Keeping kids after hours

[apples and bananas]

So, dad was supposed to be here no later then 6. At 610 I text mom as dad wasn't here. She responds 10 min later telling me it will be another 20 min. So, that puts him here at 640.

I'm already super late for my appointment.

What would you do? How would you handle this?

[Inspired by Reggio]

....What would you do? How would you handle this?

Its a challenge because up to this point your policy of flexible hours and allowing them to 'change and extended' them without additional fee or negotiation on your part just them 'telling you' and not having clear 'hours of operation and late pick up policies' have given them the impression that THEY are in charge and this is ACCEPTABLE and therefore it is going to be hard to break that without conflict on both your parts - if you want this to STOP you are going to have to get FIRM about your hours of operation that you serve clients, about sticking to the contracted hours they agreed upon and charging MORE if they are regularly using more than a normal 8-9 hour day cause they are wanting you to work overtime for FREE, plus a STIFF late fee for being late past their contracted time AND I would add a clause that while you empathize that on occasion emergency might arise that result in a client being a 'few minutes late' and that is why you have the late fee to ensure you are compensated for those rare times that repeated lateness of more than ONCE per year WILL result in immediate termination of your service contract and forfeiting of their security deposit!

They are not going to LIKE that hard stance on your part if you have up to this point been 'lenient' and sloughed it off and they might actually PULL on you however IMO if you do not stand up and say ENOUGH and treat your business like a business before you know it you will be raising those children for more than 12 hours a day for your normal daily fee you quoted back in the beginning - you will basically be working for FREE for this family once you've fed their kids for that many meals and so forth!

Sorry but as Crayola mentioned - I would not stand for being treated like that specially in my own home .... their behavior is screaming that they do not value or respect you - the person who is helping to raise their children for them and well sorry but that is just inexcusable!

[jec]

I don't think you saying you have flexible hours gives them the impresion to go over your hours of operation. Flexible hours to me is that your flexible during those hours your open. I think they are taking advantage. Would they expect a store they go grocery shopping to stay open for them past their hours of operation because they are running late and need them to be more accomidating. They know when you close and that isn't or wasn't up for misunderstanding
However...if they seemed to misunderstood that and I would give them notice today what your meaning of flexible hours are if your planning on giving them another chance.