First One In The Morning Always Late..

[DanceMom]

I enrolled this family almost 3 yrs ago - At the time of interview I told them I open at 7 - they said that wouldnt work they needed 6:45 - so I didnt turn away business for 15 minutes. All my other families come at 7:30. So I get up EARLY only for this family. Well she is continually late...every single day she comes 5, 10, 15 sometimes 20 minutes late..
I have said something to her 4 times now - when I say something she comes on time for a week or two but then goes back to the same thing.
She is always blaming the dog on taking to long to go to the bathroom, or cant find my keys, or shoes or whatever..ALWAYS has an excuse.

Well, Im about fed up. and Im almost ready to tell her that I am changing my hours back to 7. I have given her plenty of "warnings" .

Do you think this is acceptable to just now tell her my hours are changing or do you think I said I open at 6:45 who cares if she is 5, 10, 15+ minutes late..those are my hours anyone can come at anytime..

[Jewels]

Personally, I never care when their late showing up, Better than being early, And it usually gives me an extra 5-10-15 minutes to myself, I enrolled a little boy, for 6:45am(but my hours start at 6:30am, hes my earliest though), And I dont think hes ever been here before 7:05, But like I said a little extra relaxing time, Since I start breakfast at 7:15. It can be so hard gettting out of the house with children, I was always 10 minutes late with me Son at daycare when I had him in one, He was scheduled at 6:30, But I could never make it, something always held me up, and actually alot of times it was me misplacing my keys, I'm horrible at that I really wouldnt worry about it, but thats just me.

[MyAngels]

Would you mind if this family decided to leave? if you don't, I would definitely say something. I had a family just like this at one time, they did not leave when I changed my hours back to 7 a.m., they just changed their hours at work. Hopefully it will work out the same for you!

[DanceMom]

Would you mind if this family decided to leave? if you don't, I would definitely say something. I had a family just like this at one time, they did not leave when I changed my hours back to 7 a.m., they just changed their hours at work. Hopefully it will work out the same for you!

No,I wouldnt mind if they left but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't.

I try and not let it bother me but it does..I think because my #1 biggest pet peeve is people that are late .. I think its rude and very selfish. ( AND I LOVE my sleep... )

[DCMom]

Personally I wouldn't unlock the door until 7:00am, since those are your actual hours. Send out an email or notice reminding parents of your open/closing times.

That's just what I did when I had a mom that thought it was ok to just arrive 5-10 minutes early. I didn't really bug me until she 'requested' that my sprinkler system turned off before her arrival (it turns off at my opening time of 6:45am). Now I don't even turn on the lights or go to the daycare area until I am open. There have been morning that she is standing outside the door when I unlock it, but whatever. And my sprinkler still turns off at 6:45am.

[QualiTcare]

i agree with jewels - i say get up, get ready, and lie down on the couch until they show up.

that's what i used to do.

[Aya477]

You could ask Mom if she no longer needs the special accommodation you were offering her by opening early. Even though she's given you excuses, you could say..."I've noticed you may not need for me to open at 6:45 for you any longer" and take the convo from there. Who knows....she may say OK without any further discussion.

[Childminder]

I get up, get dressed, wash my face, brush my teeth, etc....then go back to bed. Sometimes for 5min, sometimes for 40 minutes. Happens ALL THE TIME. I decided a long time ago that I get paid from their start time so they are paying me to sleep.::

[DanceMom]

I get up, get dressed, wash my face, brush my teeth, etc....then go back to bed. Sometimes for 5min, sometimes for 40 minutes. Happens ALL THE TIME. I decided a long time ago that I get paid from their start time so they are paying me to sleep.::

That is a way I try to think about it - she is paying me to sit there...so it helps me get over it.

I've laid in the couch before many times and when she comes in I just continue to lay there and then I get up all tired acting - today she came at 7:05 - used the "couldnt find her keys" excuse for the millionth time. Think I will buy her a key finder for Christmas.

[alyssyn]

You could ask Mom if she no longer needs the special accommodation you were offering her by opening early. Even though she's given you excuses, you could say..."I've noticed you may not need for me to open at 6:45 for you any longer" and take the convo from there. Who knows....she may say OK without any further discussion.

I think this is a very good way to bring up the subject. You may be suprized with the outcome!!

[Former Teacher]

I would flat out tell them in your next newsletter that effective such and such date you are returning back to your normal opening hours of 7:00. Are you paying you to open early?

I would have to lock the door at my former center because of the parents that would bang on the door at 6:25 or earlier if my car was out there. Even if the lights were off and the door locked, they would still bang on the door.

Once I arrived at 620 and there was a family waiting for me. I got out my car and they started getting out of theirs. Umm I said..we aren't open yet. Mom (she knew!) said what?!? I said we don't open until 630. What?!? said mom..I thought ya'll (I am in TX : opened at 6:15! No sorry :::: I made her wait of course

[katie]

what Aya477 said..just tell them "hey, I'm thinking you don't need the special accomodation anymore." I love my sleep too. Every minute counts in this job! I would rather stay in bed another 10 minutes instead of worrying if they are going to be at the door. Same thing here, could they come at 7 but never show up until 7:15. So I stopped coming out until 7:05 or so instead of 6:45. Just me.

[professionalmom]

No,I wouldnt mind if they left but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't.

I try and not let it bother me but it does..I think because my #1 biggest pet peeve is people that are late .. I think its rude and very selfish. ( AND I LOVE my sleep... )

Considering at one time I was working 15-16 hour days, I would be upset. I never wanted to work those hours, but to get and keep enough clients to pay our bills, I had to work long hours because that's what some of these moms had and if I wasn't willing, they'd go elsewhere. So, I had some kids start at 7am (day only kids). Then there were others who were here from 10 or 11am until 10 or 11pm. So even if I got a 5 min shower and went straight to bed after they left, I was looking at only getting 6 hours of sleep (from the time I actually fell asleep until I had to leap out of bed to prep for the day). So if my 7am didn't come until 7:15 or 7:30, that would mean I could sleep in an extra 15 -30 minutes (which was VERY precious time). And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my sleep. Trust me, I moan and groan when I have to get up in the middle of the night to go potty every hour (pregnancy).

[momma2girls]

No,I wouldnt mind if they left but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't.

I try and not let it bother me but it does..I think because my #1 biggest pet peeve is people that are late .. I think its rude and very selfish. ( AND I LOVE my sleep... )

I mind if they are early or late!! Their hrs. are posted on their contract. I have to be at places with my children's activities, etc... if they are late, I am late, missing things, etc. I have dealt with this several times, and I hate it!!

[momma2girls]

I would flat out tell them in your next newsletter that effective such and such date you are returning back to your normal opening hours of 7:00. Are you paying you to open early?

I would have to lock the door at my former center because of the parents that would bang on the door at 6:25 or earlier if my car was out there. Even if the lights were off and the door locked, they would still bang on the door.

Once I arrived at 620 and there was a family waiting for me. I got out my car and they started getting out of theirs. Umm I said..we aren't open yet. Mom (she knew!) said what?!? I said we don't open until 630. What?!? said mom..I thought ya'll (I am in TX : opened at 6:15! No sorry :::: I made her wait of course

I totally agree with you- do not open your doors til their contracted times! Make up a monthly newsletter to place this in. I once had a family show up 15-20 min. with the loudest truck I have ever heard, revving it up in my driveway, to keep it running!!! It was reight next to my 2 yr. old's room. It ****ed!! I finally had to tell her, she needed to park on the street, a little bit down the subdivision, away from her windows. UGH!!!!!! I opened 15 min. early for her as well!!! IT ****ED!!!