I am so glad you came on this forum so some of us providers can give you an idea of why your provider's rules are the way they are. I also have the same kind of rules with regards to coming and going and I know many others here do as well. The reason she wants your child to arrive by 11am would be so that he can have lunch, have a little time to play before naptime and not disrupt naptime or lunchtime with his arrival. This is for his benefit too because if he were to arrive right at naptime, it would be hard for him to arrive and go straight for nap with no time to settle in first. As for the pick-up time, again, you could have been talking about my policy...I have exactly the same policy...no pick-ups before 3:15. That is because of naptime...when a parent arrives during naptime, it tends to wake many of the kids up leading to overtired, grumpy chidlren all afternoon and no break for the caregiver. It is also not good for your own child as he will have to be jolted awake from his nap and whisked out the door...it throws his routine right off. As a provider with many children in our care, we work very hard to get the children on a consistent routine that is dependable for them and helps them know what is coming next which gives them a sense of security and comfort. A huge part of this is napping at the same time every day and for approximately the same length of time. Then they know when they wake up it will be diaper change time and then snacktime, etc. It really helps the kids settle in and thrive if they know what to expect. I think you should actually be very happy that your provider has put these rules in place to protect the childrens' rest period as well as their routine. It shows that she is a dedicated and professional caregiver. I am sure you wouldn't want your baby's nap interupted by another child being picked up during that time...leading to him being cranky and miserable by the time you pick him up. Perhaps you were thinking that a home daycare provider would be more like a babysitter...more casual. If that is what suits you more, maybe you could look into a casual nanny or babysitter. But as far as daycare providers, soley based on what you have said, yours sounds like a very good one who is providing for the needs of all of the chidlren in her care...which means she must enforce rules so that everyone is forced to place the needs of the kids first.


Quote Originally Posted by 1kidmama View Post
Yeah, ok. But she has certain times that I cannot drop off or pick up eithier, and she texted me about those and told me if I did not drop offf within that window that she would not be answering the door buzzer, so I had to drop him off by 11 which was like 2.5 hours before my shift, which...uh I don't know about.

I have to drop off by 11 or not come at all, and I can't pick him up before 3:15..

As for her holidays she takes 2 weeks paid and 3 weeks unpaid (it used to be 2 and 2) and I am not charged for any personal time that she can't get a fill in for.....

As for he rates they are pretty much the same, and she is one of the only providers to give part time spaces...

I just am -- not much for being told when I can and cannot come, or being told pay for a regular spot or else... I dunno. She's nice about it, and shes an awesome daycare, but her handbook and stufff makes her seem very stuffy tbh.