Doorbell Rings...

[Brooksie]

Technically yes, unless that happens to be her first client of the day. My business hours are 7-5 but if I'm not expecting my first client until 7:30 then that's when I'm open, not 7. I do contracted hours per family so my working/open hours are dependent upon my clients scheduled hours regardless of what my business hours are.

This is what I do. My business hours are 7:30-5:30 but I work off of contracted hours. They aren't supposed to come until between 7:45-8:00. They are also my first family. And I am very flexible with my clients on a lot of fronts, mornings are sacred and I will not short myself on that time.

[Brooksie]

Parents also need to understand that I am not at their beck and call. I run a business out of my home but I also have a family of my own to take care of. They need to respect my time. They know my hours.

[SSWonders]

This is what I do. My business hours are 7:30-5:30 but I work off of contracted hours. They aren't supposed to come until between 7:45-8:00. They are also my first family. And I am very flexible with my clients on a lot of fronts, mornings are sacred and I will not short myself on that time.

So then she was technically almost 20 minutes early. THAT I GET! I wasn't understanding that from the original post.

[coolconfidentme]

Parents also need to understand that I am not at their beck and call. I run a business out of my home but I also have a family of my own to take care of. They need to respect my time. They know my hours.

They DON'T door ring the doorbell at Walmart or McD's & expect to be served..., their child care provider is no different!

[countrymom]

I have no problems opening 5 min. before they are suppose to come (I joke with them because its rare anyone makes it on time here ) but 20 min. is way too early.

[Familycare71]

Parents also need to understand that I am not at their beck and call. I run a business out of my home but I also have a family of my own to take care of. They need to respect my time. They know my hours.

I think you were kind to let her in before 7:45 without notice!!

[SilverSabre25]

They DON'T door ring the doorbell at Walmart or McD's & expect to be served..., their child care provider is no different!

Actually, you would be SHOCKED to learn the number of people who DO that kind of thing at any business. "But I just need one thing!" "But it's important!" "But I'm hungry!" "Well can't you just...."

And as for it being only 4 minutes, it's the principle of the thing. And as with toddlers, if you don't want it to happen every time, don't let it happen ANY time.

[MyAngels]

That is not necessarily the case. Am I misreading that this in an isolated thing? If it was a chronic problem of course I would say something. This poor parent has made ONE 4 minute error, if I am reading correctly.

That could be the case . The OP didn't actually say one way or the other, and I answered based on my personal experience. After 20 years as a home based provider I've seen this happen quite a few times. I solved it by making sure everyone understands that I'm open when the porch light goes on and the door is open. If they get here early they just wait outside quietly .

[Meeko]

Some parents do not see our homes as a place of business.

The very same parent who would not dream of banging on the door of a store before opening time, will think nothing of banging on their daycare provider's door early.

It's up to us to MAKE them understand. If not.....you send the message that anything goes. If four minutes is OK today....then ten minutes is OK tomorrow.

[VTMom]

For me, that 4 minutes does make a difference. I have my own two children that I need to get ready for school. Lunches are being packed, kids dressed, breakfast started, etc. I'll have up to 6 kids coming in from the time I open until the bus comes half an hour later. Time is tight and if I don't have things set in motion before opening, I'm sunk. That 4 minutes is crucial for me and it's the last few minutes I have with my own kids.

[Leigh]

Maybe traffic was lighter? Maybe their watch was a few minutes off? Maybe they just might have their act together a tiny bit earlier today? If it was just a one time thing, and not a constant thing, I would not leave a parent and child on the doorstep for the sake of 4 minutes. I prefer to be a little bit flexible to help make things a tad bit smoother for parents in the morning. Getting kids out to daycare is a stressful enough situation without me adding to it for I what I see as a miniscule amount of time. Why stress a parent out more? I am not a restaurant or a typical type business. I prefer to work with parents, again within reason, and not on a constant basis. That's just me.

When I was the daycare parent, and traffic was lighter, and I arrived early, I would park at the corner of her block and wait for opening time because I didn't want to sit in her driveway and make her feel pressured to open the door early. Her door unlocked at exactly my drop off time (I was first drop off), and I didn't expect her to get up early and watch for me out the window.

As a provider now, I open my door at 7:30. I get up about 8 minutes before then-I let my dogs outdoors and then put them downstairs, I might tidy up just a bit before opening the door, and of course, answer nature's call. If a parent showed up 10 minutes early, they'd find me still in bed. I don't mind an early drop off if it's prearranged, but I'm not about to get up earlier just in case someone decides to drop early (my 7:30 drop offs have parents who work at 8-neither of them drives more than 5 minutes to work).

[momofboys]

Some parents do not see our homes as a place of business.

The very same parent who would not dream of banging on the door of a store before opening time, will think nothing of banging on their daycare provider's door early.

It's up to us to MAKE them understand. If not.....you send the message that anything goes. If four minutes is OK today....then ten minutes is OK tomorrow.

Yep, yep - we all have stories but one in particular made me grow my backbone immensely. I had 2 PT families in care a few years back- on Wed I only had the one family but their drop off time was not until Noon & all my own kids were either in preschool in the mornings or all day grade school. So naturally I wanted to utilize that morning to get things down, make appts for me etc. Week 2 or 3 of this PT family being with me I noticed a bad pattern. The DCD came at 11:45 one day & I did not say anything although I was steamed. Next week it became 11:30 & I did mention their earliness. By the next week he came at 11:15 & I spoke up, "Ted, you really need to let me know if you are coming more than a few minutes prior to noon. And if you are bringing earlier we need to discuss extra pay for the extra time (I do contracted hours). You are the only family in care on Wed so I will frequently not be home until your scheuled drop-off time" It did help but from then on a made a habit on Wed of running errands in the morning & not getting back home until at least 11:50 a.m. I did occasionally arrive home at that time to find said parent waiting in my driveway. I guess my point is with some parents if you let them come early/pick up late they will take advantage. In some instances you have to stand up & use that backbone - guard your free time!

[caregiver]

My hours are 7:30am also, but I don't mind if they are 5 minutes early,in fact I tell parents that my hours are 7:30am but please don't drop off before 7:25am. It doesn't bother me if they are 5 minutes early,I am up,dressed and ready to go by then and will have had my coffee by then.
To me, 5 minutes is no big deal, now if it was 15 or 20 minutes early, then I would have a problem.

[Rockgirl]

When I was the daycare parent, and traffic was lighter, and I arrived early, I would park at the corner of her block and wait for opening time because I didn't want to sit in her driveway and make her feel pressured to open the door early. Her door unlocked at exactly my drop off time (I was first drop off), and I didn't expect her to get up early and watch for me out the window.

Yes! School age boy told me one morning in the summer, "We caught all the lights green, and we were going to be too early, so Dad parked down the street at the convenience store." I truly appreciated that.

[caregiver]

When I was the daycare parent, and traffic was lighter, and I arrived early, I would park at the corner of her block and wait for opening time because I didn't want to sit in her driveway and make her feel pressured to open the door early. Her door unlocked at exactly my drop off time (I was first drop off), and I didn't expect her to get up early and watch for me out the window.

As a provider now, I open my door at 7:30. I get up about 8 minutes before then-I let my dogs outdoors and then put them downstairs, I might tidy up just a bit before opening the door, and of course, answer nature's call. If a parent showed up 10 minutes early, they'd find me still in bed. I don't mind an early drop off if it's prearranged, but I'm not about to get up earlier just in case someone decides to drop early (my 7:30 drop offs have parents who work at 8-neither of them drives more than 5 minutes to work).

Do you really get up only 8 minutes before you open? You must be a very good morning person. I'm not, I get up at 5:45 am to wake up,shower and be ready by 7:30, I really need that time to fully wake up.
I used to be a morning person, but the older I get, the more time I seem to need to wake up. More power to you if you can be ready for the day like that.