Am I messing Nursery about by constantly changing days?

[HelpImStuck]

This is horribly boring but please could at least one person try to understand it & say whether I'm being fair/unfair to change hours yet again. Am I asking too much or am I demanding my rights as a long-term paying customer?

June 2003 - ds Monday Wednes Fri

Sep 2004 - ds Monday Wednes Thur
(I started college)

Nov 2005 - ds Monday Wednes
(I went on maternity leave)

Sep 2006 - ds & dd Mon Tues Wed Thur
(I went back to college)

Also during this time had:
6 wks of ds & dd Full-time short-term arrangement and
School hols - no childcare needed but paid retainer of 2 days

Sept 2007 - dd Full-time
(Me at college, ds now at school)

Jan 2008 - Am changing to part-time study, want 2 days per week but with option of increasing this from Sept to 2.5 or 3 (not studying May-Sept inclusive so don't want to pay excessively for that)

Or I book 2.5 days and try for discount during school holidays. (think this option is fairer on nursery & probably likely to give me better chance of negotitating school hols discount)

And would like option of increasing to full-time when I go on placement - 10 weeks Feb - Apr 2009 & 15 weeks Sep - Dec 2009.

If anybody has managed to get this far without getting too confused or falling asleep - well done & thank you!!!!

Are the nursery complaining about the changes ?

Can be a little confusing for nursery and child but shouldn't be a problem as long as you give enough notice and they can fit you in.

I doubt you are nursery's favourite parent and you have no "right to demand" changes. You can ask nicely - and nursery can refuse, if spaces are already taken by parents with a more regular diary.

Thanks S101, you've saved me from the embarassment of an unanswered thread . The nursery haven't complained, just guilt on my part as I know they're a business & need to make money.

Looks like I'm ok to carry on being awkward until they say different

Oooooooohhhh! Just talked to dp, he said go for 3 days, negotiate about school hols & use the extra day for studying/time for me. Result!!

Feel like that last post makes me sound a bit self-centred - I also work 2 nights a week, so get back home in time to have breakfast and take children to school. So probably need a bit of time to catch up on sleep, food shopping.

You are paying for the service. As long as you give them notice and they have the spaces, I can't see where the problem is.

Good luck with your course.

L

We are very fortunate to have a flexible arrangement with our nusery. DH's work is rostered and nursery are very sympathetic to parents who work shifts. As long as we let them know a month in advance and we book at least two sessions (half days) a week. I know this is extra admin on their part but we are very grateful that they don't disciminate against parents who don't work a regular 9 - 5 job. This saves us a huge anount of money. So I think flexibility is very possible as long as it is agreed in advance. I don't think you are self-centred at all.

I used to work in a nursery and I have to say it was a royal pain when parents changed their days.

There has to be a staff child ratio dependent on the age of the child, so if you switch your day to one where there are more younger children, the staffing needs to change accordingly.In a small setting this is tricky!

This may not be the set up in your nursery. But I do not think parents realise the amount of organisiation private nurseries have to do to accomodate all the cildren.

A bit, but if you're still paying they'll be happy. Bear in mind they may not always have the spaces you want.

i am amazed that you can change shifts and negotiate like this - we need a months notice at my DS's nursery for any change in sessions

if you can do it and they can accomodate it happily, then sounds reasonable

You're vvvvvv lucky we have no ability to change sessions unless we personally find someone to share with.
I'm sure they would have told you if it was too much