Have You Ever Gone Above And Beyond For A DCfamily?

[crazydaycarelady]

(To counteract my reputation as being shallow) I wanted to start a thread about times we have gone above and beyond for our dc families. I'll start:

~ I once lent a dcfamily $1700 so they could complete the refinance on their house.

~ I let a dcm use my Suburban when her car was stuck in the snow.

~ I regularly watch older siblings at a moments notice, day or night, when a new baby is coming.

~ Of course there was the 10 day cruise the parents went on while I watched their 2yo.

~ We let dcd store his utility trailer on our property so he can park his car in his garage.

And most recently:
~ I dry clothes for one dcm when her dryer broke. She would bring them over washed and wet and I would send them home dry and folded.

What have you ladies done that was above and beyond (and maybe even a little crazy) for your dcfamilies?

[kelsey's kids]

I also watch a dcbs will baby sis was born for 5 days straight. Same little ones sis got sick 3 months later and was in the hospital for 2 weeks also had dcbs for the entire time sis was in hospital.

[MotherNature]

oh yes. My first family.. also my first/only term. Let her pay late constantly, to the tune of a month with no pay at all &...$1000 owed she paid at tax time. Came to her house after hours to lend her my jumper cables. Washed her son's clothes here once. Lent her bus money when her car was dead. Gave her groceries a few times. Kept her son late several times with no fee. It did not end well unfortunately.

[sharlan]

Loaned a dcm $2000 when her dh accidently paid their monthly bills twice.

Drove 40 miles to pick up a dcb at 10 PM when dcm started having a miscarriage.

Picked up dcm & dcd when their car broke down in the middle of nowhere 30 miles from my house and took dcm and kids to her mil's another 25 miles out.

Took 3 WEEK old infant on a family vacation so the family could move. (I call her my adopted granddaughter.)

Kept dcb for a solid week while parents went on a cruise.

Rushed dcb & mom to the hospital when dcb drank paint thinner - on Mom's watch, not mine.

[crazydaycarelady]

That reminded me - I once went and picked up a prescription and took it over to a sick dckids house.

I also took the kids with me and we put a planter of flowers on one dcms porch to surprise her, along with a note. She was going through a divorce and needed a pick-me-up! I love doing this kind of thing and she was so appreciative!

[TwinKristi]

~ took DCB to the dr when he was really sick since I had to take my own sick son to the same Dr. He ended up having a major viral issue needed antibiotic injections, bloodwork and another round of oral abx. Then I kept him at my house to nap because his fever started going up again, mom picked him up 30 mins early so she could get blood work done.

~ Dh kept a very sick child (same one, go figure) even though he had a fever of 102.5, mom had us give him Motrin and let him nap here even though I was in the hospital for a staph infection.

I know some people may disagree with keeping sick kids, but the alternative was him doing to work with mom and being sick and miserable there. At least here he could nap and get some well-needed sleep. Sadly this mom is really into her job and has NEVER once in over a year kept him home voluntarily when he was sick. I have sent him home sick numerous times, and she ends up taking him to work with her. Even with pink eye, vomiting, high fever... I don't mind giving them Motrin and letting them sleep here but usually have parents pick up after they nap if they're sick. I have a very small daycare, my son and 2 other boys very close in age. This family has decided to put their DS in Jr Preschool and I just worry myself crazy about how he's going to do there. This poor guy has been sick literally 10 times or more in the last year and I know they're not going to give him Motrin and let him sleep all afternoon if he needs or take him to the dr and get medicine. Sadly I don't think they have a great sick policy there as his sister brings home sicknesses constantly which is why he's been so sick. Now he's going to be getting the germs first hand and I just worry about him socially and emotionally as well. He's not even 2! :-(

[BumbleBee]

Took an infant who was only 3 days old. Long story short, mom was severely depressed and we were all concerned for her & the baby. Born early Friday morning, took him (and his sister who was 2.5) in on Monday at 8am. Mom was admitted to the hospital psych ward for observation. Mom went home 4 days later and we did supervised visits w/her but didn't feel it was safe to be alone w/the kids.

Baby was 6 months old & sister was 3 before they moved home w/mom full time.

[Josiegirl]

Sorry you crazy daycare lady, but I'm too shallow.

I have to say some of you are really nice! I've taken dcks outside of regular daycare hours. I took the dcks with me to drop balloons off for one of my dcms. That's about it. I guess I AM too shallow.

[sharlan]

Sorry you crazy daycare lady, but I'm too shallow.

I have to say some of you are really nice! I've taken dcks outside of regular daycare hours. I took the dcks with me to drop balloons off for one of my dcms. That's about it. I guess I AM too shallow.

Not necessarily. You do what works for you.

[melilley]

Well, I for one don't think you are shallow!

I haven't really done anything above and beyond, nothing has ever come up for me to do so. I guess the closest thing would be taking one of my dcb's outside of hours so mom and dad didn't have to miss school one evening.

Oh and this week, letting a family pay late and even though I'm livid at the whole situation, my dh said he would wait until Friday to put the check in the bank-even though it was due Mon. and I hesitantly agreed (I had a thread on it yesterday so I won't go into it)

That's about it. You ladies have done some awesome things though!

[Lianne]

I have gone above and beyond in many ways, some listed above and in also in other ways that I can't think of at the moment. Sometimes it's come back to bite me in the ass and sometimes it doesn't. On the flip side, I've had clients go above and beyond for me many times as well.

[sharlan]

I have one family that I took both of their kids to all well baby checks. We had the same pedi. Another family I would take the kids to the pedi for the dad to show up and take over.

I took several of my daycare families (just the kids) camping up in the mountains for a week.

I dropped off one mom at the hospital and then picked her up after her surgery. I kept her at my house so I could keep tabs on her until her dh came home. Their AC was out and it was 110* here that day.

I've always done what I wanted to do, never felt obligated. I knew that my families appreciated what I did for them. The more I felt appreciated, the more I did.

[TwinKristi]

Sorry you crazy daycare lady, but I'm too shallow.

I have to say some of you are really nice! I've taken dcks outside of regular daycare hours. I took the dcks with me to drop balloons off for one of my dcms. That's about it. I guess I AM too shallow.

I don't think so! I think its probably best to NOT go above and beyond sometimes. Like the gift thread touched on, it creates a weird relationship where it's a little too comfortable and then it's less business and more friendship. Then they come to expect these things. That's what I've run into anyway. I have done the things I posted because it was in the best interest for the DCKs not because I wanted something extra. But then once you do these things (like keeping a sick kid one day) then the parent seemed to expect that every time their kid was sick and it just wasn't possible. Especially when I have more than my little crew of 2 or 3. I had 5+ at one point, one who was headed to surgery for tubes the next week and could NOT get sick again. When someone vomits or has diarrhea I don't play nice then and you MUST come NOW get your child. No nap, no meds, come now! But then when that family decides to up and leave, changing your whole plan, it kinda ****s! I feel like I've done a lot for this family and now realize they really don't appreciate it and just expect it now. In the future I won't be going above and beyond because it creates weird feelings. I've allowed the same family to have drop-ins on their 5th day as needed and now that they're moving to preschool, they MAY want to keep using Wednesdays as drop in but I need to figure out a way to tell her I need some commitment on that because if you say Tues AM you'll be here Wednesday and then Tues PM you cancel... I don't like that. I have allowed them to do this in the past and it was a mistake and now they do it all the time. Same with another family I have. They have 3 contracted days but drop in the 4th and 5th day often. I posted another thread about if I should offer them a discount to commit to those 5 days instead of 3 and paying me full price as a drop in. BUT I just don't know how to approach them yet. I keep hoping to get someone 5 days but nothing has been happening! I have an interview tomorrow but its also 3 days and not til March IF I even get the baby!

Anyway, I just rambled and vented a lot but my point is don't think that's shallow of you!

[sharlan]

EVERYONE needs to do what works for them.

If going above and beyond the call of duty doesn't work for you, then please, don't do it. That will only breed resentment. It doesn't make you a bad person or shallow. It makes you who you are and what you are comfortable with.

Years ago, I was very, very involved in most of my daycare families' lives, today, not so much. Actually, today, other than my grandkids, I am not involved in any of my daycare families' lives. I don't go to bd parties or associate with them outside of daycare hours. I don't invite the parents on outings, etc.

I've felt good about the extras I provided. I did them because "I" wanted to.

I also took a dcg to Hawaii for spring break one year when I took my granddaughter. I paid for everything.

[CedarCreek]

I took a very interesting class recently about the difference between providing "cake" and "icing" in your environment. The cake being the basics and the icing being whatever you do to go above and beyond.

For example:

Your kids follow a curriculum that allows then to make crafts. This is cake. The icing would be that you save the very cute things and make a simple "book" out of them to give to the child and parents at the end of the year.

Looking at some of your responses, I'd say you guys are providing cake, icing, and sprinkles with a side of ice cream!!! ::

Good on you!