Unscheduled & Showing Up To My Home!

[Sumshine]

She never replied to my other text but this is what I decided is the best solution for me

This is what I just sent her:

Hi DCM, If DCG is left alone on my property it poses a huge liability for me! Therefore I am asking, effective immediately, unless she is scheduled with advance notice on a Tuesday that you pick DCG up from school on Tuesdays and no longer allow her to bus to my home. Thank you for understanding. If you have any questions or concerns please let me know.

[Sumshine]

I bet mom has her normal bus stop near your home so the child was told if Mom isn't at the bus stop to go to your house.

She lives by my old home across town! She literally is coming to my home and waiting for DCG to get off MY stop. Super weird. I should.of put an end to it a long time ago I think I'm her late "safety blanket". The school can be that now on Tuesdays not me.

[Sumshine]

Now DCM says then let's change her schedule permanently M-F and she will come pick her up on time Tuesdays if she can and if she can't then I'll be here for her. She will pay the same rate based on what my rates are like so it doesnt affect her any but it affects me! I don't want to prepare food and expect her to come Tuesday afternoons for snack and have her not show up because DCM picked her up already. I also like having a day where I'm not bound to a bus stop time. Now I don't know how to respond. She got me stuck with this one!

[Unregistered]

Honestly at this point I would just terminate care. It sounds like your program does not fit the needs of SA children and this dcm is making the rest of your time miserable. Personally I would not like to change my program and scheduled activities on the whim of one dcm. I say cut your losses.

[daycare]

I know this sounds harsh, but can you refuse the bus driver dropping her off with you. Say sorry she's not with me today can you take her back to the school? Then let the school deal with it. I know the school won't be as nice about it as you are.

None of my kids rode a bus, but my nephew does. If his mom or dad isn't at the bus stop at drop off, they take him back to the school.

[Sumshine]

Honestly at this point I would just terminate care. It sounds like your program does not fit the needs of SA children and this dcm is making the rest of your time miserable. Personally I would not like to change my program and scheduled activities on the whim of one dcm. I say cut your losses.

I never really knew the needs of a SA until recently. She just wants to watch tv all day when shes off school and nap/lounge around and I don't allow that except during quiet time or as a special addition here or there. I have plenty of age appropriate things for her but she just isn't interested! I was hoping to hold of until the summer for financial reasons for termination. I was thinking 2-3 weeks before school ends so mom can have time the find summer care. She left her previous licensed provider on a whim to come to me so I'm thinking now I see why. Everything was okay until I got licensed and have all these rules to follow and other little ones to care for and she thinks things are like before even though I CLEARLY told her things would change a lot when I got licensed and explained the changes with the policies and contract...

In regards to M-F care I left it in her court she hasn't responded yet. I said it looks like she only needs a few mins here or there on Tuesday afternoons and it doesn't seem logical to schedule it at this time as I'll be then "expecting" her and always have food and activities ready for her (after snack is typically craft time) and I explained if she doesn't need me and is going to constantly tell me she isn't going to be there because she picked her up already I will be wasting food and resources and I don't want to do that. I said if she is going to show up every Tuesday unless sick then she can schedule it. I also told her I'm not trying to be difficult but I do a lot of pre planning on my end and there's a lot that I have to prepare for and do in the background I don't think she understands or sees. I said it would be the same for my 2 kiddos that do half days on Fridays they'd have to ask me in advance to do a full day they can't (and dont) just show up without notice.

[bklsmum]

I would tell her that if she expects you to be on call every Tuesday then she has to pay every Tuesday whether she comes or not.

[Sumshine]

I would tell her that if she expects you to be on call every Tuesday then she has to pay every Tuesday whether she comes or not.

That would be great if I had a daily rate! She pays the same regardless of presence M-F so it doesn't affect her any. I do FT only except a PT rate for before/after school that is the same rate no matter what whether it's only before school care, after, or both and no matter what day. That's why she's fine with wasting my time and resources to schedule a day of care she really doesn't need. She just literally has to show up on time to pick her kid up. She could easily do that at the school and if she's only a few mins late here or there she wouldn't have to worry because she'd be at school with teachers. I wish she wouldn't argue with me about just pickin her kid up form school unless otherwise scheduled.

[Mike]

Now DCM says then let's change her schedule permanently M-F and she will come pick her up on time Tuesdays if she can and if she can't then I'll be here for her. She will pay the same rate based on what my rates are like so it doesnt affect her any but it affects me! I don't want to prepare food and expect her to come Tuesday afternoons for snack and have her not show up because DCM picked her up already. I also like having a day where I'm not bound to a bus stop time. Now I don't know how to respond. She got me stuck with this one!

You're charging her the same rate whether she comes or not on Tuesday?

[Mike]

You beat me by a minute.

Almost sounds like what has been mentioned before. Parent pays for days they don't need care and decides to use the care even if they don't need it. That's the parent's choice.

[Sumshine]

You're charging her the same rate whether she comes or not on Tuesday?

Yes. She isn't officially scheduled Tuesdays our contract says as needed with notice! But I have 1 weekly rate for each age group. I do FT only except for before/after school care which is the same rate no matter how they use it or how many days a week they are here.

[Sumshine]

You beat me by a minute.

Almost sounds like what has been mentioned before. Parent pays for days they don't need care and decides to use the care even if they don't need it. That's the parent's choice.

Yes and I don't care if she uses me on a Tuesday I really don't but I need notice! Not 3 mins before her bus arrives!

[CalCare]

Why is it the same price for her to do a schedule with or without a Tuesday? Maybe tell her if she wants to schedule m-f then the tuition goes up by at least 40$/week. To make the show/no show mystery tuesdays worth your while!

[Mike]

Yes and I don't care if she uses me on a Tuesday I really don't but I need notice! Not 3 mins before her bus arrives!

That is true. You need to do your planning based on attendance, so tell her she has to choose to either use or don't use your services on Tuesdays because you need to be able to plan.

[CalCare]

Haha well some new responses showed up before i finished mine but anyway, she doesnt need to know what everyone else is paying. Why soes it have to be the same for everyone? Some of your families may be getting discounts for being consistent! Some of the families (this SA girl's family) may be paying a higher rate because they are SA! And she doesn't need to know anyone's rates but her own.