Lesson Learned - Never Again

[melilley]

LOL! That reminds me of the dcm who picked up last dcb at 5:10. He asked her if he could go in my backyard and swing and she told him, "Sure. You still have 20 minutes." (!!!!!!)

No way! Geez!
I had a parent who breastfed, which I do not mind at all, but this parent only lived 10 minutes away at most and half of the time dcb was fed right before she would get here and of course she was the last pickup and would sit down and breastfeed him because she claimed that he wanted a "snack" because he would grab for her when she picked up. Duh, hour child wants you, he's not hungry, he just ate.

[Jack Sprat]

I have that parent too! If I close early she will be late the day before or the next day. ALWAYS!! She works 3 blocks away, is officially off the clock at 4:30. By late I mean one or two minutes. But, still those minutes add up!

[KIDZRMYBIZ]

[QUOTE=OP: Do you do contracted hours or is it a flat daily fee? I guess I could kind of see their point if you do a flat daily fee, but that is NOT the way to approach it and really? Like you said, they're already off of work so what's the big deal? God forbid they take their child with them to do their grocery shopping! [/QUOTE]

I just charge a flat weekly fee and my open hours/days are theirs to use. I grew tired of keeping track of drop-off and pick-up times and even days for contracted hours, then confronting when they weren't following their hours. And the sad truth of the matter is, clients want long daycare hours, whether they are working or not.

I originally thought I'd just jet out of here at 5:30 on the dot, but then noticed the week prior that more often than not, I'm trying to scoot 1 or 2 DCFs out of here when they arrive at 5:29, so as they are buckling children and compulsively checking their phone one last time (), I'd be blocked in till 5:40/5:45!

I do see their side of it, and was frankly surprised no one demanded a refund for the 15-30 minutes I was asking for (Sure, it's $1.15). I'm not crabby at them for showing up at 5:30 on the nose all the time, because they are taking a few minutes from me every day.

But I won't ask for it again. I will back my car out of the garage before pick-ups and be very abrupt, literally push them out my door if need be, and leave while they are still in my driveway. Or take the whole day off and relish it!!

[MsLisa]

I have that problem all the time here. We "close" at 6pm, charge a flat rate per week so most use it to its fullest advantage to the point of borderline babysitting service.

I have only like 3 who will call if late or tell me ahead of time, even if they never pass 6pm. They are great professional working parents. Others...well...they use me so they don't have to deal with their kid(s).

One mom in particular gets out at 4 or 4:30 and will go home and get wasted/high or get her nails done. EVERY. DAY. Won't pick her kids up till 5:45. The kids KNOW she's home. They KNOW what time she gets out. Her kids smell, have torn clothes, and behavior problems. So why not right?

Another trend is kids telling their parents to pick them up late on purpose.
No. GO HOME. Please.

[Meeko]

LOL! That reminds me of the dcm who picked up last dcb at 5:10. He asked her if he could go in my backyard and swing and she told him, "Sure. You still have 20 minutes." (!!!!!!)

What did you say?????????????? !!

[Crazy8]

maybe you need to reevaluate your closing time? Honestly, if you advertise that you close at 5:30 and a parent picks up at 5:29 they will feel they are on time (even if it then takes them 10 min to get out of your driveway).
Unfortunately that is the problem with a blanket closing time. You need to expect to work until that time every day.

When a family comes to me for an interview we determine the hours they need and then they are contracted for those hours. Their rate is based on those hours so the person picking up at 4:30 and the person picking up at 5pm do not pay the same amount. I don't care what the parents are doing before they pick up, as long as they pick up on time. The thing is when they sign up they usually pick a time that just includes their travel time after work.

[Unregistered]

We charge $1.00 per minute after our closing time, I would charge them extra if they pull that again.

[daycare]

All I have to say , is just when I think I have heard it all, I always seem to hear something else.

ugh...

[KIDZRMYBIZ]

maybe you need to reevaluate your closing time? Honestly, if you advertise that you close at 5:30 and a parent picks up at 5:29 they will feel they are on time (even if it then takes them 10 min to get out of your driveway).
Unfortunately that is the problem with a blanket closing time. You need to expect to work until that time every day.

Yep, I close at 5:30. And I fully expect to work right up to that time every day, and do! However, we all know on here that we providers are (unfairly) not treated the same as any other business. You don't take your stuff up to the register at 5:29 when the store closes at 5:30. You take it up by 5:20...maybe even 5:10 if you expect to have a 15-minute let-me-use-you-as-my-sounding-board-for-this-personal-part-of-my-life conversation with the cashier. You don't drop your clothes off at the dry-cleaners one minute before they lock the door if you require the owner's attention for a lengthy conversation regarding special instructions or the process they use to rid a stain. So these DCFs are technically "on time," but they are dipping into my personal time when they don't hustle out within 1 or 2 minutes. I just wanted these people to come early enough that I could be pulling out of my driveway at 5:31, and not a second later. Maybe I will change my forever closing time to 5:19. It's weird, but it seems like they need 11-minutes of banter time, and then I can firmly shut the door at 5:30.

When a family comes to me for an interview we determine the hours they need and then they are contracted for those hours. Their rate is based on those hours so the person picking up at 4:30 and the person picking up at 5pm do not pay the same amount. I don't care what the parents are doing before they pick up, as long as they pick up on time. The thing is when they sign up they usually pick a time that just includes their travel time after work.

I'm glad this works for you. I tried it for 2 years, and it didn't work for me as this not what clients want in my area.

Anyway, this was just a post for you guys to go at. I know I made a mistake in asking for them to pick up pronto, and fully admit it. I also know how things are in this business (like not really closing till 10 min after closing time). Just wanted to vent with others that are here with me on the greenest side of the fence. I say that because I really do like my job!

[daycare]

Anyway, this was just a post for you guys to go at. I know I made a mistake in asking for them to pick up pronto, and fully admit it. I also know how things are in this business (like not really closing till 10 min after closing time). Just wanted to vent with others that are here with me on the greenest side of the fence. I say that because I really do like my job!

yeah you made my head spin....

****s when parents don't take into consideration what we do day in and out.
I tell my staff, that parents only see drop off and pick up, they don't see us in action with the kids and see where all the magic happens all day long. SO at drop off and pick up, it really is our time to shine and make a good impression with the parents. BUT

that still does not stop parents from being like the one you posted about here.

Seriously, I would be tempted to go over all of his in/out records and write down all the times they went over, then hand him an invoice and said, once you pay up, now were even...............I would love to see the look on his face.

[KIDZRMYBIZ]

Seriously, I would be tempted to go over all of his in/out records and write down all the times they went over, then hand him an invoice and said, once you pay up, now were even...............I would love to see the look on his face.

I would love to, too! But I won't do it. I might start interrupting them mid-sentence when the digital clock I have right there turns 5:30 and say "Sorry, I have to close up shop now. Want to keep things even!" With a very big smile, of course.