Am I Being Too Harsh

[Oneluckymom]

So I have been having a problem with some of my parents being 5-10 min late...some parents will show up 15min late and I even have one that would run even past the 20 min mark.

So I finally had it!! Granted I do have some good parents. I put out a reminder notice on monday in everyones cubby stating my policies on late fees, late payments (had those too), etc and that 1 min after closing time is considered late and fee's will be calculated and late fees would be due.

So yesterday I had my first late parent (5 min late) and of course the late sign out sheet went out right after closing time. However, she did not sign it. This morning I reminded her that she did not sign it and explained that this is the new routine, but I would not charge her because it was her first time being late.

LOOONG story short...am I putting the late sign out sheet out too soon? Should I or should I not put it out right after closing time? In other words should there be a grace period?

[Blackcat31]

I would put my late sheet out the minute you close. Not two minutes or three but right when you close.

I also think that you should have charged the late mom since you already have a policy in place for not being late and you sent out reminders so why keep giving exceptions?

If you aren't firm with your policies, why should they be....kwim?

[Creek]

I would definately charge, that is YOUR time they are taking. I start charging after 1 minute late, and it's not cheap! I also have it in my contract that I can refuse to accept your child the following morning if you have not paid your late fees. I've never had this happen, for the most part I have great parents but I have had one family that has been late a few times.

Put your sheet out right away.

Take your rules seriously, and the parents will too.
Good luck!

[Oneluckymom]

EXACTLY Blackcat!! My husband said I am being waaaayyy too nice so the parents have been walking all over me. I have since learned that one of my moms would do all her busy work when she got off work and was constantly being late to pick up.

[texascare]

I would have a sign on your front door at the time you close that says "you are now late. Late fees in effect".....

[daycare]

when my older two kid were at a center many moons agao, they had an employee standing in the lobby area with your child. They had a clipboard with late sign out. They also collected the money on the spot. It was super expensive and it was on the dot.

I think it was like $5.00 per child if you were one min past 6pm, then an additional $1.00 per min per child after that. So if you were two minutes late it was $7.00 per child...

Rules are rules, I allow for a 5 min grace period, but not when it comes down to my closing time. So if your pick up is at 4:30 and you come at 4:35, thats fine. But I close at 6:00pm and not one min later.

[cheerfuldom]

No grace period. If they regularly need the extra time, they need to contract new hours. I would not have even given that one chance to the mom because you sent out all these reminders and then the first time it comes up, you cave.....its setting a bad precedence.

[countrymom]

but, you need to make sure that their clock is the same as yours. My clock is always 5 min. ahead so I'm never late to activities, but other parents have theirs set at different times. I would do the 5 min. grace period as to my clock (which would give them 10 min.) anything after that you get charged.

[momma2girls]

No grace period!!

[2ndmom2many]

In my experience, if you give a "grace period" whether it's 5 minutes or whatever, then they think "oh, I have until x:05, to get there" and they will take every minute of it. At one time, I gave a five minute grace period to all of my dcp. Until they started coming to pick up at exactly 5:35 pm (closed at 5:30pm). then they started coming later and later. I had to completely put a stop to offering "grace period". Beleive me, once a dcp is late and you charge them your fee, they will sync their clock with yours. My sign in/out sheet was on a clipboard, I attached a small digital clock that showed the date and time to the clipboard and set the time with my cell phone clock. It didn't take them long to figure out that their cell phone and mine had the same time.

[DaisyMamma]

It's ridiculous. Why are they so disrespectful?!

In my experience, if you give a "grace period" whether it's 5 minutes or whatever, then they think "oh, I have until x:05, to get there" and they will take every minute of it. At one time, I gave a five minute grace period to all of my dcp. Until they started coming to pick up at exactly 5:35 pm (closed at 5:30pm). then they started coming later and later. I had to completely put a stop to offering "grace period". Beleive me, once a dcp is late and you charge them your fee, they will sync their clock with yours. My sign in/out sheet was on a clipboard, I attached a small digital clock that showed the date and time to the clipboard and set the time with my cell phone clock. It didn't take them long to figure out that their cell phone and mine had the same time.

[Meeko]

I put out my late sign out sheet the second I close!