How Long to Wait to Call Again?

[Crystal]

Crystal..Just wanted to say...I may sound like a broken record because I have told you before, but I totally agree with you. I am a regular member of this forum and yes you vent and be outspoken ( WE ALL DO! THAT'S WHAT THIS IS FOR!), however I have NEVER seen you be unprofessional.

The rest I will say in a private message ::

Thanks - I appreciate your support

[Aya477]

No, I don't automatically assume anything. However when you say: "I am ALWAYS on the phone or in a meeting at work, and likely may not be able to return a message from my provider timely. On occasion, I will leave my cell out in the car to charge if I forgot to do so overnight and thus would not be reached on an "electronic device". Nor would I answer my cell phone if I were on the phone with a client or in a meeting. My hubby is rarely in his office and calling his cell is futile as well because he is involved in events with clients for his job 4/5 days a week." you give the impression that being available to your provider is optional, which it is not..

AGAIN:

NOWHERE should those sentences be inferred as I do not find the calls important or that I do not take the calls as you stated. NOWHERE. So you did assume. Where does it say that I do not take the calls? It doesn't other than if I am on the phone with a client that I wouldn't answer my cell and I wouldn't because a message could be left which I could listen to once I am off the call to see if there was an emergency or any request for me to return the call. It's not as if I spend my entire work existence on the phone with the same client. It's a phone call...infer that as a routine call that is not more than 5-10 minutes long. I was providing an explanation for why my provider may not immediately reach me or my husband. Sorry if I did not spell out specifics for you so that you would not have any assumptions or speculations, or impressions (which again, is not fact based perception). If I must explain my character to avoid a personal attack based on a few measily sentences that were apparently used to form an opinion of the type of parent I am, then that is sad.

[kimsdaycare]

Personally, I see both sides here.

When I worked outside of the home, my situation was much like Aya's. I could be hard to reach - always on the phone with a client, and we were not even allowed to use our cell phones during work hours. My provider would leave a message with someone at my work (not voice mail) regarding illness or other emergency with my child, and a note would be placed in front of me immediately so I would be aware. I could then find a way to wrap things up and get back to my provider asap. It was the best way to keep me informed with little intrusion on productivity (ie: clients first, personal business last) per my work requirements.

As a provider, I text, then I call, then I attempt to reach a human at your place of business. All of this will happen within an hour, depending on the urgency of the situation. It rarely goes past this point to calling backups. But, I also have to agree with others here that I have definitely seen my fair share of parents that hit ignore on their phones or "didn't get that message". Sadly, it happens a lot. Parents are under a lot of pressure to not let their families needs take precedence over their work responsibilities. They are warned not to miss meetings, call in sick or leave early or heavy consequences and bad evaluations. Some are afraid to lose their jobs. I understand that, but it still drives you batty when you are trying to reach someone and you can't.

No, not all parents purposely avoid being available. If we seem to make assumptions, please forgive us. For most,it's more of a knee-jerk reaction to past situations. When you don't hear back from a parent you just called your mind instantly remembers the last time that you waited for that phone to ring...and while waiting for that call, Johnny throws up his morning dose of Cherry Flavored Tylenol (gee, who gave him that?) all over the carpet in the playroom. So, you clean up the child and start shampooing the carpet, and miss hearing the ring of that parent calling you back 50 minutes later. So you call them again. And the phone tag game continues. And Johnny is now looking green again.....

I have to say though that most of the time when a parent is hard to reach it is not their fault, and I personally don't assume they avoiding me unless they give me reason to (like fever-med vomit). But I know it can and and does happen to providers. Good parents would definitely have a hard time believing that people can be like that. I would have never dreamed of ignoring my provider - she may have had to chase me down a few times, though

[jen]

AGAIN:

NOWHERE should those sentences be inferred as I do not find the calls important or that I do not take the calls as you stated. NOWHERE. So you did assume. Where does it say that I do not take the calls? It doesn't other than if I am on the phone with a client that I wouldn't answer my cell and I wouldn't because a message could be left which I could listen to once I am off the call to see if there was an emergency or any request for me to return the call. It's not as if I spend my entire work existence on the phone with the same client. It's a phone call...infer that as a routine call that is not more than 5-10 minutes long. I was providing an explanation for why my provider may not immediately reach me or my husband. Sorry if I did not spell out specifics for you so that you would not have any assumptions or speculations, or impressions (which again, is not fact based perception). If I must explain my character to avoid a personal attack based on a few measily sentences that were apparently used to form an opinion of the type of parent I am, then that is sad.

I said that your statement gives the impression...and you may not like it, but it does.

[fctjc1979]

Why is it that sahm2three's threads aways seem to get hijacked?

How's the little guy doing, sahm2three?

[Aya477]

[/QUOTE=JEN;34339] Seriously...you think forgetting to charge your cell phone is a VALID excuse for not being available to your provider? That's not a valid excuse for my 16 year old not calling me to tell me he plans on being 10 minutes late. Would I talk about you? I would talk to you...and after you left I'm sure my husband would get an earful as well. What could you possibly be "involved in" that is more important than your child????

I have a feeling that your provider probably felt that the experience was atrocious as well. Perhaps if were more open minded or more attuned to the needs of your child, you would change YOUR mentality. Without fail when I hear providers complain, it is about a lack of parenting. It's ridiculous to expect someone else to deal with your sick child because you forgot your cell phone or are too busy with other, obviously more important things. [/QUOTE]

You must have forgotten what you typed.

[nannyde]

[/QUOTE=JEN;34339] Seriously...you think forgetting to charge your cell phone is a VALID excuse for not being available to your provider? That's not a valid excuse for my 16 year old not calling me to tell me he plans on being 10 minutes late. Would I talk about you? I would talk to you...and after you left I'm sure my husband would get an earful as well. What could you possibly be "involved in" that is more important than your child????

I have a feeling that your provider probably felt that the experience was atrocious as well. Perhaps if were more open minded or more attuned to the needs of your child, you would change YOUR mentality. Without fail when I hear providers complain, it is about a lack of parenting. It's ridiculous to expect someone else to deal with your sick child because you forgot your cell phone or are too busy with other, obviously more important things.

You must have forgotten what you typed.[/QUOTE]

I haven't read all of your responses. Just a note to clarify that everyone we work for has the same "reasons" you have regarding how their job/livlihood/career is based on them not pissing off their boss/client/customer. Your situation is the same as the person who stocks shelves at WalMart, the garbage man on the truck, the dental hygentist, etc. You saying that you have to be uninterupted is all the same to us. You may believe your deal is special but unless you are in the middle of brain surgery you need to have a system where a provider can get to you immediately. If you can't do that then you need to stay home with your kid.

I have the agreement with my dcp's that I text them if I need to tell them something and call them if it's a medical emergency. If I call they KNOW something bad is going down. I go many MONTHS in between calling parents. I never call them unless I can't move forward with the kids care without them.

Any texts I send them they answer back with a quick "K" or a note to let me know they got it. 99 percent of my communication for non medical stuff is done via text or facebook. We all love that... so easy and quick. I actually do a LOT of texting and facebook with my clients now. They love the direct quick access with the phone and computer. I don't use emails anymore.

Get a decent system with your provider so you can tell the difference between info sharing and emergency.

[QualiTcare]

it's hard for a provider that didn't work outside of the home AND have their kids in daycare - or a parent that has never been a provider to understand both sides.

my kids did go to daycare before i ever worked at a daycare so i definitely know both sides of it. i do think providers can be a little harsh sometimes, but i also know if you're a good parent - it's hard to understand why.

one thing that gets me is when providers talk about how the mothers don't spend time with their kids and assume they feel guilty or they're jealous because they have to work. i wonder if providers ever stop to think that if these mothers didn't go to work, none of us would have kids to keep?

there were providers at a large center i worked at that would talk about parents who brought their kids to daycare when they weren't working like they were dogs. being a parent that has taken my kids to daycare so i could go to an appointment or get business taken care of - that's annoying. i've said this before, but if you're getting paid to take care of a child then it shouldn't matter if they're at work or if they're laying out by the pool. it's really nobody's business. i always paid on time, picked up on time, bought party supplies, volunteered at parties - including dressing up. if i needed to go to an appointment without toting 2 kids along - SO WHAT!

i've also had a sick child that was pooping all over the place and the mother who had THREE kids didn't even OWN a phone! of course we didn't know that until we called other contacts and they told us it had been cut off. how you can have 3 kids and have no way to be reached is beyond me. i've also known at least 2 parents (that i can think of right now) that would pick up their children HIGH out of their mind - bloodshot eyes, stumbling around. so, yeah, AYA, as a good parent - it can be hard to imagine, but you see it all from the provider side.

that doesn't mean i agree with everything providers say or how they feel, but i've been on both sides of the fence and i think that helps me relate to the "good parents."

[judytrickett]

I also cannot stand it when providers talk negatively about their families, and you're right, it does seem to happen alot. It's unprofessional and it makes me wonder how they stay in business....especially when it is on a public forum that any of their families could stumble across. But, alas, you will never get through to those who choose to do it

Wow, I don't get on for the day and you ladies are all over the place.

Anyway, to address the bolded part...............You must REALLY hate me then!

I'll just keep telling the truth! Popularity is highly overrated.

[professionalmom]

Popularity is highly overrated.

I agree. It's nice to be liked, but not to the point of completely losing your voice or being afraid to have or voice an opinion. If others are entitled to an opinion, so am I. Judy, I'm not sure what Canada's laws are, but here in the U.S., we have freedom of speech - 1st amendment. Yet, I am annoyed when SOME (not all) people think they have the right to voice an opinion but get offended when I have a different, or maybe an opposing, opinion. I have the same rights as everyone else. Even if MY opinion is not popular.

Let me also say that I am usually very open minded as to other people's point of view. My clients know that I respect them and the fact that they have to work, and that I love their children. I respect other people's opinions and I expect them to respect mine. Just because my opinion is different, does NOT mean I am being disrespectful. Just different.

[melissa ann]

Enough already. Seriously, why are all of the providers getting into it with this "parent". I didn't post before because, even though this person did register, they might as well be unregistered for all I care. All I will say is that before someone jumps all over someone, they should first have some kind of knowledge what they are talking about. Before I got into childcare, I never imagined all the crap that parents do, not paying on time, not changing their kids diapers, etc. If someone hasn't been in the childcare field, then they have no business critizing those do it. But back to the orignial post:in this day and age there is NO reason not to be able to get a hold of a parent when their child is sick.

[sahm2three]

Why is it that sahm2three's threads aways seem to get hijacked?

How's the little guy doing, sahm2three?

OMG! I was wondering the same thing!!! LOL!

He is doing much better! Had a rough afternoon Friday, but felt much better by Saturday morning. Got to play with his brothers in their pool. So glad. Seems like everyone else is ok so far. Thanks for asking!

[fctjc1979]

OMG! I was wondering the same thing!!! LOL!

He is doing much better! Had a rough afternoon Friday, but felt much better by Saturday morning. Got to play with his brothers in their pool. So glad. Seems like everyone else is ok so far. Thanks for asking!

That's good. At least no one else seemed to pick it up. Sounds like everything worked out pretty well!