CM Club: Need help with change of days / fees / retainer please (WWYD)

[leeloo1]

Ok, a parent I've signed contracts with (for a few months time) has now asked me if she can increase her days on alternate weeks, but is assuming she can just pay for the days on the weeks she is using them...

I don't know what to say to her, i could just say ok for an easy life - I probably wouldn't have taken an extra child on anyway, but if I needed to it'd be fairly impossible to fill the alternate days.

Does anyone know what's usual in this situation - should she pay full fees for the extra day each week? half-fee? no fee?

So a big WWYD??? Help please!

I would charge her for the days she wants every week. I can't afford to have empty slots. Back in the days when my DH had a 'real' job, I would probably have done the alternative weeks.

Sorry should have asked should she pay full /half/no fees for the day she doesn't use each alternate week?

Sorry if this is no clearer!

I'd say if she wants to reserve those sessions, she would have to pay for them every week, full fee (though would then obviously be able to use them every week too if she wanted). If she wanted to take her chances on you filling them with another child, offering extra sessions to other existing mindees,or choosing not to work at all that morning or afternoon then she could have an ad hoc arrangement where she just books and pays session by session for the "extra" slots (but probably at a higher rate)

minderjinx idea is good doing an add-hoc thing as and when needed.

You could give her the option of guaranteeing the days by paying full fees when using and 1/2 fee the other week.

Or if you need the work you could offer the days she needs but say that if someone else comes along wanting more sessions you can't guarantee to keep doing what she needs.