Date Nights?

[tmcp2001]

Hi all, I've seen a few people mention that they occasionally provide care for a date night for their DCP's. I'm thinking of doing this maybe every other month (I have some families right now that I just LOVE and would like to find a way to show them that - happy families = happy provider!). Some questions I have:

Do you charge? If so, what?

Do the kids go home and come back after dinner at like 6 or 7?

How late do you stay open?

Do the kids go to sleep or do you do quiet activities (ie, movies)?

How many of your families take you up on the offer?

TIA for any answers!!

[Greenshadow]

I just did this last night but not because Im doing it as a perk or something. I had a single mom come to me and ask me if I could watch her daughter for three hours on a day that her daughter doesnt normally come. I told her yes. The main reason I did it is because I asked for 2 hours off today for a school function at my son's school. In exchange for that, she asked if I could watch her for those three hours. It worked out well. I liked the idea of the time swap and it didnt cost either of us anything.

[Golden Rule]

I do Date Nights every few months when I have an interest. I post a sign up sheet for the month then schedule the 3rd Friday (after bills are paid, hopefully) if several folks sign up. Peer pressure is funny....

The kids stay here after hours since it would be too much interuption to pick-up, then drop-off again. Pick-up is at 9am the following morning, mandatory. (I don't own a Breathalyzer and wont risk it :: We are a public safety family as are most of my clients).

I typically charge $30 per child but have been known to give them as Anniversary gifts. I make a killing on New Years Eve and never have a hang over on New Years Day....!!! Ironically I use the extra money to have a Date Night with my hubby on Saturday...

(I also open the Saturday before Christmas, same price, for parents to shop together w/out kids. Really helps me financially...)

[fctjc1979]

I do Date Nights every few months when I have an interest. I post a sign up sheet for the month then schedule the 3rd Friday (after bills are paid, hopefully) if several folks sign up. Peer pressure is funny....

The kids stay here after hours since it would be too much interuption to pick-up, then drop-off again. Pick-up is at 9am the following morning, mandatory. (I don't own a Breathalyzer and wont risk it :: We are a public safety family as are most of my clients).

I typically charge $30 per child but have been known to give them as Anniversary gifts. I make a killing on New Years Eve and never have a hang over on New Years Day....!!! Ironically I use the extra money to have a Date Night with my hubby on Saturday...

(I also open the Saturday before Christmas, same price, for parents to shop together w/out kids. Really helps me financially...)

Those are some really good ideas. I'm probably going to steal them.

[Greenshadow]

i do date nights every few months when i have an interest. I post a sign up sheet for the month then schedule the 3rd friday (after bills are paid, hopefully) if several folks sign up. Peer pressure is funny....

the kids stay here after hours since it would be too much interuption to pick-up, then drop-off again. Pick-up is at 9am the following morning, mandatory. (i don't own a breathalyzer and wont risk it :: We are a public safety family as are most of my clients).

I typically charge $30 per child but have been known to give them as anniversary gifts. I make a killing on new years eve and never have a hang over on new years day....!!! Ironically i use the extra money to have a date night with my hubby on saturday...

(i also open the saturday before christmas, same price, for parents to shop together w/out kids. Really helps me financially...)

i love these ideas!!!! Im going to start using them right away!! Thank you!

[tmcp2001]

Golden Rule - THANK YOU!!! That was some great information - I especially like the idea of doing it for anniversary gifts. What better way to show people we appreciate them?

I'm going to start asking my families if they would sign up for Date Night if I were to start offering them. We'll see what they say!

[emosks]

We do a Parent's Night Out the second weekend of each month. Rotate between Friday and Saturday. Hours are from 5:30-11:00. $25 first child, $10 each additional child. We offer a pizza dinner and then a mock daycare day in the daycare area. They do free play and then some sort of structured activity or craft. Then we have a small snack and get them in their PJs if the parents brought them. Then it's a movie and some of the kids go down to sleep if the parents want them to. They are all usually gone by 10:00.

We usually have at least 2-4 kids per month.

[Lianne]

The first Saturday in December I offer a Parents Night Out. A free evening of care so parents can go for dinner, see a movie, finish Christmas shopping, etc. The kids come in the late afternoon and stay til 8 or 9pm. They come in their pajamas (we call it a pj party) and we do some crafts. We order in pizza or to breakfast for dinner. The kids play and then we pop popcorn, make hot chocolate and watch a Christmas movie. I do this night for free as a way of saying thankyou to my clients for another great year.

My clients often book me for care on Saturdays, either because they have to work or for a night out. I say yes or no depending on my plans for the weekend and my 'burn out' level. I have a set Saturday fee that's higher than my daily daycare fee but we do not do 'daycare' type things. The kid can play or we run any errands I need to do, sometimes we go and visit friends of mine, etc. Evening & weekend babysitting are not, in anyway, connected to Mon-Fri home daycare care.

[SunflowerMama]

I'm thinking of starting this next month the 2nd Saturday of the month until 11p for $25/kid.

For those that currently do it do you put the kids down to sleep or do they stay awake the whole time? Our girls go to bed at 7:30p and I'm sure they could stay up a little extra with the other kids but don't know about the other kids.

Do all the kids stay awake?

[Golden Rule]

For those that currently do it do you put the kids down to sleep or do they stay awake the whole time? Do all the kids stay awake?

I put them to bed at normal time, just like they were mine. Infants in their cribs, toddlers on their nap-mats and older siblings bring sleeping bags. I "sleep" in the playroom, too..... I tell the older kids they don't have to sleep, just stay in their bags, and they are usually the first ones out. LOL!!

Breakfast is just like any other day....then everyone is picked up.

I am accustomed to 24 hour shifts, so having a "G" movie night is fun for me... My teens and hubby even get in on it from time to time...just a "goofy" fun night all around...

[MarinaVanessa]

I used to offer date night once a month which was popular with the parents but since then have just offered it openly whenever they would like it. Then again I also offer weekend and after hours care during the week. The only condition that I have is that they have to run ot by me and I have to approve the hours and date that they wish. That way if I already have plans or something I can say that I'm busy and they can ask for a different day.

I charge $30 per child (even if they have a regular sibbling discount) and they can stay from 6pm-midnight (I don't have extra beds for them so I don't let them stay over). Since I close at 6pm they can just stay the entire time. I require the kids to have their pajamas and toothbrushes packed and small blankets so that they can be wrapped up at pick-up. They eat whatever we eat (included) and after dinner I have them put their PJ's on and brush their teeth. Then we have a movie night and eat popcorn. They lie down on the nap mats (if there's a lot of them) or the couch (if it's only 1 or 2) or if they're babies then the pack n plays. After the movie ends the lights get dimmed and I'll put the same movie on again but lower the volume really low (so low that if you whisper it's hard to hear what they are saying) and that usually knocks them out. I stay downstairs with them until they all get picked up. Usually the parents only go out to dinner so their back within 2 hours but sometimes they want to do dinner and a movie or a formal wedding or something. Either way they pay the same and it's paid up front when they make their reservation.

Once I get 1 request for a date night I let the other families know and that usually gets a few other parents on board since their own kid will have someone to play with. I've only had a few nights where I only had 1 child other than my own.