Cooking dinner

[mom2many]

I'm going to be the opposite one here. I think it's unprofessional. Just like if someone was sitting on the couch during drop offs folding their family's laundry.
Now I start dinner while the kids are here but Im not actively cooking during pick ups.
I usually will do crock pot meals while I'm making breakfast or get some stuff cut up and prepped while the kids eat lunch or pm snack. I might put a pot on the stove to have the water boiling right when the last child is picked up, but I'm with the child when their parent
Arrives, not in the kitchen.

I always stop what I'm doing to answer the door and don't continue cooking while a parent is here picking up. This has been a problem a few times, when I get busy chatting and the potatoes on the stove boil dry & start to burn! I have pick ups between 4:30-6, so I usually get stuff prepped early and then throw whatever in the oven, so I'm not hovering over the stove at pick up!

[Janiam]

I do the same as most stated above. I usually prep or throw something in the crockpot. Often times I am making things in larger batches for lunch the next day or for the feezer. I only have two kids left from 4:30 -5:15 and it's not a problem.
I would feel uncomfortable with a parent making those comments, there are only so many hours in a day and I work at home for a reason. To balance work and family, I feed my family nutritious meals which requires cooking real , unprocessed food. I will do the same for your child!

[Josiegirl]

When my family was home, I always started dinner while dcks were here. I'd make quick work of it and always be available for the dcps or dcks. Crockpots were a godsend on those days. I'd do prep work during nap time so getting dinner made usually was a breeze. Well, at least years later that's what it felt like. I certainly wouldn't make some extravagant dinner that took an hour just to prepare while sticking the dcks in front of the tv but I see nothing wrong with a few minutes of chopping this or peeling that, sticking something in the oven.
And I agree with those that thought some of the dcm's comments were rude and passive aggressive.

[e.j.]

I tend to agree with jenboo and wouldn't feel comfortable cooking dinner as parents were arriving for pick-up. I don't criticize those who do; I just wouldn't do it myself. I also close at 4:00 most days so getting dinner on the table at a decent hour isn't usually a problem here. I have used my crock pot, though, and fill it before the kids arrive for the day or while they're having morning snack. That way, dinner is ready and waiting at the end of the day.

I would be very offended, however, at this dc mom's comments especially since you are doing her the favor of staying open late just for her. Apparently, she's lost sight of that fact and could maybe use a reminder. The next time she makes a comment about you cooking "while you're getting paid", I would be very direct with her and remind her that you normally close by 4:30 and since you are doing her the favor of staying open late, you will have to make dinner in order to feed your family at a decent hour. If she's not okay with that, I'd tell her that she can start picking up by 4:30.

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

I think I would have to have a frank conversation with mom. As a home provider, you're right one of the perks is starting my dinner I know that may annoy you but what you don't see is that for me childcare and life blend together. I don't consider myself "cooking on the clock" like I don't consider myself working "off the clock" when I grocery shop on Saturdays or work on paperwork in the evening. I do what needs to be done in my home for myself and for childcare as the time permits. Some things, like a load of laundry may occur during childcare hours and sometimes washing all of the toys because someone got the flu happens in the evenings.
I hope that you will reevaluate the comments that you have been making and understand that I care for your child the entire time she is here. The good news is that if she learns to play and occupy herself while I am just supervising, she will do that at home for you also so that you can get some things done too!

[Play Care]

Like Meyou I preplan most of my meals so that dinner is cooking by itself as dck's are being picked up. My dcp's might say something smells good, but they've never made a rude comment. Better the smell of dinner cooking then the fresh sent of recently changed poop...

If a parent wants a dc that doesn't do personal business during work, then I think it would benefit them to go to a center. I mean, as much as I try to limit personal business during dc hours, I often can't put things off. It's not THAT you do it, it's HOW you do it, IMO that makes the difference.

That said, I do NOT offer after hours care for the very issues the OP had - dcp's forget you are doing them a favor outside your normal hours and feel they can make comments. My contract states that "ABC Family Child Care closes promptly at 4:45. At 4:46 this child care switches to FST or FAMILY STANDARD TIME." So if a parent rushed in at 4:50, they shouldn't be surprised if their child is at the table coloring and I'm cooking my dinner. And they shouldn't be surprised when I have m hand out for the late fees

[Meeko]

Like Meyou I preplan most of my meals so that dinner is cooking by itself as dck's are being picked up. My dcp's might say something smells good, but they've never made a rude comment. Better the smell of dinner cooking then the fresh sent of recently changed poop...

If a parent wants a dc that doesn't do personal business during work, then I think it would benefit them to go to a center. I mean, as much as I try to limit personal business during dc hours, I often can't put things off. It's not THAT you do it, it's HOW you do it, IMO that makes the difference.

That said, I do NOT offer after hours care for the very issues the OP had - dcp's forget you are doing them a favor outside your normal hours and feel they can make comments. My contract states that "ABC Family Child Care closes promptly at 4:45. At 4:46 this child care switches to FST or FAMILY STANDARD TIME." So if a parent rushed in at 4:50, they shouldn't be surprised if their child is at the table coloring and I'm cooking my dinner. And they shouldn't be surprised when I have m hand out for the late fees

I think you should tell DCM that once everybody else is gone, her daughter is on family time. Your family is not on snowflake time.