Trouble with a Mom

[Inspired by Reggio]

Glad you found a compromise that works Kidlove.

I am another one who discusses the fact that I do field trips and outings during the phone interview because I would not want to bother having an in person interview with someone who is uneasy about their child being off site as outings are a large part of my emergent curriculum ~ being able to go out and investigate the community we live in hands on ... my clients all sign consent forms for off site trips via walking, public transit and/or my vehicle with a specific section on the car seat position their child is currently 'eligible' for and this gets updated everything their child changes so rear facing to forward facing to high back booster options.

As for attending appointments during the work day ~ if you give your clients a vote on if they were rather their kid tag along for a 10 minute appointment or you to CLOSE entirely they will almost always choose to send their kid to care and have them tag along to an appointment because unlike working in an 'office' where you taking a day off has minimal impact on anyone closing our childcare programs means THEY also have to take time off work or find alternative arrangements with a ripple effect.

Communication is key as always ~ I always give my clients a heads up if I have an appointment that cannot be rescheduled for after hours but that is not so 'personal' that having the crew along is an inconvenience and I have never had a client object and opt for the keeping them home.

[Cadillac]

Do you actually take the kids to your doctors appointments? I think you might need to think about your job and that although you did this to stay home it is still professional JOB. I would be pissed if you were taking my kids to your appointments or shopping because your job is to be with my kid.

I totally understand a school pick up or something like that but something about you saying that you HAVE to do stuff during daycare hours just doesn't sit right with me. I would never take my cliens children to appointments. There is always a way to make it work or a close early and thats that

[Inspired by Reggio]

Do you actually take the kids to your doctors appointments? ...

For appointments that I have CONTROL over booking the time and date I either choose after hours if the office is open or I book them ALL on the same day and take a personal day ... so the annual eye doctors, physical, dentists and so forth.

But when I do not have control over when the appointment is booked and 'rescheduling' will mean months longer to see someone than yes I have and do ~ I give my clients the OPTION to have their kid tag along if it is something quick and typically my mother or aunt joins me so that she can watch the kids at the park or take them for a timbit if the weather is not nice while I run in to the appointment and than we carry on with our day ~ if they do not want their kid tagging along they are free to come and pick them up and keep them home for sure! If I cannot get someone to 'help' me that day than I book the day off!

As most of my appointments the kids have tagged along to in the past were 'specialist follow ups' like the dermatologist and endocrinologist so not something I have control over booking and they take like two minutes for the Dr to ask a few questions and go over test results or to refill an annual script .... so to me it is a financial hardship and an inconvenience to clients by taking a whole day off or a half day for something so minor that takes less than 5 minutes out of the day ....if I worked out of the home this is something I could do on my lunch hour or break without inconveniencing anyone but as I am self employed I have to find balance ~ I save my time off for when I am too sick to actually work so that I pose minimal inconvenience to my clients ~ and they all seem to appreciate that about me

For me it is about finding a 'balance' of professionalism ... one of the largest cons any client choosing between a home based program and a centre program will share is that in home childcare the 'unreliability' of the provider and needing too much time off work is what makes them choose 'centre' care over our model ~ I want to minimize that con for clients where I can and be seen as professional in that I am THERE for the clients and if that means they agree to have their kid tag along to something so be it.

I have peers who take their daycare kids to the school concerts and even on school field trips so they can be 'there for their own kids' while still not having to close and inconvenience their clients ~ personally I think that is an awesome compromise as long as the clients are cool with it ... one of the great things about home childcare is its 'flexibility'!

These are all practices I make clear during the interview so obviously a potential client with your concerns would not sign a contract with a program like mine and that is cool ~ awesome thing about home based childcare is everyone is able to have a different business model so that there are options out there for every clients values ... no need to be cookie cutter childcare where we are all the same

[Crayola kiddies]

I do have a transportation authorization that the parents do sign but in all honesty I don't go anywhere with them. I have it in case there was that one in a million chance that I only had one child for the day and I could go to a beach or splash pad or museum or something like that. But when the parents sign on they know that we spend our days here cause I live in a rural area that would require transportation to go anywhere. so if parents want their child to go to play groups, library, parks, OEY Centers this is not the daycare for them cause I don't drive a bus. I book my own appts for evenings and weekends as well as swimming lessons ect. I don't volunteer at my kids schools, or go to parent teacher meetings ( do them over the phone or hubby goes) cause I work .... It would be no different if I worked in an office I wouldn't be taking days off to go see a school concert.
I think I am one of the rare people that is not doing this job for my children .... I'm doing it for me .... Because I enjoy this and I need to have an income and because any job I have had before netted me less money and then I had to pay daycare, gas, lunches, clothes, my time sitting in traffic, ect. I make more money now then I ever have and I don't have to pay daycare or anything else and my commute is 15 steps.... I can't wait till next sept cause my youngest will be heading off to full day jk and my daycare will finally be mine because my child challenges everyone of my parenting skills.

[Inspired by Reggio]

...I think I am one of the rare people that is not doing this job for my children .... I'm doing it for me .... ....

You are not alone ~ I do not have any children at home and am doing this solely for ME .... I left working in centre care to work at home in order to have more control over my work environment, work life balance and health which is for me and benefits my family as well because I am well a BETTER HEALTHIER ME as a result

Like you after 20 years in the field I realized that I was working 100 times harder in a more stressful regimented environment caring for more than double the children and dealing with more STRESS and for much less money in my pocket at the end of the day.

I love working from home for ME in a happy enjoyable environment that is more authentically in tune with my child rearing and early learning philosophies than a 'centre' could ever be and not to mention that IMO my clients get a better individualized service for LESS than they would working in a centre ... yes their child might tag along on the occasional appointment but in exchange they have the same consistent caring caregiver from open to close and never have to worry about arriving to a 'stranger' they have never met caring for their child or not being able to communicate with someone who actually 'cared' for their child at pick up or drop off like regularly occurs in centres when staff take time off work for appointments

[mom-in-alberta]

I am glad that this situation worked out for you....
I personally cannot take in anyone who is NOT okay with me transporting when necessary.I have older kids, and sometimes we have to leave the house. I offer the use of my carseats, but will use theirs if they are more comfortable. I have extra liability insurance on my vehicle, and have them sign a transport waiver. But all of this is discussed up front. I can understand why someone may feel upset if it wasn't talked about. Although it sounds like they aren't reading the notices, etc and that is not your fault!