CM CLUB advice please on a couple of issues (long sorry!)

[OFSTEDoutstanding]

Hi a couple of things have been playing on my mind now and I have noone to talk to in RL that is a cm so I thought I would come on here and ask you lovely people your opinions....

Issue 1..I currently mind 1 full time mindee who is almost 2yrs and my ds is at home as well full time almost 3yrs. The parents both work shifts and therefore we have agreed that they will pay me for 40 hours per week which can be spread over Monday-Friday and anytime from 8am-6pm (so basically they can use their 40hours any time in my 50hours of opening IYSWIM) This works really well for both of us and if they use more than 40 hours they pay the differnece the following week(has never happened I usually average out at about 32 hours a week) This is where I have a problem, the hours are always different and I never know frm one day to the next when they are dropping him off, they are very bad time keepers and therefore I can be up at 8am waiting for a drop off that doesn't happen until 11! They know it is only him and my ds until after school and if I ask for him at a certain time they are usually ok about getting him here. The problem is during school holidays I can have 4 older ones waiting for him to turn up before we can go out. My ds starts preschool soon and they have been told I leave at 8.45am if they are not here by then they will have to wait until I get home at 9.05. Do you think I am being unreasonable if I ask that on the days that he is coming he arrives to me by 9.30am regardless of what time they are starting work so that we can start our day, he misses out on so many things that happen in our town as they are all morning things and he is never here on time, or do you think I should just bite my tongue and think myself lucky that some days I am only working for the afternoon etc?

Issue 2..I have one of my afterschool mindees 2 days a week at a charge of £10 per after school session. For her £20 per week she gets collected from school on a Wednesday and driven 10 miles into town to be dropped off at an activity, left there with a pack up and mum meets her there (mum works in town so can't get her from school but is there in time to meet her at her activity.) On a Thursday she gets collected from school taken back to mine where I look after her for an hour give her her tea, then drive her another 10 miles into town for another activity where she is met by her mother. I was working out the other day that by the time I have driven the 40 miles per week for her activty runs taking with me the other 3 miindees who are all in fowl moods at having to get in the car, and I feed her twice I make about £8 of the £20 I get to care for her with fuel as expensive as it is. I am due to give birth in August and all I am thinking about is the fact that I will have to time the babies routine around her activity runs as we can be stuck in traffic for up to an hour so don't want to risk a feed too close to being in the car. I suppose what I am asking is would you give notice and say sod the £20 a week for the easier life and hope that you can fill the gap ASAP or would you keep her on even though the running around etc is making you exhausted?

Thanks for reading this sorry it was such a long post and if you are still awake I would love to hear your opinions!!!!

issue 1
i would tell parents the night b4 eirther in a note or vebal where you will be and at what times they then have the opp of bring child to you b4 school run or after. if you attend a toddler group get them to drop off there if they are running late

issue 2
you are very good taking her to activitys i wont even walk back to school (5 mins if that) to pick a child up if they have had dance/cricket the parents arrange an alterative arrangement as they understand that child is not my only one, i most deff would not drive that far with 3 mindees
i would just give notice to taking her to activitys but you are more than happy to have her after school in your own home

Issue 1 ... I had one like that, I stated in a Newsletter that was given to everybody,(so that they didnt feel 'picked' on and was amonsgt other things on it), that all children must be in by 8.30.

Any child that was not in by then, would not be minded that day, as we have activities and outings planned.

I still get the odd one late, but they do now phone to say thay are running late and have even been known to drop the mindee wherever we are, on a outing.

Issue 2...... I just wouldn't do it, I have schoolies who I have had since they were SAHmindees, when they started school I told parents I would'nt do after school activities, it wasn't fair on the new SAHmindees to have to be in the car that much.

(And if I did I would be charging a drop off petrol charge)

as mine do all arrive at different times the 8.30am approah wouldnt work for me but i dont wait for anybody all the parents know my routine and lucky for me i have never waited around for anybody to arrive

Thats my problem she knows that in the mornings I have no other mindees arrive I have no before schoolies and he is the only one I have during the day apart from my ds until 3pm.

i would speak to her and say you are NOW planning activites for the children as the nicer(not here!) weather has arrived..i wouldnt tell her when she should bring her LO, but that you will be leaving the house on these days by 8.45, if the children are not there, they will have to meet you elsewere..also our schools are off at end of this month, you could use the fact youll have extra mindees to re inforce this!?

second prob, id give notice, too much hassle and you're not able to keep everyone happy(the LO stuck in the car), i know £20 is £20 but when you're only making £8 out of it, its just not worth it.

Issue 1. I waited in all day once, kept phoning to be told child would be round in "about an hour" because xyz... In the end she decided not to bother coming. I had no other mindees that day and wasted the whole day not being able to do a thing because I was expecting the child to arrive soon.

I now tell parents that they are welcome to use as little or as much of their booked time as they like. However, I will continue my day as planned and will not wait in for late arrivals.* If they arrive later or collect earlier than the booked time they should call me to check where I am. They all have my mobile number and can easily find out where I am and when I expect to get back so they can choose to meet us or wait til I return.

• If they are usually prompt then I will call them and try to wait a bit longer than usual.

Issue 2. I would probably give notice too.

BTW think you're offering a bargain with your fees. My charges are £12 per after school session plus £2 dinner plus 40p per mile petrol. If I agree to take to an afterschool club I now explain that this will be reviewed regularly as I can only continue to do these trips where it does not adversely affect the care of the other children.

Knew I was charging too little for my after school care but the thing is it only went up at start of April so can't review again just yet can I?
My charges used to be £8 and then I was making nothing

You can review your charges when you want as long as you give notice.

I was in a similar situation in regards to issue 1. I simply told the parent that the child has to be there before 8.30 or i wont be back till 9:10, than if the child is not there by 9:30 than there is a chance i wont be in, as we cannot prevent all the other children from a days activites just because of one parents shift work.

On the other hand i appretiate that you took the child on under shift work and therefore would be best to write to parents your wish to review the contract. Maybe charge a weekly fee from e.g 8:30 till 5-6pm.

Issue 2.
I would Definatly give the child up or put fees up, I charge £22.50 per day to drop off and collect. Not a huge portion of Childminders will/can take on school runs. (the fact iS, petrol cost, time cost and unless you have children in the same school its a huge inconvenince). Especially for only 2 days a week and the face you have x amount of other children with you. Not worth it In my opinion

Good luck hun