Kids With Long Days Away From Parents

[Unregistered]

I was wondering do any of you have kids in your care for longer than a ten hour day when it is obvious that the child doesn't need to be there that long? Eg. Parents go home first for awhile then pick up their child/children. Mom doesn't have to be to work till 9am but has dad drops off before 7am. Or dad or mom gets off work at 2 or 3 and then shows up at 5 or 5:30 to pick up their child/children.

I feel so bad for the child/children whose parents do this. Especially when a family has a baby that they leave for that long of a day.

[Blackcat31]

Yup...got one family who arrives at 7:00 a.m. and gets picked up at 6:00 p.m. five days a week. Neither parent works until 8 and 8:30 respectively and one parent is off at 5 while other is off at 4:30 and doesn't even work on Fridays at all. They have 3 kids but only 1 attends childcare the older two are in school. They pay me a full week rate and those are the hours I am open so no matter how much it bothers me...it's their money and their loss of time...so as my teen age neice would say, "whatev.."

[nannyde]

No I only allow nine hour days max

[Cat Herder]

Most of mine get off work a full hour or more before they pick-up. All of mine start as 6 week olds, rarely do I have one here less than 10 hours. It is unfortunate but really not my business. Not being short...just honest. I let it bother me for years but at the end of the day....they all want their moneys worth and I am paid for my services, not my opinions.

[momatheart]

that is true. Paid for our service not our opinions. WOW blackcat31, that is such a long day for that child. I hope that child is well behaved for you.

[Cat Herder]

that is true. Paid for our service not our opinions.

Don't get me wrong...I expressed my opinions several times over the years and it almost ALWAYS cost me my income. I now only offer it when they ask and keep comparable hours to my my competition.

[MARSTELAC]

I've gone to 10 hour days with anything to 10.5 hours as overtime and anything over 10.5 hours is double overtime. Most of my parents would rather not spend time with their kids....so sad.

[countrymom]

I did, but it had nothing to do with being jealous, its the fact that when I needed to take a day off (to get a break from the kids) it was the parents who would complain because they had to spend the day with their kids, thats what eirks me the most.

[Blackcat31]

I did, but it had nothing to do with being jealous, its the fact that when I needed to take a day off (to get a break from the kids) it was the parents who would complain because they had to spend the day with their kids, thats what eirks me the most.

Yeah, my little one who stays for so long...well his mom was off for a week over Christmas and she told me the child wouldn't be here that week.....then she added, "Unless I get sick of him...haha!" But I knew she was serious...so sure enough on Monday at 9 a.m. she calls and he was here. The older two didn't come (?) He came 4 out of the 5 days she was on vacation. Her loss. He is a great kid and I don't mind spending the time with him...just wish I could claim him as a dependent on my taxes since I pretty much have him more than the parents!

[E Daycare]

I had one kid whos mom stayed home and yet sent him here every day from 8am to 5:30pm. EVERY DAY. She stopped working after she miscarried their second child so I think she got really depressed so for the 5 months I cared for their son she stayed home. They paid regularly so that was fine but I never could understand parents who didnt want to be with their child.I had a hard time leaving my son in care after I started working that I got bitter and eventually quit when he was 7 months to start my own daycare so I could stay at home with him.

The current dcg I have, her dad doesnt work either but mom goes out of her way from work in the early morning to drop her off and then races here in the afternoon to get her as to not get charged extra. Why her father doesnt pick her up is beyond me. The new little boy I watch mom seems mad that she has to work and is always excited to come and pick him up. It depends I guess.

A ex friend of mine is looking for part time care for her daughter even though shes a stay at home mom and she said she will need a break once the new baby arrives. I figured that much since its a new baby and they are exhausting but also figured she wouldnt be able to handle another kid anyways. My question is; why have a kid if A) you cant handle them or B) dont want to spend the time with them?

[Live and Learn]

my hours are 8-4.....I am only open for school days and teacher work days.
Reading the previous posts, I feel so sorry for the kids whose parents bring them to dc on days off rather than spend that time with them. I really can't imagine having kids if I didn't want to raise them up myself!!:confused:

[ammama]

I have one family whose Dad gets off work at lunch time (PT work), but he is going to night school, and uses the afternoons to study. I don't know when he sees his son. This boy is here from 8-5, but he is my longest. Most of my dck's are here from 8:30 or 9 until 4 or 4:30. There has been a few times when kids didn't get picked up until 5:30, but it doesn't happen often.

[lvt77]

Have you thought about usinmg contracted times?
example: I am open from 6-6, however, that does not mean that everyone can come during those hours....if you are contracted from 8:30-5:30, then these are your hours. I teach a preschool program and also have three of my own children. so time is very important to me.

So when parents come to interview I ask them what are your work hours and your commute time...if they tell me I leave for work at 9am each day and get home about 5:45then I would tell them that for the first two week trial, there hours will be from 8:30-6:00 each day and we will see how those hours work. I then add if they need more than 9.5 hours of care, that they would have to pay over time fees. so far not one parent has tried to change their contracted time after the two week trial.....

Also, sometimes you just have to bit your tongue...I wish some of my DCP would parent differently too, and I love these children, sounds like you do too. I had to learn that unless they are harming their child then really I can't say much......stinks but it's what goes with the biz..........

Also I just changed my hours from 6-6 to 7:45-6:00pm starts nexr month. I just got way to burnt out and felt bad for my own kids that mom was home but was always spending her time taking care of others.....
best of luck to you....

[boysx5]

I have one that is here ten hour days sometimes the mom will go home and change but most days she works late and travels an hour to get here so it ends up being a long day.

[lvt77]

to boysx5
I feel for you because I have a single mom in the same situation. I expanded my hours for her so that I could take on her child full time, but after closing my book for 2010, I made $1.40 per hour per child...I worked 90hours a week. This included hours of operation, shopping for food, cleaning, accounting, meal prep, and etc......
so at the end of the day, it was my fault I worked so many hours and it was not worth my time......I love all of my DCKs, however, doing this for one child is just crazy.... or maybe I am the crazy one....
in the end, I talked to the mom to see if there was any way that she could get her child to care later and she actually had help. So now my hours are 7:45-6:00 pm and not to excceed 9.5 hours of care. You work hard, but don't kill yourself trying to please everyone else....