10.5 Hours

[Shell]

I've done it before- in the beginning I didn't charge and towards the end I started charging. There's no amount of money that's worth giving up family time and/or personal time. I always wound up resenting the situation and in one instance, I termed a family because they kept getting later and later.

If you can wait for a better fit, I would.

[KiddieCahoots]

I've found it to be just the opposite - you do more, they expect it. And when you can't do it, they complain. They don't see it as a "favor" or "backscratching" they view it as a service that you are providing and that they feel is their due

Too often I've kept kids after hours as a "Favor" only to have parents be late the few times I've needed them here *on time*

Too often I've opened early for families as a "favor" because they swore they couldn't manage any other way - only to have them bring early well after they no longer needed to. Or they would agree to early pick ups in lieu of payment and they'd be late for that time and claim they didn't remember the agreement...

Too often I've realized that when the parents sign their kids up for outside activities they can somehow manage to get here early to make sure their kids get to their lessons/camps/sports, but when I ask for *on time* pick up the back scratching doesn't seem to extend my way...

In addition to all that, my licensing regulations are pretty strict about what I can and can't do with dc kids present - for instance I'm not even supposed to go upstairs during dc as I have to be on the same level as my dck's... This means that even during rest time when all kids are sleeping, I can't really get any other things done (putting away some laundry or cleaning a bathroom). I'm only allowed to use my Sub so much so I have to be careful about my and my kids appointments to make sure I'm not over. This means I make as many of our appointments as possible for after work hours. Per regulations I can't really attend to person business during day care - even during quiet time....so I need kids gone by my posted closing time. I refuse to not sleep or ignore my own personal health and well being for a job.

And honestly, my family prefers the kids are gone by a decent time so we can have our family time.

This has been my experience. The more you do the more they expect.

.........I am taking a dcg extra hours now, and this is for a dcg who is wonderful! But still makes for such a long day! With clients I am interviewing, I wll be keeping it to no more than 9 hrs a day, and sticking to it!

[Crazy8]

Personally I wouldn't do it. But it isn't so much about the child being in care 10.5 hours - its that extra hour at the end of the day. I LOVE being done at 4:30!!!! I have one client who is here till 5 during the school year and I am just waiting for them to age out because I hate working that extra half hour!!

Back in the day I worked till 5:30, then went down to 5:00 and now am pretty much sticking with 4:30 clients just because it suits my families needs better (older kids, sports to get to by 5-5:30, etc.).

[AmyKidsCo]

Personally I wouldn't do it either. I'm open 7-5 and that last 30 min is a killer, especially when there's just 1 or 2 children.