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So I thought I had my last two full time spots filled with two siblings, an infant and one closer in age to my other dck but the kids had been sick and out of daycare already and dcm was waiting for them to get better but wanted to switch them to a smaller setting so they hopefully wouldnt get sick as much as she was in school and was on the border of having to quit due to too many absences. So they started once she said they were better over the weekend, and sure enough they were still very runny noses both of them just pouring...but werent running a fever and I knew she would have to quit school/had no one else to keep them for her so I was trying to work with her and let them stay all week, until toward the middle of a day the end of the week when one of them ran a fever and I had to call her to come get them, he had also been acting like he really didn't feel well at all. She did come get them and kept them home the next day, texted me over the weekend to let me know he had been in the hospital a few hours with his fever I assume and double bad ear infections.
I also ended up feeling bad Friday and was very sick all weekend and still trying to get over it. I had to go to doctor last night and missed school myself both nights this week. Anyway, I was still hoping he would get well enough to come back as I knew I would lose them if she had to quit school but she really didn't let me know anything and I wasn't sure what was going on until I texted her yesterday to see how he was feeling and she said he was still sick...I had to ask her about school only to find out she had basically quit the day prior and she had let me know nothing. Anyway, long story short I have two openings again and I was just starting to feel a sense of relief that I had finally filled my two spots and was having to start the waiting game all over.
To make matters worse, we had planned a family vacation in a couple months that we are saving every extra $ for when our AC went out last week too and took all but $100 of what we had saved so far to fix it and that was with my family fixing it for us.
So out of the blue today, a parent calls saying she had talked to me awhile back and she was actually at my house right then as she had forgotten my number and drove by to see the number on my sign, she called and wanted to come in and talk to me if I still had openings. So when she came up to the house, I realized it was a parent with two kids who I was pretty sure I was going to get awhile back and then I never heard from again. They had had a bunch of family and health issues stuff happening and so they didn't end up needing child care yet but she seemed very interested in seeing about them starting soon. The only thing is they would be getting dropped off way early, like 6:15-6:45 in the am and picked up around 4pm. It is a 15 mo and 2.5 yr old so I like that they are close in age to the ones I already have and not a young infant but the early hours idk. She did say that the grandparents would be keeping them a lot on mon/wed so they would typically be tues/thurs/fri except when the grandparents have a dr appointment and can't keep them. I am not sure on how to charge but I lean toward the regular full time rate and that way they can come on mon and wed when needed but can stay out with granparents as much as they want as long as I know when the ARE coming, she was wanting to get a discount on one of the kids or a lower rate for both and I told her with the earlier hours I didn't really want to do that. but then I thought about the fact that they often would be here three days for the most part and thought maybe I would give her like $25 discount on the weekly rate so instead of $250 for both it would be $225 and then they would have the flexibility to use all the days or just the three. Three days or more for me is full time rate anyway so I would be giving her a slight discount like she asked about and yet not having them everyday.
Thoughts? I know the early hours is and extra hour per day per kid but right now with the way things have been I really want and need the spaces filled. I have thought of discounting my rates more to get more kids and have offered lower rates depending upon hours so they would also be getting picked up an hour or so earlier so I factor that in as well. i dont mind the being up earlier for the kids as I get up at 5:20 am anyway to make sure my son is up to get ready for school and get on the bus but I usually lay back down for awhile
...only because my first kiddo doesn't get here until 8:30 as it it. The ones I had last week got here at 7:15 so that was earlier than normal anyway.
The potential new kiddos mom is going to talk to dad and should be calling me back tonight to let me know what they want to do and check with me on the rates for sure/see what the options are. I had thought of only charging her $100 ea child for three days and then charging the $35 ea kid drop in rate on the occasional mon/wed that they needed to come, but I am not sure which way would be best.? Wanted to have a plan in the event I hear back from her later.
Sorry so long, thanks in advance for any thoughts/advice!
I also ended up feeling bad Friday and was very sick all weekend and still trying to get over it. I had to go to doctor last night and missed school myself both nights this week. Anyway, I was still hoping he would get well enough to come back as I knew I would lose them if she had to quit school but she really didn't let me know anything and I wasn't sure what was going on until I texted her yesterday to see how he was feeling and she said he was still sick...I had to ask her about school only to find out she had basically quit the day prior and she had let me know nothing. Anyway, long story short I have two openings again and I was just starting to feel a sense of relief that I had finally filled my two spots and was having to start the waiting game all over.
To make matters worse, we had planned a family vacation in a couple months that we are saving every extra $ for when our AC went out last week too and took all but $100 of what we had saved so far to fix it and that was with my family fixing it for us.
So out of the blue today, a parent calls saying she had talked to me awhile back and she was actually at my house right then as she had forgotten my number and drove by to see the number on my sign, she called and wanted to come in and talk to me if I still had openings. So when she came up to the house, I realized it was a parent with two kids who I was pretty sure I was going to get awhile back and then I never heard from again. They had had a bunch of family and health issues stuff happening and so they didn't end up needing child care yet but she seemed very interested in seeing about them starting soon. The only thing is they would be getting dropped off way early, like 6:15-6:45 in the am and picked up around 4pm. It is a 15 mo and 2.5 yr old so I like that they are close in age to the ones I already have and not a young infant but the early hours idk. She did say that the grandparents would be keeping them a lot on mon/wed so they would typically be tues/thurs/fri except when the grandparents have a dr appointment and can't keep them. I am not sure on how to charge but I lean toward the regular full time rate and that way they can come on mon and wed when needed but can stay out with granparents as much as they want as long as I know when the ARE coming, she was wanting to get a discount on one of the kids or a lower rate for both and I told her with the earlier hours I didn't really want to do that. but then I thought about the fact that they often would be here three days for the most part and thought maybe I would give her like $25 discount on the weekly rate so instead of $250 for both it would be $225 and then they would have the flexibility to use all the days or just the three. Three days or more for me is full time rate anyway so I would be giving her a slight discount like she asked about and yet not having them everyday.
Thoughts? I know the early hours is and extra hour per day per kid but right now with the way things have been I really want and need the spaces filled. I have thought of discounting my rates more to get more kids and have offered lower rates depending upon hours so they would also be getting picked up an hour or so earlier so I factor that in as well. i dont mind the being up earlier for the kids as I get up at 5:20 am anyway to make sure my son is up to get ready for school and get on the bus but I usually lay back down for awhile
...only because my first kiddo doesn't get here until 8:30 as it it. The ones I had last week got here at 7:15 so that was earlier than normal anyway. The potential new kiddos mom is going to talk to dad and should be calling me back tonight to let me know what they want to do and check with me on the rates for sure/see what the options are. I had thought of only charging her $100 ea child for three days and then charging the $35 ea kid drop in rate on the occasional mon/wed that they needed to come, but I am not sure which way would be best.? Wanted to have a plan in the event I hear back from her later.
Sorry so long, thanks in advance for any thoughts/advice!
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