|
Post by martianshavelanded on Oct 14, 2007 11:43:30 GMT
How many of you stay open over the Christmas holiday period?
If you stay open how do you work the payments from parents?
I am still unsure as to stay open or close for the week.
If I close will have quality time with my own however no payment of fees. However if I stay open may only have one turn up if any as the others I know would stay at home with parents.
What would you do take a gamble, stay open and get paid? Or just close and enjoy time off?
xx
|
|
|
Post by littlesprogs on Oct 14, 2007 13:43:05 GMT
if you stay open you could charge more for christmas week to make it worth it for you maybe.
I wont beworking over christmas as i live on a RAF base and the raf are alszy and dont work over christmas so the chances are i wont be needed anyway.
Actually if you are open over christmas and they dont need you can you still charge them half fee lke you would for a holiday?
|
|
|
Post by lorraine2767 on Oct 14, 2007 15:13:24 GMT
HI
I don't open over christmas and new year I like to spend time with the family and even though I lose alot of money sometimes you have to not think about it or you would never close at all.
It is upto you though just ask the parents if they need you over the christmas period and see what they say.
Lorraine xx
|
|
|
Post by vik3000 on Oct 14, 2007 15:46:59 GMT
I'm planning to work up till the Friday before the big day (which is a Tuesday this year), and at least that way I'll have the weekend plus one day to get myself organised. Will probably reopen around the 3rd Jan (Thursday).
Also youngest son will have his 3rd birthday on the 18th too.
|
|
|
Post by fionamal on Oct 14, 2007 17:07:03 GMT
I am closing over Xmas and Newyear as i want to spend some quality time with my own family as they are only 3 and 4 and xmas is their time.
Money isnt everything although it does help , but family comes first.
|
|
|
Post by rasharoon on Oct 14, 2007 18:52:20 GMT
I only work with two sets of parents and one of those is a school teacher so with her two girls, as I'm off from 5.30pm on the 21st December and having two weeks holiday (can't wait), I won't be charging her but with the other parent, I will be charging her half fee. (hope that makes sense).
|
|
|
Post by littlesprogs on Oct 14, 2007 19:18:32 GMT
How come you charge one parent and not the other?
|
|
fruitbat
Silver Member
Registered since September 2002
Posts: 25
|
Post by fruitbat on Oct 14, 2007 19:50:06 GMT
Apart for Christas, Boxing and New Years days I work the rest. This year I'm lucky as Mondays my day off so I get Christmas Eve and New Years Eve with just my family. However, a couple of years ago I had one child on Christmas Eve until 6 pm. I always take my kids to a crib service late pm so she had to come too. Everyone else thought it a little strange her parents didn't have her (they'd spent the day at home getting ready for Christmas) but anyone who know the parents would understand. I'm sure most of my parents will have their children at home but there will be an odd one or two who'll have to work.
|
|
fruitbat
Silver Member
Registered since September 2002
Posts: 25
|
Post by fruitbat on Oct 14, 2007 19:53:55 GMT
Oh and I don't charge any extra to have my mindees between Christmas and New Year but if they don't come they still pay me.
|
|
|
Post by lesley on Oct 14, 2007 19:58:44 GMT
When the school breaks up, so do I. I return the day they go back. But I do have a busily time with the twins birthday on Christmas eve - 6 this year and then my step-daughter son's birthday on the 27th - he will be 2. Its all party -party.
Lesley
|
|
|
Post by rasharoon on Oct 14, 2007 20:14:27 GMT
Little Sprogs - in answer to your question.
With the parent who is a teacher, my contract with her states that although I don't have her two girls over any school holidays, she is to pay me a retainer fee of half the weekly amount BUT as it is me taking the holiday - I am not allowed to charge her (think it states this on the back of the contract with NCMA). With the other parent (who isn't a teacher), my contract with her states that should I have holiday (5 weeks a year), she is to pay me half fee and vice versa for her.
I work it that I charge a half fee for the 5 weeks holiday I take per year. When the parents have holiday - during school holidays - again they pay me half fee (retainer) and if they take holidays when no school holidays are due then they are to pay me full fee (blimey - I hope this makes sense).
Rachelle
|
|
|
Post by charleyfarley on Oct 14, 2007 20:36:01 GMT
I don't tend to book time off at xmas / new year.
Work days that parents need me any others that are contracted for I charge for.
Would quite happily work xmas day if needed as the more the merrier in my house.
Can't guarantee I'd be doing all the obs and paperwork though
Carol xx
|
|
|
Post by manjay on Oct 14, 2007 21:39:23 GMT
If by some remote chance I am registered before Christmas (who am I trying to kid) and if I am lucky enough to have any children to mind, I have written it into my policies that I will always be off between Christmas and New Year.
It is just something I have always been able to do whilst working and I would hate to change it now. I have always used the excuse that I have young children but as I have been using this for 15 years it is wearing a bit thin!!!
Amanda xx
|
|
|
Post by susi513 on Oct 15, 2007 18:17:50 GMT
I close from xmas eve to new years day inclusive, at 1/2 fees. I also close for a week at Easter at 1/2 fees. As its the same every year parents have plenty of time to make other arrangements if they need to but many of my mindees are termtime only anyway. Only one parent has ever objected to my charging while being unavailable at xmas. And when I explained the alternative was to remain open and charge everybody full fees regardless of whether they attended he quickly changed subject. Because he didn't want me to work, just wanted me to drop the fee, but realised he was better off paying 1/2 fees after all. I'd rather take the drop in fees and enjoy the time off.
|
|
|
Post by mel on Oct 17, 2007 7:23:54 GMT
I am taking Christmas day to the end of the week off. I don't work on Mondays at the minute so that will be a full week. I will charge for Christmas day and Boxing day as they are bank holidays and then take 2 days off unpaid. I will also be off new years day as that is a bank holiday too.
Mel x
|
|
|
Post by rubybubbles on Oct 17, 2007 12:33:02 GMT
if you stay open you could charge more for christmas week to make it worth it for you maybe. I wont beworking over christmas as i live on a RAF base and the raf are alszy and dont work over christmas so the chances are i wont be needed anyway. Actually if you are open over christmas and they dont need you can you still charge them half fee lke you would for a holiday? I'm the same finish on 20th and start back 3rd - we take it as 'unwritten hol' so both myself and the parents get a good break! My choice and when I get out into the 'real world' I will only take a few days off (as it will have to count as hol, where now it isn't, so get more than my 4 weeks ;D ;D) But I am lucky as hubby on a good wage so for 2 weeks family time it doesn't hurt too much
|
|
|
Post by buildingblocks on Oct 18, 2007 12:45:29 GMT
This year I finish on the Friday before Christmas and reopen on the first day in January after the Bank Holiday (last year if I remeber rightly I got the 1st and 2nd off).
normally I finish on December 23rd as I won't work Christmas Eve after the first year when parents took the mickey and I ended up working until 6pm as they went shopping we'll be abck about 3pm (yes these were friends!!!!)
love Kate
|
|
|
Post by deeb66 on Oct 27, 2007 18:23:15 GMT
I normally only have Christmas Eve, Christmas day and Boxing Day and start back day after Boxing day.
However- this year will be different as I am going away over Christmas
Dee
|
|
|
Post by sj on Oct 30, 2007 19:25:37 GMT
I am going to be taking from xmas eve to new years day off (inclusive).
Sam
|
|
|
Post by susan on Oct 30, 2007 19:30:20 GMT
I have booked christmas eve, christmas day , new years eve, and new years day off and only have baby c who isnt term time only so will be quiet once school breaks up.
Baby c's mum has said she will look after him christmas week now also so thats a huge bonus will be off from the 21st till the 27th I think which will be nice xxx
|
|
|
Post by lizzy on Oct 30, 2007 22:21:55 GMT
i used to work between xmas and new year but now i always finish friday before xmas till kids go back to school. i charge half fee and get to spend time with my own kids. it's hard enough for them to share me rest of year never mind over xmas, oh and i get to decorate house while empty new year week. jane
|
|
|
Post by manjay on Oct 30, 2007 22:36:28 GMT
I have never known anyone decorate her house as much as Jane (lizzy). This is getting really confusing now, we had another lizzie join over the weekend so not only do I have to contend with the fact you are lizzy on here when your name is Jane but I have to check which Lizzie it is!!! Amanda xx
|
|
|
Post by june on Nov 3, 2007 8:58:35 GMT
We finish with and re-open with school. This is not classed as holidays. Just we are closed over festive period to spend time with family. Have done this for at least 10 years now and it seems to work . Mind you if we were asked to help out (some parents work shifts) we are sure we would. Just been lucky so far that we have not been asked. (we are not good at saying no . lol) June and Carolyn
|
|
|
Post by loum on Nov 3, 2007 13:32:31 GMT
I close from xmas eve to new years day inclusive, at 1/2 fees. Only one parent has ever objected to my charging while being unavailable at xmas. I don't understand how you can charge for times when you aren't available? Next Xmas ( doubt I'll be Registered for this one ) I'll work till 23rd Dec and then depending on if we are away or not, I will be back and available to work on 27th Dec , and off again NYE and NYD. Jan 2nd is a Bank Hol here too. The main days will not be charged for as I am unavailable, but the days in between I will be charging for - unless we are away, then they will be my holiday.
|
|
|
Post by manjay on Nov 3, 2007 15:25:18 GMT
Some minders charge half fees for their holidays. Personal choice again as most parents will be paid over christmas, depends what was agreed at original contract stage.
Amanda xx
|
|