How do you handle parents not picking up their kids on time? :(
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How do you handle parents not picking up their kids on time? :(
Haven't had a problem as of yet. But I would remind them of what is stated in the manual (and have it close by). If it's after my grace period, I will politely tell them that on their next cheque, they will have to add so many dollars.
Hopefully that helps.
I actually suggested that but the parent took it very offensively!
Then you have to state that you are indeed a business. They wouldn't waste their lawyers/doctors time, would they?
I own two busineses, and I make sure that my parents understand that they have to be on time, as I do run the other business in the evenings.
Tell the parents that they are intruding into family time (and we wouldn't want that), and not being on time puts pressure on your family. Try to explain while being as positive as possible (very hard to do, I know!).
As stated in my manual:
"I will provide parents with a five minute grace period, then $1/minute according to my clock (which is programmed to the Ottawa Weather Network).
If there is bad weather while you are driving, please call me to inform me that you are running late; therefore you will only be charged an extra $5, and after 20 minutes, and then it will become $1/minute after the 20 minutes."
Thanks that helps! I will send you a private message...in need of some advice!
I am sorry that some parents are abusing your business. When I was going to be late- I always called-as soon as I knew I was going to be late.
Every time a forget to pick my child for school my best friend goes and tak him.
I don't have many problems with parents picking up late and rarely ever have to charge a late fee. My families have a few different options:
a) no notice and pay $1 per minute after pick up time with a min charge of $10
b) notify me shortly before pick up time and pay $10 per hour
c) let me know asap and my oldest daughter will take over childcare and the charge is $5 per 30 min.
If the road conditions are bad then I do give my families a 15 min grace period just because many of my families have to travel at least 15 - 20 min to get here from work. In poor weather that time can increase to 1 hour.
Just started with a new family. its a long story, started in January, I was supposed to start with her in Feb, but the family situation changed which delayed her start with me til last week. In her original inquiries, she stated pick up between 5/5:15 most days, but occasionally when her fiance got done work early it would be earlier. This is why I like to do a lot of my communication via email b/c then if I forget I have it to referr too! Anyhow, every day since she started its been 5:30 - 5:45, one day it was 6:10 (however she did call to tell me she'd be late). One day she was here at 5 so I know she can get here for 5 (I know she is done work at 4, I'm not sure what is taking her so long to get home)
Anyhow, I didnt have a late policy set out in my hand book, I advertise that I'm available til 5pm, but upon interviewing I verbally agree, that shorty after 5 is okay on occasion, but if someone tells me 5:30 consistantly (which if they are late means 6) I generally say no. I have small kids and find that even that half hour interfers with our evening activities and getting everyone in bed at a decent time, and seriously, i"ve been on the clock since 6:30 in the morning!.... so since I havent set out actual "late fee" policy, how would you approach it?
My other problem is, I have another family who most of the time picks up between 4:30 and 5 however, about once a week it is 6pm, but they always let me know, and if I have something going on, they have their grandparents pick up their child. I dont want to institute a late fee policy on them b/c I feel they courteous with my family time in the evening.... but how do I do that with one family and not another?
I put in my manual:Quote:
Originally Posted by lilac
"There will be occasional revisions to this handbook and the accompanying contract at which time you will be asked to sign a new contract. I reserve the right to make changes in policies as I deem necessary. You will be notified, in writing, of any changes that may occur."
Why can you not put that at the end of your manual (I don't mind if you use it), and then you can add things or make changes to things if need be. You have the parents read it over, sign/initial it, and then you can use it as backup!
Simple, how would they know?!?! If they ask, tell them to mind their own business! Sorry, but it's my problem and not yours! Might sound mean - but really, who's the boss here?!?!? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by lilac
True, they wouldnt know either way, for all they know the parents could be paying me extra for the days their child is with me til 6 too.... I get caught up in the awkward and difficult conversation that I need to have with a parent and forget the 'common sense' of it all!! LOL! I do have something in my policy that would allow me to change something.... which of course I hadnt thought of...
Thanks!! :)
Jasp...
WHY are you ALLOWING them to pick up late? I know you don't want to think it's YOUR fault but you do have to take some responsibility for it.
Parents will ONLY treat you as disrespectfully as you allow them to.
YOUR time is important and valuable just like the dcparent's time is. YOU have to make it crystal clear late arrivals will NOT be tolerated.
I have a late fee policy of one dollar a minute. But you know, I rarely have applied it. And the reason is I make it very clear you can NOT be late. I have actually terminated a family for being late. I have a three strikes you're out policy.
These parents don't arrive late TO work so they obviously have the time management skills to be on time to pick up their kid from daycare.
Here's some food for thought.....
If a parent is only late FIVE minutes a day over the course of a year that is an additional:
21 HOURS a YEAR you work for FREE!!!!
Put your foot down and stop it.
When a parent arrives late at my house they come in and do the usual, "Oh, sorry I am late (followed by lame excuse)"
I simply look at them like this :mad: and allow for a period of awkward silence to ensue.
THEY KNOW I am not happy and they don't do it again.
Only YOU have the power to stop it.
I charge $1/minute, and let me tell you....they pick them up on time. I've had one or two late pick-ups,but they were extra-special circumstances, which I did not charge for. The parents offered, and I just laughed and told them that if it became a habit, they'd pay :p, but like I said, it's NOT a regular occurance when you charge $1/ minute. Here in Quebec, that's the average.....and it's right in the contract...
so I told this mom that we had swimming lessons tonight, she had to pick her up as close to 5pm as possible. She was here at 5 oclock sharp today. So I know she can do it, I'll speak up next time she is beyond our agreed time of 5:15...
In the meantime... I should get to our swimming lesson!
So my problem with the new family continued, and the other family started to become a problem as well... asking me several times a week now if they can pick up at 6, if not then they'd get someone to come get them.... so I put my foot down, and last monday, sent out a daycare wide letter informing my hours are changing, pick up is 5pm, asking them to have someone as back up incase they cant make it and offering a grace period if they are stuck til 5:15 but after that a late fee will apply.
The last one had been picked up by 5:05 all week! See... I knew they could do it! :) Thanks for giving me the info (and the guts) to do it!
yay! good for you!Quote:
Originally Posted by lilac
Parent(s) consistantly pick up after agreed pick up time, anywhere up to one hour late; but seem to be consistantly late in the morning agreed 7.30/8.30; arrives 11.30 to 12.30; it is driving me nuts, the poor child is so confused and sometimes arrives after our lunch time, sometimes right at quiet time!!! He doesn't understand why he needs to do something quietly at arrival when he is used to going outside, creating conflict between him and I. I assume he is sleeping in so isn't hungry until it is time to go to the park... not serving lunch again; more conflict? Parents feel because he is late it is okay to pick up late... too tired of parents. What do you think? thanks
WowQuote:
Originally Posted by Gails
when you say they pick up late - do you mean beyond your open hours or is it beyond their agree-upon time but still within your open hours?
I have a parent who generally picks up around 4. Sometimes the mom picks up at 3 though so when she occassionally comes at 4:30 it sort of evens out for me and I don't mind because I am open until 5:00 and have other kids here until 5 anyways.
However if they came to pick up beyod 5 I would be mighty miffed.
I think what I would do (and this is just me) is tell her that kids can tell time. They ca't look at the clock and say it is 9:15 but kids tell time by routines. They can time that they wake up have breakfast, that they get a snack, that they go outside, then lunch, then nap then snack, etc. The kids sort of know what comes 'next' and they can tell at pick up that first Sammy goes home an dthat means that next Molly and then it is my turn.
Kids cannot tell the time on the clock but they use 'markers' throughout the day and that is why routines are so important to them. I can ask the kids in my daycare...what comes next and they will say that it is snack time or nap time or whatever. They know.
So I would tell the parents that without a regular schedule/routine-- it seems to confuse their child's day. Just tell them that the child seems confused and has a hard time get acclimated each day and figurig out at which 'marker' point they are arriving because it varies too much day by day. Ask them if they think that you could nail down a more exact schedule because you think it could make the child's day much smoother
I am going through something weird like this right now...
Parents and I agreed during our interview that dad could pick dck up closer to 6pm on some Mondays, as his hours vary, and the mom works late every Monday evening. I agreed to this because mom was picking up before 5pm every other day, and I close at 5:30 - it was an extra favour.
HOWEVER - dck is now consistently being picked up at 5:30 now, despite her mother having the same hours at work. Dad always does pick up, and often shows up telling dck that "mommy is waiting at home", or "daddy went home and made dinner, so it's all ready".
Grr....I agreed to the late occasional Monday to accomodate their work schedule, not so that they could go home and sit around while I worked overtime for free! This is one of many reasons I am considering terminating them - just as soon as I work up the nerve...sigh.
This is why I try not to say when I close I ask what time will you be dropping off/picking up and then if it doesn't work for me I let them know. My hours are 7-5, one girl though on the dad's days doesn't get picked up till 5:30 same thing started getting out of control, I told them they needed to start being on time. I had another girl to that started happening with I almost quit in the spring because of the stress you need to tell them they have to be at your place for such and such a time change your hours even just say now I will be closing at 5pm. Good Luck it is hard but the stress was awful they were driving me nuts soo disrepectful!!
My hours are 7 - 4:45pm and I don't allow anyone to be later than 4:45. At the first interview I explained that I'm not flexible on my closing time. I've got children, homework, dinner...basic family stuff. My day is nearly 10 hours long and that's plenty. I did have one family who I interviewed say that 4 days out of the month they would need to pick up at 5:15pm and I said "sorry I can't do it".
That's one of the things I just won't budge on. I made the mistake once a while ago, when a family asked if they could bring their child a little earlier in the morning and they would pick up earlier. So we agreed to a 6:45 start and they said they would pick up 4:15. Well they did the 6:45 start but didn't come till 4:45. So I stopped that and since then have refused to negotiate my times.
With that said, if there's a winter storm and parents are a few minutes late...I'm okay with that. But if there is a winter storm, they should know to leave a lot earlier to get here on time.
I think you should say something...or ask a question.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alphaghetti
Just ask them "by the way...I wanted to ask you about the pickup schedule. I think you initially said only Mondays would be an issue but lately it seems some of the other days have gotten later too. Is there something that has changed? Our nights get pretty busy around here so I just want to make sure we are on the same page."
I don't charge late fees as we cannot control traffic, transit or weather however with that being said I would hope that parents have the common sense to call me if they are going to be late. I haven't had too much of an issue yet but the few times I did I sent an email to the parent (therefore avoiding a confrontation) stating that I really need the parent to make sure they pick up on time or I was going to start charging late fees.
As for your other problem about the family who picks up at 6 once a week....every family has different needs and if you feel that you want to go ahead and accomodate them then do so (each family doesn't need to know the details of the terms you have put in place.
I agree with Spixie33. If you don't address the concern right away then it may only get worse and you could get taken advantage of.
Please tell me how I can say something without upsetting people ..when one of my families first started they said on the occasion it may be a 5:15 pick up as I close at 5 now it is consistantly 20 /25 after the child is tired and getting hungery for his dinner and my family is choppin at the bit for their dinner and we have activities in the evening that we have to rush out for I really don't want to upset them but I am starting to feel taken advantage of :(
This is why I simply will not accept someone into care who does not fit into my hours. So, if, like you I closed at 5pm I just would NOT accept anyone who could not pick up before 5pm. I would pass on those clients.Quote:
Originally Posted by mamaball
In the interview if I have someone say, "What is your late policy? We are going to try really hard to be here by 5pm but it's might be hard some days" then they get a ...............NEXT! That is a red flag to me and I would NOT take them on.
So, now that you are here and have made the mistake of allowing this thus far the only thing you can do is simply make it stop. Put your foot down, tell them NO and go from there. If they can work it out and be there by 5pm then they can stay. If they can't then they go.
I state in my contract that parents will be charged $1 a minute for late pick up.
ALSO-I agree with Judy. I had a family come in and during interview say they would usually pick up at 4:30 but sometimes it would 5:30pm and I just let the know that my daycare closes at 5pm and they would have to pick up by 5pm because that's when I close.
I also find it to be a bad sign if a parent asks about late fees in the initial interview; it shouldn't be of a major concern if you are planning to be on time. I let those parents go on their way and fill the space with someone who has no problem with my hours.