What Hours Do You Operate?

[Meyou]

7:30am to 5pm for my regular price but parents can add early arrival or late pickup for an extra $20 per week each.

[Blackcat31]

Me: 7am - 6:00pm.

My rule is that the kids can come and go anytime within those hours.

And two of my 4 kids (after today I will be down to 3) is here every minute of that time.

My "rule"...KINDA BACKFIRED! It's a long freaking day! I started doing it just because I keep my cousin's little guy and she is a nurse and works long hours, so it was a favour to her. The other kids came from 9-5. But then another parent started noticing just how long my cousin's son was here, and slowly started asking to bring her child earlier and earlier and then stay later and later. I couldn't really say no...what could I say, "No sorry, I have a special arrangement so she gets preferential treatment"?
I don't want to lose my cousin because she is great, we grew up together, we're close. I know that she NEEDS these hours and she is not going to find another child care arrangement that is going to accommodate this. But I am burning out fast keeping 2 children at 11 hours a day.

Honestly, if I just cared for my cousin's little guy those hours it wouldn't be bad at all. He's very mellow. It's the other DCK. She's good, but very high-strung and needs CONSTANT supervision. She's 2.5 and by constant supervision I mean I have to take her to the bathroom with me when I go or else she could very well stand up on a chair and open my fridge freezer for something, I think part of the problem is that she thinks she's 12, LOL. Anyway, ethically speaking, can I tell one parent that I am reducing my hours of operation and tell another parent who just HAPPENS to be my cousin that she can continue bringing her son for 11 hours? Or am I pretty much doomed to continue suffering until one or the other leaves on their own?

"Yes, he is here a lot longer than your child but the family also pays a much higher rate for that service."


I work from 7-5:30 but the families who are here the longest pay the highest rates. In your case, I wouldn't have offered the extended care without the additional charge.

If you have already offered the care, then add an amendment to your contract stating that as of ***XX day, the new rate for the extended hours she wants will be $XX amount more.

She doesn't HAVE to know if your cousin actually pays more or not. Whatever arrangements I have with one family are none of any other parents business.

[Childminder]

Originally Posted by Childminder
Mon-Sat 6am to Midnight are my official hours but do keep children overnight on occasion.

My goodness that is a looooooong day! How do you manage that with personal/family time?

Our family is very small so not a lot is going on and my daughter is my assistant and sub if I need her to help out. Children that are enrolled here essentially become a part of the family and if we have plans they are included. We are both old and have already done the fun stuff. Either we just don't do anything any longer or are content with our home and gardens.

My DH lost his job after 38 years in the automotive field in 2008 and we had to pick up longer hours because of his job loss and my verrrry low enrollment. He is unhireable because of his age and he has MS. So I turned him into my assistant. We like each other and enjoy being together all the time.

Our family is very small so not a lot is going on and my daughter is my assistant and sub if I need her to help out. She has four daughters under 8 and they spend a lot of time here. My son and his family is sadly living in another state so we do not see them often and my step son is single with no immediate hope of that changing. The only other family is a sister that is 20 years older than me and she hangs around here. All. The. Time.

For activity or events that we attend w/o children, I hire a "sitter" or tell the parents I need the time off.

[DaisyMamma]

8:30-5:30. Both families contracted those hours.
One family just asked for 6:30 pickup after Labor Day. I will be charging them $100/week for that option.

[justgettingstarted]

I am willing to accept kids between 7 and 6 however each of my kids has an agreed upon schedule. Currently none arrive before 8 and none stay later than 5:30 so I'm thinking of changing my hours to 8 to 5:30. Now that I'm established and full I don't have to stretch myself to get families anymore happyface

[Breezy]

7-5:30 but hours are contracted

[daycarediva]

6-6. UGH. It hurts just saying it. I also have a family that comes 10-6:15, so really 6:00-6:15.

One of my famlies gets here at 6 (or really 6:15-6:45 but that's a whole 'nother story)

I don't do hourly, I do by contract.

[Unregistered]

6:30- 6:30 but every family has their own hours in that. My days vary greatly.

[MsMe]

I am 7:30 to 5:15. Most families use all of these hours for work. I just got a family that is here by 4:30 everyday and I LOVE it!!

I do not provide care outside of these hours ever...even when the CCR&R lady made me feel lazy for not taking a 6am to 3pm DKC "They leave so early, but I like my sleep too" (well I still have 10 other kids until 5:15...So I still don't get off any earlier, just start working 1.5 hours earlier....let see if she would like her job to work that way)

[Daycarelady1979]

I've always been M-F 6a-6p but just expanded my hours to 11p to include 2nd shift...although I really don't want to work after 5:30...it has become my only option to try to get new clients in here. It's either stay home & do daycare 2nd shift or get a 2nd job...if I got a 2nd job, I'd rarely see my own kids. I'm down to only 1 daycare family & we just can't afford to live like this. I'll do whatever it takes to build my business & still be able to be here for my own family.

[nothingwithoutjoy]

8:00 to 4:30, Monday through Thursday. And even with those "short" hours, they barely manage to get here by 9:00 as I request.