Parents Hanging Around...

[ConcernedMotherof2]

Not picking kids up directly after work...

that you insist on parents coming in right after work to pick up their child. In my almost 20 years in daycare I can count on 1 hand the number of parents that came right after work to pick up their children.

I just left my center in Feb. 2009 and there was a child who just turned a year in Oct. This baby would be at the center from 630 a.m. to 630 p.m. and his parents (BOTH!) would come in jogging outfits knowing full well that this child was with us ALL day. Then the mother would get upset because he never wanted to leave and he would cry. Sad thing was was that the father only worked until 3 during the week AND had Fridays off. I think he loved to rub it in my face on Friday nights by making little off comments. Once for example he pretended to be running in and said..oh excuse me can i please have a paper towel? I just had some chicken wings with the boys and I spilled some on me ( there was nothing on him). Another time (a Friday, dad's day off) was when it was 6:25 p.m. and I was watching him taking his time getting out of the car, messing with his phone, stretching and then he saw me in the window and he started to jog pretending to be out of breath saying he thought mom was going to be picking him up. Had he known he had to he wouldve picked up the baby earlier and not be in a dead sleep!!!

All I am saying is that I find it funny that providers demand that a parent be there after work and that providers are not watching a child while the parents are doing errands etc. Providers have NO control over that. A parent could easily get dressed as to go to work only to go home after dropping off the kids (I have seen that many times!) or that a parent does their errands still dressed in work clothes. There are many scenarios and there is really nothing you can say or do. They are paying for the slot regardless.

I agree with a lot that you have said here. However, I don't understand parents who don't want their children with them as soon as they get off of work. (the 'Friday Father' sounds like my ex-husband and I REALLY don't understand parents like that)

There are times that I get off work a little early and run an errand (quick trip to the grocery store, fill a prescription, etc) before picking up my children, but on the average day, I pick them up as early as possible. There just aren't enough hours between getting them home and bedtime (a strict 8pm so they will get up the next day) to accomplish making and cleaning up dinner, homework, showers and *quality time* to not pick them up directly after work.

On the other hand, as a single parent who shells out half her paycheck to daycare, I feel that if I need an hour after I've completed my workday to get something done prior to picking up my little angels, I've paid for daycare and since I don't have a spouse to pick up some of my slack, I rely on the basic principal of childcare. Fortunately, I have a very understanding and comunicative provider and they let me know if there's something amiss.

Bottom line, however you choose to do it, COMMUNICATE with the parents. There is no way they can possibly know what you're thinking if you don't tell them and it is ridiculous to assume they 'dont care.' They may not, but you can't simply assume that they don't care and build up annimosity toward them if you don't communicate with them. When it becomes obvious that they are completely disrespecting you, then it is your choice whether or not to continue caring for their children. But if you do, there have been some great suggestions made in this thread.

Best of luck to you.

[Chickenhauler]

Actually I don't have a problem when a parent if off and still wants to bring their child since they are paying for that spot anyway. My problem is they bring them from opening till closing (6am-5pm) when it is stated in writing that "Although I am opened a total of eleven hours, I do not wish to have each child here that length of time. I have these hours for the working parents. If you have things to do before or after work make arrangements with someone to pick them up or take them with you."
Still, these parents do it anyway. I am thinking of the next time I re-write my policy I will put if you are off of work, your drop-off and pick-up time should be 7 am - 3:30 pm. I think that is more than enough hours for them to get done what the need and their child would have plenty of interaction time with other children. Sometimes I think these parents are trying to get their moneys worth but for the little I charge I think I am the one that is getting short-changed. ( 70.00 a week weather they come or not.) We live in a small community where other home care providers and I keep our prices and policies pretty much the same.

You created your own problem-the "flat rate" billing method without a set parameter of hours. The "I'm open these hours, this is my weekly rate" method will get you in that pickle every time.

I suggest when you interview a new family, discuss what hours they will require child care, then do some quick math on what an hourly charge for the week would be, and CONTRACT your services for the hours they require for a set fee (if you prefer the set fee arrangement). Put it all down in writing, and have an additional fee for additional hours.

This will allow you to custom tailor your care to the customers needs, you will still have your set steady weekly income you can count upon, but will reduce the risk of being used and abused for 10 hours per day, 5 days per week.

Honestly, if I was paying for a full day slot and had young children that I couldn't turn my back on and get things done on my day off (I'm a guy, so that means mechanic'ing, farm work, cutting wood, lawn mowing, property maintenance etc), I'd be dropping them off at daycare.

Now, if I knew I was going to pay a bit extra, I'd think twice about it.

[kiddieshack]

with regards to parents leaving their kids at daycare while they are not at work: I battled with this for many years as a provider. I decided that parents are going to do what they want. They are paying for a slot in my daycare, i can't spend my day worrying about if the parent is at work or home. As long as i can reach them in an emergency, that's what i focus on. I personally would never send my own child to daycare if i had the day off, but a lot of parents have it in their mind that they are going to get their monies worth. I decided to start a daycare 20+ years ago because i didnt want someone else raising my child and influencing them on what kind of adult they will turn into. I wanted to spend as much time with them as possible, and be able to teach them how to treat others and how to respect themselves. I can't tell you how many parents comment on how well I've taught their child table manners, sharing, making friends, treating adults with respect, or their colors and ABC"s. AS though I need to teach them all these things and not the parent. I feel that PARENTS should be their child's FIRST teacher, NOT the daycare provider! jmo

[Bkind]

I haven't read all post but in short I tell parents if they are going to hang around consistently for and length of time out side of normal range a parent normally would and I say b/c the state see that you now are a large influence on the other children now I have to ask you to get fingerprinted and go through the proper channels to be hanging around this often or for long periods of time and I would be more than happy to get them this information and training,,,,,,,,,,no offence but if I let you I can't discriminate and I have to let everyone who would like to stay and hang out and we just don't know every parents back ground, so for the safety of the children this is why they require this...............................

[SilverSabre25]

OLD, old thread!!!