Question for Blackcat

[spud912]

I think you can state it however you want, but enforcing it would be another thing.

Personally, I don't care what parents are doing with the time they buy from me, much like Meeko. I appreciate having a job I like, so I try not to get so concerned with the ins and outs of every single thing.

I'm pretty relaxed though. I've never charged a late fee (and I don't have an issue with lateness, but it happens on occasion), I let parents come early when they need to - within business hours, I'm just really flexible.

I just had a parent this week take a "mental health" day while dropping dcb off. I thought it was great! We all need a break now and then.

I think you can try to enforce it, but then dcf's would just lie about where they are.

Well this is how I am . . . I am very flexible...aka lenient. The main issue I have with it is the morning time because it's a matter of my daughter riding the school bus or not. I have one family who drops off at open and their son is the only one for the first 30 minutes. If they drop off 30 minutes later than normal on their day off, then I can drive her to school instead. I'm ok with her riding the bus; but if possible, I like to drive her if they don't really need to drop off so early.

[spud912]

...we (Spud, me and a few others) had this convo before ...that's why I think she specifically asked me about it.

I don't think she is saying she opens EARLIER than normal...I think she is saying why get up early at all if a family that is coming, isn't going into work....thus not really needing to be there her regular hours.....(see bolded above)

It just seems that it's always the way things go. Billy is here from 7-5....all of your available hours. Which is normally not an issue but on the rare day that Billy's mom isn't working, there is no need for him to be there the entire 7-5 time frame because at the end of the day when you (the provider) are MORE than ready to close up and be done for the day, there sits Billy right up until 5:00 on the dot.

I made a policy a while back stating that if you have the day off, you can't be the first to arrive and the last to pick up. You can still bring your kid for the whole day but you just can't stretch it out like that because its always "that" kid then that stops you (the provider) from getting any relief or being able to get off early once in a blue moon.

Hopefully, she'll chime in and clarify for us.

Yes, this exactly .

[midaycare]

Well this is how I am . . . I am very flexible...aka lenient. The main issue I have with it is the morning time because it's a matter of my daughter riding the school bus or not. I have one family who drops off at open and their son is the only one for the first 30 minutes. If they drop off 30 minutes later than normal on their day off, then I can drive her to school instead. I'm ok with her riding the bus; but if possible, I like to drive her if they don't really need to drop off so early.

I totally get this - I have 1.5 hours between my first and second drop offs 3 days a week. If I didn't have the first drop off, I could drive DS to school.

[Indoorvoice]

Well this is how I am . . . I am very flexible...aka lenient. The main issue I have with it is the morning time because it's a matter of my daughter riding the school bus or not. I have one family who drops off at open and their son is the only one for the first 30 minutes. If they drop off 30 minutes later than normal on their day off, then I can drive her to school instead. I'm ok with her riding the bus; but if possible, I like to drive her if they don't really need to drop off so early.

Could you just have a conversation with the offender? You could just say, "look, I would really appreciate it if on the days you don't work if you could come at xx:00 and pick up at xx:00 instead of coming open to close since you aren't needing the time for your commute.I need to be able to take my daughter to school on those days. Thanks for understanding!"

[Play Care]

Well this is how I am . . . I am very flexible...aka lenient. The main issue I have with it is the morning time because it's a matter of my daughter riding the school bus or not. I have one family who drops off at open and their son is the only one for the first 30 minutes. If they drop off 30 minutes later than normal on their day off, then I can drive her to school instead. I'm ok with her riding the bus; but if possible, I like to drive her if they don't really need to drop off so early.

If he's the *only* child there, I would totally change your hours and not give them the option of bringing him at the earlier time.
"Dear Parents, As of Jan 1 I will be changing my hours of operation from x to x time. I will not accept any child into care until x time (the new time) Thank you all for your understanding!"
This way you don't have to sweat the "will they or won't they" business that we are all familiar with

[Blackcat31]

If he's the *only* child there, I would totally change your hours and not give them the option of bringing him at the earlier time.
"Dear Parents, As of Jan 1 I will be changing my hours of operation from x to x time. I will not accept any child into care until x time (the new time) Thank you all for your understanding!"
This way you don't have to sweat the "will they or won't they" business that we are all familiar with

This child attends regularly during her NORMAL business hours when the parent is working, so it's not a matter of changing her business hours.

Spud is only looking for a way to tell the mom that she wants her to not bring her child AS NORMALLY scheduled on the days the mom is not working.

That would allow Spud's DD to not have to ride the bus on just that particular day and be able to be driven to school by Mama (Spud).

So she isn't needing to change her hours, she just wants the mom to drop off later on the days DCM isn't actually going to work.

Which in that case, I would do as altandra said, and just outright tell mom that she needs to drop off later on her non-working days.

[spud912]

This child attends regularly during her NORMAL business hours when the parent is working, so it's not a matter of changing her business hours.

Spud is only looking for a way to tell the mom that she wants her to not bring her child AS NORMALLY scheduled on the days the mom is not working.

That would allow Spud's DD to not have to ride the bus on just that particular day and be able to be driven to school by Mama (Spud).

So she isn't needing to change her hours, she just wants the mom to drop off later on the days DCM isn't actually going to work.

Which in that case, I would do as altandra said, and just outright tell mom that she needs to drop off later on her non-working days.

Yes, this is the situation. I don't want to change my hours because then I would lose them as a client. I really don't mind opening up shop at that time, just would prefer not to if they are not working....kwim?

The main reason I haven't talked to them already is this particular family doesn't always get what I am trying to say. The last time I asked them to let me know if they are running 30 minutes or more late in the morning, they took it as "drop him off first thing in the morning everyday no matter what." When I told them that their child can come and go whenever, but I only allot 5 unpaid days per year, they took it as "he has to come everyday we are off unless it is those 5 unpaid days." They are good people and follow the policies (when they understand them), so I don't want it to seem like I'm complaining about them per se.

I figured that I might as well just make it clear in the policies that if they are not working, then drop off can't be first thing in the morning. Also, I have a separate family whose child is the only one here for the last 30 minutes. The dcg tends to really really miss her mommy those last 30 minutes and can be seen staring out the window the entire time, regardless of my distractions. If her mom isn't working, I think it would be nice (for her sake) for an early pick-up.