Childminders club: advice needed

[Bonkerz]

Hi all.

Need some advice, its a 'what would you do?' question.

I mind for a girl age 2 and am friendly with her parents. Things have been getting gradually worse with the parents picking her up later and later. The contract says 8-5.30 but they havent been coming to get her till 6pm every night. At first i didnt say anything but its started to affect the time i spend with my son and im starting to resent having the little girl here till 6pm. They havent paid me any extra for the 2.5 hours extra per week but then i havent asked either!

Tonight i made a point of saying that after the easter holidays i will want to go back to the contracted hours. The mum looked like id asked her to pay me double every week! She has gone away upset and angry with me although she just said fine and left.

Im dreading tomorrow, do i back down and let them continue to take advantage OR do i show the contract and point out that they wrote the hours in not me and then point out that they wont find a nother childminder for the same price as me(i charge almost 75p per hour less than all the others!) and risk losing the family and friend!

It's not at all unfair to ask them to stick to the contracted hours. You could give them the choice of either collecting at 5.30 every day, or paying the extra til 6pm. But you weren't expecting to work til 6 when you did the contract, so you are within yours rights to refuse. None of us cms mind extra bits occasionally if asked, but IMO they really are taking advantage of you. Good luck.

I am so angry for you

I had same thing last year and in the end dismisssed them

I admire you for speaking up

Why can parents not understand our time with our own children is important

And we really resent their children and them if we are taken advantage of in this way

I would deffo go for the contrated hours

Time is worth more than pence IMHO

I would reather have the extra 30 mins

BUT THEY SHOULD PAY YOU FOR THE TIME THIS LAST WEEK

Do you have her coat on and waiting at doorstep?

I would say that next time that you have to go out and that you NEED HER TO ARRIVE ON TIME

I would rather have the time too! Maybe you could offer some and some if necessary (ie. some days 5.30 finish, other days 6pm). You would have to make it clear that you need to know in advance AND get paid for the extra hours. I think we would all be angry at this situation. Be strong!

They make you feel guilty for asking for what is rightly yours anyway...

The exact same situation happened with me before Xmas.

I had to give the parents notice and I feel glad I did.

They are just taking the piss.It's a business you are offering, not a favour.

And raise your prices, girl! Don't undersell yourself.

She's on to a good thing isn't she! Whats to stop her coming at 6:10 after easter, and 6:30 in the Summer? Supposing you were booked on an evening course or had tickets/table booked for an evening out?

If you want to do longer hours then offer to renew the contract as per the longer hours. If you haven't got a late collection fee then do think about introducing one. I charge £5 per half hour between 8am -6pm and £5 per fifteen minutes after 6pm. (Actually I haven't charged it yet - everyone is on time!)

If you don't want to work after 5:30 then tell her you made the agreement on the understanding the child would be collected at 5:30, if she can't get there by 5:30 she must arrange for someone else to collect her child or find another childminder.

Its so easy to not say anything the first time something like this happens. As you've found, though, the parent doesn't realise that its a problem and goes on and on. Before I introduced my late collection fees I had one parent turn up at 7:30 pm (I was expecting him at 6pm). I asked if there was a lot of traffic. "No, not really" he said. No explanation, no apology. I was so dumbfounded I didn't say anything else, just calculated the fees for the time used and wrote it all on the attendance form. Then I discovered a local nursery charges £5 per 5 minutes when you are late, so I thought I'd do something similar.

thanks everyone. It is hard and i know ive made them cross but i dont care. My son goes to bed early and moving his bedtime is NOT an option as he needs his sleep. I dont want to work till 6pm and just hope that they have listened. She wasnt picked up till 5.50 tonight and her dad walked in and said 'come on lets go' in a stroppy way and left. For the past 3 months i have felt abit peed off at the situation adn have had her coat and shoes on by 5.30. I also tidy all toys away and put tv on at 5.30 hoping this was a clear message!! They didnt twig!!

Contract is due for renewal in april so will sort that after easter and will chat with them. Problem is that she starts playgroup in september and ive found the playgroup, organised it all and parents are taking her and i need to pick her up at 11.45 which is fine but they are expecting a discount and i cant do it! Have told them if they want her to come to me at 1pm then fine but i cant reduce my fees as i cant fill a space in the morning! !! I just think this could get nasty and it makes me sad cos i do them a huge favour!!

You can't win can you.......could you fill her space easily?

You might just have to write it off as a lesson learnt (iykwim)

It's rotten when it breaks down-stick to your guns about the discount

I am fuming for you

To be late again today

Make it £5 per 5 mins

Bonkerz, this isn't fair on you.

You know these parents are taking the piss.

Don't wait till Easter, decide what you will be saying to them this weekend and discuss it on Monday.You'll feel better when you feel you've taken control over the situation.

Good luck and we are ALL behind you!!