Used My Backbone!!

[llpa]

Ok so I sent billing home yest w dcm that included a $15 late fee because gpa was 47 minutes late one day. Dcm just signed a new contract and I told her that since she picks up by 4pm then the contracted hours were for 830 to 415. This morning she says "I have issues and am pulling dcb out" I panick since I only have two dcks and pay $1000 in rent each mo, but hold my ground and tell her I am fine if this is his last day, but lets discuss your issues. Ok her issues?? She says she didn't read the contract! (Dcb recently went from 3days to 4days) I went over it W HER and she had it at home for three days!! And she signed it! Issue number two?
She wants diff hours (extended till five). Ooookaaay... Um you gave me the hours, you just didn't think I would hold you to them!! Issue # three? Are you going to be avail on Fridays? Ummm I am avail NOW on Fridays!!! You just never bring dcb on Friday so your contracted days are mon thru thurs. You can't have the choice of five days unless you PAY for five days! So I said the late fee sticks and I will redo the contract to say 5 pm as p/u time. But if you want Fri the price goes up a day. She ageeed but who knows... Maybe she is already looking for new care if that is the case I will miss dcb, he is sweet! I detested her extremely smug attitude from a Mom who can't get her crap together to save her life!!! She is late dropping off EVERY morning! Half the time she has to bring his lunch back because she forgot it. You know what??? I told her none of those issues are my fault or my problem! That she dictates what happens w dcbs schedule here, I do not! So I said that its fine if her decision is made, I am fine with it. She said if I can redo the contract to reflect the time as 830 to five then we are good and she will pay for Fri on an as needed basis and if space allows. I really need the $$ and I pray he stays, but that whole scene really ticked me off!!! Thanks for letting me vent.

[Kabob]

I would just carry on and start interviewing to replace her. If she can't read a contract then she can't expect to keep her slot with you...

[KidGrind]

If Friday is going to be on an as needed basis, it should be at a higher rate.

So if you charge $100 per week for 5 days a week, your drop-in day rate should be $30 or $35.

I hope it works out for you in the long run.

[CraftyMom]

Uncomfortable and unnecessary situation! Could have been avoided by dcm reading her contract and communicating properly ugh!

[KiddieCahoots]

Ok her issues?? She says she didn't read the contract!

Omg! Whyyyyyy........
Do parents think we take the time to write all these necessities for the business, just because we think it's fun!?

Good for you llpa! Holding your ground! Don't think I could've gotten by that first issue without laughing in her face, or gaping at her.

[grandmom]

Wait, you just changed her pick up time? Does she pay extra for that extra time? She would at my house. Just like Friday is extra, staying later is extra.

[daycarediva]

She isn't over 10 hours, so I would let her up her pick up time. I actually suggested this to a dcm who was always late.

Not reading the contract that she signed? WTH!?

If she wanted the occasional Friday here it would be 160 for M-TH, 50 for Friday. OR 175 for M-F.

[Lucy]

Ok so I sent billing home yest w dcm that included a $15 late fee because gpa was 47 minutes late one day. Dcm just signed a new contract and I told her that since she picks up by 4pm then the contracted hours were for 830 to 415. This morning she says "I have issues and am pulling dcb out" I panick since I only have two dcks and pay $1000 in rent each mo, but hold my ground and tell her I am fine if this is his last day, but lets discuss your issues. Ok her issues?? She says she didn't read the contract! (Dcb recently went from 3days to 4days) I went over it W HER and she had it at home for three days!! And she signed it! Issue number two?
She wants diff hours (extended till five). Ooookaaay... Um you gave me the hours, you just didn't think I would hold you to them!! Issue # three? Are you going to be avail on Fridays? Ummm I am avail NOW on Fridays!!! You just never bring dcb on Friday so your contracted days are mon thru thurs. You can't have the choice of five days unless you PAY for five days! So I said the late fee sticks and I will redo the contract to say 5 pm as p/u time. But if you want Fri the price goes up a day. She ageeed but who knows... Maybe she is already looking for new care if that is the case I will miss dcb, he is sweet! I detested her extremely smug attitude from a Mom who can't get her crap together to save her life!!! She is late dropping off EVERY morning! Half the time she has to bring his lunch back because she forgot it. You know what??? I told her none of those issues are my fault or my problem! That she dictates what happens w dcbs schedule here, I do not! So I said that its fine if her decision is made, I am fine with it. She said if I can redo the contract to reflect the time as 830 to five then we are good and she will pay for Fri on an as needed basis and if space allows. I really need the $$ and I pray he stays, but that whole scene really ticked me off!!! Thanks for letting me vent.

I had a mom who must have started to panic when she did a little bit of math. She was completely ASSUMING that the way I charge her now would be the same for Summer when her 2 SA'ers are here all day.

Right now, I charge my minimum daily amount when they're in school, and then on any no-school days, she is told to add X amount per day to cover the add'l hours. So she ASSUMED that the amount she pays me NOW for no-school days would be the same EVERY DAY over the summer. Um... no. I have a full-time rate for that, and it's several dollars a day LESS when you break it down by day.

So she comes to me one morning in March (at dropoff) and says that the girls will be going to X Daycare Center this summer because it's cheaper. I told her I couldn't talk now, but she could call me on her lunch. In the meantime, I called X Daycare Center and found out how expensive they are!! I asked her if she thought my school-year, no-school-day rate was going to be my Summer rate, and she said yes!! LOL. So I gave her my full-time rate that I'll be charging her for the summer, and you could almost hear the relief in her voice.

Parents, don't make assumptions and then pull your kids because of them!!! ASK us!!!

[SignMeUp]

As best as I can tell, conversation is highly underrated lately

[Mister Sir Husband]

I would have had a very hard time with her telling me she didn't read the contract, as in addition to her having a printed copy, I'm putting it on my website... and if some some reason she still didn't read it... How is that my problem?

[llpa]

Wait, you just changed her pick up time? Does she pay extra for that extra time? She would at my house. Just like Friday is extra, staying later is extra.

She is not over my 9 1/2 hours per day even at the later pick up time so I'm ok with the weekly rate of $140 that she currently pays for four days. I had her sign the new contract this morning (after reading it aloud with her) and included that Friday will be at the dropin rate of $45 for that day.

[llpa]

Omg! Whyyyyyy........
Do parents think we take the time to write all these necessities for the business, just because we think it's fun!?

Good for you llpa! Holding your ground! Don't think I could've gotten by that first issue without laughing in her face, or gaping at her.

Thanks, but I was shaking inside cause when she said she didn't read the contract i did this because that meant she wasn't even paying attn when I reviewed it with her!! I only sent it home so she could review it w dcd who works away. Won't be doing that again! ::

[Blackcat31]

How much of your handbook do you cover during your interview?

I go over mine page by page.

I've never had a parent tell me they didn't read the handbook...but it wouldn't matter anyways because we went over it together so I KNOW they are aware of my policies.

If I did ever have a parent tell me they didn't read my handbook, memos, newsletters and/or updates...I would probably call them out on it and make sure they FULLY understood that in no way was that MY problem.

I don't allow my own children to use that type of an excuse to pardon them from their responsibilities so I certainly wouldn't allow it from an adult.

[KiddieCahoots]

(after reading it aloud with her) and included that Friday will be at the dropin rate of $45 for that day.

::::::......

[llpa]

How much of your handbook do you cover during your interview?

I go over mine page by page.

I've never had a parent tell me they didn't read the handbook...but it wouldn't matter anyways because we went over it together so I KNOW they are aware of my policies.

If I did ever have a parent tell me they didn't read my handbook, memos, newsletters and/or updates...I would probably call them out on it and make sure they FULLY understood that in no way was that MY problem.

I don't allow my own children to use that type of an excuse to pardon them from their responsibilities so I certainly wouldn't allow it from an adult.

She never said anything about the handbook. I also cover my handbook page by page. The new financial contract is separate (dcb went from pt to ft) and we also went over it together! So when she says she didn't read it, thats not true because I read it WITH her! I told her that none of the things she complained about were my problems, because they aren't. The bottom line is She just never thought I would enforce my late policy. She paid the late fee this morning.