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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 Cancelling - How Often Is Too Often?

23 replies

mummylikescake · 25/03/2009 11:09

Our DS (aged 3) has been going to a childminder since last summer for two afternoons a week. The childminder has a young child of her own as well as other mindees. In the time that our DS has been going to her she has cancelled between 10-15 times (don't have exact figure to hand) due to illness of herself or her own child. I go out to work and DH works from home - he can manage looking after DS if she cancels but obviously it isn't ideal (that's why we use her services after all!). DH is feeling that we should look for another childminder, but I don't know if the same would happen with anyone. Is this number of cancellations normal and just part of the territory with a childminder? DS is very happy there and we have another baby on the way so we may well need to continue with her services in the future. Grateful for any advice from those more experienced!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

HarrietTheSpy · 25/03/2009 11:14

Ten to fifteen times?! That is just a joke. If our nanny did that I would dismiss.

JenniPenni · 25/03/2009 11:39

I am a CM and this is certainly not part of the territory! I would have a chat with her about how her cancellations affect you and see what she says.

RachieB · 25/03/2009 11:57

OMG ! thats ridiculous!]
of course people get ill but ........

My CMer has never cancelled my sons session due to illness ( or any other reason!)

and myself as a nanny, have never not turned up due to mine / my sons illness

look elsewhere!

BradfordMum · 25/03/2009 12:02

In 14 yes of. Bildminding I can count on one hand the times Ive had to cancel. These were all due to funerals and never illness or just wanting a day off. She is giving childminders a bad name

Rachmumoftwo · 25/03/2009 12:04

I would look for someone more reliable to be honest. My childminder only cancelled twice in three years. Maybe she thinks it is OK becuase your DH works from home, but it isn't.

dempsie · 25/03/2009 12:05

it is extreem- do you pay for sickness?? you need to find a reliable childminder. what area are you in?

CottageChicken · 25/03/2009 12:07

Do either she or her DS have a chronic illness? If so, I'd probably cut a bit more slack but if not it's absolutely unacceptable. I'm presuming she's probably canceling for every sneeze or sniffy nose, which is ridiculous. Have a chat with her and if she doesn't seem compliant or adamant it will change, I would move on.

becj53 · 25/03/2009 12:10

In 4 years of CMing I have had 2 days sick (d&v) and 1 day for my Nans funeral, I'd look for somone else tbh, especially if you've got another one on the way!

HSMM · 25/03/2009 12:25

In 10 years minding, I have had 3 days off sick. It may just be bad luck on her side and may never happen again - but you will know better than me. When my DD (age 9) is ill, I give the parents a choice whether they want their children to come or not. If she is ill, then she is in her bedroom and out of contact with the minded children (but I could still pass it between them). If one of us is ill, I do not charge for children who don't come. Whenever possible, when I am off for illness, or holiday, I try and arrange cover for the children with another childminder.

PixiNanny · 25/03/2009 12:40

Jeez. In the past year, 6 months at PGL and 5 months nannying, I've had not even a day off for illness, just half a day, and that was yesterday morning because on Monday I was so ill that I couldn't move (the kids, 8 & 12, were fantastic by the way!) and because of that I had yesterday morning off as I went downstairs and MB sent me straight back upstairs to get more sleep! 10-15 times is stupid and if she were in any other job she would have been fired by now!

Bramshott · 25/03/2009 12:45

My childminder probably cancels once every 4-6 months. If they have a young child of their own, then that's two people's illnesses to take into account (and childminders do tend to pick up a lot of bugs by the nature of their work!), but 10-15 times sounds like a lot of cancellations.

BradfordMum · 25/03/2009 12:52

Sorry but I disagree about childminders picking up all sorts of bugs. I certainly don't and think I have a stronger immune system because Ive been in contact with so many bugs!

PixiNanny · 25/03/2009 13:02

BradfordMum, I think you're completely right, however, in the first yearor two of working with kids people tend to pick up various things they haven't been exposed too (or if they have it was a while ago) so carers are technically more likely to get ill during this period of time whilst their immune system builds up.
That's what I was told when I started my nursery voluntary work a few years back anyways and I think it's somewhat true. I caught one or two colds/infections before I was somewhat 'immune' to them, which is fine by me

This statement relatively true for anyone else?

JenniPenni · 25/03/2009 13:04

I catch things from the kids too now and again - am asthmatic, so more prone.

popperdoodles · 25/03/2009 13:44

I've only been cm a year but have never had to cancel due to my own illness. I have 3 children and they have been ill. Luckily it has been colds and virus type things and not d&v so I have given the parents the choice whether to come or not. Sometimes they choose to stay away and other times they still come.
Does seem like your cm is calling sick alot. I have had 2 or 3 colds this winter and if i had worked in an office or something I probably would have called in sick but I have just dosed myself up or cold and flu meds and carried on. You could argue that is the wrong thing to do as I will give it to all my little mindees, but they probably gave it me in the first place!

Blondeshavemorefun · 25/03/2009 14:21

10 to 15 times

find a new cm asap

you are lucky dh can work form home and look after ds, but sure if he couldnt then you would have changed cm a long time ago

geraldinetheluckygoat · 25/03/2009 14:30

I picked upa a lot of vomiting bugs from one child when i first started, who used to be sent to me even when shed been sick, and the family wouldnt tell me!!
I havent had that much illness, id say average of two to three days a year inthe eight or so years ive been minding, and a few of those are for severe morning sickness (where i vomited blood and hadto go to a and e) and other pregnancy related problems over two pregnancies.
If shes had a lot of stomach bugs, or her child is, she SHOULD be closed for two days after the last occurrence, so if shes been unlucky enough to have been ill or her child has with these types of illnesses, then i guess that could ramp up the number of sick days shes had.
But i agree it sounds alot. It all depends what the illnesses were, i think...

susiey · 25/03/2009 17:19

it sounds like a lot of illness to me considering you only go 2 afternoons a week.

I would look for a new childminder or at least talk to her about it.

I ahve used 2 different cm and think there has only been 1 sick day in 3 years both have children of their own.

thebody · 25/03/2009 17:31

way to much illness for one cm, find someone else, does she charge you for it?

underpaidandoverworked · 25/03/2009 18:11

I only cancel for d & v. If my own children are ill, I let parents know and then give them the choice whether or not to send DC. Geraldine - have had this lots - child obviously unwell, they insist they're fine then up comes breakfast (then I catch same bug!). Until xmas last year, I'd only taken 1 day in 3yrs then DS pickd up d & v from nursery and was ill so had to cancel for 2wks.

I'd have a chat with her - does she not have a 'back-up' cm incase she is ill?

Original poster

mummylikescake · 25/03/2009 19:56

Thanks everyone - no, she doesn't charge if she cancels (luckily) and once or twice she has given us the option of bringing DS anyway (though I feel in a bit of a half hearted way, I imagine because she knows that we won't bring him if her child is ill). Unfortunately she has no back up or arrangements with another childminder. I don't think that she's trying it on and am sure that it's genuine illness, there just seems to be an awful lot of it! I'm not aware of it being diagnosed chronic illness, but her child has just started at school so perhaps he's just picking everything up!

As Rachmumoftwo has said, perhaps she sees DH's working arrangement as a convenience, but the fact is that he is 'at work' and unfortunately (and perhaps unlike a number of other people)we don't have family nearby who can take up the slack in the event of cancellation. I'll speak to her and explain just how inconvenient it is, but then if no change I think we'll have to look for someone else. Thanks again.

OP posts:

georgimama · 25/03/2009 19:59

Find another CM - one who is in a network so they can sort out emergency cover if ill.

My CM has never cancelled in 6 months (and DS goes 4 full days per week) and she has an 8 year old of her own plus other mindees. Yours sounds a bit, well, crap, tbh.

nomoreamover · 27/03/2009 11:15

This is what happens when parents keep sending their sick children to the childminder. I have barely been well these past 3 months (although I have worked through it rather than take time off) and its starting to really annoy me.

Parents are quick to slate us when we have to cancel due to illness yet continue to send their unwell children to us without considering the health of other children in the setting, as well as our own families.

OP I am not suggesting you have done this - I am responding to the "quick to judgers" who have responded to you

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