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Thank you ALL for your advice and support during this time of learning and growth! I think of you ladies all the time when I'm conducting interviews, dealing with parents, etc. and this week has been a big one!
I asked a few mos back about offering a discounted rate for a family I have contracted 3 days a week but always drop in on Monday and/or Friday! They pay that day or the next if she's making her bi-weekly payment but the unknown part of it has been really annoying even though I just love the family. I would never term for this stuff because I know they would listen and abide by rule changes, especially if I was firm or demanded it. But I have figured the extra $5/day was worth it since I would only be reducing my fees by offering this since they come these days at the full rate anyway. Well I finally bit the bullet and asked mom if she wanted to talk to Grandma about it and see how it would work starting next month. Well she agreed to that starting next month! Woohoo! Yes I am losing $100/mo, BUT today is the perfect example of why I'm doing this! Grandma said yesterday she would bring him after therapy around 12. 12 comes and goes... 1 comes and goes... I figure he fell asleep so she'll bring him when he wakes up but usually communicates it. Then it's almost 2 and mom texts me asking if he was dropped off yet. I told her no so she asked Grandma what was going on and she said he fell asleep so he can just stay home today.
I pushed my DS' lunch out, I pushed my DS' nap out and then now she's not even coming? Well I strongly believe had she paid me for today in advance he would have been here awake or not! I told mom that as well. I told her this is precisely why I would prefer a Mon-Fri commitment/prepayment. If she paid me for today anyway and just decided to keep him home... awesome, have a great day! But when I have to wait all day and then NOT get paid because she changed her mind... nope! Not gonna happen anymore! I would also like to create a new contract for this new change and come up with more consistency on drop-offs and pick-ups. I've been very understanding and accommodating and don't charge late fees because they always call me when they're running late, I know they can't control traffic and Mom can't leave early when that happens because she takes the bus from the city. But on Monday grandma was late and didn't call so she paid me an extra $10 because she didn't want me to be mad at her. 
So I know they KNOW it's inconsiderate to do, but I think Grandma has an easier time than mom does just letting things slide. Like today! I love this family to death so I just want this to work best for everyone! I don't feel comfortable doing $1/minute and my contract says $2 for every 5 mins they're late. So her $10 payment was spot on. Should I just reiterate my policy and that with this FT contract I will be enforcing it once we set up a good schedule for d/o & p/u? I don't mind them forecasting a little later and being early, like 5pm and pick up at 4:30pm to avoid the late fees. My license states my hours are 6am to 5:30pm but I've had kids here past 6pm when parents' schedules changed over the last year. I would like to have pickup BY 6pm.
What would be a good way to word that I would like to be closed by 6pm? I only have 3 families, 1 it wouldn't apply to and the other 2 it would. One pays on an hourly basis for after school care and maybe once every 6wks mom picks up at 6:15pm if dad has to work late or is out of town. I would make exceptions on that time for those rare occasions but would like to include a fee for that. I charge them for 13.5hrs a week which is a 5pm pickup. Dad is here between 4:30-5:30 sometimes depending on traffic so I don't haggle the half hour here and there because there's many times he's here at 4:30pm and I'm still paid til 5pm. What do you think would be a reasonable charge for the care provided after 6pm? $2/5 mins just seems kinda silly now that I think about it.
I asked a few mos back about offering a discounted rate for a family I have contracted 3 days a week but always drop in on Monday and/or Friday! They pay that day or the next if she's making her bi-weekly payment but the unknown part of it has been really annoying even though I just love the family. I would never term for this stuff because I know they would listen and abide by rule changes, especially if I was firm or demanded it. But I have figured the extra $5/day was worth it since I would only be reducing my fees by offering this since they come these days at the full rate anyway. Well I finally bit the bullet and asked mom if she wanted to talk to Grandma about it and see how it would work starting next month. Well she agreed to that starting next month! Woohoo! Yes I am losing $100/mo, BUT today is the perfect example of why I'm doing this! Grandma said yesterday she would bring him after therapy around 12. 12 comes and goes... 1 comes and goes... I figure he fell asleep so she'll bring him when he wakes up but usually communicates it. Then it's almost 2 and mom texts me asking if he was dropped off yet. I told her no so she asked Grandma what was going on and she said he fell asleep so he can just stay home today.
I pushed my DS' lunch out, I pushed my DS' nap out and then now she's not even coming? Well I strongly believe had she paid me for today in advance he would have been here awake or not! I told mom that as well. I told her this is precisely why I would prefer a Mon-Fri commitment/prepayment. If she paid me for today anyway and just decided to keep him home... awesome, have a great day! But when I have to wait all day and then NOT get paid because she changed her mind... nope! Not gonna happen anymore! I would also like to create a new contract for this new change and come up with more consistency on drop-offs and pick-ups. I've been very understanding and accommodating and don't charge late fees because they always call me when they're running late, I know they can't control traffic and Mom can't leave early when that happens because she takes the bus from the city. But on Monday grandma was late and didn't call so she paid me an extra $10 because she didn't want me to be mad at her. So I know they KNOW it's inconsiderate to do, but I think Grandma has an easier time than mom does just letting things slide. Like today! I love this family to death so I just want this to work best for everyone! I don't feel comfortable doing $1/minute and my contract says $2 for every 5 mins they're late. So her $10 payment was spot on. Should I just reiterate my policy and that with this FT contract I will be enforcing it once we set up a good schedule for d/o & p/u? I don't mind them forecasting a little later and being early, like 5pm and pick up at 4:30pm to avoid the late fees. My license states my hours are 6am to 5:30pm but I've had kids here past 6pm when parents' schedules changed over the last year. I would like to have pickup BY 6pm. What would be a good way to word that I would like to be closed by 6pm? I only have 3 families, 1 it wouldn't apply to and the other 2 it would. One pays on an hourly basis for after school care and maybe once every 6wks mom picks up at 6:15pm if dad has to work late or is out of town. I would make exceptions on that time for those rare occasions but would like to include a fee for that. I charge them for 13.5hrs a week which is a 5pm pickup. Dad is here between 4:30-5:30 sometimes depending on traffic so I don't haggle the half hour here and there because there's many times he's here at 4:30pm and I'm still paid til 5pm. What do you think would be a reasonable charge for the care provided after 6pm? $2/5 mins just seems kinda silly now that I think about it.
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