How do you deal with Pick Up Time vs. Closing Time?

[Lou]

Hi Ladies!
Just curious to see how others deal with this!
My hours of operation are between 7:30am and 5:30pm, but of course parents have different work schedules and therefore different drop off and pick up times. On Mondays, one of my dc families Mom drops them off at 9:30am and the Dad picks them up at 4:30 when he gets off work. It's been this way since they started in October. Well, yesterday, he didn't show up until 5:15 and was in casual clothes. His 6 yrs old called him out on it saying "hey! you went home!", and he was all like "Yep, I went home for a bit". I didn't say anything, except to give him a bit of a quick and quiet push out the door lol (I'm usually chatty at pick up and so is he), but I also don't know if I'm really in the right to say anything since I'm open until 5:30.
How would you ladies handle this kind of thing?

[Lou]

And if you would say something, how would you word it?? Thanks!

[apples and bananas]

Good questions... I've had the same problem. I was origionally open until 6 when I started care. I then had a group where no one needed me past 5:30 so I re wrote my hours, but didn't feel the need to hand them out as no one needed past then.

I simply don't post hours anymore. I advertise "flexible hours" And my contract is based on hours they need at the time of signing up.

I can't help you with how to deal with it as I simply just sent out my revision when someone came after 5:30. Anxious to see what other's say though.

[Inspired by Reggio]

My fees are based on nine hours - so as long as they are under nine hours I do not really care if they go home first or not cause I get for some cleints in some industries it is just easier to 'clean up first' I have a few dads in construction and they STINK this time of year and are covered in yuck sticking to their skin I do not blame them for wanting to shower in peace first .... HOWEVER

Routine and consistency are important to children and I stress this throughout all my policies ... so if their normal routine is to go home at X time and a client wants to do an errand or something they need to let me KNOW ahead of time so that I can prepare the child for the 'change' in routine so that stress and anxiety they feel over seeing others go home before them and so forth its lessened because if I am NOT informed than I too am feeling stress and anxiety over 'did something happen, were they in an accident' and kids can pick up on that

It is RESPECTFUL to take the two seconds to CALL and say 'I am running a little late today and will not be there until X time' and as long as that is within their 'nine hours' of care so be it and I can just support the child with what to expect as a result of the 'change' ... if it were past my CLOSE time than there would be an extended overtime fee associated with the extra overtime and work entailed

Personally since they are not past your 'close time' and under the nine hours I would just tell the dad ... I empathize with your desire to shower or run a quick errand however if you could drop me a text or call and leave a message so that when your normal pick up time passes I can double check and be able to put your child and my mind at ease that everything is cool and you are on your way just running late' ... and I would use that time to remind 'if you go over nine hours of care my overtime rate is X per minute or whatever you have in place

[Inspired by Reggio]

I also changed my hours of operation to be 7:30 - 4:30 and extended hours before or after that are as contracted on an individual basis ... cause when I was open for 10.5 hours people felt it was fine to drop off later than contracted and than stay for their full nine hours still when I was not 'expecting' it and should have been done 'earlier' that day and had made plans based on that!

All those 'minor' things when it is one person who does it occassionally that turn into a huge MAJOR issue when suddenly all clients think it is ok to be doing and before you know it you have no routine or consistency and you have stressed children at drop off and pick up time who are acting out with negative behavior as a result

[Momof4]

I have a dcDad who does that every day - drops off his child in his suit in the morning and comes back 8 1/2 hours later in his comfy clothes. He has so obviously been home while his son has been here for the last hour of the day and everyone else has gone home. It annoys the heck out of me and I have to consciously remember not to resent the child because his parents must feel that they need to get their money's worth of my time.

The hours are within my 9 hour limit and within my hours of business so I can't say a thing. However, I do have that boy ready to go out the door with his things and we are waiting for that Dad at the door. In the meantime I'm doing my end of the day cleaning around the little boy and getting started on my evening chores. If this continues as the boy grows I may have to get a broom his size so he can be my little CinderFella!

In other words, I do NOT entertain the little boy or run any kind of program after all the other children have gone home, he is just free playing, poor guy.