I Will NEVER Understand.....

[Unregistered]

After 25 years of home daycare...I will never understand when you are a teacher or a gov't employee....and have extra time off...why you want to dump them at daycare. Yes..we all need to "get things done"....however for 1000's of years parents "got things done..WITH their kids. And..your kids need to know that they are not the center of the universe..all. the.time. They also need to learn and see you doing those everyday mundane chores. They need to learn patience....and how to entertain themselves.

My contract..says I am here for daycare for your children, for you to work. I have 3 teachers family's..and 2 postal employees families....I am only open for SA working families on no school and federal holiday s Yet..all of them wanted to dump their children tomorrow..Veteran's day
to "get things done" AND asked me if they could at 5pm today. NO...go back and r e a d the contract you signed. Why is it I can still get **** done with 7 kids here?! Vent over....and my DH still doesn't get it either!

[LysesKids]

Yeah, I have an Army dad who gets paid day off tomorrow - guess who is still being dropped off so he can run errands? yep little 8 month old dg - he is saying 8am instead of 7am so that's cool... might get lucky and have her picked up early too

I take off the 6 major Federal Holidays, not the 6 Minor ones... of course I get to fly out of here and go to California in 2 weeks also . Thanksgiving on the Beach sounds so nice

[Play Care]

After 25 years of home daycare...I will never understand when you are a teacher or a gov't employee....and have extra time off...why you want to dump them at daycare. Yes..we all need to "get things done"....however for 1000's of years parents "got things done..WITH their kids. And..your kids need to know that they are not the center of the universe..all. the.time. They also need to learn and see you doing those everyday mundane chores. They need to learn patience....and how to entertain themselves.

My contract..says I am here for daycare for your children, for you to work. I have 3 teachers family's..and 2 postal employees families....I am only open for SA working families on no school and federal holiday s Yet..all of them wanted to dump their children tomorrow..Veteran's day
to "get things done" AND asked me if they could at 5pm today. NO...go back and r e a d the contract you signed. Why is it I can still get **** done with 7 kids here?! Vent over....and my DH still doesn't get it either!

How did they react to the "no?"
One of the reasons I started to close even on the minor holidays was that I would always wind up with kids whose parents were off. Always my most challenging kiddos too. Sorry parents, you made them that way, you deal with them!

[Mad_Pistachio]

Parent's perspective:
I am off. my DH is off. our daughter is in daycare.
we have people come clean the furnace today, and it may take a while. I have online classes, and need to study. what my DH is going to do, I've no idea, but he's active enough to find something (he's doing dishes, and it's not even 9 am yet).
here is the thing: I pay my daycare, on time, every week, no questions asked. they are open 6am to 6pm, and I am never late (actually, my go-to pickup time is 4pm), and she is never dropped off earlier than 8am because we all need our beauty sleep. I have never brought her with a fever drugged with Motrin, or any of the crazy stuff parents do, whether out of desperation or because they don't care.
what I do when she is in their care is not their business.
and you know, I tried getting a haircut with a child in tow. never again. I will do that when she is in the care of a teacher she loves.
for thousands of years, people have lived in huge families: 3-5 generations pretty much under the same roof. women would have children and go back to the field next morning.
my parents live far away and work. my DH's Dad died 5 years ago. both his mother and sister are an ocean away, and his stepmother is not to be trusted with little (or big) children. and... that's it. we are on our own, this is why we have this amazing daycare (I will be deeply depressed when she goes to school, I love it this much).
will I go get her if the daycare calls and asks me to? oh, you bet! it may take a few minutes to get there, but I will have to problems doing it. I often get her out early just so we can go to the playground, have a snack together, or shoe shopping. otherwise, she is there 8 to 4 (give or take traffic), and I am not answering to anyone about how I spend this time, be it studying, sleeping, getting a haircut, or taking a cat to the vet. I pay, I drop off/pick up, I follow the rules - you ask no questions about my pastime. after all, I am not asking you what you do when you are closed.

live and let live.
or close for the holidays you want to be closed for.

[Controlled Chaos]

If I wasn't the daycare lady and could drop my kids somewhere today - I would probably take them for at least 1/2 a day. I need get some repairs done on the car, I would run some early holiday errands...I would LOVE some time to get stuff done. I have a professional developent Saturday so I had to find a sitter all day (luckily mil is amazing), we get an hour lunch break during all day Saturday trainings and I am THRILLED to have an hour to run a few errands. Yes parents CAN go grocery shopping with their kids, but isn't it heavenly not to? Just every once in a while? Going to the store without my 2, 3 and 5 year old is parallel to a spa day for me ::

If you want the day off, take it off. If you are open don't begrudge people coming

[Unregistered]

I have a family with DCM being a teacher. It was a non-school day so she was off along with DCD who took the day off. Their two older SA kids stayed home with them and they still brought the toddler to daycare. The kicker for me was, dcb was the only child in my care that day and they were aware of this! It just made me so sad that they would rather bring him to spend the entire day with ONLY me (no other kids), when the rest of his family was at home spending the day together.

[Unregistered]

I get a lot of random surprise days off. I send my son to daycare about half the time. Last week I was off all week and he went M-W-F. Why? Because had I kept him home for the whole week he would have been a nightmare going back to daycare this week. It's like a reset switch. It's like he forgets all the rules and how to behave at daycare.
I have two weeks off at Christmas, and he will be going about half the time as well for the same reason.

[Unregistered]

I get that once in awhile it's nice to do errands/work around the house without the kids and not having to worry about meltdowns while doing them, or having a day to decompress and enjoy some quite time. Or that it's any of our business what dcps do while they are paying us to care for their kids.

What is sad are the parents who barely spend time with their children at all to the point that they don't even know how to deal with them when they do have them or whose careers take priority over their children. I had two different dcks at different times get hurt at home during the weekend. They came back on Monday and dcps of both dcks were like oh dck fell at the playground, his leg hurts a little but he's fine. For both dcks I had to insist dcps take them to the doctor because they are not fine. For days dcps insisted its just a sprain/dck milking it. Nope after requiring a doctors note to come, both dcks had fractures. If only these dcps took the time to watch and listen to their children the children could have had medical attention earlier. These were children that came from opening to closing, whether dcps worked or not, missed out on spending time with relatives who came to visit from out of state, and dcps would try to dope and drop because they had to work (which I knew wasn't true since we live in a small town).

My dd is in preschool, which I love, and who I was picking up right before nap time, to the point where the teachers "scold" me Her teachers tell me to go enjoy my free time, but I miss my daughter and I know time is slipping by as she grows older. I'm fortunate to have the luxury to be able to spend these times with her in her early years. This is why my husband and I worked so hard to be able to do so financially, because once she goes to kinder I won't be able to just take her out whenever I want to.

[Mad_Pistachio]

the rest of his family was at home spending the day together.

are you absolutely sure they were home enjoying themselves? doctors' offices are often open (checkups, vaccinations, flu shots, who knows what else). or they needed to buy something for older kiddos. no, I understand that the youngster could be left with one of the parents since both are off, but what if that other parent needed to do something around the house or something?

we are all quick to judge others' decisions. truth is, we don't know.

[KidGrind]

Parent's perspective:
I am off. my DH is off. our daughter is in daycare.
we have people come clean the furnace today, and it may take a while. I have online classes, and need to study. what my DH is going to do, I've no idea, but he's active enough to find something (he's doing dishes, and it's not even 9 am yet).
here is the thing: I pay my daycare, on time, every week, no questions asked. they are open 6am to 6pm, and I am never late (actually, my go-to pickup time is 4pm), and she is never dropped off earlier than 8am because we all need our beauty sleep. I have never brought her with a fever drugged with Motrin, or any of the crazy stuff parents do, whether out of desperation or because they don't care.
what I do when she is in their care is not their business.
and you know, I tried getting a haircut with a child in tow. never again. I will do that when she is in the care of a teacher she loves.
for thousands of years, people have lived in huge families: 3-5 generations pretty much under the same roof. women would have children and go back to the field next morning.
my parents live far away and work. my DH's Dad died 5 years ago. both his mother and sister are an ocean away, and his stepmother is not to be trusted with little (or big) children. and... that's it. we are on our own, this is why we have this amazing daycare (I will be deeply depressed when she goes to school, I love it this much).
will I go get her if the daycare calls and asks me to? oh, you bet! it may take a few minutes to get there, but I will have to problems doing it. I often get her out early just so we can go to the playground, have a snack together, or shoe shopping. otherwise, she is there 8 to 4 (give or take traffic), and I am not answering to anyone about how I spend this time, be it studying, sleeping, getting a haircut, or taking a cat to the vet. I pay, I drop off/pick up, I follow the rules - you ask no questions about my pastime. after all, I am not asking you what you do when you are closed.

live and let live.
or close for the holidays you want to be closed for.

Doesn’t see an issue with this perspective!

Yet, if a parent has signed a contractual obligation to only bring their child during work hours they should adhere to it.

It is why I close every holiday and only offer contracted days & hours services.

I have a preference for the type of parents I like to provide services for which includes parents not trying to spend the least amount with their children. Parents who on the day off thinks, “I’m going to spend the extra time with my little one.”

I have a family who’s father is a med student. He had mid terms yesterday. On Monday after studying he picked up his son to have lunch with him. The mother asked me on a day he is not scheduled for care, “Can you take care of him this day?” I didn’t have an issue with it because she respected her contract and asked me if I was available and willing.

At the end of the day, it’s a business. Providers and parents should enter into contracts that works for both of them.

[MyAngels]

If you want the day off, take it off. If you are open don't begrudge people coming

I do understand why some parents will bring their children to daycare whether they are working or not and I don't begrudge them that. I really don't understand it though. I guess I just felt differently when my kids were little. I really enjoyed spending time with them, even if it was just hanging around the house or running errands.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

I don't think the point of the OP was to say parents can't do what they want when their kid is at daycare. I guess i read it as why, on one of your only days off, do you not want to spend time with your child? If my child was in daycare while I was working all week and I got a day off, she would be staying home with me because I want to see HER. I get that people need time to do errands and it is nice to go grocery shopping alone. I do it on the weekend mornings while my husband stays with our kids. I am like the OP. I had my children so I could be with them as much as possible (why I do daycare so I don't have to put them in one), so a day off would be a great opportunity to see a movie, go shopping together, eat out for lunch at her favorite restaurant, ect. I do agree that if you want them to be forced to stay home with their kid, you should close. I did and we all got to sleep late and eat a big breakfast and in a little bit, we are headed to my dad's farm to see him and help feed the animals and clean out the barn (my kids are so wierd that cleaning a barn is fun for them).

To each their own and I don't mean for my post to sound judgy. I just think that after 17 years of doing this, it can really weigh on your heart to see so many kids in daycare day after day, regardless of whether their parent is working. The only way I have found to "solve" that problem, is to close and not give them the option. They may end up using a relative or paying a babysitter anyway, but at least I don't have to see their little one's face when they are dropped off again knowing mom or dad is not working.

[Mad_Pistachio]

I get that once in awhile it's nice to do errands/work around the house without the kids and not having to worry about meltdowns while doing them, or having a day to decompress and enjoy some quiet time. Or that it's any of our business what dcps do while they are paying us to care for their kids.

What is sad are the parents who barely spend time with their children at all to the point that they don't even know how to deal with them when they do have them or whose careers take priority over their children. I had two different dcks at different times get hurt at home during the weekend. They came back on Monday and dcps of both dcks were like oh dck fell at the playground, his leg hurts a little but he's fine. For both dcks I had to insist dcps take them to the doctor because they are not fine. For days dcps insisted its just a sprain/dck milking it. Nope after requiring a doctors note to come, both dcks had fractures. If only these dcps took the time to watch and listen to their children the children could have had medical attention earlier. These were children that came from opening to closing, whether dcps worked or not, missed out on spending time with relatives who came to visit from out of state, and dcps would try to dope and drop because they had to work (which I knew wasn't true since we live in a small town).

My dd is in preschool, which I love, and who I was picking up right before nap time, to the point where the teachers "scold" me Her teachers tell me to go enjoy my free time, but I miss my daughter and I know time is slipping by as she grows older. I'm fortunate to have the luxury to be able to spend these times with her in her early years. This is why my husband and I worked so hard to be able to do so financially, because once she goes to kinder I won't be able to just take her out whenever I want to.

now, note that I am not talking about bringing a clearly injured child to the daycare. or neglecting a child altogether by plopping him/her at the center for the whole day, just so the parent can be left alone. (why have children at all, then?.. it's a rhetorical question, and needs not be answered.) what I am talking about is the center being open, and me being in my own right as a parent to decide, in a Shakespearean manner, to drop or not to drop when I am off myself. everything else is BS and not worth discussing.

I often see here this phrase, "your daycare, your rules." this is your business, with your rules (as it should be). you don't want parents dropping children off on a particular day/time? good. close. parents are creative, and if they need care when you are closed, they'll find a solution.

but butting into who does what when you are open is, at best, unprofessional (and gossipy at worst).

[mommyneedsadayoff]

now, note that I am not talking about bringing a clearly injured child to the daycare. or neglecting a child altogether by plopping him/her at the center for the whole day, just so the parent can be left alone. (why have children at all, then?.. it's a rhetorical question, and needs not be answered.) what I am talking about is the center being open, and me being in my own right as a parent to decide, in a Shakespearean manner, to drop or not to drop when I am off myself. everything else is BS and not worth discussing.

I often see here this phrase, "your daycare, your rules." this is your business, with your rules (as it should be). you don't want parents dropping children off on a particular day/time? good. close. parents are creative, and if they need care when you are closed, they'll find a solution.

but butting into who does what when you are open is, at best, unprofessional (and gossipy at worst).

This is primarily a daycare provider site, so we can come here and vent about things parents do that bug us. She is well within her right to state an opinion. If you want to drop your kid off at daycare when you are not working, then by all means. And she can judge you for it or have an opinion on it. And honestly, most of us don't care what parents do when they leave their children with us, but we do recognize the parents who continually do it and who actively TRY to spend as little time with their child as possible. It is common in this business. And their usual excuse is "well, I am paying for it..." And that is fine, just as what you do with your child is fine. We are human and most of us are parents and many of us got in this business to stay home with our children, so we know that people need us so they can work. But I agree with the OP, I will never understand leaving your child with someone else so you can go home and sleep or watch tv or go do things they would ove to do with you. Just MY OPINION and I have a right to it, just as you have a right to do with your child as you see fit.

[Laurel]

I am a retired in home provider (20 years).

I now pick my 3 grandkids up (from 3 different schools) just so they can be with family rather than in an institution (even though I like their institutions).

I just want to be with them and enjoy them.

The youngest is 5 and in a center. It closes at 6:30 but I get him at 3:00. I just want him with family rather than there too long even though I like the center.

I think that is the sentiment of the OP.

Believe it or not, there are bad parents. I was picky so didn't have many of those types while doing child care but I do remember one who asked if I could work on New Years Day. When I said No, she was visibly disappointed saying "Oh no, then I can't get drunk on New Year's Eve." I was not sympathetic. :dislike: