Tweet
Do you ever confront parents? I have a family that even though I don't open until 7:30, when they started a year ago, I let them come at 7 because mom had to be at work at 7:30. It was one of my first families and I needed kids so I agreed to it. Well this is also the mom that causes me the most issues, and she had been talking about changing her work schedule to 10-9 4 days a week instead of 7:30-4:00 m-f but then nothing was ever said about it. Well today mom text and says they overslept she will be here soon and got here about 7:15. After mom left, the DCG says mommy is working at night now and daddy let her stay up late last night. Should I ask the mom? I am not going to open 30 min early for free if I don't need to. What would you guys do? Its not a problem to get up early, but I don't like being lied to or used and so far this is all the mom has done to me.
-
-
Yes! I would ask dcm about what dcg said. I love a term that I've learned on these boards called "the backbone." Get you one. The first time you stand up to a parent abusing your good graces, you'll feel liberated and want to do it again and again.
I would say "Hey, dcm, I heard dcg mention that you're working nights now. What is your new schedule, and what time will you be dropping dcg off from now on?" -
I would absolutely mention it to her.
I would also be charging her an additional fee for time used before opening.
I open at 7:30 but have a mom that needs to be to work AT 7:30 too so when her and her DH's schedules don't align (he works shift work) she has to drop off early. I charge her $2.00 PER 15 minutes (or ANY protion of 15 minutes) for that extra time.
It must also be scheduled in advance and ONLY be for work/schedule conflicts.
I made sure she understood that if she dropped off early and didn't need to due to work schedules, she would be termed immediately.Comment
-
Absolutely talk to her! I did the same thing for my very first dcb. Opened 15 min early everyday, which turned into 30 minutes. And guess what? Mom was here at that time regardless if she had the day off, was on vacation, was going to work late...I never had the guts at the time to say anything since I was new. But it made me so mad that I was opening early to accommodate for her to work, but when she didn't need it she still came at that time anyway. For free too!
That wouldn't happen now! I have learned way too much the hard way! But at least I learned!
We need these lessons along the way though, other wise we'd never learn. This forum is a huge help too!Comment
-
Early drop off
Good discussion. After reading this, I wrote an article on my blog, "A Parent Drops Her Child Off Early: Now What?"
Comment
-
Ditto, I'd ask her about it.
I do something similar - I offer a 15 min grace period before and after my open hours IF prior arrangements are made. (I'd never charged for that time before so I finally changed my policies to reflect what I was actually doing.) Beyond that and if prior arrangements aren't made I charge a stiff fee.Comment
-
Well I confronted her this am, and she told me her daughter was making up stories and she didn't switch her days. So I don't know what to do or think. I told her I would be up dating my contract for the new year with the changes and would start to charge to open early. She said ok. So we will see. I don't think I can prove to me she is lying. Which brings us back to all the other issues I have with them.Comment
-
Easy ones I could use:
-Reminder closed on July 4th.
-Reminder payment for following week due July 3rd.
-Clarification on an allergy (we are going outside, does DCG have any allergies or reactions to generic sunscreen?).
-Reminder for supplies (DCG needs 2 more pairs of underwear in her cubby).
-Informing of child complaint (e.g. tummy hurts) though there are no signs or symptoms of an issue.
If she gets mad you called her for a reminder, just tell her you have been meaning to tell/ask her but keep forgetting and wanted to do it while you were thinking of it
Comment
-
Ok so I called mom at work. I left her a message because she didn't answer her phone at her desk. She works in a call center and the operator sent me to her line. Anyway, as soon as I left a message she called right back on her cell. So Im thinking she has her messages forward to her phone. But of course she still said she was at work but stepped away from her desk to call me. So I am going to re do my contract and use the excuse that im getting a part time job (which is true) and add something in there regarding a fee. After all, if I had dont that all along, then I wouldn't have to get a second job
Comment
-
You don't need to offer an explanation as to why you're changing a fee/contract. Just state that you are and that's that.Ok so I called mom at work. I left her a message because she didn't answer her phone at her desk. She works in a call center and the operator sent me to her line. Anyway, as soon as I left a message she called right back on her cell. So Im thinking she has her messages forward to her phone. But of course she still said she was at work but stepped away from her desk to call me. So I am going to re do my contract and use the excuse that im getting a part time job (which is true) and add something in there regarding a fee. After all, if I had dont that all along, then I wouldn't have to get a second job
Something is suspicious. How old is the daycare girl? Is she reliable? Do you have someone who can call her at work at 8:00 just to see if she is there?Comment
Comment