Taking dirty nappies home

[Panapan]

Our childminder has started asking for us to take soiled nappies home at the end of the day. It started as a temporary thing as she’d forgotten to put her bin out one week but she now wants it to become permanent. She’s a brilliant childminder and if this is normal we’ll accept it, but it seems a bit odd. Do others do this? Thanks.

@SIB09
How much would you pay a year £500?

@jannier are you thinking £500 potentially all together or extra per family?
Works out about 30p extra an hour if per child, I could live with that to reduce the hassle and potential stinky forgotton nappies in the footwell of the car
Obviously the more children the less it would be, I already think childminders don't get paid enough as it is. I have happily paid mine an allowance extra a month for trips out etc which she wasn't going to charge for but I think are above and beyond and shouldn't have to be absorbed into costs, probably in the minority but I feel it's such a vital job and very skilled if done right.

Mine doesn't but currently in our council area you can ask for larger bins (normal waste and recycling) if you have a good enough reason to have one. As my CM lives in a large house she like her neighbours all have the larger bins.

The nursery 2 minutes away has commercial bins. That are are always over flowing before they are collected which is twice a week.

I suspect as PP have indicated she is being charged to get rid of soiled nappies. I would speak to get about it as it would be better business practice to increase her fees to cover commercial collection.

@viques

Wow, is she going to mark each nappybag with the child’s name so you only take home your own child’s poo?

My CM often does a change just before I pick up my DD and just chucks the soiled nappies in a nappy bag outside. (My DD poos at that time if myself or her dad looks after her.) I can recognise the brands of nappies we buy through the bag as we use different brands to the other 2 parents.

If I was being charged to dispose of the nappies in my childminding setting I would ask the parents if they would rather take them home or the charge be reflected in my fees. I don't earn much more than minimum wage because I can't out price myself in a very competitive service in my area.

@SlB09
In reality most parents won't use a childminder who charges even 10p an hour more than the next so a 30p charge would put more out of business. Whilst some like you value childcare just reading the posts on here shows your in a minority and most begrudge even paying a few hours around the 30 hours

Totally agree @jannier just the last 6 months I've seen an increase in parents trying to haggle regarding fees, considering mine have been the same since 2011 if they change they'll be going up not down.

@jannier @glitterelf I find it baffling that essentially the profession competes to the point it drives fees down so much! I'm sure it's a complex mix of reasons though. And that parents are like that, especially when the majority of hours come 3yrs are free! I definitely appreciate mine, I couldn't do it in a million years

I've been a childminder for 20 years and,unless a child used reusable nappies, I would never send nappies home. My bins get emptied fortnightly, and I've had up to 4 children in nappies per day, but they don't take that much room up in the wheelie bin, and if we end up paying for extra waste collection then we can put it through our accounts as an expense.

@SlB09 I think one of the main issues is that the funding doesn't even cover the normal and lots of parents begrudge childcare fees. If parents don't like my rates that's fine I won't be lowering them. Often parents forget that those who charge the lowest fees will be cutting corners elsewhere and ultimately it's their children that are missing out on resources or experiences.
We've had a few new settings pop up charging between £2.75ph -£3.25ph and one of these people I've seen over numbers. I do not compete with these price's.

@looselegs There's lots to factor in though like I'm a family of 5 so each fortnight my bin is stuffed. I recycle and occasionally do tips runs around birthdays and Christmas.
But I have nowhere to store a clinical waste bin, my local authority will not provide one free nor paid which would mean lots of shopping around to find the best deal.
Then factor in payments I appreciate that we can put it down as a business expense however I would have to up my fees to pay for it in the first place and again I have nowhere to store such a bin anyway.

My local council has. a separate collection day for ‘clinical waste’, you do need to apply for it and it’s free of charge, most ppl with babies use it.

Don’t you empty the poo into the loo (so long as it’s not ...err... loose) before wrapping and bagging to reduce the stink factor? That’s what I always did else my bin would be buzzing.

@SBTLove Ours do clinical waste but not nappies so stuff like dressings and sharps boxes.

I dont think that's right at all.

@glitterelf I am absolutely shocked at that hourly rate!! Totally agree, corners must be massively cut for that

It was done at the kids pre school.

I was a bit the first time they handed me a bag full of shite but it's hardly the end of the world. If she's a good childminder then I'd just say fine.