The Most Annoying Thing....

[e.j.]

It sounds petty, but i work another job from home in the mornings so i really need every minute until we own to get ready.

Is it possible his clock says 8? Make sure the clocks are synced.

If it's only a minute or two difference, I would give him the benefit of the doubt and assume his clock is a little off from yours. Since you need those few minutes to get ready, though, I'd maybe speak with him again and just explain that while you don't want to seem petty, you really do need those few minutes. I'd ask him to either set his watch so that it syncs with yours or to at least refrain from knocking. Reassure him that if the door is still locked when he arrives, you will unlock the door just as soon as your clock shows it's 8:00.

One day care provider who had the same problem solved it by leaving her entry lights on until it was opening time. If day care parents arrived early, they knew to sit in their cars and wait until the lights were turned off. You shouldn't have to do that but....it worked for her!

[bklsmum]

Ok, here goes. I've been getting valuable info from this site for years now and finally decided to register and post. Hope I'm doing this right. I have a licensed family child care. An issue like this happened to me just this morning which is why I had to get on this site and try to ease my frustration. Then saw Jenboo's post which automatically made me feel better. I so far have not experienced constant knocking after reminding someone of their contract time, that would be grounds for termination, in my book. In my situation, this one of my newer parents who isn't scheduled for drop off until 7:20 and I open at 7. It just so happened this morning was the first morning she was the first one here for the day and decided to come in early and my door was still locked. She knocked at 7:15, my dog started barking, and I was just doing a last min potty break before she was supposed to arrive. She called my cell which I then went to answer and she asked if I was closed. I said, no I just hadn't unlocked the door yet because her contract time was 7:20, that she was the first one scheduled for the day and it wasn't that time yet. I explained that contract time meant she comes in the door at that time not before. She immediately got upset. Saying, UNBELIEVABLE and walking off. I said, she can come in now that she's here. She stomped off my porch obviously upset and started dialing her phone. I said its ok she can just come in. She said NO, I have to call my husband. She came back in, in 5 min, handed me the child and said, I have to go. I had actually gone over her contract time with her within her first few days of starting as well, when she came in 15 min early one morning. Her excuse then was she had paperwork to give me and wanted to have time to give it to me.I just don't understand why it upset her so much. I didn't even charge her a late fee, just told her why the door wasn't open and explained what contract time meant.

She was mad because she wanted to drop off early and couldn't. Paperwork that has to be given can be given at contracted time.

[Magic]

Not evey one clocks are on the " same " time ,even in my own house .....but ..I have a $4.00 clock out side right at the front door ...set to computer world time ...can not, NOT see it while knocking

[Unregistered]

I work in a dc and we open at 6am every morning, we have had a few parents come at 5:58 and knock on our door and we ignore them until time to open after a few times, they get the hint. We only charge if they are late at pickup ($1.00 per minute) after 6:00pm.

[flying_babyb]

Solve the issue by saying 8 am on your clock then hang it where it can be seen through the door or open window! We did this at one center I worked at and it worked like a charm

[jenboo]

I do have an early drop off fee but haven't used it since i no longer open the door. I need those last few minutes.
My handbook states that times go off my cell phone. He uses his cell phone to see the time when signing in. To my knowledge, cell phones are the same time.

I really like the idea of getting a cheap clock to hang on the door so the time is right in front of his face with a sign that says we open at 8, not a minute before.

[Pestle]

If someone kept banging on my door after I had already spoken to them about it, they would be gone. I could NOT deal with that level of disrespect.

This. "As a family day care provider who operates out of my home, I must ensure that my own family's time and privacy are respected. Repeated knocking and phone calls before day care hours begin is harassment and grounds for termination." Or something to that effect.

[Snowmom]

Ok, here goes. I've been getting valuable info from this site for years now and finally decided to register and post. Hope I'm doing this right. I have a licensed family child care. An issue like this happened to me just this morning which is why I had to get on this site and try to ease my frustration. Then saw Jenboo's post which automatically made me feel better. I so far have not experienced constant knocking after reminding someone of their contract time, that would be grounds for termination, in my book. In my situation, this one of my newer parents who isn't scheduled for drop off until 7:20 and I open at 7. It just so happened this morning was the first morning she was the first one here for the day and decided to come in early and my door was still locked. She knocked at 7:15, my dog started barking, and I was just doing a last min potty break before she was supposed to arrive. She called my cell which I then went to answer and she asked if I was closed. I said, no I just hadn't unlocked the door yet because her contract time was 7:20, that she was the first one scheduled for the day and it wasn't that time yet. I explained that contract time meant she comes in the door at that time not before. She immediately got upset. Saying, UNBELIEVABLE and walking off. I said, she can come in now that she's here. She stomped off my porch obviously upset and started dialing her phone. I said its ok she can just come in. She said NO, I have to call my husband. She came back in, in 5 min, handed me the child and said, I have to go. I had actually gone over her contract time with her within her first few days of starting as well, when she came in 15 min early one morning. Her excuse then was she had paperwork to give me and wanted to have time to give it to me.I just don't understand why it upset her so much. I didn't even charge her a late fee, just told her why the door wasn't open and explained what contract time meant.

Welcome!

As mentioned by a pp, she's mad she couldn't drop off early.

Some parents think in-home providers should "be more flexible" (their words-not mine) or don't see the value of 5 minutes here and there or "you're home anyways".
It's up to us to set the stage from the very beginning. You let them do it just once- they will do it again.
Guaranteed.