Need Help Explaining "Observing During Hours"

[SunflowerMama]

Ok so I have a potential family that are persistant that they visit during hours to see how things operate with the children there.

We all know that things are completely different when strangers or others are visiting the house . How do I explain this to these parents before they visit?

I think they have been observing a few centers and maybe a few home childcares but I know the minute they step foot in my door 1/2 the kids will start going nuts.

I'm really thinking about having them come mid-morning for the tail end of free play, circle, and craft but then I'm afraid the kids won't participate and will be more into the new kid and parents in the house.

I'm going to email her tonight and just need some help wording an email back that lets her know that you'll be coming during these scheduled daily activities but the kids may be crazy while you're here.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!

[sahm1225]

Have you interviewed with them yet?

If not, then i would say "I conduct interviews after hours, for the childrens safety. Once we meet, we can schedule a visit/playdate for you to stop by and see how a typical day goes".


Once you say for the childrens safety (which is true, as a parent of a child you watch, I wouldnt want you having strangers in the house and taking time away from the children doing business)... Then once you meet, you set up a meeting and have a time limit (for example say, you can stop by at 10:00-10:30am) or something like that. That should be enough time for them to see what a typical day is like and it wont disrupt you too muhc..

Good luck!

[SunflowerMama]

Have you interviewed with them yet?

If not, then i would say "I conduct interviews after hours, for the childrens safety. Once we meet, we can schedule a visit/playdate for you to stop by and see how a typical day goes".


Once you say for the childrens safety (which is true, as a parent of a child you watch, I wouldnt want you having strangers in the house and taking time away from the children doing business)... Then once you meet, you set up a meeting and have a time limit (for example say, you can stop by at 10:00-10:30am) or something like that. That should be enough time for them to see what a typical day is like and it wont disrupt you too muhc..

Good luck!

This is exactly what I did! I have never done an interview during hours but this family was a bit more persistent. So I emailed her and said I conduct the 1st interview after hours/weekend for safety reason and also so I can give the interview all my attention. Then I said after the first they are welcome to swing by during hours to see how things operate.

[jenh171]

I can totally relate to how you feel about the kids going crazy once someone else arrives! The prospective parents will not get a real feel for how things are during the day. I decided to give that up altogether, because it was too disruptive and like I said, the people didn't get a real feel for what the atmosphere is really like here. So I would definitely tell them that you decided not to allow interviews during the day because you don't think it's a good idea for safety's sake to have strangers in the home during child care hours. I think they will completely understand once you put it to them that way. Then they'll think about how they wouldn't want strange people coming to observe when their child is there too. Good luck!

[kendallina]

I think that's a great way to handle it (how you actually handled it). I also think that it's okay to say to parents ahead of time that the children often act differently when parents are visiting then when they're not. They'll be understanding.

I actually think it's a good thing when parents want to see a provider in action. I cannot imagine ever dropping my daughter off without seeing a part of how the day goes, the other children and how the provider interacts with everyone. I think a lot of people on here disagree with me on this, though.

Good luck, I hope the family works out well!

[nannyde]

I don't allow any observing. It's impossible to get what they say they are after. Their presence changes the kids and our routine so there's not getting a feel for it if they are here.

Even if I did allow it... I sure wouldn't allow a parent to do it in lieu of doing the initital interviews. They need to pay their dues and go thru the interview process just like everybody else. Once "I" think they may be right for my business then ... if I allowed on site visits... I would invite them over at a time when I had a small number of children doing a dedicated activity that was sure to keep them hooked without pause... like playing with a brand new toy or set I had put away for special.

It would be a heck of a privlededge to meet my day care kids and be in my day care space. I wouldn't allow someone who I hadn't even fully interviewed to have that honor just because they say they want it and they have given birth to a child. Neither of those two things lead me to believe that they will be good candidates for my business as it's quite easy to birth a child and quite easy to say the words "I want to visit at your house while the kids are there". That costs them nothing but the visiting on site costs me and my kids a lot.

Nope... no freebies here.

[BentleysBands]

i only do interviews after hours. once i feel comfortable w/them and the child i offer a 2hr playdate for both parent and child . i pick the day and time. personally, i wouldnt take my kdis anywhere where i couldnt be involved or attend activities. the centers around here offer an open door policy to see what their kids are doing. i dont think that means sit in but parents can look thru the door windows. in home daycare is a bit more personable to me. i just cant see never having my dcp's in my home and seeing the kids in action..

[Crystal]

I'm probably different than most. I always interview during business hours...I want the parents to see me in action and how we work with the children. I also want them to see that our children are well behaved, friendly and are very close with one another. We walk through, hang out inside and outside watching the children play, discussing things while we observe....occasionally I'll have to stop and correct a child, which is OKAY, they get to see how I handle conflict and discipline. Then we will sit down for a few minutes, go over my handbook, etc.

And, Bentley, I'm like you. My parents are in my playroom and my home every day.

[nannyde]

I'm probably different than most. I always interview during business hours...I want the parents to see me in action and how we work with the children. I also want them to see that our children are well behaved, friendly and are very close with one another. We walk through, hang out inside and outside watching the children play, discussing things while we observe....occasionally I'll have to stop and correct a child, which is OKAY, they get to see how I handle conflict and discipline. Then we will sit down for a few minutes, go over my handbook, etc.

And, Bentley, I'm like you. My parents are in my playroom and my home every day.

I think part of it too is that you have to have clients who are willing to allow you to interview for your business on their dime. That's something that has to be interviewed out in the begining. I'm guessing this is a deal breaker for you.... if the client doesn't agree to it they wouldn't have access to your services.

My clients would NOT agree with me interviewing for potential customers on their dime. I do interviews at 4:30 when at least half the kids are gone and my staff assistant can easily manage the remaining kids doing what she would do every day during that time.

Doing a prime time day interview would be something they wouldn't sign on for. No prob cuz I don't offer it.

I have one client who demands a completely male free zone. It was the very first question in our series of interviews she had. She wouldn't consider a day care that had any males present. I had to gurantee no male workers for the day care or for the property while her child was on site. We were able to offer that service as I don't have males in my day care and I don't allow parents in the play room. No fathers or mothers in the play room. If I have an immediate repair that would involve the interior of the home and I couldn't get a female worker then I would call her and she would have the child picked up. Voila...

Every day care has their niches. One of mine is no parents in the play room and no males in the day care.

I think it's a cool service to offer on site parent visits. It's just not something I would do. I know I can't manage it so I don't offer it.

[Unregistered]

Crystal,

When you are doing interviews during business hours do you have an assistant there as well? Doing interviews during business hours is a whole different can of worms when you have an extra set of hands. I don't think its fair to compare your program to that of others when you have your husband and another assistant there to help you out.

For those of us who have 5 or more kids, in my case it could be as many as 10 under school-aged, without an assistant, it would be crazy to try and conduct an interview. Now, if someone wanted to come on a Wednesday while I had an outside teacher coming in for classes--spanish/music, ECFE, or Travel-Tots--leaving me free to attend to the parent, I would be fine with that.


3kidsmom

[Crystal]

well, I guess the "doing on their dime" is true, but not one of my parents have an isse with that...they all interviewed while I was working and saw that, even though it was on "somebody else's dime" that I was still able to, more than adequately, care for the children and do my job. Heck, if I couldn't talk to a couple of adults about my work with children while still managing to do a great job, then I shouldn't be in this business.

Like you though, nannyde, I also do my interviews around 4:30, when about half of the children are gone. Never really intentionally planned it that way, it just has always worked out that way.

And, if a parent ever requested that I had a completely male-free zone, they'd be asked to leave. That is discrimination, and I cannot imagine the parent who requested such a thing, would put up with being discriminated against for being female. Of course, I couldn't EVER offer that anyway, as my husband works with me. Cool if you can offer that, but I would personally be offended and appalled if a parent requested that no male EVER be present in my program.

[Crystal]

Crystal,

When you are doing interviews during business hours do you have an assistant there as well? Doing interviews during business hours is a whole different can of worms when you have an extra set of hands. I don't think its fair to compare your program to that of others when you have your husband and another assistant there to help you out.

For those of us who have 5 or more kids, in my case it could be as many as 10 under school-aged, without an assistant, it would be crazy to try and conduct an interview. Now, if someone wanted to come on a Wednesday while I had an outside teacher coming in for classes--spanish/music, ECFE, or Travel-Tots--leaving me free to attend to the parent, I would be fine with that.


3kidsmom

Sometimes my husband is here, sometimes not. Most often he is not here, because at the time of day interviews occur, I am under capacity for needing an assistant, and he picks up our kids from practice and runs all of the errands for me. If he's not here, the parents come back to meet him on another day. And, when I didn't have an assistant, I still did interviews during business hours. I'm not afraid for a parent to see how I work with the children.

ETA: Disclaimer: I do not think that all provders who do not interview during business hours (or allow parent sinto the playroom)are afraid for parents to see how they work with children, but some clearly are.

[nannyde]

And, if a parent ever requested that I had a completely male-free zone, they'd be asked to leave. That is discrimination, and I cannot imagine the parent who requested such a thing, would put up with being discriminated against for being female. Of course, I couldn't EVER offer that anyway, as my husband works with me. Cool if you can offer that, but I would personally be offended and appalled if a parent requested that no male EVER be present in my program.

She has a reason for it that would bring you to your knees.

I don't have males here so it was no biggie.

[BentleysBands]

My clients would NOT agree with me interviewing for potential customers on their dime. I do interviews at 4:30 when at least half the kids are gone and my staff assistant can easily manage the remaining kids doing what she would do every day during that time.

.

am i the only one confused by this? can you explain this better for me?
you dont do interviews on anothers dime but you do at 430 when 1/2 the kids are gone? even if theres an assistant..whats the difference between 11am w/an assistant and 430 w/an assistant? its still done during hours on anothers dime....or am i totally confused? ::

[nannyde]

Like you though, nannyde, I also do my interviews around 4:30, when about half of the children are gone. Never really intentionally planned it that way, it just has always worked out that

4:30 is a great time here.

I have about half the kids here so they see the oldest kids (the later departure kids are almost always the older kids... babies... newbies leave earlier as the price is so much cheaper for early departure). They are able to tour the play rooms and the sleeping spaces and be able to see some of the action as they are touring but it goes so quickly that the kids don't have time to react. We feed supper at 5 so I usually tour the day care area downstairs during supper.

Then the get to see about four parents at pick up. I make sure I tell them WHO those four parents are so when they call for references they know who they are talking to.

They also get to see a meal which is really important to my client base. They want home made organic meals.

They get to see my son. He's ten now so he's getting old enough that they want to see him.

They are out of here by six when my last little one leaves.

I do my interviews on Thursdays because I have one till five forty five on Thursdays.

I usually only interview one family a year. Usually every other year I have to interview two families (depending on who is going to kindy). But... I do three full interviews with each family so I can have as many as three interviews a year or six interviews a year with those two families.