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View Poll Results: What Time Do You Open?
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 114. You may not vote on this poll
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>How Early Do You Open?
Auntie 06:38 PM 06-22-2011
My niece has had such a hard time finding daycare.
Currently since her son was born a friend has been watching him. She only watches him so she is does not have to be licensed.
Anyway she drops off at 5:15 in the morning. And picks up around 4:15. Her hours changed to 10 hour days so she is home with her son on Fridays.
Since this provider has been on vacation the last two weeks we had an opening at the center I work at and I have taken him two days a week and then watched him at my house the the other two days which are my days off.
Anyway he really liked being with kids his age and I can tell he needs structure.
I told my niece she really needs to find a home daycare or center that has some kids his age.
However, her hours are what they are and finding care that early in the morning is tough. I told her she could sign him up where I work and drop him off M-Th and I would bring him to work with me. Well there is also the price it is more than what she is currently paying. She is a single mom and makes too much money to get on any kind of assistance.
So I guess my question to you all is would any of you make an exception if you ran across a family with such early hours. OH and when there is overtime she has be to work by 4am or 4:30. Something like that.
Currently since her son was born a friend has been watching him. She only watches him so she is does not have to be licensed.
Anyway she drops off at 5:15 in the morning. And picks up around 4:15. Her hours changed to 10 hour days so she is home with her son on Fridays.
Since this provider has been on vacation the last two weeks we had an opening at the center I work at and I have taken him two days a week and then watched him at my house the the other two days which are my days off.
Anyway he really liked being with kids his age and I can tell he needs structure.
I told my niece she really needs to find a home daycare or center that has some kids his age.
However, her hours are what they are and finding care that early in the morning is tough. I told her she could sign him up where I work and drop him off M-Th and I would bring him to work with me. Well there is also the price it is more than what she is currently paying. She is a single mom and makes too much money to get on any kind of assistance.
So I guess my question to you all is would any of you make an exception if you ran across a family with such early hours. OH and when there is overtime she has be to work by 4am or 4:30. Something like that.
Michael 06:39 PM 06-22-2011
Some related threads on opening times: https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12598
MyAngels 06:41 PM 06-22-2011
Personally, I would not open that early, but I'm sure there are providers out there who do. Maybe she could ask some of her co-workers where they take their kids?
Auntie 06:46 PM 06-22-2011
We live in the midwest too. (Minnesota)
sharlan 06:52 PM 06-22-2011
I don't really care how early they come, it's how late they leave.
My earliest was 4 AM.
My earliest was 4 AM.
kidkair 07:06 PM 06-22-2011
I would not take one that early. I believe in being fully ready for kids the moment I open. For a kid arriving at 4am I'd have to be up at 3am and that would mean I'd have to go to bed at 7pm which is when I general get around to eating dinner. I would have done it as a nanny because back then it was just me now I have a bigger family it wouldn't work.
wdmmom 05:19 AM 06-23-2011
Originally Posted by sharlan:
I don't really care how early they come, it's how late they leave.
My earliest was 4 AM.
I'm with you! I don't really care how early they come, it's how late they leave.
My earliest was 4 AM.
I'd rather get up before the sun and have them go home early too! Right now I close at 530pm and most of my kids are out the door by 5pm. That last half hour is horrific sometimes!
lil angels 05:25 AM 06-23-2011
I would consider 6:30 if I had my Fridays off but that is about it. Good Luck to her.
rjskids 05:30 AM 06-23-2011
Originally Posted by sharlan:
I don't really care how early they come, it's how late they leave.
My earliest was 4 AM.
Ditto! I would take a 5:15er. I would shower in the evening and when they get dropped off let them curl up on the couch and take a lil nappie. I have one that comes at 6 that if I didn't let her take a lil catnap she will be a bear by 10 am! I use that time to "prepare" for the day. But I close at 5. So if I didn't take early birds then I would have a hard time filling up.I don't really care how early they come, it's how late they leave.
My earliest was 4 AM.
daysofelijah 05:59 AM 06-23-2011
I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone around here that opens that early. I am closing this fall and my dcm can't find anyone to take her kids as early as I do (6:30). I think most centers even don't open until 6, maybe a few at 5:30.
She could try calling the local county childcare resource and referral and telling them the hours she needs and they can look up if anyone in your area opens that early. They may charge a small fee for it.
She could try calling the local county childcare resource and referral and telling them the hours she needs and they can look up if anyone in your area opens that early. They may charge a small fee for it.
Countrygal 06:29 PM 01-18-2012
I wish I could make an exception, but since I'm certified, my hours are set. Can't be open before or after.
5:30 am to 9:30 pm. I did this specifically to be able to help single parents who work early first and also second shift jobs.
5:30 am to 9:30 pm. I did this specifically to be able to help single parents who work early first and also second shift jobs.
Sunchimes 07:01 PM 01-18-2012
I'm open when I'm needed, except for Sundays. I have one parent who usually drops off at 5:45 am and picks up at 6:15 pm. She's on a temporary shift change, so for a few weeks, she doesn't drop off until 1:30 pm and dcd picks up at 5:00 or 5:30 pm. It's like a vacation around here these days! One mom works retail, mostly 7:30 to 4:30, but sometimes, they mess with her schedule and she works 12:30 pm to 9:30 pm, or 3:30 pm to midnight. I do them all, but they aren't a regular thing. My worst day was when the 2 moms overlapped and I worked from 5:45 am to 12:30 am. That one was tough.
I started out wanting night shift work so that the kids would sleep and I would have my days free. Not a single call, so now, I do odd hours. However, it seems to have fallen into a rhythm that is pretty easy at the moment.
I can do this because my kids are gone, hubby is semi-retired and home a lot, and I only have 3 kids, max. On 3 kid days, I stay home because I only have room in the car for 2 car seats. But, on 1 or 2 kid days, I do what I need to do. We go to the post office, Walmart (Wm--the closest thing to a field trip in our town), the park, garage sales, etc. The kids are really comfortable here, they are more like part of the grand kids than they are work, so it's no big deal to put them in the pnp, set up the monitor, and get on with my evening. I'm very lucky that way.
That's going to change soon. I'm getting a 6 week old, so I'll be housebound for a few weeks. Not looking forward to it. Someone want to trade a 6 week old for a Terrible Two?
I started out wanting night shift work so that the kids would sleep and I would have my days free. Not a single call, so now, I do odd hours. However, it seems to have fallen into a rhythm that is pretty easy at the moment.
I can do this because my kids are gone, hubby is semi-retired and home a lot, and I only have 3 kids, max. On 3 kid days, I stay home because I only have room in the car for 2 car seats. But, on 1 or 2 kid days, I do what I need to do. We go to the post office, Walmart (Wm--the closest thing to a field trip in our town), the park, garage sales, etc. The kids are really comfortable here, they are more like part of the grand kids than they are work, so it's no big deal to put them in the pnp, set up the monitor, and get on with my evening. I'm very lucky that way.
That's going to change soon. I'm getting a 6 week old, so I'll be housebound for a few weeks. Not looking forward to it. Someone want to trade a 6 week old for a Terrible Two?
bunnyslippers 05:22 AM 01-19-2012
I am feeling lucky right now! I only work a school year schedule. Open no earlier than 7:30, and close by 4:00. Even with those hours, I feel overworked and tired! Some of you ladies are amazing!!!!!!!
Ariana 06:13 AM 01-19-2012
It would make more sense to me that she work regular hours during the week and forego having Fridays off if that's an option. Compressed work weeks are really hard to do for this very reason especially if you're a single mom and can't rely on someone to take care of your child before and after daycare.
We have one daycare in my city that does 24 hour care so that might be an option?
We have one daycare in my city that does 24 hour care so that might be an option?
renodeb 07:28 AM 01-19-2012
My usual hours are 7-530. I have one teacher client who I have drop off at 645. Maybe if I didnt have school aged kids of my own. As it stands right now, our house is so small that its hard to keep the noise down as it is while there asleep. I actually have one provider friend who runs early hours and late but she is one of the few. Maybe she needs to see where her co-workers take there kids. What kind of job does she have?
Debbie
Debbie
Breezy 11:38 AM 01-19-2012
I will open as early as needed as long as the hours are scheduled. I do not take families that need late care though (after 6pm) but I do make exceptions for my families that need later care occasionally on a case by case basis with enough notice.
mac60 12:37 PM 01-19-2012
If I opened at 7:30 or 8 I wouldn't have any clients. Most shifts here are 6:30 to 3, 7 to 3:30, 8 to 5, etc. I accommodate all of them. My hours are typically 6:30 to 5. Everyone is gone by 5:15.
I will say, my hours used to be open at 6:30, I had a family ask if I would open for them at 6:15 because they moved to another town. I told them yes and never charged them any extra. That was almost a year ago. Thing is, that 6:15 quickly turned into 6, 6:05, never 6:15, and I get nothing extra for opening early for them. So, my day was just extended by about 40 minutes with no compensation for it. Very frustrating to me.
I will say, my hours used to be open at 6:30, I had a family ask if I would open for them at 6:15 because they moved to another town. I told them yes and never charged them any extra. That was almost a year ago. Thing is, that 6:15 quickly turned into 6, 6:05, never 6:15, and I get nothing extra for opening early for them. So, my day was just extended by about 40 minutes with no compensation for it. Very frustrating to me.
Sunchimes 01:23 PM 01-19-2012
You are lucky bunnyslippers. We can't get any teachers here. Our school system (in a small, rural town that is having real budget crunches, hiring freezes, etc) offers a low cost daycare for teacher's kids--subsidized of course by yours truly, the tax payer. I could understand it if they were having trouble luring teachers here and needed some added incentive, but there is no shortage of teachers.
saved4always 05:23 PM 01-19-2012
I watch only teacher's children. My earliest gets here at 6:40 a.m. and all are gone by 4 p.m. One of my first questions when someone calls looking for child care is what hours they need. If they need to pick up after 4 p.m., I don't even bother interviewing. I like to have as much time with just my family as possible and my kids get home by 3:40. 
AnneCordelia 06:09 PM 01-19-2012
My first child arrives at 7:15am. I would consider opening as early as 6am but only if my day continues to end at 4:30pm.