DCF Driving Me Nuts!!

[wdmmom]

I've had DCB for almost a year. We had a pretty good start the first few months. Had to remind them to pay 1 time. Otherwise, things were going smoothly.

DCD changed jobs which in turn changed DCB's attendance to 4 days per week and drop off time changed from 7am to 8am.

This was the family I plan on giving notice to in August but I'm really wondering if I can make it that long. (Gotta make room for a siblings new baby and I'm tired of working til 330pm on Fridays just for this kid when there's many Friday's when everyone is gone by 2pm.)

Last Monday...DCM shows up at 501pm. Last child in the daycare. I get the whole "Sorry, I was caught on a phone call longer than I expected to be at work" line. I gave her the stink eye, passed the kid off and closed the door. I made it clear I wasn't happy. Especially since I had somewhere to be right at 5pm!

Last night I get a text at 947pm, "Sorry it's late but can I drop *** off at 740am tomorrow?! Thanks!!"

I get it, got fumed and decided, NO! I'm not entertaining this crap! I have it in my contract NOT to contact me after 7pm unless you are reporting an absence.

I text her back this morning at 715am and said, "Sorry, I have 2 other kids scheduled to arrive at that time. You can drop off at 750am."

I gave her 10 minutes earlier than he was suppose to be here and I wonder why I even gave into that!

But I'm still irritated at the early, early, late, late, me, me, free, free bologna. I'm ready to send home an invoice outlining and highlighting the fees.

I'm so sick of entitled parents and once the kid gets mobile, they don't want the kid around!

I'm more of the "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" kinda person. I'll do the early and late but I wanna see something in exchange...money, gratitude, small tokens of thanks, etc. This family has given me NOTHING EVER! But a big ol' headache!

[MaritimeMummy]

Oh man, been there, seems like those are the only people I draw in are the "you scratch my back...that is all" people.

Last summer, my very first DCG was moving. I was given the grace to know about 2 months in advance.

She was originally scheduled for two days a week...Mondays and Wednesdays.

Well, on top of, for an entire year, me having to chase this mom down on Fridays and Saturdays for my pay...even though DCG's schedule seemed very cut and dry, DCM made things more complicated than they needed to be.

One week, DCM would say, "I need to swap Wednesday for Friday". Annoying, but no *huge* deal at that point in the game.

Another week, she'd need both regular days changed.

Another week, she asked for time off. I give sick days and vacation time to clients based on however many days the child attends. So 2 days a week gets 4 vacation days and 2 sick days. The 2 sick days were used and 2 of the 4 vacation days were used. I require 2 week's notice with vacation time. She asked for the vacation days as a last minute thought, like Sunday night. I told her no, she can't do that, she needed to give me 2 week's notice., NOT the night before.

She flew into one and told me that ever since she decided to pull her daughter that I had been "complicated" and that I wasn't "willing to give her a break, a single mother, working hard to make a fresh start with her daughter with relocating".

I told her that if she was unhappy, she was welcome to end care any time with 2 week's pay.


Aside from that, every day for the entire year I kept that little girl turned into a confusing disaster where she'd make no contact with me and be super late in the mornings, sometimes not arriving until lunchtime...and then calling me 10 minutes before my closing to tell me she was running an hour late. I mean really, what was I going to do, leave her kid on the doorstep? Oh, I charged her for being late every time but every time, she didn't seem to care.

The parents who are all "me me me" are honestly the reason I want out of this.

[DaisyMamma]

If I were you I would change my closing time on Fridays to 2pm. Period. $1/minute per child late fee after that. This might drive them out to find alternative care if they actually need you until 3:30.
Did you confront dcm about texting you so late? I think you should.

[crazydaycarelady]

Just curious - why could she not drop off at 7:40 if you had other kids coming at that time anyway? (I know you were mad but do you not allow drop-offs at the same time?)

[MaritimeMummy]

Just curious - why could she not drop off at 7:40 if you had other kids coming at that time anyway? (I know you were mad but do you not allow drop-offs at the same time?)

I know you're asking OP but I have to say I have sort of an unwritten rule about this. I have a very small entry way and if I have even 2 parents arriving at the same time, there is literally no room to move and it's a commotion to try to round up kids and discuss things with parents. My parents are respectful enough and allow for enough time that, if they arrive and they see another parent inside with me, they will wait in the car until that parent has left. It jsut gets to be too much.