Sticking to your handbook rules, a vent

[Stacey55]

I think that I am pretty reasonable and flexible with my dc parents, I have never charged a late fee in all the years I have done daycare. I think most parents are appreciative of my daycare servces. I understand that at times parents are late due to traffic and at times a meeting at work will run late, but I did draw the line this time since the dc parent wanted to go to the gym, that is not work related or traffic related and where did it get me? lost revenue. I feel that she was trying to take advantage.

It's sad because her little guy really loved coming here and would cry when it was time to leave. I hope her other daycare will be a better fit to her gym hours.

Anyway maybe we are too soft, but being hard azzed has it's disadvantages, as I found out.

Have a great day ladies and again thanks for your responses.

[Inspired by Reggio]

.........I should make the parents pay every single time they are late with fees or for pick up, otherwise they're going to get bent out of shape when I *suddenly* ding them with extra fees, whereas if I enforced it every time, including the first time they are late, they would expect it, and not make a fuss.

What do you all think? What do you all do?

I personally would NEVER let anything slide that I know if it became a 'habit' in my program I would become stressed ... aka anything that is my 'deal break' ... late payment of fees, late pick up, not having the proper clothing here, not arriving to care by 9 am and so forth ... if anything like that occurred in my program I would address it right than and there with the client just like I would with a child because I agree that consistent enforcement is KEY to having people treat you the way you want be treated!

IMO clients or adults are no different than children in this respect .... when you do not address poor behavior right away than yes clients start to assume that it is 'allowable' behavior despite the policy that states otherwise and than will get frustrated when you suddenly crack down with the inconsistency of having been 'allowed' to behave like that!

Think of them like children who grow up with inconsistent rules about jumping on the couch for example cause I see that in lots of home so it is something we can all relate to ~ most families have a 'no jumping on furniture' rule ... however in many homes children experience the following .... Monday I was allowed to jump on the couch and you ignored me, Tuesday I was allowed to jump on the couch and you ignored me so why TODAY are you all up in my face about jumping on the couch ~ go away and let me jump on the couch cause it is fun .... promptly followed by a huge tantrum of anger from the child if you do not actually LET them jump on the couch and more than likely next day they will 'try to jump on the couch' hoping it is the day that it gets 'ignored again'

IMO an adult who actually gets pissy about being called on their poor behaviour, even when they know it was wrong, is still in that same childhood mentality of entitlement ~ yes I know it is wrong but you let me do it for so long I feel entitled to do it now cause it worked for Me and so I am going to throw a tantrum when you tell me NO and than I will likely keep 'trying' to ignore that rule in future in hopes it is another day you will 'ignore it' .... however when the child is consistently sent the message we never jump on the couch they eventually stop 'trying' to jump on the couch and accept that yes indeed this is the way things are here ... and this is what needs to happen in your program if you do not want to constantly be dealing with poor client behaviour!

However that said while I do 'address it' right away it does not mean I enforce the 'consquence' of the policy right away .... I also use compassion and common sense as guiding factors as well cause sometimes shit does happen beyond our control that makes us act disrespectfully when that was no our intent!

So I do a 'one reminder' practice with most things in my program if the client honestly 'forgot' and was apologetic and so forth when they realized they'd been disrespectful to something they'd 'agreed to' in their contract ~ when they get the reminder they are told 'if this happens again X will happen' so it is CLEAR the behavior will not be tolerated!

IMO there is no point having a policy in place if you are not going to enforce it consistently and no point in having a policy if there is no 'consequence' for violating the policy cause in the absence of a 'consquence' it is not a policy it is technically just a REQUEST and that leaves it up to the client to choose not to do it .

So for example instilling a late fee for being LATE is not actually a deterrent to preventing clients from 'being late'! In fact for many clients paying the late fee makes them feel 'entitled' to BE LATE whenever they want

So unless you LIKE the overtime you need more to the policy than that if you do not want to deal with clients being late, if it stresses you out and causes your family inconvenience on a regular basis you need a 'X strikes your out' policy that makes it clear that repeated 'lateness' will result in termination of the contract and forfeiting of their security deposit and than you need to be prepared to enforce it should they try to push late behavior on you!

[crafty]

I would have done the same thing... up my fees. I am felxible when an emergency happens and whatever and I have never charged late fees ...yet. However too me you were reasonable in your demands. This prent to me seems very selfish. Not by wnating to go to the gym but that fact that thsi person is willing ot pu the stress on her child by changing daycares and routine and all SIMPLY for that fact... Anyway if it was me I would have simply have tried to find some other time to visit the gym or have someone pick up or PAID the fee. I use to have an HOUR commute before I would pick my child up at daycare and NEVER were we late to pick her up and if I did expect to be late because of whatever reason my husband was on standby and my daycare was advised. During this whole year we never picked up late no matter what so... to each is own and that I know but I think you were reasonable.

[Momof4]

Stacey, I think you are better to be rid of this family because a mother who would rather go to the gym morning and night than spend time with her child is selfish. And she is taking advantage of you in the process. Good for you for sticking up for your rights.

Alphagetti, I enforce my late fees all the time but I wouldn't judge you for doing what you feel is best. We shouldn't lecture each other or TELL each other what to do. We are here to support and give advice because we had a certain experience that we can share to try to help. We all run our daycares differently. It's been my experience that if you enforce your late fees once or twice the parents smarten up! I don't like working overtime because I still have 2 sinks full of dishes, floors, laundry, wiping up the bathroom, interviews sometimes, at the end of the day, then get ready for the next day. No, we work long, long days so we should take care of ourselves as best we can.

[kidlove]

I have found, all people are so different, that you can attempt to stick to your contract as much as possible but due to the fact that all are different, I have to be a touch flexible while trying to stay "firm" with some parents. Perfect example, I have a set of parents who at least twice a month, pay late...I will send a reminder on the last day payment is accepted and they will run to their computer and send payment immediately...the way I see it, is...if they pay right away after reminder, everything is ok. Some of you may view that as grounds for a late fee...these particular parents are great people and I have had their kids for over 3 years, I pick my battles..they do pay me each week, but not usually until after a reminder. I consider that situation to be a battle I choose not to fight, they do pay when I remind so I have come to the realization that I will need to remind as long as they are in care, it's not worth hard feelings or termination. I also have a set of parents who will always drop off late and pick up late even if it's by 10-15 minutes....they are not timely people....I remind on occasion and will sometimes give a late fee to get things back on track, but again.....I pick my battles and that too is one I don't always want to fight, I also have had their kids for about 3 years and they a great people.

[mom-in-alberta]

I agree with kidlove... you need to know where your "hard line" is.
I have the parents write into the contract their expected hours of care. If someone tells me 6:45-4:00, and shows up once at 4:15, I am willing to let sleeping dogs lie. Should it become a habit, I would ask "I have noticed pick-up has been a little later, do you anticipate that being a permanent thing?". As long as it is within my hours, and I am aware, then fine. But the day that they show up at 4:45 (15 min after close), with not a word of explanation, that would be it. I would remind them of my hours, and ask that it not happen again. The next time it did? Late fee, absolutely.
Having said that, I have a family returning from mat leave next month, that I will be staying "open" for an extra 15 min, the 2 days a week that they are here. I offered that, because I changed my hours in the year that they have been away. They are a later drop off, and I know that if I needed the kids picked up earlier, I just have to ask mom. She is a parent worth keeping around, and has become a friend, in addition.

[mom-in-alberta]

Oh, and to add to that.... I know it's hard, but try to be grateful that parent is gone. Do you really want to work with someone who puts a greater value on going to the gym (I understand once a day, but TWICE?) over spending time with her child? Or a parent that clearly did not value your time, or your policies?
Good riddance!!

[Fearlessbaby]

Yes that is the tough balance ~ finding what the market can bare for your area in regards to hours, fees and so forth and what you need for your income!

For me to address this issue cause I was open 10.5 hours when I stated and found the same thing ... clients who slowly over time were here longer and longer than they initially said they 'needed' and even though my contract stipulated fees were 'based on a 9 hour day' you were always dealing with the 'reminder' of that fact with those few clients ... so now I am only OPEN 9 hours a day ... so all my clients I choose to attract are basically needing 7:30 - 4:30 care and than if they need care earlier or later it is contracted right from the start at the additional 'fee' which is a strong motivator for families to figure out a way to keep their child within the '9 hours' by having one parent drop off and the other pick up or for the single parents enlisting grandma or someone to help

Something to think about b4 I open- I now have 10.5 hours stated on my contract (7:30-6) but if parents are going to try and take advantage of me and keep their kids there all day, I may have to rethink my stated hours and change it to 5:30pm. The last thing I want is a power struggle with parents- I think we all just want to be respected,,,, I think Stacy55 was right to stick to her guns- we can't let parents walk all over us- what we do is the most important job in the world and parents better respect our time!

[Fearlessbaby]

Why not suggest paying with post-dated cheques for those parents who pay late?

[Sandbox Sally]

I hate cheques. I don't accept them as payment any more. I never set foot inside a bank. With the daycare, three school aged kids of my own and extracurriculars, I just don't want another weekly errand, you know?

My issue is less about parents picking up late and more about them paying me a day or two late, as if I am an afterthought. I have groceries to buy, and bills to pay, and if I don't have that money, I can't do these things. The grocery thing - I am supposed to be paid on Fridays by 6pm, and often there will be a parent or two who have to be reminded on Sunday night. Now, my grocery shopping money is in my account on Sunday night or Monday morning, and with four/five daycare kids, who has time to shop during the week?

So, the problem is, parents don't seem to take my pay seriously. As I've said before, I am sure they pay their other bills on time, because they have a penalty if they don't.