Today at pick-up Mom and Dad both came up to my door and into my house to pick up dkg2. We will be adding an additional day to her schedule soon so now she's a day shy of the full time rate. A few times in the past, instead of the passengers sitting in the car to wait for the parent to retrieve their child, they've brought a friend in the door with them. They have done this a few times. The first few times I became a little uneasy about this. I don't know these plus ones and was worried about strangers knowing the layout and contents of my house. Luckily, I don't have much of value around here and the entire downstairs is daycareland and unexciting otherwise. But, this strikes me as odd. Do you often have a parent bring a buddy in with them at pick-up?

Perhaps today they wanted to discuss something with me together but then changed their mind when we were face to face?:

People are weird.

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Both parents would not bother me but a friend of theirs would . I would nicely ask them to not bring in friends because of the privacy / safety of the other children in care.

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I have it written into my policy handbook and discuss this at interviews that only the person actually picking up may enter my home or property.

For liability and safety and space reasons.

I don't want to take on the responsibility of a stranger towards others or my property

I don't want to worry about a stranger's safety

I don't have the room to accommodate more than the parent/child in my entryway.

I don't mind if both parents come in to retrieve/drop off their child but other than that, there is no reason for parents to bring anyone other than their immediate family (other children/other parent).

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this here.

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Ditto Blackcat. I also have in my policies that parents of currently enrolled children are welcome to visit anytime but friends, relatives and parents of formerly enrolled children need to call for an appointment. I once had a former parent just walk into my house unexpectedly for a visit.

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That would give me a heart attack, Amy! Updating my policies for the next year now, and that is a great way to word it to avoid the presence of House Hunters and their brothers. Thank you, everybody!

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Same policy. I would politely ask them to leave. "Hi Mr. Plus 1, it's nice to meet you. Unfortunately, our policy here at ABC daycare is that only the parent or authorized pick up person can come into the daycare. I'm sure you understand."

as you usher them out the door.

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Yes, you can have any written rule you wish but you still have to enforce it.

I just did this very thing with a DCM that brought a neighbor with her to pick up her child. I was standing in the entry way at the time and I had say to the neighbor that he would need to go wait in the car as only enrolled daycare kids/families were allowed inside.

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I have a "No solicitors please" sign on my door next to the door knob (it's a handy decal from Etsy). Should up the anti-social ante and request a custom order that says "Authorized persons only". I wish the world didn't require signage and policies and people had a lick of common sense or common courtesy as a whole. At 5:30 on the dot, I am considering putting out that doormat that says "Go Away". Or stick a white bath robe over my getup and say nothing more than "Go Home!" a la Tracy Ullman. Lingerers, looky loos, and inconsiderate folks get my goat and I am starting to wonder what planet am I from? I wouldn't pull this on someone else.

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