For Parents Of Children In Home Daycares

[Unregistered]

I was under the understanding that this forum was for parents and guardians. This was our opportunity to talk with other parents and ask questions. I am noticing a trend of providers jumping in and yelling at people for not agreeing. Especially where the old dollar is involved. Just because one lady does not agree with paying for vacations does not mean that she is talking your customers out of paying for your time off. She is simply stating that she does not agree. You are pretty much telling her to shut up and that she is not allowed to come in here and have an opinion. When an opinion is asked do not be alarmed or testy if some do not have the same opinions as you do. Providers, please allow the parents to answer the questions without reprocussion!

I don't think that we are jumping in and yelling at people at all. I think that we are offering up insight as to the reasons we make the policies that we do. I think that alot of parents do not understand that this is our profession just like you chose your job, however it is not just about the money, if we didn't love what we do we wouldn't be doing it. And what makes me mad as a professional daycare provider is that parents don't read the contracts or listen what us daycare providers require from you parents for your children to attend our centers and when its time to pay up, we get challanged on our policies. There are alot of parents out there that want top quality care but don't want to pay for it. Us providers put ourselves and our families out there for you guys each day, all that it takes is one child to accuse us of abuse or neglect and we and our families pay. I'm not saying that you are one of these parents but I've been in the biz for 15 years and i can count on one hand as to the number of parents that are grateful that they have found a provider that they love! So, yes you are entitled to your opinion, so are we. And if we can offer the advice to help the parents out there to make a wise and informed choice as to where best place their child then maybe we can elimnate some of the ungratefulness.

[pingaa3]

As a parent I experienced:

*a provider who yelled at my child and made another child clean up her own vomit when the child was sick

*a provder who ignored the kids and never took them outside all day long nomatter what the weather

*a provider who started out charging $30 a day for 2 days a week and begged me not to switch and then 2 months later once she had lots more kids raised her price to hourly $5/hr making it $45+ per day

*a provider who didn't change my daughters diaper 3 out of 4 days and when getting my child down from climbing a chair scraped her so bad it drew blood onto her stomach and into her diaper


I don't have a problem with paid holidays since most people who work get paid holidays. I would pay a provider if I missed my scheduled day due to illness, because I don't want my child exposed to contagious kids and bringing it home. I've never chosen a provider who didn't provider backup when they were sick and I would never pay a provider vacation pay.

As a provider I have acted accordingly. I close for 2 weeks each year, once at Christmas and once in the summer. I do not charge. The parents have to either take time off or find alternate care which costs them. Why make them pay double? I have backup when sick. I charge for 10 holidays as allowed by our local state policies. I feel this is fair and state everything up front. If a parent does not like it, they go elsewhere.

[Unregistered]

As a parent I experienced:

*a provider who yelled at my child and made another child clean up her own vomit when the child was sick

*a provder who ignored the kids and never took them outside all day long nomatter what the weather

*a provider who started out charging $30 a day for 2 days a week and begged me not to switch and then 2 months later once she had lots more kids raised her price to hourly $5/hr making it $45+ per day

*a provider who didn't change my daughters diaper 3 out of 4 days and when getting my child down from climbing a chair scraped her so bad it drew blood onto her stomach and into her diaper

Amen, where do you live? LOL Now, this seems much better!

[DCMom]

I think this depends on the circumstances. All child care arrangements are different as are all family financial arrangements.

My provider is like a 2nd mom to my kids, her daughter babysits my kids evening and weekends, she comes to sporting events if the kids ask her to and she just generally, imo, goes above and beyond the 10.5 hours a day that I pay her for.

She has taught my girls all the basics for Kindergarten, she has a spanish and music teacher one day a week, she throws twice yearly parties for the kids and their families. Last year she hired a magician, the year before was clowns, Santa at Christmas.

She truly loves all the kids (all 10 of them!) and they are greeted with a hug every morning and sent home with one every night. She has potty trained, pulled loose teeth, washed clothes that have gotten too messy and made us some of the most awesome Christmas, Mothers and Fathers Day present. She even has the kids make us a card on our birthdays. We get a dvd of photos set to music every year. All for $125 a week/spot. To me, a bargain.

Does this woman deserve vacation, sick pay, paid holidays? You bet she does~I don't know what I would do without her.

[kgravino]

[quote]I would just like to say that us caregivers also have costs related to our jobs........food(to feed your kids not mine), transportation (if you do before and after school), damage to our homes and things in our homes(caused by YOUR children), carpet cleaning (that has to be done at least once a month), Education (because you do have to have some type of it), toys ( i could go on forever).QUOTE]


You provide a service for a fee, daycare provider or babysitter, which as far as I am concerned should go hand in hand. You took on the all the advantages and disadvantages when you decided to take on the responsiblity of a daycare provider/babysitter. It's your job! That's what YOU chose to do for a living. If you feel that it's our kids who are getting you SICK, and damaging your house, causing you to clean your carpet once a month, you have a problem feeding, transporting (feeding and transporting are optional) or educating our kids. You should get OUT of the business and find something that better suits you. You don't belong taking care of children. See how easy it is to find a provider you trust with your kids and can afford! If you have children that is, which by the way if you do, I feel sorry for.

[samdcare]

My 3 year old kid.

I have read many things here that add to my worries about keeping my 3 year old at a daycare. Please advice me about it and also tell me about a good daycare facility at Boston.
Samdcare

[Unregistered]

[quote]I would just like to say that us caregivers also have costs related to our jobs........food(to feed your kids not mine), transportation (if you do before and after school), damage to our homes and things in our homes(caused by YOUR children), carpet cleaning (that has to be done at least once a month), Education (because you do have to have some type of it), toys ( i could go on forever).QUOTE]

I think that you completely mistook what I have said.......Yes i do provide you with a service for a fee, but lets face it, its not like I'm comming to fix your toliet or mow your lawn. I take care of your children! Yes i did review the handbook on what happens to your wall when a 2 year old gets a hold of a ball point pen(given to him by his mother upon picking up the child from care).....And who do you think cleans it up? Yes that is one of the disadvantages to caring for children in your home, but it does have to fixed, cleaned up, etc..... Each state has standards to how you take care of your home, hence the carpet, no the children do not eat on the carpet, but they do walk on it, sleep on it, spit up on it, throw up on it and alot of them right now love to make pictures with their milk cups on it!! Now don't get me wrong I'm not complaining about this, I have been IN the business for 15 years, i do know what my job entails, however I do not have plans to change my profession. And yes, I DO have 2 beautiful children of my own that don't need your pity!! I'm still trying to understand how you attack someone on a personal level when you don't know anything about them!

[Ches]

Rude

I would just like to say that us caregivers also have costs related to our jobs........food(to feed your kids not mine), transportation (if you do before and after school), damage to our homes and things in our homes(caused by YOUR children), carpet cleaning (that has to be done at least once a month), Education (because you do have to have some type of it), toys ( i could go on forever).QUOTE]


You provide a service for a fee, daycare provider or babysitter, which as far as I am concerned should go hand in hand. You took on the all the advantages and disadvantages when you decided to take on the responsiblity of a daycare provider/babysitter. It's your job! That's what YOU chose to do for a living. If you feel that it's our kids who are getting you SICK, and damaging your house, causing you to clean your carpet once a month, you have a problem feeding, transporting (feeding and transporting are optional) or educating our kids. You should get OUT of the business and find something that better suits you. You don't belong taking care of children. See how easy it is to find a provider you trust with your kids and can afford! If you have children that is, which by the way if you do, I feel sorry for.

That was so rude and so uncalled for.

[Unregistered]

That was so rude and so uncalled for.

But unfortunally this is what daycare providers deal with on a daily basis. Ungrateful parents that think we don't know what the heck we are doing!!!

[lilbiddapopcorn]

Let's use our nice words

I understand that, i'm a daycare provider myself. I just think saying you'd feel sorry for the kids if she had any was a little overboard. It's just a discussion board, there's no need to take it so far. Everyone's entitled to their opinion and none of us are forced to work with parents that we don't feel are treating us fairly. I think most of us find the parents that don't appreciate their providers end up jumping around from provider to provider until they've exhausted their options and maybe they'll think about how much they really need child care providers. But if anyone should be equipped with more patience than others it should be us child care providers. Nobody gets their opinion across effectively by throwing insults.

But to the parents who don't agree with me taking paid days off, they don't have to bring their children to my home. They sign a contract, I go over it with them, and most of them get it. I'm not superwoman. I need "me time" just like every other person in this world. And I do a great job with the children I take care of, so I do feel like I deserve sick days without having to worry about pro-rating fees.

[Unregistered]

hi

its leah here. i was just wondering about the affects on putting the child into childcre has on parents. im doing an independent research project on what effects does putting a child in daycare have on the child and parent. if u can help can u send me a messege to ????
id really appreciate it.

thankyou so much
from
leah

[Unregistered]

I understand that, i'm a daycare provider myself. I just think saying you'd feel sorry for the kids if she had any was a little overboard. It's just a discussion board, there's no need to take it so far. Everyone's entitled to their opinion and none of us are forced to work with parents that we don't feel are treating us fairly. I think most of us find the parents that don't appreciate their providers end up jumping around from provider to provider until they've exhausted their options and maybe they'll think about how much they really need child care providers. But if anyone should be equipped with more patience than others it should be us child care providers. Nobody gets their opinion across effectively by throwing insults.

But to the parents who don't agree with me taking paid days off, they don't have to bring their children to my home. They sign a contract, I go over it with them, and most of them get it. I'm not superwoman. I need "me time" just like every other person in this world. And I do a great job with the children I take care of, so I do feel like I deserve sick days without having to worry about pro-rating fees.

I couldn't have said it better myself!

[Unregistered]

Paying your child care provider for vacation and sick days

As a parent I do feel like my childcare provider should be paid for sick days and vacations, don't we all want that in our jobs? We want our children to be in a happy healthy home and for our providers to be that they all need sick and personal days, and especially they need a vacation! I have absolutely no problem paying my child care provider for thoes days! I want my children to be happy and I need my provider to be happy as well! If your provider is not happy, PLEASE PLEASE Shop around and find yourself another, there are plenty of affordable happy providers out there, they just need to be discovered!

[Unregistered]

ok. I have been on both sides. I have three children, and when I decided to do childcare they were 2,4, and 6 years old, but before that, they were in a home daycare. Yes, it was hard on us to pay for her vacations, and pay someone else to watch them during her vacations, so I just scheduled my vacations to coincide with hers so I wouldn't have to double pay. Now that I am doing childcare myself, I take off 2 weeks paid vacation a year, along with the major holidays. I have never closed due to illness. And I always give at least a 3-4 month notice of my vacation schedule. I will be the first to say, I was annoyed to have to pay for so much time off (my provider took days off all the time, with only a call that morning). I try to give my parents respect and know they need to get to work, so I work when I am sick and when my kids are sick and watch their kids too when they are not at their best. Bottom line is, the parents have my contract before they decide to use me and if they don't like it, they can go elsewhere. Also, I do have 3 of my own kids. And to ensure my kids still get to spend some time with me and not share me with 5-8 other children on a day-to day basis, I do need vacation time. If I didn't get paid for it, I would have a hard time paying my mortgage. If the parents want a daycare that doesn't close and where they don't pay for vacations, they can always go to a center. But of course that would cost them more money. The difference between myself and a center in Maryland is: I charge 100-150 a week, depending on age. and a center is about 150-250. In the end, parents need to make the choice. Save money weekly, knowing they will have to pay my vacations, or pay more money weekly, but know the daycare will not be closed for vacation. I know it's a tough decision. I interviewed probably 20 childcare providers before I decided the best option for my kids, would be for me to get my license and do it myself. I do, however, take my parents' personal financial situations into account. I have a single mom who pays $50 a week less than anyone else. I give her this break to help her out, but also because when she has a day off, she keeps the child home with her. She doesn't take advantage of me and we respect eachother. Also, for the person who said her job required her to have an education, I am very offended. I do have my Bachelors Degree and had a very professional career before doing childcare. I decided my children needed to come first and that money wasn't everything. We made cutbacks, but my kids get to come home to me rather than someone who is really a stranger. Financially it was a sacrifice, but I wouldn't trade the past 6 years for a million bucks. I can't put a price on spending just one additional hour with my kids, never mind spending all day with them.

[Unregistered]

answer

I am a in home provider and a mother and i think all this should be discussed right from the begining in the parents package that they sign. If the parent agreed to the terms set out then they have a choice to leave. I do not charge anything if you cancel 12- 24 hours before you are scheduled to be here. if i or my child is sick i give notice and do not charge any parent. I also plan my own personal errands after 3pm on a certian day that none of the children are scheduled in!