all day and missed the fact that £25 is rather a lot less than i pay. same applies about warning though, i imagine that is more of an issue for the parents. It is the being asked for extra money with no warning.

I don't think it is fair to those parents paying for you to fund the refusers whatever the reason is for the refusal.

£25 a day? Is it the going rate in your area? Are you a new childminder (if not how did you do for the school holidays before?)

Maybe for the next mindees you have, you need to calculate an extra 10 pound for each school holiday and count it in the monthly rate.

There is 14 weeks of holiday a year if I remember well?

£140 is round £12 per month. Which is around 60 p/ if they come 20 days a month.

If I were you I would make them pay £26 instead of £25, but that would cover the extra money you have to pay during the school holidays

And for this holiday, just skip the paying activities you have planned.

Many thanks for replies. I have been childminding 24 years! But never ever had a whole week without factoring in babies needs/naps etc and I got excited with all the local events! £25 standard daily charge for my area (NE). Contracts state daily rate includes snacks and drinks and toddler groups. Extras such as admissions to be paid on top by prior agreement. In my defence I didn't have all attendees confirmed til today.
Have cancelled all paid activities and brought in/bribed grandma to take mine as they are aware, unlike mindees, of what I was planning. Fantastic idea to increase fees by £1 a day to cover future trips - I knew there would be a solution thank you.

£10 sounds a bargain to me. Agree with other charge more next time for holidays.

Never used a childminder but I think that if I was I would want more notice. The money wouldn't have been an issue but would have been impressed being asked the day before.

Good idea increasing the your rates

My goodness where are you? i am in the NE and pay much more! (and not thrilled with current childcare situation due to fab CM moving away)

Less than £2.50 an hour and they won't pay an extra £2 A DAY for outings

Mean parents!

Yes, I agree. You seem to be a great childminder, they should be happy that you planned a whole week for 10 pounds only!

IamA If you have been studying all day I'll let you off

I still think anyone who uses a childminder in the school holidays shouldn't need to be 'given more notice' to pay £10 towards entrance fees etc. It's not as if the holidays are a surprise to anyone.

Now none of the children are going to the things you have to pay to go into, because a few of the parents were to disorganised to think ahead for themselves - not to mention you can't give advance notice to people who are only just confirming their booking today.

OP I would have made it compulsory for anyone only confirming today and leant heavily on the others as per the contract.

I'm sorry you are now having to miss out on taking all of the mindees and your own children to some of the things you had planned :( But I'm pleased your two are still getting to go - shame for the others whose parents were prepared to pay - well, a shame for all of the mindees!