How to Respond...

[craftymissbeth]

I just received a text from a dcm telling me dcg will be here at 10ish. My policy is to not accept any children after 9 am.

How do I respond to her text? She only has 13 minutes to get here. This policy is clearly stated in my handbook.

[melonieb]

Since she texted and informed you that she would be late, its up to you. If your policy stats no entry after 9, then follow your policy.

[craftymissbeth]

I responded "my cut off time for drop offs is actually 9:00 am. We get pretty busy with morning naps around that time."

She responded with "oh shoot. I was heading to pick her up from the sitters and didn't want to take her straight to you. Guess I should have read the contract better "

They don't even work today.

Ugh. I wish I was preprogrammed with every possible appropriate response imaginable for every situation.

Anyway, it's done, but what would you guys have done?

[Play Care]

I'm closed, that's what I do I stopped giving the options to come on many holidays after I realized *I* was the only one working

[craftymissbeth]

I'm closed, that's what I do I stopped giving the options to come on many holidays after I realized *I* was the only one working

Yep... exactly what I'm doing next year! I figured that since I don't do anything for NYE then there's no reason to close, but seeing as one family showed up hungover and said they're going back to bed and the other is bouncing their child from sitter to sitter just so they don't have to watch their child today... I'm done.

I personally shipped my 7 yo ds to my SIL's house last night so he could stay up late and have fun on NYE... all because I "had" to wake up at 6 am to watch other peoples children while they're at home sleeping. Nope. Never again! I should have spent NYE with my family... I should have stayed up super late with ds and counted down the new year. I should be spending NYD seeing his beautiful smile instead of listening to dcg tantrum because she was up too late.

Ugh. Oh well. I guess I've had my first "my DCP's are so selfish" moment.

Rant over

[Annalee]

Yep... exactly what I'm doing next year! I figured that since I don't do anything for NYE then there's no reason to close, but seeing as one family showed up hungover and said they're going back to bed and the other is bouncing their child from sitter to sitter just so they don't have to watch their child today... I'm done.

I personally shipped my 7 yo ds to my SIL's house last night so he could stay up late and have fun on NYE... all because I "had" to wake up at 6 am to watch other peoples children while they're at home sleeping. Nope. Never again! I should have spent NYE with my family... I should have stayed up super late with ds and counted down the new year. I should be spending NYD seeing his beautiful smile instead of listening to dcg tantrum because she was up too late.

Ugh. Oh well. I guess I've had my first "my DCP's are so selfish" moment.

Rant over

I think we have all, at some point, felt we OWED parents ALL of our time....I can remember when I started dc in 1992, I didn't even have a "closing time".....Can't imagine that now.....I know I sound stiff with my contract, but I had to get back to doing what I love while still taking care of myself.....burnout is inevitable and the kids suffer if we don't take care of ourselves.

[daycarediva]

I think we have all, at some point, felt we OWED parents ALL of our time....I can remember when I started dc in 1992, I didn't even have a "closing time".....Can't imagine that now.....I know I sound stiff with my contract, but I had to get back to doing what I love while still taking care of myself.....burnout is inevitable and the kids suffer if we don't take care of ourselves.

:: yup! My first clients with a contract, had no contracted hours, no closing time and said "Whenever you finish working" and assumed parents would rush here after work.


I would have done the same, sorry 9am cut off.

[MarinaVanessa]

"oh shoot. I was heading to pick her up from the sitters and didn't want to take her straight to you. Guess I should have read the contract better "

THIS is exactly the response that I hope to avoid by going through my handbook and contract bit by bit WITH the parents at sign up ... guess what? I still get it ::