Doctors appointments, etc

[Starshine]

What do you do when you or your own child has a doctor/dentist appointment and you can't schedule it for the evening/weekend? Do you close for the day, or part of the day? Do you have someone else watch the daycare kids? Do you take them with you to the appointment?

I (unexpectedly) need to see my doctor and the only time I could get in to see her is in the morning one day next week. I'm unsure how to handle this.

[Inspired by Reggio]

For me it depends on the nature of the appointment, if I have any paid personal days left in my contract or if I can budget for the closure, if back up support is available for the time the appointment is for.

Basically I have done ALL those things you mentioned depending on the circumstances

So because I do not want the kids in tow for my physical for example I take the day off for that and than try to book as many other things that day cause it is planned ahead so can be 'coordinated' better ... like my annual eye check up and a dental cleaning and things which I cannot 'watch' the kids while having done so could not take them to that and so forth.

My family Dr is over an hour a way cause I can not find one in my new city so if I am going for something 'simple' in and out like checking my thyroid and refilling medications I have taken the crew with me there is an awesome children's museum there so I get an appointment for first thing in the morning pick my mother who lives there enroute and I do the appointment quick and she feeds them morning snack at the Tim Hortons nearby and than we spend the rest of the day in the museum and have lunch out and than drop my mom back home and than I drive home during last of normal 'naptime' and the kids sleep in the van ~ pm snack and pick up time.

If it is something I can book during 'quiet time' like slipping to the local walk in clinic or having to go for a 'test' or something I have had my spouse, who has great plan with sick day and family emergency days, come home and watch the kids while I fly to the appointment and back without interrupting the program much at all and little 'effort' for him to help out.

[mimi]

I am fortunate that my husband works nearby and will come and watch the kids should I have a medical app. I try to schedule my appointments after drop off or at afternoon nap. I will have a snack ready for him to serve should he need it. If you don't have anyone to do this, then I would schedule your app for the earliest in the day possible or the latest possible and tell the parents they must adjust their drop off/pick up times to accomodate you.

[Inspired by Reggio]

Forgot to add ~ I always INFORM clients of my choice well in advance ~ if they are not comfortable with their kids tagging along to the appointment or my spouse stepping in for an hour than they have the option of keeping them home or picking up prior to the event ~ but if I am open they still pay so I have never had a client not be 'ok' with whatever choice I make

[Dreamalittledream]

You've given me a thought. It would not be bad idea to plan in an appointment day, say once every 3 months or 6 months (depends on you) and plan all of your appointments that day....clients know way ahead of time (heck, it could even be in their contract). Hmmmmm

[Inspired by Reggio]

You've given me a thought. It would not be bad idea to plan in an appointment day, say once every 3 months or 6 months (depends on you) and plan all of your appointments that day....clients know way ahead of time (heck, it could even be in their contract). Hmmmmm

Yup there are appointments that you just have to do 'annually' and if you plan them well that you can get em all out of the way ... I book my 'next years' appointments when I am at the current years one so which ever one I got 'first' on that day I than book all the others for as I go to them ~ works awesome ... I generally also book them around the stupid 'Etest and license renewal' things that are not open outside my work hours OR the lines are too nasty on a Saturday and I squeeze them in ... so my 'appointment day' is typically close to my birthday each year which sucks for this year because it fell during my VACATION which I do not usually take these weeks but this is what worked this year cause I wanted to be home for August because I have spaces opening up and I need time to 'secure' new clients

[Spixie33]

I usually try for a weekend or evening appt.

Otherwise ...I close for the day and give the parents one month notice whenever possible.

It does suck to close and lose all the $$ for the day though so I try to make it on a day where I have the least amount of kids whenever possible

[apples and bananas]

Yes, I try to plan things way in advance! I have a walk in clinic my Dr. runs that I can go to at night if I need meds for something. I plan my annual stuff months in advance and let the parents know as soon as I know. I have a friend that can come and watch one or 2 so i give 1 or 2 the option, but I also have parents with great backup close by. So, they usually just keep their kids home.

I believe anything can be done if you have a good plan!

[Momof4]

Well, it's nice that Reggio can take her daycare children with her to a doctor's appointment, but when I was starting out in my first year I had an appointment and took my first two little ones with me. The doctor's wife (who rules the office with an iron hand) told me never to do that again! I think she was worried about noise, but I'm not sure. After all, there are kids in there all day to see the doctor.

Anyway, after I thought about it I realized she's right because why would I want to take my 5 daycare children to a doctor's office where there are tons of germs floating around from sick people.

[Inspired by Reggio]

Well, it's nice that Reggio can take her daycare children with her to a doctor's appointment, but when I was starting out in my first year I had an appointment and took my first two little ones with me. The doctor's wife (who rules the office with an iron hand) told me never to do that again! I think she was worried about noise, but I'm not sure. After all, there are kids in there all day to see the doctor.

Anyway, after I thought about it I realized she's right because why would I want to take my 5 daycare children to a doctor's office where there are tons of germs floating around from sick people.

Ya although my family Dr office has a nice large 'play area' for children so they likely would not care if I brought them in ~ they do not typically come in with me for this very reason unless it is an appointment where there are not 'contagious' sick people like the Dermatologist or my Urological Oncologist follow ups .... my mom either takes them to the Tim Horton's or they stay in the vehicle and watch a movie with her depending on the time of my appointment and if it is near 'snack' or not and the weather outside..... I have learned there are some 'questions' that are no fun having to answer for kids by having them tag along to stuff like this and as much as it sucks to inconvenience the parents sometimes it is just best which is why I added paid personal days to my contract so client know I will be taking time off and budget for that so I have less guilt