OOps

[itbird]

Have a childminder for daughter aged 4 at childminder for two days a week, childminder wants to take her children and mindees to a theme park this week on a day when my girl will be there -so thing is childminder has free tickets for her kids, i would have to pay £17 for a wrist band - but the thing is i can get free tickets for the place due to the where i wrok so if i was going i could get two adults and two kids in for zilch, but now i have to pay for a wrist band and pay for the childminder plus pocket money for an ice cream - what are my options - going myself isnt an option - should i tell childminder that she cant go but then i have to get some one else to look after her - aaah what shuold i do ? please help and tell me what you girls do with such situations

i would get free tickets for the childminder to use bet she would be so grateful she could even take another childminder with her for free then

Think it is very unfair of the childminder to organise an expensive outing like this when your child is the only one who has to pay. What happens if you tell her you simply can't afford it? I assume that in order to get free tickets yourself, you have to actually be present? Otherwise, I would just arrange some vouchers for her.

yes i have to go to the ticket booth with my id to get admission - umm am having two weeks off at the end of august so she could have arranged it then but i dont know what the reason is for going this week

I think she should have asked you a while in advance to be sure that you were ok with that. I dont have any children, im a nanny but i think i would ask you to pay half and i'd pay half meaning that her child would be half price and your child would be half price, i think that seems fairer.

As a cm I do organise one sometimes 2 big outings during the summer holidays, and I ask for a contribution from the parents, but I give lots of notice of these and, like I said, I ask for a contribution. Most of the time I can get vouchers for these outings anyway so they don't have to pay.

I think asking for the full price from you is unfair, and on top of that asking for you to pay full whack when the rest going are free is unfair. I think a cm paying £17 for everyone to go on a day out to a theme park is a bargain!!

I would speak to cm and just tell her that you can't really afford full price plus spending money, but you can get free tickets for 2+2 and would it be possible to arrange the outing for when your off work. She might agree to change the date or only ask for a contribution instead. See what she says.

I think it also depends on what you have already said to the childminder when she asked you, have you agreed to it and are now changing your mind? If so i don't think it would be far to now say no when it has been planned.

what happens if you say you dont want your child to go? did she ask you first whether you were happy for her to take them?

This is exactly the reason why I don't pass the costs on to parents of trip.....if I were you I would say you can't afford it, but you can't have the time off........and see what she says! She may well have to swallow the cost herself

my contracts state that any trips over 2.50 are paid by parents. i dont always bill them for trips but when there is a biggy i do. but i always make the suggestion in advance and see whether they agree. some people dont like theme parks.

i normally pay for any activities and give money for ice cream, wasnt given much notice was told yesterday when i bumped into her, the park doesnt operate advance tickets you show up flash your iD and get the bands, i said that i would give her my id and she could sort the ticket out when she gets there, to be honest they dont really look at id so i think that is what we will do and hope that they dont check . I think it is fair for her to absorb some of the cost given that she is employed to mind on that day and the outing is her suggestion - you cant have it all ways can you

she should have given you much more notice.

she shouldnt expect you to be able to pay, nor should she have booked it on a day your child is there unless you had def said your lo could go

did you say if you hadnt got free passes you would be paying for herr??

how old is your lo? would she not be free?/cheaper?

We had a similar situation with a previous CM. Her suggestion was that the total entry cost was split evenly between all the children (including hers) so we all paid a small amount.

I thought this was very fair.

I def wouldn't pay £17 for a 4 year old child.

were going to the doctor who museum tomo entrance is £5 per child and £8 per adult. we are going on the train which will be about £4 per child and by bus which is £1 each way

i have asked parents for £6 per child towards the cost which i think is fair as i have to pay for myself and my 2 boys (who hate dr who but have to come with me)

for the rest of the week we have done parks etc for free

Love2sleep good idea will suggest this tonight. she is lovely and i hate to moan about it - thanks for all of your ideas and comments , hope the sun comes out for you all x