Its All About The Money.... (Just My Opinion)

[Mister Sir Husband]

Ok, so I'm gonna tear the lid off of Pandora's box here and duck for cover later..

If I owned a retail store and sold... oh I dunno.. let's say dog whistles. On one errant Tuesday, no one came in to buy a whistle... I don't make any money. That's the way a business works.
I have this regular customer at my whistle store who comes in every morning and buys a whistle. He has done this for months. If he doesn't come in on an errant Tuesday. I don't send him a bill for a whistle he didn't buy cause he wasn't in my store... and if I did bill him for 5 whistles a week and he only got 4 cause he couldn't make it in.. well that just doesn't make sense to me, and he'd prolly go buy his whistles somewhere else. If I'm sick and don't open my store, I didn't sell any whistles, and made no money. If I'm on vacation.. same problem.

I look at my daycare as a business. Parents bring their kids, and I care for them for money. If 3 kids are here on Tuesday, I get handed cash 3 times that day. (ok, payable at weeks end, but still). If no kids are here on Tuesday, I didn't work Tuesday, and made no money Tuesday.

My reason for this little rant is because of the number of providers I've talked to and read posts about that are upset cause parents have the day off and still send the kids. The reason for this is because they are charged for it anyways, so they are gonna use it. (already paid for the whistle.. I'm gonna go get it)

Now I agree it's sad for the kids to not have time they could have with mom and dad, and it can also be classified as bad parenting, but it is truly all about the money. A lot of parents work 50-60 hours a week and the day off they get .. well they might wanna just kick back and watch tv or something. Sending the kids to daycare doesn't cost them anything extra because they are billed for all 5 days anyway so why not?

Now as a daycare provider, I can understand that having a few less kids now and again is kinda cool.. and maybe having no kids on an errant Tuesday would be great as I could put my feet up and sip coffee with a newspaper all day and enjoy myself. It's actually happened. However with no kids here I didn't work. Because I didn't work I didn't make any money. I'm not gonna charge mom 30+ dollars to watch her child when in fact I didn't do it that day.

So I know I'm prolly going to get a ton of responses to this, some prolly rather angry.. but if you want mom and dad to keep the kids home on their days off, well it comes down to the cash. If they can save money by not bringing them, they will. If as a business owner you want to get paid for a day that you didn't watch any kids, or sell any whistles, well, I am truly sorry but more often than not it just isn't gonna happen.

[NeedaVaca]

I charge a flat rate 52 weeks per year. I have never had a problem with it, never had a complaint and have never lost a client because of it. Over the years I have had DCK's go to preschool part time and me part time, parents didn't even ask if they would get a reduced fee, as a matter of fact one asked if my rate had gone up yet! I have great parents and they do keep their kids home when they get a day off or take a long weekend! I take 2 weeks vacation and paid holidays-again, never a problem

My families are not paying by the day, they are paying for a spot

[KiddieCahoots]

Lol! Time to put on your suit of armor! Jk...jk....::.......

I used to work my business exactly as you are mentioning now.
Instead of it working out for both me and the parent, me getting a more relaxing day without a particular child, and parent not having to pay for the day the child was absent....it backfired against me in that the parents started keeping their children home for every reason they could think of because they knew they would not have to pay.
My business was not paying the bills.
Now I charge for everyday, and they are here everyday. To the point that I have to get stern on illness policies, and such, for a parent to actually keep their child home for a change.
I think what most of us complain about isn't exactly the business aspect of us providing a service, rather the aspect of the business and $$$ taking priority over the actual child when it comes to the parents.
A child should represent so much more for a parent then $$$, but a lot of parents are putting the $$$ first.

[Kimskiddos]

I charge a flat rate 52 weeks per year. I have never had a problem with it, never had a complaint and have never lost a client because of it. Over the years I have had DCK's go to preschool part time and me part time, parents didn't even ask if they would get a reduced fee, as a matter of fact one asked if my rate had gone up yet! I have great parents and they do keep their kids home when they get a day off or take a long weekend! I take 2 weeks vacation and paid holidays-again, never a problem

My families are not paying by the day, they are paying for a spot

I want to also add that most providers that are complaining about parent being home and still sending kids is not about and easier day. It's more about the well being of the child. These kids are with us up to 50+ hours a week. The kiddos would love to have a chillin' day at home with parents once in a while. Most of us got into child care to be with our kiddos so it is hard to see families that don't want to spend time with their kids.

[nanglgrl]

I agree with kiddiecahoots. It's not usually about having one less kid as much as it's about a tiny bit of $ and "me" time taking priority over their child. I also used to not charge when clients weren't here and had the same results. I also find that these parents that always bring their child when they have the day off are the biggest complainers when I need a day off (the excuse of "I don't have any more time off" is often used) and I don't charge when I close except paid holidays and 5 extra days a year.
Grandparents, friends, uncles, aunts would come to town or have a day off so the parents wouldn't send their children as family or friends were willing to take them for the day. I started to be more of a back up provider for when they weren't able to find anyone else. When I did things that way it was a rare day that I had everyone in attendance and I couldn't pay the bills. It was worse around the holidays and in the summer because of vacations and parents trying to save money. I remember one week I was expecting full tuition for 6 children and every single one of them took the week off and I had no paycheck. Then there was another time that a parent doped and dropped and gave everyone the flu during December and the next week the only child I had was the one who had brought the flu..I couldn't afford Christmas.
If I had an unlimited amount of "whistles" to sell I might do things differently but my shop is only allowed to have 12 on hand at one time. If I didn't treat this as a business and didn't use the money to pay bills I also might do things differently. My parents gladly pay for the days I require because they know my shop would be forced to close if they didn't.

[ColorfulSunburst]

I pay monthly for the Internet if I even don't use it. I pay monthly for swimming pool if I even don't come there, I pay $$ every month for medical insurance if I even don't visit the doctor many years .... Why do I do so? I do because it is my choice. I think it will seem foolish if I start blame someone because my choice.

Dear parents, don't make a contract with a daycare. Get a babysitter for any hours you need and be happy. Is it not so simple to find a person who will work for you at any moment when you need and will not if you don't need? oh... it's so sad....

PS sorry. I replied without reading the first post entirely

[NeedaVaca]

Ok, so I'm gonna tear the lid off of Pandora's box here and duck for cover later..

If I owned a retail store and sold... oh I dunno.. let's say dog whistles. On one errant Tuesday, no one came in to buy a whistle... I don't make any money. That's the way a business works.
I have this regular customer at my whistle store who comes in every morning and buys a whistle. He has done this for months. If he doesn't come in on an errant Tuesday. I don't send him a bill for a whistle he didn't buy cause he wasn't in my store... and if I did bill him for 5 whistles a week and he only got 4 cause he couldn't make it in.. well that just doesn't make sense to me, and he'd prolly go buy his whistles somewhere else. If I'm sick and don't open my store, I didn't sell any whistles, and made no money. If I'm on vacation.. same problem.

I look at my daycare as a business. Parents bring their kids, and I care for them for money. If 3 kids are here on Tuesday, I get handed cash 3 times that day. (ok, payable at weeks end, but still). If no kids are here on Tuesday, I didn't work Tuesday, and made no money Tuesday.

My reason for this little rant is because of the number of providers I've talked to and read posts about that are upset cause parents have the day off and still send the kids. The reason for this is because they are charged for it anyways, so they are gonna use it. (already paid for the whistle.. I'm gonna go get it)

Now I agree it's sad for the kids to not have time they could have with mom and dad, and it can also be classified as bad parenting, but it is truly all about the money. A lot of parents work 50-60 hours a week and the day off they get .. well they might wanna just kick back and watch tv or something. Sending the kids to daycare doesn't cost them anything extra because they are billed for all 5 days anyway so why not?

Now as a daycare provider, I can understand that having a few less kids now and again is kinda cool.. and maybe having no kids on an errant Tuesday would be great as I could put my feet up and sip coffee with a newspaper all day and enjoy myself. It's actually happened. However with no kids here I didn't work. Because I didn't work I didn't make any money. I'm not gonna charge mom 30+ dollars to watch her child when in fact I didn't do it that day.

So I know I'm prolly going to get a ton of responses to this, some prolly rather angry.. but if you want mom and dad to keep the kids home on their days off, well it comes down to the cash. If they can save money by not bringing them, they will. If as a business owner you want to get paid for a day that you didn't watch any kids, or sell any whistles, well, I am truly sorry but more often than not it just isn't gonna happen.

How many DCK's do you watch? If memory serves I thought you just got your first enrollment recently? When you are full and expect a certain amount of $ each week and you don't get a paycheck to pay your bills you might change your mind...

[ColorfulSunburst]

How many DCK's do you watch? If memory serves I thought you just got your first enrollment recently? When you are full and expect a certain amount of $ each week and you don't get a paycheck to pay your bills you might change your mind...

or if you buy food for 12 children for one week and then put most of food to garbage because most of parents keep their children home for some reason....

[ColorfulSunburst]

maybe having no kids on an errant Tuesday would be great as I could put my feet up and sip coffee with a newspaper all day and enjoy myself.

where are you going to get money for that? I mean for coffee and newspaper?

[treyes]

Here is my take on this.

I charge for a full week. I do not do part time or drop in.

If a parent wants the spot they have to pay for a full week, no matter if they bring their child everyday or not.

However, if a parent has a day off during the week it usually means they work during the weekend when I am closed. So that means they have to make other arrangements during the weekend.

If they bring their child to daycare on their day off it does not bother me one bit. Maybe they have errands or cleaning or shopping or bill paying or whatever it is they need to do.

Also some of my younger tots do better if they keep a consistent schedule. If mom keeps them home on their day off and they sleep late, go to bed late, are allowed to do whatever all day, eat sugar all day, then the next day they behave terribly at daycare.

Every kid is different. I have one mom who comes in her pajamas at drop off and at pick up. I know she did nothing all day and could have spent the day with her kiddo, but I'm not her keeper.

I charge for a full week so I don't get upset if they come everyday I'm open. Although it is nice when I get a break.

[treyes]

And yes it is about money, that is what keeps my doors open.

[Crazy8]

A child should represent so much more for a parent then $$$, but a lot of parents are putting the $$$ first.

Amen to that!! I was a working parent with my first child and I VALUED every extra day off with her. Seems that value is gone and replaced with getting their money's worth out of their daycare.

I also disagree with the pay when you are here aspect. I only have 5 very valuable spots in my daycare. If man #1 does not come in to buy a whistle the store owner still has the chance that 10 others will buy whistles that day. I don't have the option to replace the child who doesn't come one Tuesday. And I agree with another post that it can then backfire, xmas is coming, mom needs more money so she gets grandma to watch the kids a few days to save money. Then she has a wedding coming up and needs cash, so grandma gets them for 2 days so she doesn't have to pay for daycare. Where is that sending my business as I still continue to reserve that space for them????

Nope, I don't see running a daycare anything like running a store (and ironically I ran a store for 10 years before I had my own kids, LOL!).

[ColorfulSunburst]

And yes it is about money, that is what keeps my doors open.

wrong answer
I have my daycare because I enjoy it. I enjoy to change diapers, pretend that I'm a cat, an elephant, a dog, a dinosaur... I also love to play pirate game and make sand+water+ mulch+grass mix.... what else? O, yes! I love to feed picky eaters and clean up a dining room after 3 snacks, 1 breakfast and 1 lunch ...

happyface::

[hope]

There are very few home day cares in my area and out of the few most are operating under some scary circumstances. I need to pay my bills to provide a home for parents to bring their children. I need to have money to feed them once they are here. If a parent chosen to only bring their child to me one day a week I would close up shop and pursue another career because I can not operate a daycare on lesser funds.

Parents can then decide to take their children to one of the other day cares in my area that are not safe. They can take their kids to a center that is very expensive.

The problem I have with your whistle shop is that we are taking care of children. ....human beings that we need to keep alive, safe, happy. We need to nurture them. Parents view their children the same as whistles....we as daycare providers do not.

[Josiegirl]

There are definitely 2 sides to this coin. And obviously most of us see it from the business side because of providing child care services. My dcps pay for their spot so that spot is always open for them, except for a few meager holidays.
I have 1 dcm who went from FT to half time but is already asking if dck can come for whole days once in awhile. Not anymore because it might not be available and they're not paying for it.
They're paying for availability of their spot. Course now you're wondering then, why do any of us expect any paid holidays or vacations? Well, even state subsidy pays for 10 days per year plus some holidays. I have to admit this will be the first year where I've stated in my policies that a family pays for 52 weeks a year; not only because of reading so many providers' posts on here but also from attending a child care business workshop.
Locally, it's accepted, expected, common practice, helps my business survive, prevents burn-out(which I can feel coming in my bones due to no vacation in a very long time).
While I see what you're saying, I truly believe daycare is a business unlike any other business. It cannot really be compared to selling whistles, tomatoes, or cleaning pools or retail or anything else. I guess paying tuition to college can be similar in that they take days off, have vacations, etc, but tuition is still there(egad is it ever).
It boils down to if a parent chooses not to abide by my contract/policies, they can certainly go someplace else. I do not take much time off, a few state/federal holidays, have not had vacation in quite a few years. I have always tried to schedule any appts. so it's convenient for as many parents as possible. I am taking Oct. 2nd off though and have scheduled 3 appts. What a fun day.
And yes, I sometimes don't like it when a parent doesn't take their child with them on their day off but it's usually because I see how much their child would LOVE to be with a parent, how much they WANT to be with a parent and sometimes their cries for attention tell me how much they NEED to be with a parent. But personally, for myself, I don't usually care all that much cause hey, I'm working anyways.