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It seems I have both ends of the spectrum of state aid parents.
I have one set who are the (sometimes overly) demanding type. One child seems borderline special needs which can be demanding of itself. Many times I feel like even if I could give these parents the sun and the moon that wouldn't be enough. I've quickly learned to just let it roll off my back, though of course I do call the hubby to vent every so often.
I have another family, well single mom, who is still in HS and working at a fast food joint. Should qualify for state aid, yet she's on a waiting list. Quite a ways down on the list too. I feel bad for her because she is paying her way, living with her mom, trying to finish H.S. and yet is working to cover her expenses of her not so good decisions made in life. She is very sweet and she apologizes when she hears that her infant (6 weeks old) had a fussy day or whatever. I laugh because it's not her fault, I just thought she should know how baby was so she'd know what to expect for the night. She's the type who is trying to do something positive with her life and could just use a little help getting up that next step.Give a little love to a child, and you get a great deal back.Comment
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Just my 2 cents...
Why is it a rip-off to pay for a full week when your children will only be there two days? The mortgage or rent on the building has to be paid, as well as utilities, staff wages, etc. - REGARDLESS if your child is there or not. Is it really worth griping over a handfull of school closures per year?
As far as "factoring" holidays into tuition costs... Parents complain about paying $2.00 to $3.00 per hour as it is. I can only imagine your reaction if you were told your tuition rates were to increase to $4.00 per hour to cover Federal Holidays closures. It sounds good "in theory" but I'm guessing you wouldn't think it was such a grand idea if it were to happen.Comment
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I bet she does too... We work long hours for slave wages, yet heaven forbid we get one paid day off per year. LOL!!!
The fact is, complaining/ungrateful parents and child care go hand in hand. LOL!!! It always amazes me that parents complain to the very people who love, hug, teach, feed, and basically RAISE their precious children. If life were fair, we'd be treated like queens (by the parents), we'd make triple what we do, and we'd receive benefits, sick pay, and paid vacations. But, as you know, we don't always get what we deserve.
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Good thing we are professionals and don't go by that saying "you get what you pay for" Those kids wouldn't even eat! To them we are disposable, which is really a shame. We are very important to the child's emotional growth.Comment
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Yep you heard me right.......Substandard pay! I've been in the daycare field for 16 plus years and don't plan on finding another profession! Maybe you should register and maybe we might just care about what you have to say! Staff??? I have no "staff" sweetcheeks its just me, myself and I!Comment
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Thank You!! I work 12 hr days, with often no real break, and have only taken 2 sick days in 8 years. Still I have occasionally heard griping about my standard paid Holidays. I need to be able to budget, so getting paid consistently regardless of attendance, including those few holidays, is what allows me to pay my bills on time and continue to purchase quality curriculum and materials for the children in care. We are expected to throw Holiday parties, provide Christmas gifts , birthday cupcakes- and generally enjoy it, but it does make one feel unappreciated when you have to argue and justify every penny you charge and every hour you take off. My families were unhappy about me taking the Friday off after Thanksgiving as a paid Holiday, until I explained that the clinics are not open any of my other Holidays (4th of July, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, New Years Day, and I had not had a physical in 7 years or managed a dental appt in 2. I made at least that committment to myself and my family that I deserve that and will do it every year. You're daycare is blessed to have a client who understands and values them.
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I allowed myself to get convinced to work a half day this year on Christmas Eve- I had two moms who said they had to work etc, and tried to be nice. I needed to close at noon because we had put my great grandpa (86) in the assisted living home after falling in the snow and having a close call with hypothermia days earlier, and I promised I'd cook him a turkey dinner and bring it, and my mother in laws ceiling had collapsed in her kitchen while she was at the VA hospital w/ her husband due to a leaky water heater upstairs. Needless to say, I had my hands full taking care of everyone's issues and needed to be done on time. Noon rolled around & 1 family of two still wasnt picked up- the food was ready to go to grandpas and nobody would answer the phone. Two hours later with Grandpas dinner ruined a very happy dad showed up after a great day of ice fishing. Mom had to work, dad just didnt even want to spend a holiday with his kids so multiplied my stress instead. I'll never have the same trust or respect for those parents- because she lied & misled to give him the day off, and he is one who consistently complains about me getting paid holidays, although he gets holidays, sick days etc.
GrrrrComment
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Wow!!!!!! Unbelieveable! I hope you charged them one heck of a late fee & explained how his lateness affected your family!!!! I would have been so hot under the collar. More than likely I would have been so mad that after I collected their hefty late fee I would have terminated services. How did you handle it? I say I would do the above but I am not sure if I truly would.Comment
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I let the Dad know he was supposed to be there by noon, & I thought he was working- he totally blew me off. I confronted Mom the following Monday at drop off and demanded the late fee up front, which she paid, but it was still only $25, which didn't make up for the inconvenience. I told her so and that I was very dissappointed in her for lying/misleading that her hubby was at work. She basically pulled the old he's an ******* and resents paying you for Holidays anyway and she was bullied into it excuse. I said this is your one pass, the next time you'll be terminated. If he wants to go fishing on my Holiday he can get grandma to watch or something. She said she felt bad that I was hurt by it she thought he'd pick up on time or send Grandma to do it. I've always really liked her & she pays on time w/ no trouble, usually picks up on time- works for the Postal Service, which is why I agreed to work Christmas Eve to begin with. Now that I'm very clear on how her spouse feels about me and behaves I made it clear there will be -0- excuses or problems in the future because that was beyond inconsiderate. We'll see.Comment
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Hmm but in this argument we could also say that why should your work pay you on a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas if you don't work? Isn't that the same thing? Lot's of businesses are closed on these days and if what you are saying is true then why should anyone anywhere get paid for holidays if they are not working. Unethical? I think not. Everyone gets vacation time and paid sick time no matter where you work. Some places it's based on how much time you put in and in others it's a set amount of time (i.e. two-weeks). Providing child care is also a job. Unfortunately child care providers are looked at as babysitters too often than not and we are more than just that. This is our career. We work long hours without state mandated rest periods and meal breaks and we do it because we love it.
Not all providers charge the same, expect the same things, do the same things or provide the same kind of care. We charge what we think we are worth and it is up to the parent to decide whether they think it's worth that much and pay it. Some providers offer vacation time, some don't. Some offer maternity leave, some don't. All in all what I am saying is that it is up to us to ask for what we want and up to the parent's to decide if our daycare fits their needs or not. If a parent doesn't like how a daycare works there are others that may suit their needs. We have a right to say "this is what I expect" and parents have a right to say "I don't agree".
I myself, allow myself 2 weeks of vacation and don't expect pay. I also allow for each family to take 2 weeks off without pay. I do however, charge a flat weekly rate and a daily drop-in rate. My weekly rate is lower than my drop-in rate when you break it down hourly. I also offer a discount of paid monthly in advance. If a child doesn't come, they still pay for the week. Before I had my own daycare I paid someone to watch my child and it worked the same. It is normal for child providers to conduct business this way because no matter how you dice it, it is a business and no one runs a business if they're not going to make money off of it. We have higher food bills, utility bills, our homes suffer from higher wear and tear and we have to consider that in our fees.Comment
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LOL!! This is funny...let's really figure this out if you want to consider minimum wage.
Let's say you are only open 40 hours per week at $7 an hour equaling $280.00 per week. And let's say you have 5 children in your care...so really that would only be $56 per child...per week. That would be really affordable!!! :
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