Anyone Do Really Early Opening?

[Michael]

We had a poll on this https://www.daycare.com/forum/showth...highlight=open

I believe member Michelle opens at 4:00am.

[jessrlee]

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!!!

Book- HA! LOL!

I guess I am getting to the point in my daycare career that I plan to do this forever, so I do everything possible to make ME happy. I work 5am-11pm because my goal is to pay off all of our debt and make my family as comfortable as possible later in life. It 100% works for me and my family and my kids because I do so many things that work for me, and the parents I have follow my rules because they need a daycare that does their hours. My 5am drop off mom has been with me for 4 years. We have it down pat

My schedule for the kids goes:
5am-8am sleep (I hang out and get my computer stuff done

12pm-2pm am nap time am pick ups pm drop off (computer, hang with dd's, work on my sewing etc.
2pm-330pm pm nappers (my assistant takes others outside) "

from 6pm-830 pm we are on babysitter time. The kids play or watch tv while I make dinner, relax, and do whatever I would be doing if they weren't here. Basically we do whatever my kids want to be doing so we might play outside, we might walk to the park, we might walk to get ice cream, or we might just chill out.

830 pm bed time
watch tv, family time, bake anything I need for the next day, get stuff prepped for the crock pot
11pm parents pick up

sleep

My family accepts this lifestyle because the weekends are all about them. During my down time I complete every chore or project I might need to do on the weekend so it is all about my family.

[countrymom]

just curious, if she is bringing him that early to your house does her spouse start at that hour too. Hmm we have a noise bylaw here so I don't think construction workers can start that early making noise, I can see them staying late and I mean really late (I had a dad in construction so he would work till 8pm) maybe she should find someone to come to her house.

[jessrlee]

just curious, if she is bringing him that early to your house does her spouse start at that hour too. Hmm we have a noise bylaw here so I don't think construction workers can start that early making noise, I can see them staying late and I mean really late (I had a dad in construction so he would work till 8pm) maybe she should find someone to come to her house.

What noise? The only noise is the sound of a car door closing. My neighbors are already up, but I can't hear it within my house so I don't imagine they can. Ummmm no! She shouldn't find someone to go to her house! I really like that $300!!

We are a factory town. 1000's of people go to work at this hour. If there is a noise law I would worry more about the young men drag racing on the main strip! I doubt there is, we have tractors working in town at 4am!

[littlemissmuffet]

What noise? The only noise is the sound of a car door closing. My neighbors are already up, but I can't hear it within my house so I don't imagine they can. Ummmm no! She shouldn't find someone to go to her house! I really like that $300!!

We are a factory town. 1000's of people go to work at this hour. If there is a noise law I would worry more about the young men drag racing on the main strip! I doubt there is, we have tractors working in town at 4am!

Jess, I think countrymom was talking to the OP...

[jessrlee]

Jess, I think countrymom was talking to the OP...

Oops! So sorry! I am totally in the wrong. Chalk it up to not sleeping well last night. DH is on his way home from Afghanistan and the choppers are taking FOREVER! I'm just so ready for the news that he is finally safe that I have some idle hand syndrom.

[rjskids]

Maybe my tune will change after a few more years but I have a soft spot for people in "non-traditional" situations. I know how hard it is to find good care when you work different hours. Her only choice may be some old lady's house where the child may get lots of attention and cookies but no social interaction with other kids or learning opportunities. OR a not-so-serious college student that will sleep on the job and set the kid in front of the tv and text all day. I worked for a daycare in a hospital and we didn't open till 6 am and we STILL had lots of parents ask if there was anyway we would open earlier. But besides the open and close hours we catered to the part-timers/afternoon drop-offers/occasional drop-ins cause nurses work crazy hours. But the issue is it IS a full time kid just with no-so-fun hours...if I had an openning...I would jump on it.

[mrsp'slilpeeps]

I have 2 DC siblings that i get up early for 2 days a week. Mom is a nurse and dad works on the oil fields. So I get up at 5:30 so i can open the door for 6am. Sometimes they arrive at 9 am depending on dad's schedual. but it's more during the summer.

I dont mind as long as i get a good nights sleep.

[permanentvacation]

I used to do 24 hour/7days/week care. I don't know simply because I moved and don't have the spare rooms for overnight care. I'm moving to a larger home soon and will again do the 24/7 care. I would let the child/children come in and go to bed. I would already have their sleeping area (sleeping bag, cot, whatever you use) ready for them. Have them come in, go to the bathroom, then go to bed. They would get up at my normal opening time - or whatever time you decide to have your daycare day start. I would allow them to be in my care for 10 hours per day for my normal rate - no matter what their drop off/pick up times are.

[nhoskn]

Opening Times

I live in Aurora IL. Does anyone do early openings like 5:30 a.m.?

[Blackcat31]

I live in Aurora IL. Does anyone do early openings like 5:30 a.m.?

Are you a provider or a parent looking for care that early?

If you are a parent, you can search for area care providers here You can search by area code or zip code.

[nhoskn]

I'm a parent

[Thriftylady]

I'm a parent

I would check the link BC posted. Then I would check into local yard sale and community Facebook pages in your area. I am one of the few providers in my area that does open early, in fact I am a 24/7 care provider. But it does cost more outside of normal first shift hours, so expect to pay more for it.

[Leigh]

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...

I have a 5:30 arrival who goes back to sleep when she arrives. My husband is just getting ready to leave the house for work at that time, so he can let her in and get her settled in. I often get up to greet her and say goodbye to him, then go back to sleep, myself. I did tell her parents that I wouldn't be staying awake with her (and it's legal to sleep during the overnight hours with kids in care here). I don't know of any daycares that open that early locally, either. I raised my rates 20% for this.

[VWMom]

Yep

My day starts at 5:15. I have been in business 27 years. I am one of the only centers offering early morning care and therefore my rate is rarely questioned. I never have to advertise and have a pretty good sized waiting list.