Parents trying to pay less than they owe

I am having trouble with a mom who doesn't want to pay my fees. I charge a flat rate of $12 for after school care. She is a part time teacher and only needs two days a week. I have agreed to keep a spot for her kids, even though I could find kids who need five days a week.

However, her kids are starting hockey and on those days she needs to pick them up at 4:15pm instead of 5:00pm. She only wanted to pay $6 on those days, even though I am also supplying an afternoon snack. I have said no, and I have told her what her monthly rate is ($24 a week per child) Yet she gave me a cheque for only $120. I gave it back to her with a paper showing the monthly rate. She did give the cheque back with the right amount. Was she testing me?

BUT then, she asked if her kids could come an extra day last week. I said sure, but my drop in rate is $8/hr per child. She said she only needed one hour. However, instead of picking them up at 4:00pm (I get them at 3:00pm), she picked them up at 4:30pm and only paid me for 1 HOUR! Is this another test????

I would have thought a teacher would have some respect for someone who works in the childcare field.

well, I got the last laugh! She counted out the days in October, even though I have told her that her monthly rate is $192 per month. Because October is a longer month, she ended up paying $24 more than she had to! That takes care of the money she shorted me for her drop in day! Can't wait to see what she tries to pay in November......

She should be paying in advance for her childcare. She has shown such disrespect for you it is appaling! What if her employer made her negociate her wage? ( and she is not your employer) Her being a teacher has nothing to do with her attitude. I would find children you can care for 5 days per week and drop her like a hot potatoe. Do you really need to deal with this and for so little money? Good luck:)

First off, sorry to hear that she's short-changing you! Don't blame all teachers - I have amazing teacher families, and come from parents who were teachers, and married one! lol

Secondly, I have in my manual, you don't pay on time or proper fees, you're dinged with late fees of $20/day plus the weeks pay.

I do agree with Mimi on the fact that she should pay in advance.
I had a family with 2 school-aged children that came two days/week every second week (if they even came at all!). They had to pay on the first day of the month (monthly fees) for the month.

Because this woman only has her child in your care 2/days/week, then I would do just that! It's not a lot to fork over....

Question for you: Did you have this woman sign a contract? This will also cover your ass and help you demand the money and RESPECT you deserve. If she can't get rolling with your rules, I would definitely term them, and accept a family who will respect you!

Good luck!

Just make sure you are re inforcing proper payment and maybe send a txt or email or verbally remind her what she owes you one day before payments due. Or write her a reciept and give it to her on her 2nd to last day of care. That way there is no guessing. This is what you owe me. If she doesn't like the rates, she can go elsewhere. She needs to understand that you could fill the space with a ft and make 3 times the amount you make with her. She's lucky she has you!

didnt even finish your entire post....sorry :( but the answer is SO clear, I didn't feel I had to...:) you NEED to start charging ahead of care, and be VERY CLEAR with this "cheap" Mommy! that she either pays your rates, or GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! that's all there is to it....if she is short changing you?...she doesn't respect you, she's lucky you are still taking her kid! IMO

Good Luck!!

I agree with Mimi - if you can replace this one - find another client and dump her cheap arse. =)

LOL @ Mon-Fri LOL

Do you want to deal with this every month? If you say no then you know what to do. Show her the door, it is not worth for dealing with people like that on top of the stress of taking care of other people's children.

And well done for returning the queue back to her :) Get rid of her I say.

I agree with others in that she needs to begin paying in advance of care. This is protocal for most daycares (both public and private), and protects the caregiver from people like this!

Yup I am going to jump on the payment in advance of care .... there is a reason why this is common practice not just in private home childcare programs but licensed regulated care was well it is just EASIER to get paid in advance than having to chase clients for money for services already rendered and sadly some of society have so little value for what we do or the role we play in their child's life that they will hop around from provider to provider STIFFING them if they can get away with it :(

I do have her pay her monthly rate in advance. If she had not given me back a cheque with the right amount, I would have told her that I can't pick her kids up from the bus until she pays.

I did not have her sign a contract this year (I had her kids last school year) because we both agreed that she needs to find a day home that can pick her kids up at their school (the bus rates are rising and she has to pay the full fee even though her kids only ride the bus once or twice a week. The rest of the time their parents drive their kids to and from school)

She is supposed to be looking for another day home, but I agreed to take her kids until she finds a place. I know she is unhappy about paying my flat rate after school when her kids are picked up early for hockey, but they are taking up two spots after school whether they stay one hour or two hours.

I will be asking her this week how her search for a new day home is coming...

Ah she has what some providers coin short timers syndrome - aka she's leaving shortly so no need to worry about pissing you off and is trying to get her way hoping you will think oh she's almost done just let her have this :rolleyes:

Time to fill those two spots and give her a gentle nudge on her search with a deadline of care ending ;)

I charge one flat fee for before and after school care. It doesn't matter if they are here just in the am or just in the pm or both, they pay the same rate. I do this because I can't fill half a spot. I can't fill one kid in the am and another in the pm. So they pay the full rate.

I just had a family leave with a case of "short timers syndrome", what a shame...provided care for three and a half years and the last week they were with me they broke like three rules in two days, picked up late, no late fee in hand, paid late, no late fee in hand, and smarted off about another of my rules right to my face. HA! What a thank you for putting up with their "sometimes" very rude! Child. Some people seem to have ALOT of nerve. I kinda regret not charging those late fee's ....the way I looked at it was, I didn't want to send them off, with "bad blood" between us. (I guess they could be a future refferal) although...I do regret NOT charging even one of the two...not cool to let people step all over you! :(

Wow kidlove, 31/2 years of care and they treat you like that? :no: I had a family with me for 5 years. I got the two weeks notice and poof gone and have never heard from them since. When this happens it just encourages my resolve to not become friends with my clients and to look at this job from more of a business perspective. I have to harden my heart. :rolleyes:

That is what my sister does as well (flat rate for before and after school) with her day home and she is always full...I mostly do after school because it is hard enough for me to get my daughters ready for their 7:30am bus without adding more kids to the mix.

The mom who is giving me trouble about my fees doesn't seem to realize that paying her $24 week (per child) provides her with a reliable safe spot for her kids to go. I never close, even when I am sick. My mom was dying for two months in the hospital and the only day I closed was for the funeral. Instead this mom focuses on the days that she picks them up 45 minutes early for hockey. She actually calculated how much time over the school year that she paid for , but didn't use. She also seems to think that from 3:05pm (when the bus arrives) until she picks her kids up at 4:15pm is only 1/2hr , because we don't get back to my house until 3:30 or 3:45pm.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ilovetolive

... She actually calculated how much time over the school year that she paid for , but didn't use. She also seems to think that from 3:05pm (when the bus arrives) until she picks her kids up at 4:15pm is only 1/2hr , because we don't get back to my house until 3:30 or 3:45pm.

---

And it is because of people like this that there is a SHORTAGE of safe reliable school aged care cause honestly why would I want to serve an unappreciative client like this who expects a full time space to be kept aside for her but only wants to pay for what she 'uses' cause the REALITY is that providing a service to people like this COSTS US MONEY in the first place cause they do not want to pay a full day fee despite taking up a 'full day space' in the program so the reason providers who do choose to do it do so because while it is not financially advantageous it meets some other need in their business ~ playmate for our child or as you've mentioned ability to get your own child to the bus stop but to earn 'some income' after school hours or what not ..... the fact remains that you could terminate her and either find someone willing to pay for the spot and appreciate it cause typically there is a high demand for this age group in most communities OR instead choose not to offer this service at all and to focus on younger full day children who arrive after your daughters bus but spend the whole day which would allow you to make more $$$!