Hours of operation

[sandylynn]

oh...p.s. This father WORKS OUT OF THE HOUSE...PRETTY MUCH SHOWS UP WITH HIS CHILD IN HIS PJ'S.....ONE DAY HE CAME AT 7:05 ...when I questioned him he said..."YA..SORRY... .SHE WAS IN A HURRY AND RUSHED ME!!!! (THE CHILD WAS A YEAR OLD)???? I THEN ASKED HIM..."OH...DID SHE DRIVE THE CAR HERE TOO"....I'm telling you....it's parents like this that make you want to just throw your hands up in the air....

[CrazyEight]

oh sandylynn that sucks! I have a child who's father works from home too, and looks after baby brother (16 months) at the same time...but still sends 4-yr-old dcg to me 3x a week. They base it over mom's schedule, which I understand, but I get pretty pissed when they ask me to keep her an HOUR later until mom is done work, when I know dad is already at home and could easily pick her up at regular pickup time, it just wouldn't be as "convenient" for them.

I am starting to realize there is a difference between clients that really NEED care and clients that just WANT it, if that makes sense. Clients that have a steady, full-time work schedule for both parents obviously NEED me, and they tend to appreciate me more than clients who are simply using me for "convenience" or to "give mom a break." In future, if I have a choice (which I probably won't, but one can dream I think I'll be trying to find clients who really need care, and hopefully that will stem the flow of people who, despite my warnings, continuously just don't show up, or show up hours late, or pick up late with no notice.

My hours are 7-5, which I recently shortened from 5:30...I agree with the rest, that last half hour was torture, especially when you're trying to get dinner started and clean up the kitchen after the tornado of craft time. It didn't help that my "problem" kids were here from 7-5:30 (or later) every day, even when their parents were off for the day or got done earlier. I am all for helping a client out every now and again, but when it just became an abuse of my lenience, it was one more nail in the coffin to terminate them.

[sandylynn]

Thank you CrazyEight for your reply....there is no question that we are one of the most underpaid...and taken advantage of businesses out there...I remember many years ago...I had a couple approach me to look after their little one but asked if I would consider charging less with no receipt...they said they would struggle weekly to pay my rate....and that they would rather have the lower rate weekly instead of getting it all at once at tax time...RELUCTANTLY.. .I agreed....STUPID STUPID STUPID...These people shook my hand on this agreement....not only did they claim me (and yes I was wrong to do this)....but she had the audacity to show up at my home the day after she asked for the receipt (cra audited her)....are you kidding me....help parents out...never again....WHO PUTS THEIR CHILD SECOND,....I WAS THE CHILD'S 2ND MOTHER....we loved that little boy....if you could have seen this child's face when I told him not to take his shoes off and that he wouldn't be staying...the mother was shocked! She says "well you could have told me you would not take him anymore...I wouldn't have gotten ready to go to the gym now"....SERIOUSLY! Maybe you could have told me how you were going to BACK STAB YOUR DAYCARE PROVIDER...when she was kind enough to fall for your BS sob story...she ruined for all parents that come here...I trust NO ONE...don't like the contract...go elsewhere...absolute ly NO EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULES IN THE FUTURE....

[mickyc]

sandylynn - I suggest changing your hours. They said they needed care at 8 and other child starts at 7:45 then switch your hours to 7:30 or 7:45. Also no children showing up in PJ's!! This is something I do not allow!! They must be ready for the day when they get here. Also enforce the rule that your door will be locked and not answered until your opening time. You come at 7:05 then stand outside or sit in your car until I open my door.

[Blackcat3168]

I do not have standard open and close hours. I require parents to contract for specific times.

If a parent works from 9-3 I contract with them from 8:30-3:30 and do NOT allow them to use anymore hours than that.

I bill parents according to their contracted pick up times and consider them late (and charge a late fee) if they do not pick up at their contracted pick up time....even if I still have other children in care past 3:30.

Each family MUST tell me the hours of care they need, we contract for that time ONLY and are billed accordingly.

This completely eliminates the child who is here from open to close. If I do have a child that is here all day, they are paying a MUCH higher rate than the others so it is worth it to me.

I also charge more for any time (in 15 minute increments) beyond 9 hours per day.

I know EXACTLY when I need to start work each day and when I will be done each day. Some days, I am done as early as 3:00. I am actually making more money now doing it this way than I did when I was simply open from 6:30-5:30 and had every kid here the whole day every day.

My handbook reads "I do not have standard open to close hours. I operate on contracted hours only. I am not willing to contract for services before 6:30 a.m. or after 5:30 p.m."

[sandylynn]

Lol micyc....it wasn't the child in the pajamas...it was the father!

[sandylynn]

He obviously rolls out of bed...and gets the child here as early as he can get away with!

[mickyc]

OMG!! I would definitely be changing your hours!!

[jodaycare]

I am open 6 am to 5pm for two weeks of the month and 6:30 to 5 the other two weeks. On the early weeks, I have one that comes at 6 and leaves at 3:30. two others arrive at 6:30 and they leave between 4:15 and 4:30, one arrives at 7:45 and leaves at 4:45 and my last one arrives between 8:30 and 9 and leaves at 5. In Sept, I will start at 6 am everyday except Wednesdays and my last one will still leave at 5.

[mickyc]

OMG jodaycare - how can you not be burnt out! There is no way I would work that many hours in a day.