Please Give Some Insight!

[boy_mom]

I think you should just stick to it, between vacation days for two parents and extended family and friend who can fill in, they could make it work. If they cant make it work, they will leave. I dropped from 5 days to 4 days after being open a couple of years, it was the best decision I ever made!

Use this learning experience to reclaim your business and use this opportunity to rewrite a contract that benefits you and your kids!

Also, your kids are only little once, definitely take the time to be with them!!!

[Valerie928]

I have a family that I can easily take time off with and then I have a family that would really have a hard time finding back up for that many Fridays. However, if I really wanted to take Fridays off for the summer I would. I would give plenty of notice like you did and stick to my guns! So, I say go for it!

[lovemykidstoo]

About the extended hours, yeah, you need to make up your mind and realize that a lot of people will push those boundaries. I am amazed how many families interview, asking for a set of things, then after I send them a contract, they come back to me asking for a bit more here and a bit more there. And sure, they absolutely did know what they wanted in the beginning, but tried to soft ball me then push.

But I close at 5:30 pm, so it's always a hard "no" on that one. I get too tired after that, and I know I do from experience, so I feel very confident saying "no" to that one.

On the days off, I agree that they might feel put out by that. But then again, you're a SAHM provider who has taken maternity leaves...if you told them all that, it's not like they didn't know that you might change things on them.

Would it work to hire a sub for your Fridays? Then it would be win/win.

Good point. Our son was in daycare for nearly 3 years while I worked outside of the home. One spring my provider said, would it be upsetting if I took Fridays off for the summer. I worked 5 days a week at a bank. No way was I getting every Friday off. I said, yes that would be upsetting. I would honestly have to find someone else and leave her. She said what if my daughter came to your house on Fridays and watched him? She was in high school. I said that would be great! So she got her Fridays off, I didn't have to take my son out of the house on Fridays. It was great for us. Maybe you know of someone that would go to their house on Friday and they could pay that person.

[Alwaysgreener]

Op- Honestly the wording you use in the first post says to me that you are holding a grudge against this family for talking you into longer hours. That no matter what they ask, you are going to be irritated with them.

So here is my follow up questions

1. How did you annouce that you would be closed on Fridays? In writing or verbally? Can you post how it was said?

2. How did they respond? Can you post what they said?

3. How many days are they asking you to be open for?

4. Are you charging for the days you are closed? Or are you giving them a reduced rate for the summer?

5. What does your policies say about being closed? Do you limit your self to so many days a year?

[knoxmomof2]

Like others have said, you have to decide how badly you want Fridays off and go from there. It may cost you this family since this was not discussed before they hired you. It wouldn't be wrong of them to decide it won't work for them, just like if they asked you to open early--it wouldn't be wrong of you to refuse.

Then again, I've had the "I'll have to see if that change will work for us" thrown at me before. I changed drop off and pick up to a side entrance, which took away the audience for my 2 chatty parents. I was actually told by one of the dcm's that they might have to change providers over it. I just said, "you do what is best for your family, I'm doing what is best for mine." They stayed on for 2 more years until the dcg went on to Junior Kindergarten. Quietest 2 years of my life! 😁 I loved it! Haha... So, be willing to lose them and you might or might not. Just be prepared to take a stand if it's that important to you.

[Mom2Two]

I just started back up in February. I found a family with two kids. They asked to push my pick up time from 5 to 5:30/5:45 sometimes six. I gave in. First day dropping off they said it'll probably be closer to six most days, but they we're will to pay more money. So by the end of the first week I upped their price. As time has gone on I decided I wanted to have Fridays off in the summer, my last summer before my child starts going to preschool. I gave a months notice for the Fridays I will be closed. I didn't expect the parents to be happy about this. But the parents are telling me that they can't take all this time off and it's putting them out.... I feel like that's not my problem, and sorry ( not really) you have to use your vacation days to actually be with your kids. They gave me a list of Fridays they asked if I could work, Fridays that I said I would be closed... The people pleaser in me wants to give them a few Fridays. The mother in me wants to tell them to go somewhere else if it's not working. I'm torn. Please send advice.

When we providers use phrases like "find my backbone" and "you need to use your vacation for your kids" we are talking about letting parents know that they need to parent their own children--like take care of them when they are sick or spend their federal holidays off with their children instead of bringing them to daycare.

What you are talking about is that you have very quickly changed your mind about what you offer as far as the Fridays off go.

It sounds like you have made a mistake or are changing your mind after having made an agreement with them. Although it also sounds like it goes both ways, considering the push back on your closing times.

What about making a clean slate of this and start over--advertising that you are only available for M-Th? There always seem to be plenty of families that want part time care, and T-Th or T & Th seem to be quite popular. A lot of part-time families seem to want Fridays off too.