Sticking to your handbook rules, a vent

[kidlove]

alpha, I did have issues with one parent not paying on time and suggested she have an auto deduct from her paycheck every payday! she was thrilled due to the fact that she didn't have to remember to pay anymore, I was thrilled to get paid on time every payday!

[3belles]

Personally I have an opening and closing time for my daycare, and I stick to it. I don't have different hours, for different families. That said, of course they don't come at the exact same time, but if they were outside of their regular drop off time, but still within my hours, I don't find it a big deal.

If I had part-timers that by coming outside of scheduled ours, overlapped with each other, that would be a different story.

[Wonderwiper]

I would have to say that if bending yournown rules gets your goat then you have to stop doing it. The parents are not annoyed when they break the rules so it really only affects you.

I am open for 10 hours and don't care if you use 1 hour or all 10, you pay me the same.

I guess I am like sunnydays in that I can be very picky in terms of who I accept into my daycare. I am in a huge subdivision saturated with daycares and am full. I make it very clear in interviews that I am interviewing them just as much as they are me. I think that makes them take me seriously and people respect those who respect themselves.

I don't think you need to have a ton of rules. I have very basic expectations, most of which involve common respect and decency.

[daycaremum]

I think you did exactly what you should have done. You made her follow the rules that all your other families follow. She complied until she could find other arrangements with rules she liked better. That's all it is. It's nothing personal, she wanted to save money or have someone that would do whatever she wanted without being charged or questioned. I'm sorry you have lost income, but clients who don't want to follow the rules that are the same for all clients need to go elsewhere. Good riddance and good for you for standing up for yourself. You will eventually find another family that signs on and follows your policies without argument.

[playfelt]

I get that going to the gym is not work related but in a sense the parent is being punished for honesty. She could have lied and said she had to start working a half hour later on Tues and Thursday and therefore needed to ammend her contract accordingly. If she was still within the allowable hours of the daycare then all would have been well. But being honest saying she wanted to go the gym and needed to ammend her contract became the issue.

When there is a change in need the contract can be revisited by both parties with 2-4 weeks notice of the change depending on what you have written in. So parent for whatever reason can ask for an increase in hours of care and you can agree, not agree and tear up contract letting them move on to a caregiver that will accept their needs or offer a compromise of more hours for more fees or whatever. Not sure if the problem was what the parent wanted the extra time for ie the gym or if it was that the parent wanted to now move to a full day and was not willing to pay the full day rate.

That is one of the reasons my parents pay by the space and may use up to 10 hours of care so if you are lucky enough to be able to work through lunch and go to the gym and still get back to my house within 10 hours then fine - but after 10 the late fee kicks in and this is where my discretion comes in.This parent woud be charged overtime but the parent that works an hour away commute that faces heavy traffic and accidents and is late wouldn't be charged as in one had options and the other didn't.

[Jenny]

I personally prefer that people come for contracted hours versus when then want for however they want for two reasons, 1. Some families will take advantage and will come for the while time, that's fine for some providers but not me. And 2. If we're out and about or in the middle of an activity who's to say they won't pop in and out whoever they want, and even if they do provide notice, it's still a pain in the butt for scheduling activities and activities.
If they go over there time they pay late fees. If they want different hours they provide two weeks notice.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I am open from 730/745-5. I ask what hours they need care for and not to leave their child here any longer than needed. They are pretty good about letting me know if the hours need to change for the day or if a different parent is picking up (seems to be that all the dads work later shifts so if dad is picking up for whatever reason, its a later pick up) I don't charge a late fee until after 5 though but have only had to charge it a few times and it was all to one family.