Greetings, daycare mamas! I hope everyone is having a lovely autumn day.

I got a call just now from the mother of an almost-two-year-old boy that I look after. I've been looking after him for about four weeks now, so he is still on his trial period for the rest of the week.

I get paid two weeks in advance, every second Monday. So this coming Monday is when parents would pay me for the next two weeks. I have a $20/day late fee policy which is very clearly laid out in my Parent's Handbook.

Well, the boy's mom called me this morning (I don't know why she didn't just ask when she dropped him off an hour ago) from her work, asking me if she can wait until next Friday to pay me (instead of Monday). She said that it's because her power got shut off because she couldn't afford to pay it, and because her son's birthday is tomorrow and she needs to use the money for that.

A friend of mine who knows her told me she is going through a pretty brutal divorce right now, so I feel for her. It can't be easy, and she's got two other boys in school already. I want to help her out, but at the same time, I have bills to pay too, and I count on getting all my payments on the same day so that I can budget things properly and stay organized, plus pay my own bills.

Should I a.) allow her to pay me the full payment on Friday and tell her not to worry about the late fees this time, or b.) don't allow it, and if she doesn't pay me on time, charge her the $20/day late fee or c.) insist that she pay at least half on Monday and the other half on Friday -- and if she doesn't pay by Friday, tell her I won't take her son until she pays the rest?

I'm a Christian woman, and charity is important to me. So is being loving to others. But at the same time, I'm running a business - I'm a licensed home day care and this is my sole means of income (yes I have a husband who makes good money but he doesn't pay my phone bill, and I like to contribute with groceries, my daughter's RESP, my own savings account, and I have car insurance and payments, etc.).

Thoughts? Thanks in advance, everyone!