Paying Full Tuition When the Daycare Closes for a Snow Day...Is This Fair?

[LysesKids]

Any parent with a child enrolled in my daycare who "raised hell" or demanded to dictate how many hours a day I would have their child would be looking for new daycare. Like yesterday.

THIS... I run a small business; I offer a service and set the RULES... if the parent doesn't agree to my terms of service they are free to find care elsewhere (and don't let the door hit ya on the way out)

I work long hours and pay taxes just like my clients but I earn much less than all of them... nobody will tell me I MUST do this this or this for pay; not happening. BTW, I do take off 4 weeks every year... unpaid, but still and she's hooting and hollering about not having back-up? Yeah, I never would have signed her in the first place... all my families have a back up plan in place for times I must close even unexpectedly (like illness) and I know what they are before they sign my contract

[Unregistered]

What a horrible, hate filled example you are setting. If you could afford late fees (mine are $1/minute), HIRE A NANNY.

Also, what kind of parent leaves their child open- close M-F? I only enroll parents who value time spent with their child. The parent who goes in latest drops off, and the parent who gets out earliest pick up. The average time spent in child care for MY group is 7-8 hours, MAX.

Providers aren't 'holding you hostage', and they certainly aren't rolling in the cash. Find a different provider. MANY do not close for snow days. MANY are open 6-6 for parents like YOU. The center workers you kept late are paid minimum wage. They can barely pay their bills and are doing an exceptional job of caring for YOUR child every single day in your absence. THAT is what you PAY for.

If you value career over 'the look in your CHILD'S eyes' when he/she is the last child picked up and the first dropped off, then maybe you should not have had children.

The situation was unacceptable, but YOU all accept it. I work full time and I did not clock in just next door, so this "7-8 hours" that you speak of was not even a possibility. I does not matter of what I do or do not value more. I expect to pay for a service and get it.

I was told, "Sorry we are not providing services today." So, I made up my hours by bringing him in early the rest of the week *during regular hours*. I paid for a full week of service and I got it--despite the snow days by utilizing the fact that they were open from 6 to 6 *that week*. It is a fair solution.

Now, when they bucked at that solution THAT is when I started being equally inconsiderate of their time.

[Unregistered]

Hmm. Perhaps the problem isn't daycare, but your job. Pretty heartless that your boss doesn't understand the time it takes for parents to care for their children. Your efforts would be better spent protesting better time off to care for your child and changing the mindset that work is more important than children. Then a snow day wouldn't matter and your poor child wouldn't have to spend open to close in a daycare.

Thank you for responding logically rather than emotionally.

I do agree about the job. I mean, there are some non-essential services that some of us provide and no one will die if a we miss the day or even the deadline.

But there ARE times when the entire city keeps running, but the schools and DCPs just opt-out. If the weather is ACTUALLY dangerous, I find my phone/pc to tell my boss not to count on me--only to find that she has already reached out saying she is not expecting me. Those kinds of weather days are rare. But school and daycare closings are far less rare.

Imagine you are taking your kid home, and the receptionist tells you, "Don't forget, we are closed tomorrow". You ask why and you are told that it is like parent teacher conference day [something]. You look at your 15-month old and wonder, "What on earth does that have to do with this place? Everyone here is 5 and under!"

Yes, I eventually learned expect to numerous days off of the school calendar, but to then have the unscheduled days piled on--I had had enough. I got myself a plan to get what I needed, expected and had paid for.

[LysesKids]

The situation was unacceptable, but YOU all accept it. I work full time and I did not clock in just next door, so this "7-8 hours" that you speak of was not even a possibility. I does not matter of what I do or do not value more. I expect to pay for a service and get it.

I was told, "Sorry we are not providing services today." So, I made up my hours by bringing him in early the rest of the week *during regular hours*. I paid for a full week of service and I got it--despite the snow days by utilizing the fact that they were open from 6 to 6 *that week*. It is a fair solution.

Now, when they bucked at that solution THAT is when I started being equally inconsiderate of their time.

I personally contract hours & don't have a set open or closed time - I worked 14-16 hrs daily last year because of 4 different families different needs, however I limited each families contract to 10 hours max (with set times for each family) unless they paid OT (it had to be requested at least 24 hrs in advance). Why? Because I am limited to 4 infants by state law & I will burn out if I am expected to work whatever & whenever without some time off (yes even we get sick sometimes)... this year I am lucky & all my clients work between 7:30a-5pm. I am not a center or an employee... I set my own terms and had you pulled that OT stunt with me, I would have sent you packing that day.

If you truly need care without a day off, hire a Nanny or go to a center since you can afford the fees. Don't take it out on the provider because you might find you can't get care if word gets around on how you treated her or heaven forbid she quits no notice...

[Unregistered]

THIS... I run a small business; I offer a service and set the RULES... if the parent doesn't agree to my terms of service they are free to find care elsewhere (and don't let the door hit ya on the way out)

I work long hours and pay taxes just like my clients but I earn much less than all of them... nobody will tell me I MUST do this this or this for pay; not happening. BTW, I do take off 4 weeks every year... unpaid, but still and she's hooting and hollering about not having back-up? Yeah, I never would have signed her in the first place... all my families have a back up plan in place for times I must close even unexpectedly (like illness) and I know what they are before they sign my contract

LysesKids, I DO NOT disagree with you. You are giving full disclosure and insisting that you cannot be the only support in place. They were a facility, probably not like yours; they had many kids and staff.

When I was completely taken aback the by the first closure, they realized no one gave me a calendar. They got me one and I adjusted my schedule. Then came the one occasion when the calendar clearly said they were open, but they were closed. Everyone who also had a school-age child [whose school calendar was accurate], was not surprised. I, however, was SHOCKED. Then came the snow days... there came a point where I felt like I was the little guy against the bureaucracy (or whatever) and I needed to stand up for myself.

If the only outcome was that they learned operate more like you, great--better for the next parent. I absolutely would have appreciated if they had insisted that I have back up care; I would have been prepared. Seriously, no one told me. At 30, I was the first of my friends to have kids. Even my mom had nothing useful to offer when I told her about the mess....maybe because she raised kids in a different time?

Back to my point, that I agree with you that my response was wrong. but I still feel that my reasoning--how I got there--was not. On THOSE occasions, I was merely asking for four 10-hour days since I wasn't getting five 8-hour days--as that was the situation THEY had put ME in. (They were open 6 to 6). Their response about an 8-hour daily max (not found in their policies btw) showed me reason would get me nowhere and responded with the same lack of consideration.

A business can employ fair practices or not, deal with whom they choose, and take no crap [even as they dish it out] as they run their business, because it is THEIR call. I think in somewhere in there, they knew they were wrong. I am still proud of my creative problem solving and of standing up for myself.

[Unregistered]

So sad and misguided I can only hope you are super young and have time to grow and mature. I wish it had happened prior to you having a child, but here we are. Hopefully they will learn from the child hood you have provided, that spending more time with each other far outweighs a career or anything, really, and do better for their own children. If we are lucky, we learn from our parent's mistakes and see the bigger picture. I hope that happens for them (and you).

I teach him that he must make a full and exciting life, and only add a family if and when he can sustain a dependent AND a full-time nanny (unless things change). I imagine a huge life for him and would never want both his personal and professional life instantly constrained for years on end by the dictates of a DCP/school. It's maddening feeling the days of one's life are decided at someone else's whim.

[Josiegirl]

I teach him that he must make a full and exciting life, and only add a family if and when he can sustain a dependent AND a full-time nanny (unless things change). I imagine a huge life for him and would never want both his personal and professional life instantly constrained for years on end by the dictates of a DCP/school. It's maddening feeling the days of one's life are decided at someone else's whim.

Are you still at the same center? Surely there are other more reliable options nearby? I operate a small registered home daycare and am open 7-5, with very few days off. And the days off come with a notice, unless I'm sick or there's a death in the family. Plus, if I did have to close unexpectedly, I have stressed in my handbook of policies how important it is to have back up in place. It might benefit you to find a more flexible child care, a place that doesn't need parent/teacher conferences(unless you're talking about a regular school situation and not a center??). I have never limited anyone's hours to 8 or 9, etc. When they sign on, they, themselves, enter the times they need. Anything above and beyond that is overtime.
You may be in a tough position but you also have choices. *You can choose another provider.
What made me angry was not abiding by the rules set forth by your child care but taking it upon yourself to do what you needed to do anyways. Doing that, you're most likely not their favorite client of all time. Unless I'm reading it all wrong which I've been known to do. Having a provider/parent relationship is an important part of using childcare and it's based on trust and mutual respect. Definitely sounds like none of that is going on.

[Josiegirl]

Oh and the days of everyone's lives are sometimes decided on a whim. You're not alone on that.

[LysesKids]

LysesKids, I DO NOT disagree with you. You are giving full disclosure and insisting that you cannot be the only support in place. They were a facility, probably not like yours; they had many kids and staff.

When I was completely taken aback the by the first closure, they realized no one gave me a calendar. They got me one and I adjusted my schedule. Then came the one occasion when the calendar clearly said they were open, but they were closed. Everyone who also had a school-age child [whose school calendar was accurate], was not surprised. I, however, was SHOCKED. Then came the snow days... there came a point where I felt like I was the little guy against the bureaucracy (or whatever) and I needed to stand up for myself.

If the only outcome was that they learned operate more like you, great--better for the next parent. I absolutely would have appreciated if they had insisted that I have back up care; I would have been prepared. Seriously, no one told me. At 30, I was the first of my friends to have kids. Even my mom had nothing useful to offer when I told her about the mess....maybe because she raised kids in a different time?

Back to my point, that I agree with you that my response was wrong. but I still feel that my reasoning--how I got there--was not. On THOSE occasions, I was merely asking for four 10-hour days since I wasn't getting five 8-hour days--as that was the situation THEY had put ME in. (They were open 6 to 6). Their response about an 8-hour daily max (not found in their policies btw) showed me reason would get me nowhere and responded with the same lack of consideration.

A business can employ fair practices or not, deal with whom they choose, and take no crap [even as they dish it out] as they run their business, because it is THEIR call. I think in somewhere in there, they knew they were wrong. I am still proud of my creative problem solving and of standing up for myself.

I see where you are coming from & unless they had you contracted for certain hrs (like I do), then if they are open 6-6 that's on them for trying to change the rules... I personally would have started looking elsewhere for other care too (I was a corporate person for years when my kids were little)

I always have my vacation weeks & 6 federal holidays listed out the first week in January on my website, posted by the front door & every family gets a copy . I don't want someone saying, Oh I didn't know you were closed this week, knowing full well they were told 6 months earlier 3 different ways. And it is unpaid leave because I figure they have to pay someone else for back up care.

In the event of severe illness & last minute closings I credit a day back on the next month, so yeah - fair practice & upfront written policies work in my favor (BTW, I am a small home childcare).

[daycarediva]

The situation was unacceptable, but YOU all accept it. I work full time and I did not clock in just next door, so this "7-8 hours" that you speak of was not even a possibility. I does not matter of what I do or do not value more. I expect to pay for a service and get it.

I was told, "Sorry we are not providing services today." So, I made up my hours by bringing him in early the rest of the week *during regular hours*. I paid for a full week of service and I got it--despite the snow days by utilizing the fact that they were open from 6 to 6 *that week*. It is a fair solution.

Now, when they bucked at that solution THAT is when I started being equally inconsiderate of their time.

Sounds to me like you had a bad center. There are SO MANY child care options, many do not close for weather (I only do in a state of emergency/my road is closed) , etc. and you should have gone elsewhere instead of being angry and resentful.

[Blackcat31]

I am still proud of my creative problem solving and of standing up for myself.

.....More like bullying tactics and a severe case of entitlement.

[Josiegirl]

.....More like bullying tactics and a severe case of entitlement.

[Snowmom]

.....More like bullying tactics and a severe case of entitlement.

[LysesKids]

.....More like bullying tactics and a severe case of entitlement.

If she had pulled that stunt here... again I will state, don't let the door hit you on the way out; as much as I get the frustration, her way of handling it was wrong and I would terminate immediately. I'm hoping she learns something here that will make her not so entitled in the future... and yes, I had a mom like her 2 years ago; she got booted because of her entitlement attitude & "I'm paying you extra so you will take it" attitude. Hell even my neighbors were glad when she left because she acted like she was so much better than everyone

[MOM OF 4]

Bottom line
If u feel your child is an inconvenience to you, shoulda thought about that BEFORE you had them. Your child belongs to YOU and is not a problem you can pawn off. You signed and agreed to a contract, therefore it's up to YOU to adhere to it without complaint. It is NOT your provider's problem whatever "issue" you have (single mom, have 8 kids, have a low paying job, whatever). It is only your problem to solve. No one is "getting one over on you" or taking from you. In fact, if u really want to be technical, the weekly rates providers get is pennies on the dollar for the MOST IMPORTANT job there is! Time for people to stop acting entitled. U are NOT owed anything in this world.