Oh Boy - Here We Go

[momma2girls]

I once had 2 families that were friends that pulled both their children out of my daycare, for someone that drove the little boy and the girl here to preschool 3 x's per week. They both left to start going to daycare there, because she doesn't have a contract!! UGHH!!!! She was just babysitting them!!

[tbutler]

My thoughts exactly!

It's YOUR business and you have the right to deal with whomever you want. And you have the right to not deal with whomever you want as well. It's your home after all.

[littlemissmuffet]

Also told me to "Get a real job!" ROFL!

If you didn't do THIS job, how would she work?

Unless by real job, she meant a job that actually pays you what you are worth... in money and appreciation.

[TBird]

Also told me to "Get a real job!" ROFL!

When my kids were babies & toddlers, the ladies that took care of them were the REALEST people in the WORLD to me!!! They loved my kids like their own and slaved over them almost every day, all day. What's any more REAL than that???:confused:

[Ariana]

Hang in there!!! She'll go away eventually. Funny how she's all about communication now

One word of advice: STOP txting her back. (ok 4 words )

[Sunchimes]

Good grief. Wonder if she throws around this kind of attitude at work? She's a bully. Hope it all ends for you soon!

[MamaBear]

Wow... what a jerk she is! I would block her # from calling you. Call your cell phone company and they can do it for you. It's funny how these daycare parents show their "TRUE" colors once something like this happens. Especially when we are not helping them anymore. Ugh. Sorry your going thru this. Just block her and don't waste your time responding to her.

[Texasjeepgirl]

wow...
this post brings back memories...
I almost opted not to post...but.. I couldn't stop thinking about it...so..

I'll try not to make it a novel..but if you ever read ANYTHING I post...it always turns in to a very long story...

I started my daycare almost 20 years ago..
In the beginning .. I didn't charge clients if I closed for sick or personal days...
About 10 years ago... I changed that... But.. I did not charge for vacation time.. If I ever closed the daycare down for a MONDAY - FRIDAY week... I just lost the income..
In October of 2009.. I made the final decision (after much soul searching.. reading of other handbooks..etc)..
I sent out a letter to all clients.. letting them know that I would soon be updating my handbook and there would be several major changes...
A few weeks later.. I handed out the handbook... with a letter that said.. This handbook will take effect January 1, 2010... If you choose NOT to continue with your child enrolled in my care.. please let me know... I gave them a deadline of 2 full weeks.. to either sign the contract...or give 2 week notice...so that I could fill positions..
The new handbook stated that tuition would be due 52 weeks per year.. including 2 weeks of paid vacation...
All of my clients read it.. signed the contract.. I had conversations with parents on a one on one basis about the new policies...and everyone acted like they felt I fully deserved paid vacation.. and they were totally fine with it.


I had two clients that were sisters..
Two children each.. enrolled in my daycare..
Both mom's were single..
Both mom's were on childcare assistance programs..
I had to have very clear .. specific.. conversations with each of them about the fact that the assistance program would not cover my vacation days.. and that it would be their responsibility to pay... and if they wanted to pay it out...to lessen the financial burden.. I would be glad to work out a payment chart... 2 kids each ..times a week of fee...
Well..they just thought that was a GREAT IDEA... only thing is.. neither of them ever made an effort to pay it out.. I mentioned it a few times..and they both always said.. oh yes.. I need to do that.. otherwise.. I'm going to have a big payment all at once...
yes... correct... ..
Well..
you see where this is going..
The first sister decided to contact her dad for the money..
She announced this to me 2 weeks before the vacation.. said she would ask him to pay it for her...
Frankly I didn't care where the $$ came from.. I just wanted it paid..
Later that evening she called to tell me that she needed to give 2 weeks notice and withdraw her children from my daycare...
She was very upset... started out acting angry at her dad..
said he told her that there was no way he was paying it.. and if she couldn't take care of paying her childcare expense...then she needed to move her children to a cheaper daycare..
she told me this over the phone... of course I was HIGHLY OFFENDED..
In the end... she left owing hundreds of dollars because she left with no notice...and the assistance program stops paying the day they are moved to another caregiver....
Meanwhile.. Her sister...
stood in front of me.. and told me she was NOT moving her children to another caregiver.. she was PROUD to tell people her children attended my daycare...She would take the kids to an alternate daycare for the 1 week I was closed...then return.. and of course she planned to pay..
Well. ... she didn't pay...
and.. she never returned after I got back from vacation.. she transferred her children's care to another daycare...and.. she violated the rules of the assistance program by transferring care mid month.. she lied and told them that it was an EMERGENCY because my closing time (5:30) was about to cause her to loose her job.. because she had to leave work each day in time to arrive to pick her kids up.. and often had to leave her co-workers to finish her work..(these kids had been in my care for over 1 year... but.. all of a sudden.. it was an EMERGENCY)...she left owing hundreds of dollars... due to not giving 2 week notice.. on 2 kids..
Between the two of them...
well... it was over $1K...
The whole situation was a TRAINWRECK...
and...then they started sending abusive text messages... about my CRAZY POLICIES...one of them said that I was ALWAYS MEAN to her kids...and that the only time I was EVER NICE was when she was there.. but otherwise.. I was mean to the kids!

of course I did NOT reply.

Then I get a letter from their dad.. the grandfather of the kids....telling me that I had lost my mind if I expected to be paid for a service even when I was closed for vacation..He told me that he had been in business for himself for years...and he would never have expected to be paid for a job he didn't do.. (he had a lawn service)
I should NOT have replied...but.. I did..
I wrote him as tactful a letter as possible...,.
I basically told him that..
comparing my daycare business to a lawn mowing service is not quite the same thing..
Then I went on to tell him that the fact was..
whether he agreed with my policies or NOT.. the bottom line was..
Both his daughters were given several months advance notice of the policy changes...they were given the opportunity to move to another care giver.. instead...they signed my contract and agreed to my new policies...
They were also given over 6 months advance notice of my vacation...and were offered an opportunity to pay out the amount over that 6 month time period... which would have amounted to a few dollars per week... yet they opted to wait until the vacation was upon them...
One daughter announced to me that she would be asking him to pay.. and the other just pretended she would pay me.. ultimately both of them left owing large outstanding balances...
Anyway...

The end of the story is..I SHOULD HAVE filed in small claims court.. I didn't.
and I have actually regretted not doing it.

AND... About 2 weeks ago.. one of my other clients took her son to get a haircut.. one of the sisters is a hairdresser... she basically called me everything ugly you can imagine...
The daycare mom didn't defend me.. which I think is rude...but whatever...
she said she just stood there.. hoping her son didn't end up with a gap in his haircut because this girl was so worked up... ranting and raving about ME... about how I had done them SO WRONG..

[wdmmom]

Find out what the statute of limitations is in your state. Here it's 5 years. Take both them to court and get your money. They'll never see it coming. In fact, they probably won't appear granting you an automatic judgment.

[Live and Learn]

Find out what the statute of limitations is in your state. Here it's 5 years. Take both them to court and get your money. They'll never see it coming. In fact, they probably won't appear granting you an automatic judgment.

Exactly what I was thinking.::..then use the $1,000.00 to start your NEW vacation fund and send the sisters postcards.