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Post by rasharoon on Nov 22, 2007 14:37:25 GMT
I'm not out to impress anybody with what I cook, just to get it right with what I cook and how much I charge. I used to pay a childminder a pound per day but I got what I paid for - sausages & chips/ pizza / fish fingers and Smash so I ran with what I knew from experience.
I admit that I got it wrong price wise as I've only been up and running for a couple of months but luckily for me, have an understanding parent. If the parent wasn't happy, then she has a tongue in her head to tell me so. If that was ever the case, then we could have sat down and had a chat about it as I am a very reasonable person. In fact, she agreed that it was still a reasonable price and understood why I put the price up. The new price is effective from when I do a new contract for her daughter from 1st January 2008. I'm hardly going to become rich on an extra £8 per week.
I appreciate everybody's constructive advice and my belief is that this forum is to help and support everybody where possible. I will not be drawn into any petty squabbles with 'thesmart'!!!
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Post by lorri on Nov 22, 2007 15:10:09 GMT
Come on thesmarts, we are a really friendly Forum who all support each other and get on, there's no need for people to start being funny. We barely know you and you're starting on people.
I think that salmon and prawns are unusual foods to provide for your mindees and they are very healthy - I don't think many childminders would go to the trouble of serving them. Rasharoon was not attacking you in her post, indeed she didn't say anything untoward at all and never has done, so why do you feel the need to mock her as that's how I see it?
I'm sorry I don't feel well today and may be getting upset about nothing (if I am, I apologise) but I just don't understand your attitude?
Lorri
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Post by thesmarts on Nov 22, 2007 15:39:46 GMT
Hi Lorri - Im not mocking rasharoon. I guess its hard to convey meaning when you are writing - even when using copius smilies!!! All I mean is that (as I have said before) salmon and prawns arent expensive!! They are healthy yes. So should we charge parents based on the healthy-ness of our meals rather than the actual costing? I dont know what areas you guys are in but in my immediate area the standards are high wrt the food we serve. So perhaps Im coming at it from the wrong perspective. If you are providing a better service than other minders in your area - then yes you should be charging more for it. Althogh I would still put it into the hourly rate rather than charging per meal. I mean - £1 for a snack??? Come on!!! Also - I was just reading another thread that mentioned how much people were charging p/h. One minder was charging as low as £2.70 p/h. I guess Im used to the fees we charge round here. I have to admit I didnt even know that people were charging so little. If that was my hourly fee - damn right I would charge extra for food!! Heh! Rasharoon - interesting how responses arent "petty" when they are agreeing with you eh? And its TheSmarts to you, okay lady?!
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Post by angeldelight on Nov 22, 2007 15:54:31 GMT
To our new member "thesmarts"
I really do not want to get into a debate on this subject here
We all have different views and that is fine
What I do not understand is your first line of conversation is ....
"Hi - I'm a newbie,and it seems a shame that I'm making my introduction by picking a fight. Never the less!! I'm going to!"
Why on earth would you want to be like that with a nice friendly bunch of childminders whom you do not even know ?
Please do not think " I am having a go at you " or " picking on you "
Just beats me why you would want to come to this thread with the full intention by your own admission " to pick a fight "
If you have a different opinion to everyone else that is fine and we all listen to each other in this forum
But there are ways to go about it and I am afraid yours was not the right way
I really do not think you have started off on the right foot here which is a shame really because all the girls here are lovely
Angel xx
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Post by lorri on Nov 22, 2007 16:00:29 GMT
Okay thesmarts, thank you for your reply. I think that maybe your sense of humour is not transferrable into transcript but I can suffer with this problem too.
Your wording did appear to be quite agressive as if searching for an argument. I think you would agree if you read your message back.
I'm not entering into this further as I think enough has been said on the subject!
Lorri x
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Post by thesmarts on Nov 22, 2007 16:29:18 GMT
"Just beats me why you would want to come to this thread with the full intention by your own admission " to pick a fight "" I didnt come to this thread with full intention to pick a fight. I find that quite offensive. When I found this website I said a silent "huzzah"! Finally, at last a place where I can discuss childmindery things!! So. My wording was wrong, I'll agree. Perhaps - "debate your pov" would have been better? As an expereinced childminder I was trying to offer my opinion. Im not trying to annoy or upset anyone. Ive already explained myself over the "salmon and prawns" thing, and have said Im not mocking Rasharoon. Interestingly no-one has actually debated any of the points Ive made, they've just attacked my tone of "voice". Lorri - thanks for your last post. Comments duly noted.
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Post by lorri on Nov 22, 2007 16:39:19 GMT
Once we get to know you better thesmarts and understand where you are coming from - and your sense of humour - it will be a lot easier. It's hard when you are just typing and no-one can see your face or hear inflections in a voice.
I'm sure you have much to offer us here and hopefully we have you too.
You could look through and answer some of the lighthearted threads in the lounge if you haven't already so that we can get to know you better? Just a thought.
Lorri x
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Post by angeldelight on Nov 22, 2007 16:40:17 GMT
Good idea Lorri
Angel xx
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Post by thesmarts on Nov 22, 2007 16:59:59 GMT
Thank you for that lovely post Lorri - made me feel much better. Will defo check out the Lounge - havent been there yet!
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Post by lorri on Nov 22, 2007 17:02:30 GMT
You're welcome!
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Post by ajs on Nov 22, 2007 17:16:59 GMT
sorry i'm shocked i've only been off line for two days and i can't believe the tone of the posts i've just read.
thesmarts whether you're joking or not don't "speak" to anyone like that it's very insulting. if you haven't got anything consructive to say don't bother saying it there is not need to put people down. i don't know what area you live in but i'm sure if a childminder chooses to charge £2.70 that is because that's what the going rate in their area is. i am quite sure that like many of us also sit down and calculate their rates based on the costs and expenses incurred
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Post by Pauline on Nov 22, 2007 17:45:54 GMT
I didnt come to this thread with full intention to pick a fight. I find that quite offensive. Well, 'thesmarts', surely you have to agree that the first line of your first ever post certainly suggested that when you said: "Hi - Im a newbie,and it seems a shame that Im making my introduction by picking a fight. Never the less!! Im going to!" However, may I suggest that everyone takes a deep breath, forget any unpleasantness and start again? I pride myself on my forum being as everyone has said, a friendly place to come and visit without fear of finding upsetting posts directed at them. This does not mean that people cannot have a difference of opinion - opinions are very welcome here and a debate can be great fun, but lets keep it at a debate and not get into personal attacks/sarcasm/rudeness etc., there is enough of that in other forums out there and it is not welcome here.
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Post by hazel2 on Nov 22, 2007 17:58:07 GMT
i personnally think you get what you pay for.
hazelx
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Post by hazel2 on Nov 22, 2007 18:03:33 GMT
oh i have just read ajs post when i said you get what you pay for, i meant the quality of the food not cost of childcare.
ajs wrote:
sorry i'm shocked i've only been off line for two days and i can't believe the tone of the posts i've just read.
thesmarts whether you're joking or not don't "speak" to anyone like that it's very insulting. if you haven't got anything consructive to say don't bother saying it there is not need to put people down. i don't know what area you live in but i'm sure if a childminder chooses to charge £2.70 that is because that's what the going rate in their area is. i am quite sure that like many of us also sit down and calculate their rates based on the costs and expenses incurred
ps sorry hazelx
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Post by tasha on Nov 24, 2007 20:53:27 GMT
Hi - Im a newbie,and it seems a shame that Im making my introduction by picking a fight. Never the less!! Im going to! As a professional chilminder I sit down and work out my fees. I dont pull some random number out of the air. I work out what it costs me. I work out tax. Water. Equipment. Trips. Electricity. Activities. Travel. Etc. You know what you have on your accounts book! One of those things include "Food and Drink". Then I divide it by this much and that much and tug it that way and that, taking into consideration my competition,and how much my potential/existing clients are willing or able to pay. I also am aware that I have a duty to provide the children I care for with a nutritionally balanced meal/s. All of this minute detail goes into the very careful planning of how much I charge my clients. This is reviewed once a year. If I get it wrong then frankly - tough titty. My parents sign a contract with me expecting to pay a certain amount. If I change this before the allotted time scale then my parents would be outraged - and rightly so. Im MY area you WOULD alientate clients. And actually, I would say that excluding children from activities (including mealtimes) just because their parents wont/cant pay is quite despicable. Of course you are a business and want to make a profit. But then it is up to you to make the rules and get them right. Everyone makes mistakes when they first start out. Lastly - salmon and prawns?? Oh lardy dah! You can get 6 fillets of salmon from Sainsburies for £3 and Asda does a bag of Smartprice prawns for 99p, so if you're out to impress with your gourmet cooking - dont bother. TheSmarts Hi, I just wondered what made you think that a child would be excluded because a parent didn't/wouldn't pay? Tasha
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