How Would You Feel About This?

[DaycareMom]

I have had 2 yo dcb for about 6 months. Love him and his parents. I only have one issue and it starting to really tick me off.

My earliest DCK comes at 7:45, but on days I have him, he shows up anywhere between 7 and 7:30. I don't mind as long as they let me know the night before what time they will be dropping off. I need as much sleep as I can get!

Well, yesterday, DCM texts me, "I will be dropping off ***X tomorrow morning so I will be there around 7:00 am." I text her back, "Ok, thanks for letting me know so I will be ready for you! See you tomorrow"

Well, I got up early and was ready for 6:58 am. DCD shows up at 7:30 am with DCB and no mention of the text or why mom didn't drop off or anything.

I guess it irritates me because I feel like she was just telling me to be ready for 7:00 am just in case she decided to drop off. I feel it's rude, disrespectful and selfish. She is not thinking of anyone but herself...

How would you feel?
Would you say anything?

[Sunshine44]

I can understand why this would bother you, it would bother me also. I would normally let it go because we cannot micromanage dcf's and things happen in the morning that we sometimes do not forsee. BUT I would definitely talk to the parents and let them know that if they say he will be there at 7, that they should text you/call you if for some reason he will NOT be there at 7. I think you deserve at least a call that says sorry, we are running behind or whatever.

[Sunshine44]

And I also understand the getting all the sleep you can stuff, but I think it would save you a lot of hassle to just be ready by 7am every morning. And if they don't come at 7, well, great you can hang out alone for a while!

[Texasjeepgirl]

I agree with previous post.. about being ready...
My daycare doesn't open till 7 a.m... but.. I wake up each day at 5...
I like to have 'my time' ..
I get up...walk straight to the coffee pot... make my cup of coffee and sit down to my computer...
EMAIL.. FACEBOOK... DAYCARE FORUM... MEXICO TRIP FORUM ... the 10 day weather forecast... enough time to wake up and drink as much of that coffee as possible...:ouch::ouch:

Then it's in the shower...out of the shower...blow dry hair... clothes.. makeup...and...at 6:45 I unlock the gate to my daycare parking area entrance... then I start cleaning out the guinea pig condo... vacuum... and... my first clients arrive anywhere between 7:05 and 7:20..

I tell ALL my clients... I DO NOT MIND opening the gate at 6:30... since by then I am already showered... dressed...and just working on hair/face... so.. a slightly early arrival is not a huge issue... I use the daycare bathroom for my morning getting ready anyway...so I'm already right here in the room...
However.. I'm not willing to open earlier than 6:30... why? because that would alter my morning routine too much.. I'd have to shower earlier... be dressed earlier... and frankly..I think offering to open at 6:30 a.m....when I close at 5:30 p.m.... 11 hours with no break.. is more than enough...

I would suggest you address the situation with the client and just be blunt... the EARLIEST I am willing to accept early arrivals is THIS time... especially due to the fact that there have been a few instances when you told me you would arrive at such and such time...I made the effort to be sure I was available for you at that time...then you were a NO SHOW...

[DaycareMom]

I understand that you all like to get up and have some me time but I much prefer my sleep. I have me time at nap time.

Even if I was up, it would still annoy me. It's more just the principal and complete disregard for my life and my time.

[Texasjeepgirl]

I FULLY agree with that...
That's why I said at the end.. address it with the client.. telll her exactly that... I must ALTER my schedule to accomodate your early arrival... then you are a NO SHOW...so... the earliest I will accept your child for drop off is THIS time..:o:o:o

[Texasjeepgirl]

I would say something to her ASAP...before it becomes an issue again... before she messages you again saying she will be dropping off at that time..
A letter? An email? or just tell her in person..
I'd just tell her..
My opening time for all other clients is THIS TIME...
I have been willing to open earlier but.. in the future.. blah blah blah

[spud912]

You could really get the point across by handing out a new policy that states "If parents/guardians have not dropped off child within 15 minutes of scheduled drop-off time (and no communication has been made to re-schedule an alternative drop-off time), provider will assume that child is a no-show and will not be accepted into daycare for the day." Then be prepared to turn child away when they come more than 15 minutes late. That should solve the problem.

[SunshineMama]

I have had 2 yo dcb for about 6 months. Love him and his parents. I only have one issue and it starting to really tick me off.

My earliest DCK comes at 7:45, but on days I have him, he shows up anywhere between 7 and 7:30. I don't mind as long as they let me know the night before what time they will be dropping off. I need as much sleep as I can get!

Well, yesterday, DCM texts me, "I will be dropping off ***X tomorrow morning so I will be there around 7:00 am." I text her back, "Ok, thanks for letting me know so I will be ready for you! See you tomorrow"

Well, I got up early and was ready for 6:58 am. DCD shows up at 7:30 am with DCB and no mention of the text or why mom didn't drop off or anything.

I guess it irritates me because I feel like she was just telling me to be ready for 7:00 am just in case she decided to drop off. I feel it's rude, disrespectful and selfish. She is not thinking of anyone but herself...

How would you feel?
Would you say anything?

I have a very weak backbone, but I draw the line at getting up before I absolutely have to, and I would be really livid if I got up 1/2 hour early (mornings at my house are chaotic enough with 2 littles of my own) just to "wait" on them.

What time does your contract say they are to arrive? I would let them know that from now on, you will abide by your contractual drop off time, since you made a special accommodation for them today and they didn't bother to drop off at that time.

How would they feel if their boss told them to be 30 minutes early to work, only to be locked outside the door until the boss came to let them in. What a waste of time.

[Lucy]

And I also understand the getting all the sleep you can stuff, but I think it would save you a lot of hassle to just be ready by 7am every morning. And if they don't come at 7, well, great you can hang out alone for a while!

What "morning people" don't understand about us late risers, is that every 5 minutes of sleep in the morning is precious to us. My "me" time is at night. I stay up just as late as I can, and set my alarm for as late as I can possibly get away with in the morning. Example: My first one comes at 7:05... I go to bed about 11:30, turn on Letterman (with the TV on a 30 min timer), and fall asleep around midnight. My alarm goes off at 6:45. (shower the night before) I have enough time to potty, brush teeth, dress, and open the front door. It's all in your preference. I WISH I were the type to go to bed at a decent time and wake up with an hour to spare in the morning, but it just isn't my reality. Never has been.

[Lucy]

Well, I got up early and was ready for 6:58 am. DCD shows up at 7:30 am with DCB and no mention of the text or why mom didn't drop off or anything.


How would you feel?
Would you say anything?

Hey, I'm all about passive/aggressive. ;) When Dad came in, I would say "Mom told me SHE was dropping off this morning??" Dad would shrug and mumble something, as dads never know what the heck is going on. Then I would say, "I even got up 30 min early, which for ME is hard!" It would be in a light tone, but maybe he'd absorb it and tell the wife.

If it happened a lot, I would take it a step further and after Dad left, I would text Mom and say "I thought YOU were dropping off this morning? I got up early!"

Like I said, I'm all about letting them know, without it being a confrontational thing. AKA passive/aggressive. LOL

[cheerfuldom]

Hey, I'm all about passive/aggressive. ;) When Dad came in, I would say "Mom told me SHE was dropping off this morning??" Dad would shrug and mumble something, as dads never know what the heck is going on. Then I would say, "I even got up 30 min early, which for ME is hard!" It would be in a light tone, but maybe he'd absorb it and tell the wife.

If it happened a lot, I would take it a step further and after Dad left, I would text Mom and say "I thought YOU were dropping off this morning? I got up early!"

Like I said, I'm all about letting them know, without it being a confrontational thing. AKA passive/aggressive. LOL

Does passive aggressive really work for you? I find putting everything in writing and attaching fees is what works here ;)

I ignore passive aggressive from my daycare parents. If they can't have a mature conversation about an issue (versus snarky digs), then I guess it is not that important to them. Or I put them on the spot and say "I didn't realize that fill-in-the-blank was such an issue for you. Let me know when you would like to plan a parent meeting and go over solutions for that" I've never had any parent take me up on the meeting in 5 years. Guess it was not that important and the comments stop

[daycare]

I used to do this for free..OPen early. Now if you want me to open before my opening time, it's gonna cost ya. Guess what? As soon as I attached a fee to it, NOT ONE single person has asked...

You come at opening no fee, you need to come prior to opening wither you tell me or not, it's a $10.00 a day early opening fee per child....happyfacehappyface

[Lucy]

I can't get quoting to work. Anyway, I utilize it for newly-emerged issues. If they don't catch the clue, I of course would take further steps to resolve it. I've done it before. Had to put some stuff in writing clear as crystal for a young couple recently. The p/a is what's comfortable for me when something like this pops up. Like if someone shows up early, I'll say "Wow, you guys are WAY early this morning." It makes her look at the clock and think to herself, "yeah, I guess I am." In my experience, it gets results. But please don't misunderstand, I DO take care of things if they get too far out of hand.

[Blackcat31]

I can't get quoting to work. Anyway, I utilize it for newly-emerged issues. If they don't catch the clue, I of course would take further steps to resolve it. I've done it before. Had to put some stuff in writing clear as crystal for a young couple recently. The p/a is what's comfortable for me when something like this pops up. Like if someone shows up early, I'll say "Wow, you guys are WAY early this morning." It makes her look at the clock and think to herself, "yeah, I guess I am." In my experience, it gets results. But please don't misunderstand, I DO take care of things if they get too far out of hand.

I do the same thing. When an issue that isn't a huge one (requiring immediate fixing) appears, I will make a comment like you did about being WAY early first. The next time the issue appears (since they didn't catch on the first time) I will then say something more direct.

Alot of it depends on the individual family too. Each relationship I have is definitely unique.

Not every issue IMHO, needs to be addressed firmly and quickly or with fees....some are simply oversights and simple reminders (veiled or passive-aggressive) work wonders. :)

Dont get me wrong though, should something come up that is a HUGE issue for me, I would absolutely talk with the parent immediately and would be very clear about what I am unhappy with and what I want to see change or happen.

[Crazy8]

I am a little confused.... what time are they CONTRACTED to arrive??? Was this an "extra" early time for them?? I am NOT a morning person at all, love every last second I can get in bed but I am up and ready by my earliest contracted arrival time every day unless I specifically know they are not coming that day.

In a case where they are contracted for 7:30 and ask you for 7am one day and then show up at 7:30 I do think it was inconsiderate/rude BUT if they are contracted for 7am and you agreed to that at the beginning I think it is overstepping and rude of you to require to know their exact ETA the night before every day they come. If you contracted for 7am you need to be up and ready for 7am. If they are running late they should be required to call/text you that morning.

Either way you need to address the issue or it is going to affect your relationship with this family. If you don't want a 7am start time you need to tell them that. This is why contracted hours for each family works best for me.

[Zoe]

I can't get quoting to work. Anyway, I utilize it for newly-emerged issues. If they don't catch the clue, I of course would take further steps to resolve it. I've done it before. Had to put some stuff in writing clear as crystal for a young couple recently. The p/a is what's comfortable for me when something like this pops up. Like if someone shows up early, I'll say "Wow, you guys are WAY early this morning." It makes her look at the clock and think to herself, "yeah, I guess I am." In my experience, it gets results. But please don't misunderstand, I DO take care of things if they get too far out of hand.

I don't consider what you said as passive aggressive. I call it more "hinting lightly" and if they don't get it, then I get direct. Sounds exactly like what I do.

I sleep as much as humanly possible in the morning before I HAVE to get up. I do second shift and stay up late so I need that sleep. If anyone came early (hasn't been a problem yet) I would say something immediately, lightly or not.

[wdmmom]

I would tell DCF that you don't open until 730am. That if they are needing care earlier than that, they must put their request in writing and submit 2 weeks ahead of time.

I would also tell them that if they schedule a few 7am drop offs and don't come until 730am, there will be a $10 convenience fee.

Otherwise charge them $5 per half hour early.

[renodeb]

I would be a little miffed, you are getting ready for her earlier than usual and then she waltzes in 30 minutes later? WTH? I had this one family that asked me if i could open at 640am on there days and I said yes (b/c Im a nice person) and every time she came she was here at 7:00am. Not to big of a deal but it goes into respect. We are bumping our whole morning schedule around to suit them! The kicker is that suddenly she texts me and said she will no longer be bringing her child. I was mad.
If this becomes a real issue then one time I would show the mom the text and maybe ask what happened and that you were expecting her at such and such a time. I have told parents that if Im to open a little early then they need to show up as arranged. DCp's (I think) do not respect our homes, or our time. Sometimes bringing there attention to it is all it takes.
Debbie

[MrsB]

I think in this case, I would start out with a simple talk/text/email, whatever to get your point across. If it doesnt work then, put in writing, change your policy, attach a fee, whatever.

I would probably send a text to mom. "Hey I wanted to let you know I was a little miffed this morning that I opened early this morning at your request and DCB didnt get dropped off until regular time. Not a huge deal, just trying to keep the lines of communication open!"