Not wanting to pay stats!!!!I want to scream!!!

I have a dcg who I have taken on as a "favour" because her mom is friends with the mom of my dcb and she was stuck for daycare. She has been a bit of a challenge but now I have her under control and the mom is P***ing me off. She gave me post dated cheques for this month but did not include the holiday next week. I guess I will make a copy of the contract and give it to her with the cheque and a note. I hate dealing with things like this. Sorry but I needed to vent!!! Anyone else have parents like this?

Nope, cause they have signed a contract that states they have to pay all Stats. They don't pay, I show them the contract that THEY signed, and just stare at them - give them the silent treatment. It's awkward, and funny as hell! :laugh:

Also, I wouldn't let the child come, until those stat holidays are paid up.

I had a parent "forget" that she had to still pay for days that her child was sick. I just sent her a text reminding her that she was short for that reason and she felt awful and rushed the money right over. Not sure if she actually forgot or not but I certainly didn't let it slide!

Oh they love to test us these parents don't they? They want to see if we dare speak up and stand up for our contracts and policies. If we don't say anything the first time they try to get away with something then we have been identified as push overs and this behaviour will continue. We care and teach the kids, why do we also have to train some of these parents to behave and respect us, aren't we busy enough? :no:

Knocking on wood over here I have not yet had a client try to play DUMB with payment ... everyone just pays the same every week as stated in their contract and I often have people 'over pay' me if I have closed for an unpaid day and me having to remind them they have a credit please make your next cheque out for only X so I can get your account back on track! Reading threads like this remind me that I should give all my clients a big ole :glomp: for GETTING IT!

IMO when I read about issues like this what comes to my mind is these are people who do not VALUE their provider or the services she provides to them and they do not VALUE the rationale behind the policies we have regarding payment and are consciously trying to screw their provider over cause they are betting that their provider dislikes conflict so much they will just SUCK IT UP and give them the break in fees because they feel they are entitled not have to pay ~ they do not GET that either way they are going to pay cause if we do not charge them for the stats we would just charge MORE for our daily rate to make up the difference :rolleyes:

I have patience for A LOT of things but I would not and could not work with someone day in and day out who did not VALUE my service because this is an important job we do, it takes a lot of physical and emotional energy to do it and having that energy sucked out by someone who does or says thing that say 'we do not value you' is just not worth it!

I ran into this issue as well. Now I issue receipts (invoices) 2 days before payment is due specifying the amount so there is NO confusion as to what they owe. And, as others mentioned, have your contract handy to show and invite her to read it over. It could actually be that she's forgotten. When my son was in daycare, many moons ago, I shorted a paycheck by a day as he was ill. The daycare I had dealt with years before for my daughter allowed sick days, so I just assumed it was standard protocol. They pointed it out in the contract and I paid it up without a fuss. Is there a chance it could be as simple as that....actual forgetfulness? At any rate, if you issue invoices, then clients aren't guessing what they owe....it's on paper.

I really don't get how people can either a) sign a legal document without throughly reading it, b) Forget what was in the document if they did read it or c) honestly think that someone would go through the trouble of creating said document if they didn't intend to uphold it.

I have only had one parent that seemed to not want to pay for stats. She had 16 days of care per month and anything over that was extra. Well every month there was a stat I would get her schedule and she would be scheduled for a full 16 days and I would always have to remind her that there was a stat so this month she only got 15 days, or paid extra for the last day. Once, ok I see it. But 3 out of 4 months there was a stat and every one of those months she "forgot". Sure ya did...

Agreed Toregone - that is not forgetting that is being passive aggressive hoping you'll eventually get tired and lt it slide!

Same reason why when my stepson helps by doing the dished he always "forgets" to do something ... cause subconsciously or intentionally he is hoping if he doesnt do it to my satisfaction I won't ask him to do it again ;)

I also issue invoices every week now, after having been screwed over a few times for stats.

What I do with my clients is at the beginning of each year I provide them with a copy of the coming years calendar. (just a one page print out from my computer - not a full sized kitchen calendar) On it, I highlight the Stat holidays that I will be taking - it reminds them that I am closed and paid on those days. =) It also allows them to plan for the other days that I am will be closed on. (i.e. dental appointments)

There's a stat next week? Oh, in the USA most likely.

I make it very clear when I sign on clients that they will be paying full fees every week all year no matter if there are stats or other closed daycare days or if they have a sick or missed day for any reason. That keeps it really simple with no questions EVER.

The only weeks they don't pay fees are my closed vacation weeks. The simpler your rules the more likely your clients will all remember them. I have never had a problem since implementing my contracts and explaining it to parents in this manner.