Showing up early?

[Unregistered]

I have parents who show up 5-10 minutes before their contracted start time. How do you all handle this? Or just leave it alone? I don't think it's right because ultimately they're getting 25-50 minutes of free care each week, over a year that will be 22-45 free hours. I need to set a early drop off fee. I have one for late pickup, but never considered the early drop off issue.

My policy for late pickup is $1/ minute late. Should I set the same for early drop off?

[Mom&Provider]

I stuggle with the same thing here. Almost daily I have at least 1 family who drops off a few minutes to 10 minutes early. I've noticed since the one DCM has gone back to work after mat. leave with her 2nd, she is coming early and I think it's because it takes the kids longer to get undressed etc. so she shows up early to be able to get on the road at the same time she is used to. Of course none of that is my problem, they knew my hours long before her 2nd started here, so I'm in the same position as you are. At first I didn't want to say anything, I figured it's only a few minutes, but like you I added it all up and began to get upset at how much *free* time they were getting!

I don't have any advice other than what was given to me when I asked this question and that was either a) don't answer the door until you open and b) provide them with a warning and then start charging them.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

It seems like your drop off times are all different, so I would address it. "Susan, you've been showing up at 7:15 instead of 7:30am lately. Are you needing to amend your contract and fees with me to accommodate an earlier drop off time? If not, please be aware that I charge a $1.00/minute early drop off fee that will need to be paid prior to your child's arrival the next day. "

[morgan24]

I just ask them if they realize they are early. Then I remind them that I only do early drop off if I okay it in advance. It usually only happens once.

[Blackcat31]

I have parents who show up 5-10 minutes before their contracted start time. How do you all handle this? Or just leave it alone? I don't think it's right because ultimately they're getting 25-50 minutes of free care each week, over a year that will be 22-45 free hours. I need to set a early drop off fee. I have one for late pickup, but never considered the early drop off issue.

My policy for late pickup is $1/ minute late. Should I set the same for early drop off?

I charge for early drop off just as I charge for late pick up.

My time is just as valuable in the mornings as it is in the evenings.

It is disrespectful either way.

Let the families know you will not be allowing it and will charge for it if it continues to happen.

Most businesses have open and close times...and from what I gather, those times are suggestions or negotiable either.

[jenn]

I don't really have contracted times. I am open from 7:15-6:00. Most have regular times that they come/leave, but if they are running early/late that is fine...as long as it is within my regular open hours. If they arrive before
7:15, I have a bench on the front porch they can wait on. If they are later than 6:00, it's $1 per minute.

[TheGoodLife]

Can I ask how you charge for your contracted times? How do you break down your charges? I have an idea so far, but I haven't started anyone new since I changed to contracted hours, so I'm keeping the original rates for my families that are already here, but I'm having a difficult time with it (one family has threatened to leave because I was enforcing my late pick-up fee when they were 10 minutes late. Not sure if they are going to or not yet). Any advice would be much appreciated! TIA

[Blackcat31]

Can I ask how you charge for your contracted times? How do you break down your charges? I have an idea so far, but I haven't started anyone new since I changed to contracted hours, so I'm keeping the original rates for my families that are already here, but I'm having a difficult time with it (one family has threatened to leave because I was enforcing my late pick-up fee when they were 10 minutes late. Not sure if they are going to or not yet). Any advice would be much appreciated! TIA

I insist the families I have give me drop off times because I don't live here so I need to know who is going to be here and when.

However, my contracted rates are based on pickup times more so than hours per day. I am more concerned about what time I can go home or be off the clock then what time I need to open up.

So for example my weekly rate for a 3:30 daily pick up is $150
a weekly rate with a 4:00 pick up would be $155
a weekly rate for a 4:30 pick up is $160
a weekly rate for a 5:00 pick up is $165

[sharlan]

I don't have contracted hours.

Early drop-offs don't bother me. I'm up and dressed, so it doesn't matter. If I'm not, then they can see my night-gown and robe.

I care about late pick-ups and charge $1 a minute.

[lovemykidstoo]

I have parents who show up 5-10 minutes before their contracted start time. How do you all handle this? Or just leave it alone? I don't think it's right because ultimately they're getting 25-50 minutes of free care each week, over a year that will be 22-45 free hours. I need to set a early drop off fee. I have one for late pickup, but never considered the early drop off issue.

My policy for late pickup is $1/ minute late. Should I set the same for early drop off?

Can I ask if they are coming before you are technically open? If they are then I would either not answer the door or tell them that they cannot come before you open or you won't answer the door. If they are coming during your open times, but just coming a few minutes early, is it interferring with other things? i can think of alot of things that could make someone 5-10 minutes early. Maybe they need to drop off their child and grab some gas on the way to work or something, maybe traffic was lighter that day, maybe they made all the lights etc. I am open 7:30-5:30 and don't really care if someone drops normally at 7:45, but are here at 7:35 sometimes. The thing that does drive me nuts is if they normally come at 8:00 and don't show up until 9:15 because I wait until they're all here to eat my breakfast and I wait and wait and I'm starving LOL!

[littlemissmuffet]

Are they your first drop off? If so, don't answer the door until their contracted drop-off time. If not, is their rate specific to their contracted times? If so, tell them you will need to increase their rate to account for the 25-50 additional minutes of care they recieve each week. If their rate isn't specific to their contracted hours, I would just ask them to stop dropping off early if it was bothering me so much.

[wdmmom]

I also have contracted hours. I'm open when families need me, not based on particular hours.

Some days I don't have kids roll in until 8am, other days it could be as early as 715am. When I am open, the lights are on and the curtains are open. If I'm not open yet, the curtains are still drawn and I don't have the light on in the front room. (Which you can see from the street.)

I've had a few families show up early. They either stand on the porch and wait until whatever time I'm scheduled to open or I charge $1.00 per minute.

For example:

If I didn't have any children scheduled until 730am and someone showed up at 705am, they can stand on the porch and wait until 730am because chances are, I'm in the shower and wouldn't hear the door anyway.

I did have a family show up about 15 minutes early in the past. I was up and answered the door. I told them, "You guys are mighty early. I'm not even open yet." DCD said he had to go to work early. I said, "Oh, then you won't mind paying the early arrival fee?" Never arrived early again and if he did, he'd sit in the car and wait.