Help... I need to be strong!

[Tyna]

I am starting to enforce my late fees as well as not paying on time fees.
I have one family that wants to push it... she always wants more and I really cannot continue to "be nice". I want this to be "just business".
How do you get across to the parents that it's just policy and just business.
I don't like it when they try and make me feel guilty
I was nice and offered a discount for the 2nd sibling but now its not enough she wants more...
Her rate is for 10 hours and now she wants 10 and 1/2 hours with no fee change.
How do you put your foot down in a professional way so it comes across as just business???

Thanks!!

[wdmmom]

Maximum allowance of care I provide is 10 hours per day. It's in my contract!

I would tell mom that when she signed up with you, you took on the family knowing what the contracted hours would be and gave a discount for the 2nd sibling.

No more discounts and NO changing the contract. This is what you agreed to and this is what it is. If she can't comply with the original agreement or contract, tell her that you can't determine how much longer you will be able to provide care.

If she doesn't think you are serious, start advertising for the 2 spots. If you can get a better family in, term them!

[MarinaVanessa]

This is where it becomes important to be very clear of what your rates cover. For example my policies say that
Full-Time: a maximum of 50 hours a week, no more than 10 hours a day and then my rate. It goes on to say that anything over 10 hours a day or over 50 hours a week is overtime and then says that my overtime rate is $X for every hour or part therof.

If she wants you to watch her child 30 minutes over just explain that it isn't covered in your rate and that if she wants you to watch her child an extra 30 minutes each day over her 10 hours that it's an extra charge. Mine isn't even that much, just $5 an hour. If this mom was one of mine I'd just tell her that my regular rate is $160 per week, if you want the extra 30 minutes for each day it's an extra $25 a week. I would also remind her that if she chooses not to pay the extra fee and if she's late past [enter her pick up time here] that you charge $X per minute/hour that she's late. Mine's not that much because I like making the extra money so I only charge $5 for every 15 minutes that they are late. But make sure you explain that if she doesn't pay extra per week and she's late that it'll cost her more than if she just paid for the extra time.

[Mom_of_two]

I don't do late fees. My policy is that if late payment or pickup is a repeated issue I will not continue to work with the family. Everyone forgets sometimes on rare occasion, but it is easy to tell who feels it is ok to do it, or takes advantage- I will not work with them.

But if you don't want to term and choose to continue to charge fees for such things maybe draw up a bill and don't accept the child for care until you are paid what is owed?