Anyone Do Really Early Opening?

[MG&Lsmom]

Had a good interview yesterday but DCM needs frequent 5am dropoffs, she works in construction. This is something I do not do. I open at 7. She knows this and is having a hard time finding such an early opening. Looking for someone to drop the boy off so she can find care somewhere.

I've never even heard of anyone opening that early. I'm just curious...If you do, or did, how did it work out and what kind of premium do you charge? There's no way this mom can afford a premium charge on top of normal rates, so really it's just a hypothetical question...

[Mom_of_two]

Sorry no advice! I will not open earlier than 7. I did 6:45 for a family for a week, and won't again! I workout in the am. I need to stick to 7-5, family time and time for myself too important to compromise. I love my job but when I negotiate on those things (hours, policies) I start to not. So now, non-negotiable.

[MG&Lsmom]

Oh I won't be doing it either. When I first started I opened at 6:45 for one family, that quickly became 6:40 then 6:30 then 6:20 (while I was still showering no less!). I won't do it anymore. My door is locked, shades drawn and I won't answer if you ring before 7

[rjskids]

Is it still an 8 hour day or would the kid be there until close? If they are only working 8 hours then yes, I would take them. If they were working 10-12, then maaaaybe with an additional charge. I think the mornings are so much easier than afternoons cause the kids are all still sleepy and quieter (and may even go back to sleep when they come). So any chance to have kids leave EARLIER I'll take! I love having times during the day that I only have one or two kids cause you can give a little extra attention and do special things you can't when they are all there. Most of my families pick up at 3:30/4:00 and then I only have one till 5. She gets to bask in the enjoyment of special walks and outside activities.

[cheerfuldom]

No way. I need my mornings and I have 3 kids of my own that need me. I would have to wake up at 4:30 for this kid and go to sleep early in the evening so the one family would be cutting into even more time.

[mickey2]

Oh My that is way too early unless you finish your day by 3.

I open at 6 and I am up at 5 45. I have time to get dressed, brush my teeth and my hair and kids show up as I am pouring my first cup of coffee! (I set the timer at night so it is ready when I get up)

I work 6-4 and am VERY strict about the timing of the drop offs in the am and pickups at the end of the day.

I used to work 8 am to 6 pm but needed to change times because I felt my son was not getting enough of me. Now I do 6 am to 4 pm and it works fabulous!

It took me two years to get all dcks within this time frame. I still have one little girl here at night till 5 15 though as she started 4 years ago. She will be gone ion September and will have none here past 4!

YAY!!!! it took so long to get this point!

Now my kids that I have are 6 am-3 pm, 7 15 am- 3 45 pm, 7 30 am-4 pm and my last little girl the one gone in Sept is 8 am to 5 15 am. Space is already filled with a teacher and will be 7 30 am - 3 30 pm and taking another little guy who will be 6 am - 3 30 pm. I love it!!

[TBird]

I'm an early riser so when I did daycare 11 years ago I opened at 5:30. Only one or two people used it but it made for a looooooong day!!! The one set of parents had a long commute and didn't pick up until 6:40...UH UH....NO WAY....NEVER AGAIN!!! Now I workout (in theory...LOL) and I'll never open before 7:30.

[jessrlee]

I open at 5am mon-fri. All kids that arrive before 7am go back to bed till 8am. I love it! I get up, and shower and get dressed, answer the door, lay the kids down, and eat breakie while my hair dries. Then I get my hair and face ready, my 630am drop off arrives, I lay them down, and I sit and read email, facebook, and forums till my 720 am dropoff. They play quietly till 745 and I wake everyone up, dress them and serve breakie and we go on with our day. I have 10 out of my 12 kids arrive before 8am. I don't charge extra for the service, however I only cover the work hours so my 5am dropoff picks up at 2pm.

Rules:
The kids MUST be changed out of their overnight diaper
The kids MUST lay down
Parents MUST make drop off and pick up as silent as possible

[MG&Lsmom]

In this particular case the boy would be picked up around 3. She's not entirely sure this would be the case all the time. While that's all good and dandy, my other DCB is here until 5. That'd be a 12 hour day 5 days a week. Now, I'm normally up at 4am with my DS (horrid sleeper with many developmental issues), but I'm not ready to work at 5am.

I can see the 5:30-6am opening if all the kids are gone by 3 or 3:30. But it's not for me. Her request just floored me because I'd never heard of anyone opening so early. When I taught public school I needed a 6:45 drop off time the first year and it was so hard to find a provider who opened before 7:30. Thankfully my principal let me switch homeroom duty to PM bus duty so I could do a 7am dropoff.

[TBird]

I open at 5am mon-fri. All kids that arrive before 7am go back to bed till 8am. I love it! I get up, and shower and get dressed, answer the door, lay the kids down, and eat breakie while my hair dries. Then I get my hair and face ready, my 630am drop off arrives, I lay them down, and I sit and read email, facebook, and forums till my 720 am dropoff. They play quietly till 745 and I wake everyone up, dress them and serve breakie and we go on with our day. I have 10 out of my 12 kids arrive before 8am. I don't charge extra for the service, however I only cover the work hours so my 5am dropoff picks up at 2pm.

Rules:
The kids MUST be changed out of their overnight diaper
The kids MUST lay down
Parents MUST make drop off and pick up as silent as possible

OMG...bowing down to you!!! My guilty pleasure is a shower and MAYBE the gym...no food, no Facebook, no emails, no TV...I just can't fit it in. Let me know when your book comes out!!!

[erinalexmom]

I have one at 5am 2 or 3 times a week. So far its not a problem because I am unlicensed (legal in my state as long as you have less than 5) so my parents and I make our own rules. So he sleeps on one couch and I sleep (very lightly of course/with the door locked) on the other till 730 when my other kids start to arrive then he and I get up and start breakfast and get on with our day

[Meeko]

I open at 5am mon-fri. All kids that arrive before 7am go back to bed till 8am. I love it! I get up, and shower and get dressed, answer the door, lay the kids down, and eat breakie while my hair dries. Then I get my hair and face ready, my 630am drop off arrives, I lay them down, and I sit and read email, facebook, and forums till my 720 am dropoff. They play quietly till 745 and I wake everyone up, dress them and serve breakie and we go on with our day. I have 10 out of my 12 kids arrive before 8am. I don't charge extra for the service, however I only cover the work hours so my 5am dropoff picks up at 2pm.

Rules:
The kids MUST be changed out of their overnight diaper
The kids MUST lay down
Parents MUST make drop off and pick up as silent as possible

My reg hours are 6-6, but I have taken kids earlier. I have same rules as you. They go back to sleep until the rest of the world gets up! I do NOT let kids play before dawn!!!

[Crazy8]

I did 6:00am for one family once and will never do it again. I am just not a morning person. :: And when I have other families that come from 8-5:30 it made for way too long of a day for me.

[nannyde]

I do.

I just bring them in the house and put them right back to bed to finish their night.

[laundrymom]

I work 430-6