Quote Originally Posted by Lee-Bee View Post
I have really great parents that always bring what I request, right away. They leave plenty of extra clothes and full sleeves of diapers. But I do find that almost all of them don't think to send back a change of clothes when one is sent home. I often think if a pair of pants go home doesn't it make sense to send a pair the next day so we always have the same number of extra outfits here. But, the reality is that the families get home, make dinner while entertaining a tired child, do bedtime routine and get their kid to bed. Wake up and rush through morning routine. I think they truly just don't think of it. So, I just make sure to send home that text saying I need a restock of ___, before I am fully out. Not a big hassle on my part.

But, it would be a big hassle if they only gave one days worth of diapers at a time or one pair of pants. Perhaps they are low on funds and don't want to send too many? I also wonder if perhaps the families that are low on funds don't change their child as often as we do. I change diapers pretty much every 2hrs as that is just what works best with our schedule. Pretty sure families at home may change only every 3-4hrs (I use cloth so don't know for sure). If this is the case, they may feel you are wasting the diapers and costing them too much?
That's what my husband and i have thought about some kids i have cared for. Maybe money is the issue for *some* That's why they only send a few diapers at a time, or just one change of clothes, or clothes that are too small/too big, old beat up shoes, ask to pay you after pay day, etc. I don't hesitate to remind them when my pay day is, or that i need more supplies for their kids. Luckily, i also have good parents now who always have extra diapers/clothes on hand. They all leave diaper bags here because they use them all the time, as well as supplies here, so it's rare that i actually run out of something, and if i do, the babies both use Pampers size 6 so i will just use one from the other kid, or vice versa . I too don't wait until i am all out, i usually remind parents a week in advance. They usually bring at least a sleeve or a whole box of diapers to me with 1/2 refill bags (100) of wipes.

I like to have 2-3 changes of clothes on hand for the children. I don't advertise this, but if i am doing laundry during the day, i will wash the kid's pants if they get dirty, wet etc. no effort on my part really.