SOOOO Frustrated right now...

[Angelwings36]

I don't understand what the problem is? I get that naptime pick up can be disruptive, but it really sounds like you just do not want to accomodate this family in any way. It seems really petty and it seems it is a reaction to yesterdays unexpected turn of events for the parents.

Frankly, I don't see how you (or any provider) can even enforce no naptime pick up....parents can have access to their children ANY time they are in care. So, they could technically not even tell you in advance that they are picking up early and just show up unnanounced. If you want to enforce it, it seems you would have to terminate. If I was the parent I would really take issue with you telling me I cannot pick my kid up at that time.

Personally, I'd smile and say "okay, I'll see you then. PLease be sure to arrive right at 1:30 as I will have him up from nap and ready to go for you"

Pick and choose your battles....this really shouldn't be one of them.

Here's what the problem is. The average 'normal' person works a 40-hour work week. I and almost all other providers’ work a 50-hour work week plus approximately 5 hours more off the clock doing pre work for the daycare. When I am supposed to be closed at 5:15pm I am suppose to be closed. PERIOD! The only exception I would make to accommodate parents for a later pick up time is if they called me right before they were suppose to pick up to tell me they were going to be late due to car trouble, traffic or terrible weather. That I will accommodate within reason. But when a parent calls me an hour before pick up to tell me they are going to be late, to me that is not acceptable. They have a whole hour to figure out how to get their children. It is NOT my responsibility to watch their child later than my daycare hours. I also normally need to be running out the door right behind my last pick up as well as I have many things that I am trying to keep up with right now (daycare errands, home renovation errands, a garden at the farm to tend to, etc.) I close at 4:30pm on Fridays because I have no demand to be open later than that. I look forward to every Friday as I get off a full 45 minutes earlier than every other day of the week. I would NEVER stay open an extra 45 minutes for any family and especially not on a Friday as I always have plans that begin when my last child is picked up at 4:30pm. As far as the pick up during naptime, I just don’t allowed it! That is the only break I get in my 10 hour day and any time in the past that a parent has done a middle of naptime pick up it has disrupted all my other daycare children and then I end up with a house full of upset children and NO BREAK in a 10 hour day! That just doesn’t work for me! This family knows that I have this policy in my contract. As far as I’m concerned I am not picking on this family, it is them that obviously have not read my contract and are trying to push me around.

[mom2many]

Your like me....I MUST clean the kids up after naptime.

I'm not saying the parent SHOULD pick up unnanounced during naptime....I'm saying that they COULD. This family gave a week's notice. I see no reason to NOT accomodate them.

So true! Under normal circumstances, the kids are always changed, cleaned up and ready for pick up at their designated time.
However, if the parent needs to pick up early and I'm accommodating them for that day, they are never surprised when their child is half a sleep and may need a diaper change!
If I'm being flexible, then they need to be too!

[Country Kids]

Just read my regs and it says "The provider must allow custodial parents or legal guardians of child care children access to the home during the hours their child(ren) are in care."

So for our state I'm thinking we aren't allowed to have in our contracts the no pick up time during naptime. Sounds like a big no, no!

Does anyone else have that in their regs and is that how you read it? Never really thought about it because I have parents that are done with work at 1:00 and figure its a bonus to me to be done earlier. When I had children in childcare I would have never picked a childcare that wouldn't allow me to pick up my child when I was done with work or needing to possibly leave for the afternoon, etc.

[PitterPatter]

I agree early pick ups are bothersome at times especially the pick ups during nap. I had a DCD that would come without notice and knock and knock LOUDLY like he is the police or something. I have been in the restroom, doing dishes, etc so I am not always right by the door. By the time I got to the door the kids would be awake. The sleeping area is in the living room close to the door. I had asked many times not to knock so loudly as it wakes the kids and I pointed out the contract states I prefer no pick ups or drop offs during nap time but that if it was a must then to please call my cell as that would not wake the kids. Last week DCD comes and rings the doorbell 3 times in a row as I race to teh door! I opened the door and he proudly said as he held his suspenders "I didn't knock so I didnt wake the kids" I wanted to say "wow Ernest thanks for your support" Instead I chose to say "Well the doorbell is actually louder than knocking thats why I ask u to call my cell" Oh he says... Yesterday he called the HOUSE at 1:30 to ask what they owed this week!

[Crystal]

I agree with you on picking up LATE......if it is happening regularly, then you put a stop to it. If it is occasional, I would accomodate, but that's just me. What I don't get is the EARLY pick up being an issue. They gave you a WHOLE WEEK notification about naptime pick up. It is absurd to say a parent absolutley cannot pick their child up early.

I cannot stand it when providers INSIST that they MUST have naptime as their break. ANYTHING can happen that disrupts naptime. Personally, during naptime, I'm still on the clock. I regularly have kids wake up early, or a kid who just cannot get to sleep, etc.

If the kids go down at 12:30 for nap, and parents pick up at 1:30 you STILL have a whole hour for your "break time" I don't know any employees who get more than an hour. I just don't get what the big deal is, I guess

[mom2many]

Here's what the problem is. The average 'normal' person works a 40-hour work week. I and almost all other providers’ work a 50-hour work week plus approximately 5 hours more off the clock doing pre work for the daycare. When I am supposed to be closed at 5:15pm I am suppose to be closed. PERIOD! The only exception I would make to accommodate parents for a later pick up time is if they called me right before they were suppose to pick up to tell me they were going to be late due to car trouble, traffic or terrible weather. That I will accommodate within reason. But when a parent calls me an hour before pick up to tell me they are going to be late, to me that is not acceptable. They have a whole hour to figure out how to get their children. It is NOT my responsibility to watch their child later than my daycare hours. I also normally need to be running out the door right behind my last pick up as well as I have many things that I am trying to keep up with right now (daycare errands, home renovation errands, a garden at the farm to tend to, etc.) I close at 4:30pm on Fridays because I have no demand to be open later than that. I look forward to every Friday as I get off a full 45 minutes earlier than every other day of the week. I would NEVER stay open an extra 45 minutes for any family and especially not on a Friday as I always have plans that begin when my last child is picked up at 4:30pm. As far as the pick up during naptime, I just don’t allowed it! That is the only break I get in my 10 hour day and any time in the past that a parent has done a middle of naptime pick up it has disrupted all my other daycare children and then I end up with a house full of upset children and NO BREAK in a 10 hour day! That just doesn’t work for me! This family knows that I have this policy in my contract. As far as I’m concerned I am not picking on this family, it is them that obviously have not read my contract and are trying to push me around.

Wow! It would be awesome to get off at 5:15 pm Mon-Thurs and 4:30 pm on Friday's! In 25 years, the earliest I've closed is 5:30 pm and that was a necessity when my kids were little and had evening activities to get to.

Unfortunately I have several parents that need me to stay open till 6 pm, so I've accommodated them and changed my hours. Since no one needs me open till 7:30 am, it's not too bad...I'm open from 7 am- 6 pm---so that makes it an 11 hr day for me!

I do have the occasional call informing me that they are stuck in traffic and will enforce a late fee, if it becomes a pattern! I will be understanding, but not taken advantage of.

The great thing about this business is that, we as providers can pick and choose what we want to accommodate and how we wish to run our business. My hours have changed over the years depending on my own families needs, but early pick ups have always been okay by me! It has never been an inconvenience or disruptive in any way...so it's all about what works for you!

[momofboys]

I agree with you on picking up LATE......if it is happening regularly, then you put a stop to it. If it is occasional, I would accomodate, but that's just me. What I don't get is the EARLY pick up being an issue. They gave you a WHOLE WEEK notification about naptime pick up. It is absurd to say a parent absolutley cannot pick their child up early.

I cannot stand it when providers INSIST that they MUST have naptime as their break. ANYTHING can happen that disrupts naptime. Personally, during naptime, I'm still on the clock. I regularly have kids wake up early, or a kid who just cannot get to sleep, etc.

If the kids go down at 12:30 for nap, and parents pick up at 1:30 you STILL have a whole hour for your "break time" I don't know any employees who get more than an hour. I just don't get what the big deal is, I guess

Sure, but when said early pick-up wakes all other kids in care it makes it difficult to get any "break". We certainly realize that anything can disrupt naptime but trying to keep those disruption to a minimum is definitely the provider's choice. If you can do something to make it easier, why wouldn't you?

[Crystal]

Sure, but when said early pick-up wakes all other kids in care it makes it difficult to get any "break". We certainly realize that anything can disrupt naptime but trying to keep those disruption to a minimum is definitely the provider's choice. If you can do something to make it easier, why wouldn't you?

I agree. But this is not an all the time thing. The parents gave her a whole week's notice that they need to pick up early. And, I don't see why an early pick up has to result in waking all of the other children........remind the parent that they need to come in quietly and leave quietly because kids will be sleeping. I have done this a multitude of timesandd it has never resulted in all of the kids waking up....and I have 14 kids.

Let me say it this way. Refusing to EVER accomodate ANY schedule change requests WILL result in parents finding other care that better meets their needs. I say the occasional accomodation is an act of goodwill for your families and they will appreciate it and respect your policies more than if you refuse to ever accomdate a special "need".

Again, I say pick and choose your battles. If you don't mind losing kids then go for it, battle the occasional late pick up or early pick up.

[Angelwings36]

I didn't say the parents could not pick up early by alls means they are welcome to. Just before 12:30pm or after 2:30pm.::

[MarinaVanessa]

I think we're forgetting that we all do what's best for us individually. Some aren't bothered by the nap-time pick-ups and some are. I for one am bothered by it and yes I live in CA and yes our regulations say that they must have access to their children at anytime and yes my clients understand that I don't like it (as in really, really really don't like it) but if they REALLY have to pick-up early during nap it's not like I'm going to deny them their child.

I will however remind them again that nap pick-ups are disruptful and lead to cranky children which makes my day difficult and stressful and I ask them again to schedule future pick-ups during non-naptime hours. I used to allow naptime pick-ups but it just does not work for me and is my "particular peeve".

This is the battle I choose to fight. The battles that I have chosen not to fight are the ones about how the children are not dressed suitably or do not have appropriate shoes (like supplying plastic play-shoes instead of real shoes), or how they tell me last minute that they want to come the next day from 6am-4pm instead of 8-6pm, or how they text me at 6am (their drop-off time) to tell me that they forgot to tell me that they're going to be late and will come at 8am when I've already been up since 5am, or when they want to switch a day of the week, or when they arrive late and don't tell me, or when they take a bit to leave and stay for a bit to gab, or when they bring food (i just take it and put it away), or when they don't control their children at pick-up (I do it) etc.

I'm actually pretty easy going and accomodating and because of that my families accomodate for me by not picking up or dropping off during nap. It goes both ways you know? It's a give and take. If they're not flexible with me then I'm not so flexible with them ... for example, if they need me to stay open later for them.

[2ndFamilyDC]

I encourage my parents to not pick up during my naptimes. But in the 21 years I have done daycare I of course have had kids picked up during naptime. I do not like it; but gotta do what you gotta do. I feel my parents are respectful of my rules and they try very hard to be super quiet when they come to pick up at that time.
I will not keep kids later then the agreed upon time unless it is agreed upon way before hand or bad weather or something beyond their control.
Each provider has to decide what is best for them.

[Meeko]

I agree. But this is not an all the time thing. The parents gave her a whole week's notice that they need to pick up early. And, I don't see why an early pick up has to result in waking all of the other children........remind the parent that they need to come in quietly and leave quietly because kids will be sleeping. I have done this a multitude of timesandd it has never resulted in all of the kids waking up....and I have 14 kids.

Let me say it this way. Refusing to EVER accomodate ANY schedule change requests WILL result in parents finding other care that better meets their needs. I say the occasional accomodation is an act of goodwill for your families and they will appreciate it and respect your policies more than if you refuse to ever accomdate a special "need".

Again, I say pick and choose your battles. If you don't mind losing kids then go for it, battle the occasional late pick up or early pick up.

I'm a stickler for rules...but I agree with you on this one. On the ODD occasion, a parent has needed to pick up at nap time.

I have it in my contract and handbook that I PREFER they not pick up between 1-3 as that is our nap time. However...I do not expect a parent who is lucky enough to get off work at 1:05 PM and wants to go home and spend time with their little one....to have to sit and twiddle their thumbs until 3PM. I have no right to tell them what they can and can't do on THEIR time off.

So it is also in my handbook that if that happens and they feel they MUST pick up early, they are to call me and let me know they are five minutes away so I can have the child ready to go. I watch through the window and have the child ready at the door.

It's only happened a few times.

I like my quiet time during nap time too....but as a parent, I would be upset to be told I wasn't allowed to have access my own child! That's actually against regs here.

That's why I have it in my handbook that parents need to be thoughtful and quiet when picking up early and must call me and not just show up. That I CAN insist on.

[MarinaVanessa]

I didn't say the parents could not pick up early by alls means they are welcome to. Just before 12:30pm or after 2:30pm.::

Exactly

For me, even if I only do it one day and they give me advance notice they're really only giving me advance notice that for that one afternoon I will probably have cranky DC kids. For me it's not just about my break, how I won't get have lunch, lunch etc. It's all about the fussy littles that I'll have to deal with for the next 5 hours.::

My parents sign in and out everyday so they have to walk in and a doorstep pick-up won't work for me. One day I will have a larger house that's one story with a seperate nap-room and naptime pick-ups won't be an issue for me anymore

[Crazy8]

honestly, it sounds like you are getting a little burned out. I understand wanting people to follow the rules but I kind of agree with Crystal's original post. It doesn't sound like these parents asked for time changes before yesterday, correct? Ok, yesterday they had car problems, with an hours notice you had two options - get the exact time they'd be picking up and tell them you could accomodate them this once with a late fee of $____ *or* tell them you were sorry, you could NOT accomodate them and to please make sure SOMEONE was there to pick their children up at 5:15pm.

Today they came in and said they need to pick up at 5:15 - your options are to say yes, I can accomodate for $____ fee *or* no, you are contracted till 3pm, I can accomodate till my closing time of 4:30pm for $____ fee.

For next week, they asked for a pick up time of 1:30. your options are to tell them "I'm sorry, as per our contract pick ups need to be before 12:30 or after 2:30 - which will be better for you?" *or* to tell them "I'm sure you know per our contract I discourage nap time pick ups (I really don't think you can forbid it - you are talking about access to someone elses child here) but because of your appt. (or whatever their reasoning) I will accomodate it this one time.

Personally here, my playroom is right by my front door but my kids will sleep right through a parent picking up IF the parent can be quiet. I will have parent text me when they are on their way, I will get child up, take potty, clean him up and get his stuff packed up and be standing at the door when parent pulls up. I'll even walk him to the car and bring the sign out sheet with me. Its really not an issue unless the parent thinks they can come in and chat for 15 minutes.

It really sounds like you are either fed up with the job or this family - and either of those are fine - you are in charge and you can either say yes or no to anything they ask you for. Its all a matter of how much you are willing to accomodate parents and that depends on your previous dealings with them I'm sure.

[Unregistered]

Naptime pick ups

I really discourage parents from picking up during naptime and if a parent needs to pick up during naptime for an appointment or something else like that, then I can accommodate that request. I know that parents are always allowed to have access to their child at anytime but that doesn't mean that the parents are always allowed access to my house at any time they want to have it. They have access to THEIR CHILD. That means that if the parent needs to pick up during naptime, they will not ring my doorbell, knock on my door or even come inside my house. I will bring their child out to them. They still have access to their child and I don't have to worry about the parent or the child being disruptive and waking everyone else up. It's a win/win situation.

I won't enroll a child at my daycare that has a pick up time or a drop off time that interferes with naptime. That's just my approach