Making Appointments For Your Family - How? When?

[JustMe]

I am a new provider and one issue I struggle with is making appointments for my family and I. Between Dr, dentist, prenatal, etc it seems like I have an appt for one of us at least once a week. I hate telling my families that I have to leave their kids with my assistant. Besides the fact that our Dc kids are a handul, we dealt with some false allegations when we first started (we have since been cleared) and I am more comfortable with both of us there at all times.
So how do you do it? Do you take scheduled days off and only make appointments then? I am able to make some appointments outside of my Dc hours, but most I cannot. Help!

[Blackcat31]

If you can't hire someone to come in for appts, what I used to do when my own kiddos were younger was just schedule them all on one day and either take that day off or schedule them all at the end of one day and close for the afternoon.

My DH was also really great about taking time off and bringing the kids to whatever appts, practices and things they needed to be at.

Is your DH available to take some time off and bring your kids to appts? Just because you work from home, doesn't necessarily mean you are home AND available to do these things. If he works outside the home, taking time off his job is just as eay or inconvenient as you taking time off yours.

[daymommy]

I get all my appointments scheduled for the same day and take a vacation day. For my prenatal appointments I try to schedule them as late as possible and DH comes home early to stay with the kids. If he can't come home then I take the day off. Needless to say, most of my vacation days are appt days.

[Crazy8]

I've always done all my appointments in the evenings, the same way I would if I worked outside the home (I was never big on taking time off unless I was really sick). I started my daycare when I moved to my town so needed new doctors anyway - made sure I found some with evening and weekend hours.
On rare occasions I can't get an evening appointment, DH can stay here or if its one of my kids he can take them to their appointment. He has a more flexible schedule than I do and is often home on weekdays. In 11 years I don't think I've ever closed for a dr.'s appointment.

[mom2many]

My hubby always took our kids to dr & dentist appts. I would schedule them late in the afternoon, so they didn't conflict with school or his work. I did the same for my appts.

Now that he is retired, I still schedule mine in the evenings if possible, but he will take over if it has to be during the day.

[littlemissmuffet]

I always try for evenings and weekends, when possible, but this isn't always on option. My other options are:

- book appointments when my hubby has a day off (he is usually home 1-2 days per week as he works weekends) and he can run the daycare while I am gone
- book the last possible appointment of the day and a) close early (better than closing for the whole day) or b) have my husband come home from work early to cover me
- book appointments on a day I will have 2 or less daycare kids and bring them with me
- book appointments on the rare days I won't have any daycare kids

When all else fails, I simply close the daycare - especially if I can book several needed appointments in one day. This is a pretty rare occasion, but at the end of the day, me and my family come before my daycare families.

I give myself 5 paid personal/sick days per year as well, so I can usually manage not missing out on any income if I have to close due to an appointment (though I try not to).

[canadiancare]

We have a doctor and dentist who do evening appointments. If one of my children (they are old enough to go on their own, now) needed a specialist appointment my husband always did it.

[mema]

I try to make them all in one day and take the day off. ****s to use a day off to just run from doctor to dentist to vet, but that is the only way right now I can do it. Dh doesn't have any vacation time at his new job until like 6 months or something like that. I actually just called to schedule my doctor appt and the lady I see use to work Mon-Thurs in the mornings only and now only works Mon & Thurs in the mornings so I had to schedule it for next year when I can take a different day off. I had one day already off in December where I was trying to make all of mine and still make it to my dd winter party at school-got all but this one I also have had to just make them as late in the day as possible and have them picked up early. 2 of my families the dcm's can work from home if necessary and another family dcd runs his own business, so if he has to find someone else to cover him or just not make any appointments for that part of the day he will.

[DaisyMamma]

I have no problem using my substitute to go to appointments. My DCFs don't mind at all. With that said, I still try to schedule them on my husband's day off, Wednesdays, so that I don't have to pay the sub to come.

[Soccermom]

I have mostly all SA right now so it is a lot easier for planning appts. I have taken littles with me to some appts in the past . I remember my DS having a check up once and I had my DS plus two little DCKS with me.
It turned out alright.
My replacement will usually come in though and I give her a pretty decent pay to replace me so it usually works out. Even the DCKS are hard to handle, the pay makes it worth her while.
Your DCFS are going to have to understand that having a child in a family home daycare is not the same as a large daycare. There are days when you will not be able to take them and days when you will need the morning or afternoon off...that is the reality of Family Home daycares.
When you have a child in a family home daycare, you NEED to have a backup plan for these types of things.
These DCPS take time off from their jobs to go to appointments..you have every right to do the same.

[jojosmommy]

Some strategies we use to avoid closing:

I have 2 helpers/subs plus my husband. Usually someone can help out.

I schedule all my dentist appts and my yearly physical (for myself) the last week in December. I usually call in July to get these on the schedule so I can pick the day/time I want. Then I tell parents I am closed that week.

I make follow up or additional dentist appts and scheduled ahead dr appts for MLK, presidents etc way in adance so that again I don't have to be closed.

We see a doc that takes appts at 7 am so I can go to those really early ones and my husband can stay home until I get back. Usually I only have one or two dck by the time I return. The clinic we go to also sees walk in people from 4pm-7pm so since I close at 4:30 if one of my kids or myself needs to be seen for something like strep/ear aches etc we walk in to the open clinic after I close daycare at 4:30.

There is also a dentist who sees patients until 7 pm here. We don't go there but that might be a solution for you in your area.


These methods arent always convienent BUT they help. I always do the math on how much it costs me to close dck for the day and that usually entices me to make something work.

[jojosmommy]

I try to make them all in one day and take the day off. ****s to use a day off to just run from doctor to dentist to vet, but that is the only way right now I can do it. Dh doesn't have any vacation time at his new job until like 6 months or something like that. I actually just called to schedule my doctor appt and the lady I see use to work Mon-Thurs in the mornings only and now only works Mon & Thurs in the mornings so I had to schedule it for next year when I can take a different day off. I had one day already off in December where I was trying to make all of mine and still make it to my dd winter party at school-got all but this one I also have had to just make them as late in the day as possible and have them picked up early. 2 of my families the dcm's can work from home if necessary and another family dcd runs his own business, so if he has to find someone else to cover him or just not make any appointments for that part of the day he will.

There is a sub in our area who I use. I can pm you her info if you want. $10/hr minimum 2 hours. Used to be licensed. My kiddos and parents like her. Let me know if you want her info.

[mema]

There is a sub in our area who I use. I can pm you her info if you want. $10/hr minimum 2 hours. Used to be licensed. My kiddos and parents like her. Let me know if you want her info.

Sure I'll take it. Can't hurt to have one. The summers are easier for me as dh switches to 12hr shifts, so he has at least 2 days off during the week depending if he works the weekend.

I try not to use subs, dh included, because the group I had was HORRIBLE for them. A few of them have moved on and I have a few newer, youngins, so hopefully dh won't dread taking over anymore

[JustMe]

Got some good ideas here! Right now my husband is my assistant, but we're hesitant to leave him with the kids because we had some allegations when we first started due to a misunderstanding. We have been cleared by licensing, everything is fine, but I still don't want to put us in a position where that could happen again. I think the experience aged us considerably!

My husband does take our kids to drs appts and dentist appts, but my ds has weekly meetings for school that my husband doesn't like to do, plus all of my own appointments. Plus there is the issue of capacity - our intention was to get about 8-10 kids, but if one of us leaves for an appt we will be over. I guess it will just take some time to work it out. I do like the idea of taking a day off every so often for appointments, but I would feel guilty if I did right now. I guess because I feel like I just gave them my handbook and now that I've done daycare a short while I already know I need to change some things, LOL.

[Meeko]

I have a great doctor office. Open until 8PM M-F and then 7-1 on Saturday mornings. It's helped a lot.

I'm diabetic, arthritic, overweight, menopausal and generally falling apart at the seams. My DCP's have to accept that or move on!

When I need to see the doc/dentist etc. I just let them know my hubby and son will be holding down the fort if I have to go during work hours.