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No DCF I cannot "just" go plow the driveway. Or force the plow trucks out while the storm is still going on. I have zero power to make them do this. And yeah, you're going to have to walk in a snowy walk way because I am not leaving this crew unattended...not a chance. You could however be like my other DCF who offers to do it for me when he picks up so I don't have to leave the kids. If you're worried, come get dck early. I stay open for storms but it is "at your own risk" and you know what the deal is about the snow. It HAS been explained to you. *sigh* at least this one I can laugh at!
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There IS NO PERSON who will come and shovel your driveway or walk or steps at every moment that you need it. Unless you have an available spouse or older kid. But you can't pay ANYONE to always have your stuff clear on your schedule. No company does it, no person does it. NO ONE DOES IT.
I keep a shovel or two handy so that I can do some when I take the dcks outside and then I leave it out so that parents can shovel if they see an urgent need. And then I tell them that when they ask why it's not shoveled.Comment
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Here here!!!
I have a family that even drops off their dd with a plow.
I shovel as close to drop off in the a.m. as I can so it's newly shoveled and then if/when we can get out in the afternoon I try to shovel what I can again. Trouble is we live on a wicked hill which isn't kept all that great sometimes.
I always tell my neighbor I wish I had a truck with a plow so I could go do random driveways just to help people out. I was outside one morning, shoveling a boatload of heavy hard snow packed at the mouth of my driveway when a neighbor couple doors up the hill came and plowed the whole front of it for me. Something that would have taken me no less than 20 minutes to clear out, he was done in under 3 minutes. That's what I wish I could do for people.
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Oh yeah, its always cleared in the morning before any drops off. We do have a plow, but I really don't know how to use it
. My husband does it and will sometimes do our road or additional driveways if he's home. But he can't leave work in the middle of a storm to do so...they didn't seem to get that either . If I wasn't doing this during the day, I think I'd learn how to plow to help people out too. My son loves riding in the plow truck and it would be a great example for him. Anyways its snowy, roads are manageable still but DCM decided to pick up early. No problem there 
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I feel your pain!
We had what was supposed to be a "light" snow event today. And it would be, if it would ever stop!
I just sent the school agers out with the shovel (allowed by regs to be out without me)
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Oh I would so be doing that if I had school agers!Comment
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I'm very fortunate in that none of my families really complain if the walkways and deck aren't cleared off. I do leave the shovel next to the deck and theres a bucket of salt there, but no one has ever taken it upon themselves to shovel, they just trudge through the snow.
We have a four wheeler with a plow on it, and DH usually clears the ends of all of our neighbors driveways for them when he's plowing ours. They still have to shovel the rest usually, but the HARD part is done for them. The end of the driveway, where all the snow is built up from the plow is the absolute WORST part of shoveling. I told DH when we first got together that since he had a four wheeler with a plow, I was NEVER shoveling the driveway again...
I still haven't, but I did learn how to use the four wheeler and plow on my own last winter when my mom got stuck in the driveway! A nice man dressed in Dockers, a long leather trench coat, and leather loafers (a lawyer or doctor type- Dressed very nicely) stopped to help me push her car out, and then I had to plow so she didn't get stuck again! She bought new tires after that LOLComment
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I posted a reminder on fb last week that I am required to stay inside with their children so if they are picking up in the middle of the storm it is at their own risk. And 2 of my 3 families have dad's with plows but has either of them EVER offered to plow my driveway?? NOOOOOO!!!!Comment
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Snow removal is one of the issues parents have to deal with when sending their children to a home daycare. Centers have companies come and plow out the parking lot and shovel the sidewalks. There are a lot of pros and cons that come with home day care...this being the con. I try to solve as many of the cons as i can.
DH and I do shovel and snow blow the drive and walk. I have a sub come when i can if i need so i can keep up with the snow. I close now under state of emergency. I compete with centers here more than i do with other home day cares so i need to solve the problems of subs and snow removal to be on equal ground with them.Comment
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My DH has a plow. He "used" to do that for others but there is ALOT of liability involved so it's not as easy as most people think it is.Here here!!!
I have a family that even drops off their dd with a plow.
I always tell my neighbor I wish I had a truck with a plow so I could go do random driveways just to help people out. I was outside one morning, shoveling a boatload of heavy hard snow packed at the mouth of my driveway when a neighbor couple doors up the hill came and plowed the whole front of it for me. Something that would have taken me no less than 20 minutes to clear out, he was done in under 3 minutes. That's what I wish I could do for people.
In my state, you must carry commercial insurance to be allowed to plow for others...even if there is no money changing hands...it's about the state requirements for vehicles.
So your family with a plow may not be able to just plow your drive if their vehicle insurance does not allow that.
Also, my DH incurred $1,000's in repairs and maintenance costs due to driveways he plowed that had loose or lifting pavement, the home owners had flower beds that had edges that protruded into the driveway or had left other items out that could be a hazard to the plow. Also placing large piles of snow in small tight driveway areas is difficult.
Personal plow trucks in my state are required to have a yellow blinking light if they back out or drive out onto ANY city street...even for just a few seconds...while in the process of plowing someone's driveway.
There is more to it but I just wanted to bring to light that there are lots of laws, reasons and restrictions that don't make it as easy as some people think it is. Because my DH does have a plow on his truck he is often asked if he could "help out" since it would be so "easy and quick" for him and when he says no (because of the restrictions) and of course gets a ton of angry people in return.
Also, it's kind of like what we do...my DH bought the plow $4000, has to do regular maintenance on it from the wear and tear of that HUGE plow hanging on the front of his truck (he had to fix the front end once @ $1500) so...
....just like there is so much more that goes into what we do as child care providers that it isn't as simple as bringing in $2 an hour per kid x's how many kids you have...it's the same for the guy who owns the plow
If it were that easy, we'd provide care for free.
If it were that easy, the plow guy would plow for free too
Have you ever offered to care for their kids for free?Last edited by Blackcat31; 02-01-2015, 09:08 AM.Comment
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That's one of the things I think about - I pay my sub $12 an hour, so that could add up. I have looked into commercial plowing (pricey!) rather than the guy we have do it now. There is a cost of doing business, but these costs could cripple my business. I would have to pass the costs down - and then the "savings" of the in home might disappear. It's one of those things I go back and forth on.Comment
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Commercial plowers will not show up at a precise time when you need them. They will either set a large window when they can come (day/night), or will just come as they are able, like by putting you on a route. They can't predict when they will show up because it depends on how much snow and time of day that it falls. They will not generally make your daycare home their priority. It is not a "big" job that can command that with $$. So you will have no guarantee that parents can get in and out safely by using them either.Comment
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