Parents Night Out??

[SunflowerMama]

I tried to search for some old threads with info but didn't find much on Parents Night Out.

I know some of you have mentioned this and I offered something similar the Friday before Christmas and I watched the children until 8pm but it was more of a gift for the parents and I didn't charge.

For those that do offer a Parents Night Out....

Is it typically Friday or Saturday? If Friday do you just keep the children or do parents bring them back?

How often do you offer PNO?

What are the hours of PNO?

Do you keep the kids up or put them to sleep before the parents come? (I only ask b/c my girls are in bed by 8 and I can't imagine 6 3yr olds being up until 11 or later )

Do you charge and if so how much?

When I first opened a little over a year ago I offered this and had one family take me up on it ...but I only had 3 dcks at the time. Now with a few more dcks I think I could get a bigger group.

Any info would be great! Thanks!

[tymaboy]

When I offered a parent nites out it was only around Christmas. Parents could use it to finish shopping or to have alone adult time. I never offered a Friday or weekends. I picked a nite during the week that worked best for me. My DC closed at 6:00. My PNO was from 6:00-10:00pm The parents paid for care up to 6:00 then it wwas free. I gave the kids a bath & laid them down when it was their bed time.

[momofboys]

I did one before Christmas as a gift to my parents. But have also tried doing it on a monthly basis when there has been interest. To answer your questions:

Is it typically Friday or Saturday? If Friday do you just keep the children or do parents bring them back? I usually did Friday & just extended the PNO from the normal time they would usually pick up. So if pick-up was at 4:30 that is when PNO started. I did 4 hour blocks so so for my current family I watched the kids from 4:30-8:30 pm

How often do you offer PNO? Monthly but in reality it's not always desired so much like bi-monthly

What are the hours of PNO? 4:30-8:30 but that is only because I only have 1 client! If I had another family whose hours were different I might make changes so it was all at the same time.

Do you keep the kids up or put them to sleep before the parents come? (I only ask b/c my girls are in bed by 8 and I can't imagine 6 3yr olds being up until 11 or later ): My PNO was never really late (done at 8:30) so I did not have to worry about bedtime.

Do you charge and if so how much? $25 for 1st child; $15 for siblings

[BentleysBands]

I do pno's once a month on Fridays. I close at 6p and do pnos. 7p-11p
Rates vary from $20-30 . If a client its.$20 someone from Craigslist $30
we do a themed snack craft and movie
Movie starts at9p and they lay on blankets till parents pickup

[DaycareMama]

I am having my first PNO this friday night. I am offering one friday night every other month from 6pm to 10pm. I normally close at 430. I am doing it free of charge right now as a thank you to parents. BUT if they are late picking up the kids its $25 every 15 mins they're late starting at 10:01pm. Its only for enrolled full time dcks. If they have an unenrolled sibling its $30 for the night. I preset the dates for the year and posted them. We'll see how it goes. I will provide a snack and a movie.

[Pammie]

Is it typically Friday or Saturday?If Friday do you just keep the children or do parents bring them back?
I do only Fridays - most of the kids just stay through which I actually prefer, but occasionally a parent will pick-up their child and bring them back later.

How often do you offer PNO?
Generally twice each month during the school year - once a month in the summers when there seems to be less interest - weekly in December. But the days depend on my personal availability. I never offer them when regular daycare is going to be closed, nor when school is out for the day and I have s/a kids here all day

What are the hours of PNO?
5pm-11pm. My regular daycare hours close at 5pm.

Do you keep the kids up or put them to sleep before the parents come? (I only ask b/c my girls are in bed by 8 and I can't imagine 6 3yr olds being up until 11 or later )
Depends on the child and the wishes of the families. Many of my clients pick-up by 8:30 so their kids can go to sleep in their own beds uninterrupted. But if the child is tired/cranky and if I know the parents will be picking up late, I do put the kids to bed (pack-n-plays or napmats)

Do you charge and if so how much?
I charge a flat $20/family. But my clients have to pay when they reserve a spot. If they cancel there is no refund, unless I have another family that wants the spot. Because licensing regulations still cover evening care, I'm limited to #6 children here at a time.

When I first opened a little over a year ago I offered this and had one family take me up on it ...but I only had 3 dcks at the time. Now with a few more dcks I think I could get a bigger group.
I sometimes only have one child stay, other times I have my max of #6. But even the extra 4 from one child is nice

Any info would be great! Thanks!
I actually call my Parent's Nights Out "Daycare Pizza Movie Nites" so it seems like more of a treat for the kids. Dinner is always some kind of pizza (make-your-own, pizza bagels, english muffin or pita bread pizzas, frozen, but never delivery - that costs too much), a vegetable and a fruit. I also have a small special dessert for the kids. We either do a craft, or a special game/activity. Everyone is in pajamas by 7:30 and whatever neat movie I can download from Netflix appropriate for the ages of the group starts at 8pm.