Angry And Hurt Right Now

[SilverSabre25]

Entertainment indeed! LOL I'd love to make $15 an hour to stay home and play with kids. LOL

I wish I could stay home and play with kids, too!!!

But with all the teaching, cleaning, diaper changing, supervising, cooking, cleaning, record keeping, cleaning, and supervising, I don't have time to play. My 4 year old daughter is in TEARS every day because she wants to play with me, and I don't have time. I WORK.

Get off your high horse; this is a job, not a game.

Done now...I have to go get lunch, change diapers, soothe tears, wipe noses, figure out why the tears were happening, get kids down for naps, feed a baby, change the baby's diaper, clean up from lunch, snuggle the baby who's teething, give the nappers the stink eye because they're being loud, clean up the mess in the bathroom, snuggle the baby again, change the baby again, clean up the pee accident in the naproom, get the nappers back to sleep AGAIN, conduct a fire drill, hug my 4 yo who is lonely because she wants to play, get snack ready, maybe grab my own lunch, maybe get to pee, then the nappers are up and it's snack time, everyone needs to go to the bathroom/diapers changed, the baby needs to eat again, someone needs a squabble settled...

[awestbrook713]

I as the original poster never said I was charging for the other days they were not here. I gave all the parents a form to fill out what days they need each week and figured out the weekly rate based on the days there. Will they have to pay for the days they signed up for if the child doesn't come 1 of the 4 days they said they need me yes but why shouldn't they since that is there spot and DARN WELL will be there for them to use as you so nicely put it.

[AnneCordelia]

Entertainment indeed! LOL I'd love to make $15 an hour to stay home and play with kids. LOL

Who makes $15/hour??? I don't.

I have 4 kids in my daycare and still make only a bit more than $5/hour once you account for taxes, groceries, craft supplies, wipes, cleaning supplies, extra toilet paper, extra utilities, ect.
I also don't play; I facilitate play. Around here the KIDS are the ones who play. I cook. I clean. I set up play stations. I set up and guide crafting. I clean. I wipe noses. I change diapers. I clean up pee & poop. I clean some more. I read stories. I teach music.

Show me where I can earn $15/hour to stay home and play with kids!!

[Unregistered]

::::::::::::::

seriously????

Yes...where I'm from $15 is a lot of money and you'd need a college education to get it. A teacher in my state averages that. A teachers' aide gets under $8 an hour, unless she's a former teacher and then she might get $10 for experience. If you charged me minimum wage to watch my child, I wouldn't be bringing home enough to cover the gas to get to your house. This is why I wouldn't want to pay for days I don't use. I can't afford to. So yes, I'd LOVE to get $15 an hour to stay home and play with kids.

[Unregistered]

I wish I could stay home and play with kids, too!!!

But with all the teaching, cleaning, diaper changing, supervising, cooking, cleaning, record keeping, cleaning, and supervising, I don't have time to play. My 4 year old daughter is in TEARS every day because she wants to play with me, and I don't have time. I WORK.

Get off your high horse; this is a job, not a game.

Done now...I have to go get lunch, change diapers, soothe tears, wipe noses, figure out why the tears were happening, get kids down for naps, feed a baby, change the baby's diaper, clean up from lunch, snuggle the baby who's teething, give the nappers the stink eye because they're being loud, clean up the mess in the bathroom, snuggle the baby again, change the baby again, clean up the pee accident in the naproom, get the nappers back to sleep AGAIN, conduct a fire drill, hug my 4 yo who is lonely because she wants to play, get snack ready, maybe grab my own lunch, maybe get to pee, then the nappers are up and it's snack time, everyone needs to go to the bathroom/diapers changed, the baby needs to eat again, someone needs a squabble settled...

You'd have more time for all of that if you weren't online checking to see what I'll say next! Do your parents know this is what you do instead of play with their children?

[Blackcat31]

Yes...where I'm from $15 is a lot of money and you'd need a college education to get it. A teacher in my state averages that. A teachers' aide gets under $8 an hour, unless she's a former teacher and then she might get $10 for experience. If you charged me minimum wage to watch my child, I wouldn't be bringing home enough to cover the gas to get to your house. This is why I wouldn't want to pay for days I don't use. I can't afford to. So yes, I'd LOVE to get $15 an hour to stay home and play with kids.

I NEVER said $15 wasn't a lot of money. It is. FWIW~ I am college educated. I hold 2 degrees as a matter of fact and I still DO NOT play all day!!

I was merely being sarcastic about each family paying me minimum wage, the point I was trying to make was child care providers are paid VERY little for ALL they do during the day,week, and year in order to care for your child. There is little respect from the parent and one would think that the person caring for your child would be the one person you would be bending over backwards to please. Most people tip their servers without thinking twice about whether the service was actually good or not simply because servers make less than minimum wage. Odd thought process if you ask me.

However, as I previously stated.....I do NOT charge for the days you do not use IF your schedule is set each week. But if you want me at your beck and call, then pay for it.

[SilverSabre25]

You'd have more time for all of that if you weren't online checking to see what I'll say next! Do your parents know this is what you do instead of play with their children?

Actually I'm watching the kids eat three feet away from me while I feed the baby in my lap, update the daycare Facebook page with news from the morning, and do some curriculum planning for next month. I check, read, and type here while I wait for other pages to load.

What are you doing? I bet your employer doesn't know they're paying you to harass us!!

[Ariana]

I didn't have time to read all the responses but she's your business client so keep emotions out of it. Charge her the rate and leave it at that. Why is there even any room for discussion? You KNOW they want a lower rate, so the discussion will only end up with you lowering your rates.

Be professional, be blunt and let them deal with it. You shouldn't have to defend what you're worth IMO

[Cat Herder]

I could see paying the weekly rate for a rotating schedule, as long as my spot is available whenever I need it.

I agree 100% with that statement. That is the whole point of slots.

Consistency for the kids AND the parents.

The kids here have their own "stuff". I buy them their own beds, pillows, blankets, etc. upon enrollment.

Consistency and being PART of our group is invaluable for them.

I keep 6 children from birth to 4.

Thank you for clarifying what you meant. It means alot. Sorry I got so defensive (I think? I can't tell which "unregistered" is which. ) I just work really hard at this and some months I don't even make my bills for buying daycare supplies.

As far as computer time, it is in the playroom and the kids are playing with EACH OTHER as is developmentally necessary. I see all, hear all and guide when an opportunity presents itself. Free play is after lunch.

[MarinaVanessa]

So yes, I'd LOVE to get $15 an hour to stay home and play with kids.

There are plenty of childcare providers that charge daily and hourly so for you this is a great way to go. Some providers prefer to charge this way, it's called drop-in, and that's fine. In my area when you charge daily or hourly you pay more per hour then if you had a flat weekly rate.

I have clients that come the same 4 days a week and prefer to pay my drop-in rates so that if they don't come all 4 days (like this week they are only coming 3 days) they don't pay for the extra one day. However they pay me $40 a day and end up paying me $160 a week for four days. My FT clients come 5 days a week and pay $160 for that week too. The difference is that my FT client has a guaranteed spot, my drop-in client doesn't. I give the clients that pay me a weekly rate a deal because it's regular and dependable income. Drop-ins are not. Whether my clients come or not I still have to pay my bills.

Please keep in mind that childcare is a service that a parent pays for. A childcare provider can charge as she wishes and a parent decides whether or not they want to pay the rate and follow the guidelines that the provider sets. The water bill example was a bad example to compare childcare services to. Cable was not. Cable is a service that you sign up for and pay for monthly whether you use it or not. So is a gym membership. You pay monthly and even if you don't go 1 day out of the month you still have to pay for that whole month. Gyms also offer a daily rate if you don't want to use it frequently.

The thing here is that childcare providers are exactly that, childcare "providers". We do provide a service, we provide childcare. I don't see why that's so hard to understand. We as business owners have the ability to set our prices and set our rules, you as a parent have the freedom and ability to choose which provider's service you wish to use. If you prefer to go to the one that only charges daily then great. If the OP decides to charge a flat weekly rate or not is also great. That's the beauty of freedom of choice.

[Ariana]

Yes...where I'm from $15 is a lot of money and you'd need a college education to get it. A teacher in my state averages that. A teachers' aide gets under $8 an hour, unless she's a former teacher and then she might get $10 for experience. If you charged me minimum wage to watch my child, I wouldn't be bringing home enough to cover the gas to get to your house. This is why I wouldn't want to pay for days I don't use. I can't afford to. So yes, I'd LOVE to get $15 an hour to stay home and play with kids.

Then get a new job? Why does the burden of your low paying job weigh on my shoulders? Find another caregiver with lower rates who likely doesn't provide quality care for kids. Lobby government to make universal childcare FREE for all families. Lobby government for tax breaks for childcare providers, or for you. Start your own daycare. I don't run a charity!!

Your last sentence really shows your attitude towards childcare providers and it's pretty sad. If you value my job as me "playing all day" then you clearly have not been a 'real' parent.

[Cat Herder]

Lobby government to make universal childcare FREE for all families.

Ooo...Yeah. PLEASE do that.

I'd LOVE to be a federal employee.

[mom2many]

So yes, I'd LOVE to get $15 an hour to stay home and play with kids.

WOW! Okie Dokie.... So if you think this is such a great paying gravy job w/only fun and games....why not just do it yourself and stop complaining about how we choose to run our businesses! :::::::::: That is the joy and benefit of being self employed!

I love my job and could never have been successful and kept my sanity if I didn't! It can be a stressful and thankless job at times and my reward is in knowing that I'm making a positive difference in the life of a child...not in the monetary worth this job gives me!

I have many p/t families and they are scheduled to come 2 or 3 days a week on specific days. I am paid for those days, regardless of whether the child comes, due to illness or vacation, because that spot is being held for that individual. I also have some drop in families and if I have a spot open, they are able to use it. However, there is no guarantee I will have availability.

[mismatchedsocks]

If you pay for each day, then you can come whenever you want. If you pay for Monday, Thursday and Friday each week, those days will be available. Lets say you get asked to work Tuesday at your job. DO NOT expect the "slot" to be open since you CHOOSE to not pay for fulltime slot. You can ask if I have openings, then your child can come for a daily drop in rate.

And getting paid any amount is ok with me to "stay home and play all day". I get to raise my own kids, dont have to worry about the slots in someone elses daycare. its wonderful! So yep, I can play, and get paid. I am sure if you really thought about it, you know that we do more then play, if not then I feel sorry for your child who goes to daycare and the provider plays all day! How do they survive? Eat? Learn? Get art projects bought and set up for them? Get diapers changed and potty trained?

[laundrymom]

60$ for an oil change? Sign me up! I can't do it for under $110.00. Myself in the driveway!

And much like childcare, I get what I pay for. I pay a premium price for a premium product. 10 qts of oil, plus a quality filter. Is the same as full time childcare. You pay for a full time position ( full oil change) you expect a full change. All 5 days ( all 10 quarts) including a filter.

You are expecting a full oil change, for the price of a filter spin and top off. ( taking up a full time position for a part time rate )

I pay for the water I use. If I go on vacation for 2 weeks, my water bill is less. If I water my garden, my bill is more. It would be great if the water bill was a flat fee. Cable is a subscription, just like a magazine. Daycare isn't a subscription.

I do get the rotating thing. I could see paying the weekly rate for a rotating schedule, as long as my spot is available whenever I need it. I was referring to only needing a specific 3 days that are the same all the time. I don't see where I should have to pay for the other 2 days then.

I know the oil change is a flat rate. My point was that you would not like it if that flat rate was based on his hourly rate if you knew it only takes 20 min to do the job. ie. If he charges $60 an hour, you wouldn't want to pay $60 for an oil change when it only takes him 20 min. You would want to pay the $20 that it's worth.