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I had the same issue about 8 years ago. I had a mom that worked on Fridays and her son was with me from 7:30 - 5:30. Well, I only had him at the time on Fridays so this was a big deal. She told me one day that her hours were cut on Fridays and she was getting out at 12:00 from now on. I thought awesome! I'll be out at noon or 12:30 on Fridays. So, the next week, I said, so see you at 12:30 and she looked at me like huh? She said, oh I had plans. She said that she was still going to pick him up at 5:30 (which is my exact closing time), she had no plans of coming early ever to get him on Friday. Ahhh, he was my only one. There was no way I was going to watch her son all day until 5;30 every single week while she was not working. I did compromise though, I watched him until 1:00. That gave her an hour to do whatever before picking him up and got me out of work by 1:00 which was great! I did give her a 1/2 day rate though because it was such a big amount of hours. For you, I would not discount at all.
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That's the same amount of hours - 15 min earlier start time and 15 min earlier end time. Still 10 hours either way.
Nice to hear that nobody minded the hours changing. But didn't you have any with a situation where they get off at 5:00 and have a 30 min drive?
Is anybody coming the extra 15 min earlier in the morning? If they were still able to get to work on time when you had 7:30 drop-off, do they really need to come at 7:15?
Just curious
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That's funny.... and sounds like this mom. I do really like her and they are great parents, but I think they are of the mindset that I am being paid for X hours each day, so the kids will BE HERE those exact hours.
I also think that maybe they have thought about it kind of like ... they don't want to ask for less hours because I would be making less money off of them, and they don't want to do that to me. Did that make sense? I think in their mind, they feel like they don't want to take that extra hour of business away from me. They're not the type that are constantly working against me like I've had other parents do. These are currently my longest term family (had one before for 12 years, but these are my longest right now), and they're more of my extended family thru DC.
Again, totally not making excuses for them or trying to ask for advice from you guys and then poo-poo it all. Just painting the picture of this family. They do irritate me a lot because they have the kids here from their exact start time to their exact pick up time, and the kids are here when they have days off, etc, etc (they pay either way), but they are good parents and I have no complaints of a business sense.
That's actually what makes this harder. I can't be all stern and tell them I've discovered their "lie" to me and now they must pick up at 4:30. I have a better relationship with them than that. I don't know.... I'm leaning toward the January 1st 4:45 closure on Fridays. Less confrontational!! I take care of my mother with Alzheimer's, so I'll just say I need that extra time (even though it's only 45 min!) Ugh, it's so hard.Comment
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Oh my... I changed it to 8:15! That's what I get for trying to type with my 2 year old in the room. I'm now open 8:15-5:15, so it's a half hour shorter. It is impacting one family, who gets off at 5, but they have only picked up later than 5:15 once or twice.That's the same amount of hours - 15 min earlier start time and 15 min earlier end time. Still 10 hours either way.
Nice to hear that nobody minded the hours changing. But didn't you have any with a situation where they get off at 5:00 and have a 30 min drive?
Is anybody coming the extra 15 min earlier in the morning? If they were still able to get to work on time when you had 7:30 drop-off, do they really need to come at 7:15?
Just curious
I was just saying, I wouldn't worry about charging her any less. Have you raised your rates at all over the past 9 years?Comment
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So you were open 10 hours, now 9 hours. You reduced by one hour. (Lucky you, by the way!!)
And yes... I've raised my rates. It's actually hard to determine though, because we went from just the boy for his first 5 years being here full time. Then when he went in Kindergarten, that's when I started watching his baby sister. So he was half day and she was full day. The next year, he went to 1st grade, so he was before & after school, and she was full day. Then 4 years later, she's now half day and he's only before & after school. Etc., etc. So it's hard to pin down any kind of percent or flat amount that I've raised their rates. But whenever their situation changed, I took that opportunity to "raise" their rates, even though they may have in reality gone DOWN due to less hours, I reduced LESS than what I could have. That was my way of technically raising their rates, while giving them a lower total amount. Does that even make ANY sense??
. Hard to explain.
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Unless you do hourly rates, I wouldn't lower their rate. I have a family here from 8:30-4:30 and they pay the same as my 7:30-5:30 would. I just do daily rates (unless it's overtime- more than 10 hours, or early/late times). I say offer them the new PU time based on work hours and keep the same rate. Sounds like you've been a great provider for them and you are worth it!So you were open 10 hours, now 9 hours. You reduced by one hour. (Lucky you, by the way!!)
And yes... I've raised my rates. It's actually hard to determine though, because we went from just the boy for his first 5 years being here full time. Then when he went in Kindergarten, that's when I started watching his baby sister. So he was half day and she was full day. The next year, he went to 1st grade, so he was before & after school, and she was full day. Then 4 years later, she's now half day and he's only before & after school. Etc., etc. So it's hard to pin down any kind of percent or flat amount that I've raised their rates. But whenever their situation changed, I took that opportunity to "raise" their rates, even though they may have in reality gone DOWN due to less hours, I reduced LESS than what I could have. That was my way of technically raising their rates, while giving them a lower total amount. Does that even make ANY sense??. Hard to explain.Comment
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The way I bill for this family (not a very common method, but it has worked for this family for 9 years, and for my other family I've had for 6 years - everybody else is weekly) is that we figure out what it will be for the whole calendar year, and then average that entire year's worth of fees, and they pay that averaged amount once a month. As new kids came after these two families, I went strictly with weekly fees. Once these two families eventually leave, I won't do this again. But it works fine for now, and I have no problem with it.
Ok, so what I'm going to do, (I think?? LOL... I haven't typed up the notice yet, so my mind could change before I actually do it!!) anyway, so what I *think* I'll do is when I change their amount for 2014 due to the fact that their youngest will begin 1st grade next September, is I'll take that opportunity to include in the letter the fact that I'll now be closing at 4:45 on Fridays. Their new amount won't reflect any deduction for that earlier closing time on Fridays, but OVERALL their fee will go down, because their youngest will only be before/after school for the final 4 months of 2014, as opposed to half day Kindergarten as she is now.
I know that's confusing, but I've done it since the older boy started Kindergarten (he's now in 5th), and it really isn't that hard for me to figure out each year. Plus I've always been good in math.
I think I'll have to verbally tell her before I give her the letter though. It just doesn't seem right to spring that on her in a letter without even bringing it up in person.... considering we talk outside for 5-10 minutes every day. I'd feel like a chump never having told her verbally, then having her find out by reading the letter at home. OR... if she happened to open it right as I give it to her! I'd feel like a big chicken.
So anyway, thanks for your input, ladies! Sorry it's all so confusing.
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