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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

WWYD with regards to this parent who is constantly late?

25 replies

GordontheGopher · 03/07/2008 07:05

I need to know if I'm being too anal!

Dad is supposed to pick up at 6. Always turns up 5,6,7 min late. On two occasions he has turned up at 6.10 and as agreed in my policy have charged him £10 a time late fee.

He's now suggested I change the pick-up time to 6.10pm so that he's not late! That's daft, right? Unfortunately they pay by the week as his mum does shift work, not by the hour so I can't charge an extra hour's pay.

I start at 8, and have to finish at 6 on the dot for my own sanity - have to make my own dinner, put ds to bed etc.

He's only late because of traffic - I said it was up to him to sort that out with work.

I have a feeling if I changed it to 6.10pm he'd start turning up at 6.15.

I really think it is not difficult to be on time!

Rant over!

OP posts:

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Shoshe · 03/07/2008 07:15

No your not being anal ( I know that some will come on here and say its only 10 mins)

By that time of day you need to have your home back and continually being late is such a annoyance.

If he really cant be there till that time make the contract till 6.15, but the real problem is not getting a hourly rate, I had this with a family that paid weekly, it was a nightmare. In the end I charged in arrears, (something I NEVER do, to risky,) but that way I charged for every minute, thay soon realised that being continually late cost them.

belgo · 03/07/2008 07:19

I imagine if you did change the time to 6:10, they would still probably be late.

I think you should charge for every five minutes he's late. (I'm not a child minder btw).

BradfordMum · 03/07/2008 07:26

Can you not say that after 6pm, any time is classed as overtime - therefor it'll cost them in addition to what they already pay?

I charge £3.5 per hour, but £5.00 an hour before 7am and after 6pm.

Hope this helps.

Sally x

Original poster

GordontheGopher · 03/07/2008 07:36

Ooh yes I'm liking that last suggestion Sally - and I charge £8 an hour overtime! It's difficult isn't it when you've built up a relationship with parents and they don't expect you to be all professional!

OP posts:

cupsoftea · 03/07/2008 07:40

It's not fair to change to 6.10 - charge extra when they're late. Put it in writing & make sure they sign it.

southernbelle77 · 03/07/2008 07:45

Its not anal, its bloody annoying when parents are late. I think you should say that any time after 6pm will then be charged at your overtime rate. We have to have a cut off time and being late cuts in to what little time you get to spend with your own family.

BecauseImWorthIt · 03/07/2008 07:47

Sorry, I'm not a CM but used to employ a nanny. For the first 3 years we shared our nanny with a succession of other parents, and this kind of behaviour makes my blood boil. Why do they seem to think that they are 'in charge' - they are treating you as if you are staff rather than someone who is running a business.

You have a professional contract with them that stipulates that they pick their child up at 6. Therefore the parents have to be there at 6. It's no different from them having to be at work by 9.

You have a right to have your own home back to be able to get on with your life.

I would state firmly that the hours of the contract that you agreed mean that they have to pick up at 6 and that it is their responsibiity to make sure that they do that. Yes, there is traffic on the road. We all know that - it just means that they will have to leave work earlier to avoid it.

Original poster

GordontheGopher · 03/07/2008 08:27

Thanks guys - I will have words today!

OP posts:

2point4kids · 03/07/2008 08:31

Depends what his contracted hours are at work though... if he has to work till 5.30pm and he always leaves on the dot of 5.30 to get to yours then theres not a lot he can do unless he wants to possibly lose his job!
I'd ask him if that is the case and if it is then you could put the pick up time to 6.10pm with a £10 charge if he is 6.15 or later plus say that you need to up their monthly fees by x amount to cover the extra time and inconvenience to you.

2point4kids · 03/07/2008 08:33

I dont think you are being anal btw - lateness is v annoying! just that he may be having to choose whethjer to pee you off or his boss and you are the easier option at,m!

ssd · 03/07/2008 08:34

gordon, you must do what suits you and your family (thats the reason you are childminding)

you can't work around his needs, you'd be all over the place if you started that

ssd · 03/07/2008 08:35

if 6 suits you thats the time you finish

his work/boss are his problems, don't let him make them yours

ssd · 03/07/2008 08:37

I had the exact problem with one parent too, the 6.15 soon became 6.30 and so our homework, bath time, stories started to run late.........

for an extra fiver? (or any amount)

no way

BecauseImWorthIt · 03/07/2008 08:40

If he can't finish work until a specific time, then he should have been up front about this from the beginning. IMO he is playing on your good nature and hoping you'll allow it - no doubt in his head "it's only 10 minutes". Point is, that's 10 minutes of your day.

2point4kids · 03/07/2008 08:49

I'm honestly not taking his side here, but if he does have to finish work at a certain time and allowed himself half an hour to get to you then he only knows now through experience that the traffic is a bit too heavy to get to yours in that time.

I do think its worth asking him the question because either way its in your interests to know where you stand.

If you absolutely do not want to work later than 6 ever, then yoiu need to know if he can leave work earlier or not. If he cant then you need to decide whether to keep the child on and increase your money to a rate that would make it worthwhile for you, or whether to give notice to them.
Lay out these 2 options clearly to the parents. If he can leave work earlier then he will in order to avoid paying lots more to you or losing you.
If he cant leave work earlier then you can decide which option to go for together.

If you say nothing or just keep on as you are then nothing will likely change.

Its not making his work/boss problems yours. Its finding out more information on something that may be unchangeable in order for you to make your job run more smoothly.

saltire · 03/07/2008 09:30

I used to get this all the time with the same mindee. She was either late dropping off in the morning - was paid from 8am - 6pm, sometimes she would saunter here at 8.50 and wonder why I wans't in. Then she often used to get here at 6.30, no apologies or anything. Ia lso had the problem that she would sometimes finsih work early, not tell me, then appear at 4.30 or similar!

imananny · 03/07/2008 09:56

bad time keeping is bloody rude and tbh very disrepectable to you IF it keeps happening, which in your case it does

agree with 2.4kids, maybe he does HAVE to work till a certain time, and then gets stuck in traffic,so you do have to be clear, he either will leave work early and get to you by 6pm OR you will have mindee for another 10mins BUT charge a whole hours fee OR you dont have that child

make it very clear that if you change time to 6.10 ( and def charge a bit extra each week)then if he is late then he still pays an hours overtime

I do the same as a nanny, different if mb rings and says sorry trains running late etc,but they will pay me overtime coz they are lovely

in another job, db was always 10mins, and it severley pissed me off, so i started charging hours overtime £10 every time he was a few mins late - he soon got the message

cupsoftea · 03/07/2008 10:02

this parents stick to your rules or they find another cm who doesn't mind being messed about

kkey21 · 03/07/2008 10:31

You are not being anal at all........!

I have a family who wanted to ensure this does not happen to them so they have paid me for a year and a half now from 7.30am until 6pm and i can honestly count on one hand the times it has actually been 6pm, the usual time is 5.30pm and i am always paid til 6pm....

Hence why i am working a few weekend hours for them for the standard hourly rate with no minimum hours as i feel they are more than fair to me and want to show i appreciate it.....

I understand completely you do not want to work past 6pm, but if the dad is to continue this anyhow maybe its in your interest to pen a letter stating that as from ...xxxx date you are happy to work until 6.10pm for £X per week extra, any time after this will be charged on top? Do state that you understand the situtaion however do have your family to think about and this seems the best solution.

love2sleep · 03/07/2008 11:09

I agree with all the others that they are being completely unreasonable and you should increase your late charges.

But also I think you should have a discussion about why you don't want to work any later. I'd hope that if he started to see it from your point of view and recognise that you are a mum as well as a CM then he might be a bit more considerate.

I suspect that in his eyes this is a really trivial issue and you have to make him see that from your point of view it is not.

Original poster

GordontheGopher · 03/07/2008 11:39

Argh I'm going to rant about the same parents on a different matter now! She turned up with him yesterday with a temp of almost 40 degrees. Obviously I sent him straight home.

She calls me today and explained that she's taken him to see the doc - he said it's not contagious therefore I should look after him. I said I do not look after sick children. She said she doesn't get paid if she has to take time off to look after him. I said that's not my problem! Why am I coming out as the bad guy?

I think I'll start another thread about how to give notice....

OP posts:

imananny · 03/07/2008 11:42

40 and sends child to CM - what a kind caring mum NOT*

waits for notice thread!!

Original poster

GordontheGopher · 03/07/2008 11:46

Apparently she didn't realise he was hot.

She's a nurse

OP posts:

imananny · 03/07/2008 14:10

what is the nhs coming to then, when a trained nurse doesnt know the signs and symptoms of a sick, high temp child

just read your other thresd - guess it is out of your hands now - wonder if she comes on here and reads?

amazonianadventure · 03/07/2008 14:30

my mindees mum arrived 40 mins late yesterday!! said it was cause she had to go to bank ofr money for me, she didnt even pay me all thats due!

im occasionally late in the morning as i drop off at school but only a few mins.

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