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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Childminder always late

24 replies

casey19 · 16/09/2021 16:12

Hello just looking for some advice. My childminder is suppose to pick my little boy up every Thursday @9am but most of the time she doesn't get to him till 930/40, she doesn't drop him off any later he still gets dropped off at usual time @4pm (sometimes she comes at 3:50) she gets paid every month up front so the hours she's late or early drop offs she's already been paid for, she sometimes texts to ask if she can change his days one week which I don't mind but my partner says I'm too soft, do you think the time she is late is a big deal? She is so lovely and my son loves her, I just have my partner in my ear constantly telling me to mention it to her but I don't know what to do!

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TooBigForMyBoots · 16/09/2021 16:14

She is taking the piss. Have you spoken to her about her flakiness?

DeletedByAccident · 16/09/2021 16:15

Are you needing to work? Does her turning up late not impact your day?
I wouldn’t be happy paying full fees when she was constant having him X amount of time short every week.

SalsaLove · 16/09/2021 16:15

Definitely mention it to her. She’s paid for a 9am start. But find out why she seems to be struggling to make it on time. It might be out of her control and she needs to change her hours.

SirChenjins · 16/09/2021 16:18

Definitely have a word with her - she's taking advantage of your good nature. If she's having problems getting there on time and you can change her hours to accommodate that then that's a solution, but she's being very cheeky if she thinks that it's OK for you to pay her for 2.5 hours per week/10 hours or 1.5 days a month, that she's not actually working.

PragmaticWench · 16/09/2021 16:20

Does she give a reason for being late? She's hugely taking the piss.

glitterelf · 16/09/2021 16:21

Does your childminder do school drop offs ? How far does she travel to you to collect your little one ?
I'm a childminder and this is why I do not offer pick ups and drop offs because I would have to factor in school runs, traffic and other parents dropping off their children. You should definitely speak to her maybe suggest a pick up time of 9.30-4.30 instead. You could always deduct her lateness from the next invoice.

Catmummy5 · 16/09/2021 16:21

Aren't you able to drop him at hers, why does she collect him? Surely with other children being dropped off at Childminder's at different times this must be difficult to stick to a specific collect time for your child.

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 16/09/2021 16:22

It depends if it impacts you for working. If not then I’d just ask her if it would be easier to change the hours as she seems to find it tricky to get to you on time

Talipesmum · 16/09/2021 16:22

I would say that while that sounds v annoying, you are v lucky to find a childminder who will collect and drop off - in my experience most don’t do that, you have to take your children to them. So I’d bear that in mind - why is she late? Is she doing school run? Etc.

saraclara · 16/09/2021 16:26

I have never heard of a childminder doing pick ups and drop offs. Do you need this? Because she wouldn't have the option of being late if you were there at her door at 9 and picking up at 4.

If she's doing a school drop off, can you meet her there at 9 with your son?

TeenTitan007 · 16/09/2021 18:12

I had a piano teacher who did this. 1 hour lesson and she'd leave on the dot. But she would be 5-10 minutes late every now and then. I didn't mind so long as she did the whole hour but she didn't.
So I asked her to reduce the lessons to 45 minutes. She didn't want to. But, she was never late again!

Original poster

casey19 · 17/09/2021 10:04

@Catmummy5 I used to drop him off but she then offered to drop him off as it's easier for her just to collect him from me and head straight out to do activities with him. The other 3 kids she has get to her for 8am so there is no lap over with my little boy. I have since offered again to drop him off to which she has refused as she finds it's easier to pick him up

OP posts:

Monsoon92 · 17/09/2021 10:07

But she clearly doesn't find it easier to pick him up You don't have to do her any favours, do what works best for you.

Original poster

casey19 · 17/09/2021 10:08

@Talipesmum I know I'm very lucky I have a Childminder willing to pick him up and drop him off but I was originally dropping him off at 9am as it's a nice little walk for us in morning, but she asked if she could pick him up and drop him off as it's easier for her to just get him form mines and take him to activities and then drop him off when they are back. I have since said again I'll drop him off to which she rejected. I really wouldn't mind her being late if she made up for the time but she isn't and doesn't take it off next invoice

OP posts:

Whinge · 17/09/2021 10:08

I have since offered again to drop him off to which she has refused as she finds it's easier to pick him up

Don't offer, you're not doing her a favour. Going forward you need to tell her that you'll be dropping him off. She doesn' get to refuse something as normal as you dropping him off, especially as she is often 30 - 40 minutes late picking him up from yours. You're paying her for a service she isn't providing, and I agree with your partner that you're being too soft.

Original poster

casey19 · 17/09/2021 10:10

@Whinge thank you so much for your honesty, I think sometimes you need the advice from other people to see there is a problem. I will tell her going forward I will be dropping him off at 9am and picking him up at 4pm.

OP posts:

NuffSaidSam · 17/09/2021 10:21

If she was 5/10 minutes late I'd be inclined to let it go, but 30/40 minutes is crazy.

The reason it's easier for her to pick him up/drop him off is because she's working 30/40 mins a day less than she should be!

Keep it kind and polite, but you do need to be firmer on timing.

Winemewhynot · 17/09/2021 10:26

I’d say you’ll be dropping off from now as her arriving 40mims late daily is affecting your day.

Underpaidsnackbitch · 17/09/2021 10:27

5 minutes late here and there is nothing but to regularly be 30 to 40 minutes late for something you're being paid for is not good.
Is this lateness impacting on work for you?
I think I'd give two choices here, either you go back to dropping him off at 9am or you keep the pick up arrangement and adjust the time to 9.30 and pay her accordingly.

glitterelf · 17/09/2021 11:13

Why has she got 4 children ? Does she have an assistant with her ?

RevolvingPivot · 17/09/2021 11:18

She clearly can't manage to get all the kids ready and out the door in time. Either she needs help or less kids.

TheWayTheLightFalls · 17/09/2021 11:32

What a pain.

Have you mentioned it to her? Does she know it's an issue for you?

I'd suggest any of:

you drop off
she can collect later, but adjust the return time accordingly
she can collect later, but it reflects in a refund in the following month's fees
she actually works her agreed hours.

Enwi · 17/09/2021 21:32

@glitterelf there’s dozens of reasons she could have 4 children, for one the EYFS is very flexible on childminder ratios (so long as you stick to never having more children under 8) and allows changes to conditions of registration for reasons such as continuity of care for new siblings, extra days, swapping days, and a whole host of other reasons. 2. You don’t know how old the children are. They’re arriving at 8 so could easily be school age.

glitterelf · 17/09/2021 22:18

[quote Enwi]@glitterelf there’s dozens of reasons she could have 4 children, for one the EYFS is very flexible on childminder ratios (so long as you stick to never having more children under 8) and allows changes to conditions of registration for reasons such as continuity of care for new siblings, extra days, swapping days, and a whole host of other reasons. 2. You don’t know how old the children are. They’re arriving at 8 so could easily be school age.[/quote]
I'm aware of the rules hence why I asked because the parent should be aware of the ratios and if having 4 children is impacting the childminder fulfilling her contract then there may be other issues.

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