New to daycare...Regretting my Rates & Policies

[mom-in-alberta]

I can just hear Judy (justthebabysitter) scolding me now for what I have gotten myself into!!
Any and all input is more than welcome!! Thank you so much!

Hahahaha..... funny!

Anyway, it's late but I can't sleep, so I will address a couple of your points. Firstly; this business, like any other, is a fair amount of trial and error, until you find your niche. You will figure out what the best age group is, what policies work or don't work, etc over time. Unfortunately, it means that sometimes you find yourself in a situation that, well, sucks!

1/2. Personally, I would find it tough to raise the rates on parents you already provide care for. You gave them the rate, and it's a little soon to be bumping it up on them, I think. That said, you need to make money and you gotta do what you gotta do. Increase your rates if you feel you must, or just do it for future clientele. I would for sure nip the half-hour/ pay-by-the-minute stuff in the bud. I don't actually charge hourly, I charge monthly for full-timers or daily for part-timers. Common in my area, and what they really pay for is the SPOT, not x number of hours. Parents pick up and drop off at agreed upon times.

3. Politely ask mom and dad for an extra set of clothing for the warmer weather. These goofs are probably dressing her for the temperature at 6:30 am, and forgetting that the day gets warmer. I would straight up tell them that little girl is uncomfortable when you play outside, etc.

4. I don't provide breakfast. I know some providers do, but I don't. Your child should be arriving here dressed, fed and ready for the day. You don't grab them from the crib and bring them over, and then let me deal with it. I would either ask the drop off parent daily "has she had breakfast?" and when it's a constant "no" tell them flat out that you don't serve it, or mention that she seems hungry before snack time in the morning, and perhaps they can give her a little extra in the morning, since by the time she arrives your family has eaten already, so she doesn't get a chance for a little while.

5. Heck, no I wouldn't be ok with them showing up 20 min early!! My hours are my hours, and I would remind this family of when you are "open". If you want to make the point, then I would let them stand there until 7. Whether you say it outright, or pointedly look at your watch and say "oh, sorry I didn't hear you right away I was still getting ready". Either way, I wouldn't allow it to continue either.

6. Congratulations on your pregnancy!! I am also expecting (#4) and due in September. So I am dealing with this issue as well. I also feel bad about taking extra days off, but it has to be done! I am upfront with parents about the need for back-up care (whether I am pregnant or not). I give them as much notice as possible, and I have had other people stay with the kids. I already cleared this with the parents, and I think they would rather I do that than shut down the whole day.

Ultimately the fact is; we need to communicate with parents in this career. It's not always fun or easy, but it's more than necessary. I find that if I am having a tough time discussing something face to face, I do it in print. My monthly newsletter is a great way to remind parents of our hours of operation, or please bring sunscreen and a hat, etc. Or I will post a sign. Once that has been done, it's easier to bring it up, if you still need to.