How Early Do You Open?

[GretasLittleFriends]

I offer 24/5. I had (for a while) one child leaving between 2-3a then another one arriving at 3:45a. One very important rule is that sleeping hours are between 8:30p and 6:30a.

So, I would willingly take a child with those hours.

[MsMe]

My hours are 7:30 to 5:15 and the reason I wont take any child early (or late for the matter) no matter how early they would leave in the afternoon I still have 90% of my 'normal hour' kids that will be here until 5:15.

I have had many calls in the past about taking kids anywhere from 7 am all the way up to 6 am and it seems none of them can understand just bc they would pick up at 2-3 pm....(and I would 'get off' early) I am not finished working untill 5:15 so it doesnt really matter to me what time an early kids would get picked up I am still working an extra 1.5 hours.

[Childminder]

My listed hours are 6am to 11:30pm but anytime is fine if I know ahead. Used to be open 24/7 but now take Sundays off and 4 days a week have children till 2:30am. This morning one came at 5am.

[Abigail]

Wow, I'm shocked at some of the hours everyone offers. My current job opens our daycare at 6:15 am and I close the daycare at 5:30 pm M-F only. I never start work before 9 right now.

My home daycare hours will be 7:30-5:30 give or take half hour, but I will offer slightly outside those hours (not overnight, I would never sleep if I had kids to care for when I first begin my daycare). Outside those hours would be a higher rate though to make up for it. It would be nice if some of my kids got picked up earlier in the day because I love having less kids in the evening. Then again, I usually work with 1-2 adults with 14-18 kids all day so fewer kids really is 5-6 which would be my whole daycare in my home. LOL

[PitterPatter]

My listed hours are 6am to 11:30pm but anytime is fine if I know ahead. Used to be open 24/7 but now take Sundays off and 4 days a week have children till 2:30am. This morning one came at 5am.

WOW when do u sleep and clean etc? Do u have a family of your own? Sorry if I'm too nosey I just couldn't do those hours! I just cut back from 6:30 because I had no time for my family.

[Childminder]

WOW when do u sleep and clean etc? Do u have a family of your own? Sorry if I'm too nosey I just couldn't do those hours! I just cut back from 6:30 because I had no time for my family.

My children are grown and I also watch the G-kids while their parents work. I have trouble making enough $$$ to pay bills (trouble staying full) since my DH lost his job 3 years ago and since I am home anyways I stay open for 2nd shift parents and Saturday kids. Our area was especially hard hit with the recession, we are in the middle of the Big 3 automotive, and day cares are dropping like flies. Dh is here as my assistant so we have LOTS of time together and can't afford to do anything. I get my stuff done just like I would if I had a family with 6 kids. The go grocery shopping with us, help with chores, meal prep and cleanup. Very family oriented.

[victorial]

I am a home provider who does 2nd and 3rd shift. Open hours are 330pm to 930am. I have a client now who has this kind of drop off time 330am-430am depending on schedule. The child goes right back to sleep, wakes up about 830am and then I drop him off at a center for the rest of her shift.

That would be a good solution for her. Someone she could drop the boy off with who would drive him to a center for the rest of the day.

[Unregistered]

I have kids 24 hours during the week. I get really tired but I make almost half of my income from my night kids so quitting isn't the greatest option right now. Plus they are older and we have a lot of fun so its not so bad. Not many people do 24 hour care I assume

i need child care from 4:15am till 2:00pm.

[Countrygal]

I wish I could make an exception, but since I'm certified, my hours are set. Can't be open before or after.

5:30 am to 9:30 pm. I did this specifically to be able to help single parents who work early first and also second shift jobs.

[Sunchimes]

I'm open when I'm needed, except for Sundays. I have one parent who usually drops off at 5:45 am and picks up at 6:15 pm. She's on a temporary shift change, so for a few weeks, she doesn't drop off until 1:30 pm and dcd picks up at 5:00 or 5:30 pm. It's like a vacation around here these days! One mom works retail, mostly 7:30 to 4:30, but sometimes, they mess with her schedule and she works 12:30 pm to 9:30 pm, or 3:30 pm to midnight. I do them all, but they aren't a regular thing. My worst day was when the 2 moms overlapped and I worked from 5:45 am to 12:30 am. That one was tough.

I started out wanting night shift work so that the kids would sleep and I would have my days free. Not a single call, so now, I do odd hours. However, it seems to have fallen into a rhythm that is pretty easy at the moment.

I can do this because my kids are gone, hubby is semi-retired and home a lot, and I only have 3 kids, max. On 3 kid days, I stay home because I only have room in the car for 2 car seats. But, on 1 or 2 kid days, I do what I need to do. We go to the post office, Walmart (Wm--the closest thing to a field trip in our town), the park, garage sales, etc. The kids are really comfortable here, they are more like part of the grand kids than they are work, so it's no big deal to put them in the pnp, set up the monitor, and get on with my evening. I'm very lucky that way.

That's going to change soon. I'm getting a 6 week old, so I'll be housebound for a few weeks. Not looking forward to it. Someone want to trade a 6 week old for a Terrible Two?

[bunnyslippers]

I am feeling lucky right now! I only work a school year schedule. Open no earlier than 7:30, and close by 4:00. Even with those hours, I feel overworked and tired! Some of you ladies are amazing!!!!!!!

[Ariana]

It would make more sense to me that she work regular hours during the week and forego having Fridays off if that's an option. Compressed work weeks are really hard to do for this very reason especially if you're a single mom and can't rely on someone to take care of your child before and after daycare.

We have one daycare in my city that does 24 hour care so that might be an option?

[renodeb]

My usual hours are 7-530. I have one teacher client who I have drop off at 645. Maybe if I didnt have school aged kids of my own. As it stands right now, our house is so small that its hard to keep the noise down as it is while there asleep. I actually have one provider friend who runs early hours and late but she is one of the few. Maybe she needs to see where her co-workers take there kids. What kind of job does she have?
Debbie

[Breezy]

I will open as early as needed as long as the hours are scheduled. I do not take families that need late care though (after 6pm) but I do make exceptions for my families that need later care occasionally on a case by case basis with enough notice.

[mac60]

If I opened at 7:30 or 8 I wouldn't have any clients. Most shifts here are 6:30 to 3, 7 to 3:30, 8 to 5, etc. I accommodate all of them. My hours are typically 6:30 to 5. Everyone is gone by 5:15.

I will say, my hours used to be open at 6:30, I had a family ask if I would open for them at 6:15 because they moved to another town. I told them yes and never charged them any extra. That was almost a year ago. Thing is, that 6:15 quickly turned into 6, 6:05, never 6:15, and I get nothing extra for opening early for them. So, my day was just extended by about 40 minutes with no compensation for it. Very frustrating to me.