Would you baby sit this little girl ??

[mummyloveslucy]

Hi, I'm not sure wether to agree to this or not. There is a little girl who lives down the road from us. She's in my daughters class at school. (reception) I've had her over to play several times and she's quite hard work. She's very loud and quite bossy. My daughter seems to like her and always gets excited when she knows she's comming around. The mum has asked if I'll have her for a few days a week during the holidays etc. She said she'd pay me £25 a day to do it. I said i would, but I also work for an agency, so I'd have to know the days in advance.
I don't know now if I've done the right thing or not? I know it'll be hard work as my daughter also gets hard to manage when she's with this girl.
I thought the money would come in handy, and I could spend time during the holidays with my daughter while being paid for it, but now I'm not so sure it'll be a good idea as I don't want this little girl's behaviour to rub off on my daughter.
I kind of feel that I have to now though as I've agreed.

Do you mean the half term or the summer?
If it's half term, you've left it too late to cancel and be fair.
If it's the summer, you could agree for a trial period of a day, and take it from there.
Or you could be firm and say no.
Just don't promise and withdraw at the last minute!

She means the summer, and then every holiday after that. It's tricky, as her daughter can do no wrong in her eyes, but she drives me mad! I'd have to get out with them both I think. I might even do some sort of reward chart where if I have to tell either one off, I remove a point and if they have 5 points removed, they won't get an ice cream. for example.
I think the trial day would be good, but if it didn't work, I'd have to say "Sorry, your daughter just drives me insane".

Trial sounds the way to go, and then complete honesty.
I'd be wary of a child that can do no wrong in its parents' eyes, so much room for disaster and disagreements. Don't get bulldozed into more than you want to do for £25 a day.

Sounds like the hassle is not worth the money.

are you registered? You have to be if you are looking after a child for money, don't you?

Your opt out reason is that taking reward for looking after a child, in your home, to whom you're not closely related for more than a certain number of hours (I think it's two) is actually illegal unles you're a registered childminder.

A few days a week? For six weeks? I think it's illegal if you are not a registered childminder (but are you, hence the agency reference?) How long is a day anyway? If its 8am to 6.30pm that's you getting up early, no summer lie-ins, your dd having an enforced companion, difficult to see other friends for playdates etc - no spontaneous family days. Think about the downsides as well as the up (up - £25 will more than cover three meals, but what if you go somewhere? Entrance fees, ice lolloies, souveneirs) What if she has an accident - are you insured? etc etc . Will name change to voice of doom.

I wouldn't do it. It sounds like a nightmare, aside from the fact that you need to be registered to do it.

As pp said, to look after this little girl on the terms that you've described you'd legally need to be a registered childminder. You have a perfect way out of the arrangement -- you've just realised that it would be illegal for you to do what she's asking. So long as you don't add "...because Mumsnet told me so when I told them how much I disliked your daughter" she can't really object.

Oh! I see, I'm not a child minder.

I think other mums at the school have done this for her. I didn't know it was illeagal. If I was a childminder, I'd probubly charge a bit more too. I think the hours would be from 8:30- 6:00.

That would be a perfect excuse, Thank you!!

She might say that no one has to know etc and that other mums have done it.

point her in the direction of the two policewomen and ofsted then. Also, if caught your other employer may not be happy (you could say).

I wouldn't do it for a number of reasons.

Be prepare for her to say she isn't bothered you are not a registered CM. Tell her you are.

I've just worked out the hourly rate of pay.
She'd have to eat dry bread, and water and not go anywhere!

Thanks everyone!

She's trying to get childcare on the cheap.

Ok I'm a childminder so you could say I have a vested interest but I have to say that if it doesn't go smoothly 10.5 hours is a very long day to be stuck with a child who your dd doesn't want to be with.

They very quickly start to squabble just like siblings. If you are not sure they get on for hours and hours on end then don't go there.

Why don't you give the number for your local family information service and suggest that she finds a proper childminder.

Yes it will cost her more money but if she's getting tax credits she could get a large chunk of it back. My rates are low because of where I live and even I'd charge over £36 a day for this.

The annoying thing is, she's loaded! She has no mortgage and owns a company. She's always moaning about how much things cost though.

I'll just say that I can't afford not to go to work as I earn much more than that working.

And God forbid should anything happen, you're not insured.

That is like, £2.50 per hour??
Hardly worth the money, when the girl is such hard work, even if it WAS legal.

I totaly agree!

It would be legal if you worked at hers as a nanny. £25 is shocking if she really wants you then she should be paying decent money.

why not point her in the direction of holiday playschemes. would definately be cheaper than a childminder and probably alot more exciting for her.
there are quite a few round my area, basic ones doing crafts/sports etc 8.30-6pm care at £15 per day and then there is a all singing all dancing one where theyve got a full timetable of exciting stuff like visits from secret world with animals, quad biking etc same hours £22-25 per day.

imo shed be better off doing something like that, I wouldnt pay £30+ a day for a childminder to (probably)do very little(in comparrison) when shes school age anyhow.

and holiday playschemes are ofsted reg so if shes eligable for TC she'd be able to claim some money back for the days attended.

I dont think you should go ahead with looking after her, sounds like too much hassle if the girl is hard work.

Thank you, the play schemes sound really good. It would probubly suit this little girl much better as she needs a lot of attention and entertainment. It seems really cheep too for the time they spend there.