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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Gave Vacay Dates Monday, EVERYONE Late For Pick Up Tuesday
SunshineMama 04:59 AM 05-02-2012
I gave everyone my vacation dates on Monday, for my vacation in 4 weeks. I am taking a friday-friday vacation, and my (signed) contract states I get 1 week in the summer and the week of Christmas off.

(I had the post about the DCM who complained she didnt have any more time to take- It's because she already took a week in Vegas and has a week planned for another vacation already, as well as taking a few extra day vacations- I dont know what they are going to do with Christmas vacation).

ALL of my dcp's were late for pick up yesterday. One family, who is rarely late, just got stuck in a bind, text me they would be late, and apologized profusely. Both parents tried to make it to my house to see who would get the kids first, which is completely awesome and I absolutely love them for that!!! I did not mind since they genuinely tried to make it on time and I could tell it was not purposeful. These parents love their kids, keep them when sick, and show genuine care for them, etc.

The other parents just came late. No text mesages, no calls, no apologies. I feel like it is their reaction to me taking my vacation for some reason?? Maybe I am being over-sensitive, but they have always text me in the past when they were going to be even a minute late, and here they were, way too late late with no texts, etc.

Yesterday I had a migrane and the only thing that got me through the last hour of work was knowing that the kids would all be gone by a certain time, which did not happen. I didn't even have the strength to say anything to the parents who did not text or call. One of the non-calling families have had issues in the past, dropping their kid off 20 minutes EARLY at 6:30am (they are the first drop off). This is the same family with the DCM with no vacation because she already used it, and the same DCM who always makes snarky comments about how her child never wants to leave my house and wants me more than her, etc.

Am I over-reacting or do you think they are being passive aggressive? I do have a tendency to read too much into things and be overly-sensitive.
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SilverSabre25 06:05 AM 05-02-2012
I would vote over-reacting. If they were going to have a reaction to your vacation, I would more expect late pick-ups the day before the vacation started, not the day after you told them about it.

Sorry you had a migraine, I've been there and done that while trying to keep the kids in more or less one piece...my sovereign cure is three or four Ibuprofen and a can of Coke. And a nap.
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Blackcat31 06:13 AM 05-02-2012
I am with Silver on this one. You are probably over reacting. I tell parents my vacation dates and that is that. No worries, no tip toeing around hurt feelings, no second thoughts, no glances backwards....just give them the dates and that is all there is.

They will figure out a way to deal with it. NOT your problem.

As far as the families being late, the first family had an excuse, an apology and the thoughfulness to make sure they communicated in letting you know... to them!

The second family....well, who cares if it was in retailiation to your "vacation announcement"....they'll figure it out. Charge them the apporpriate late fees and move on. Don't worry about why they did it.....they did it. Just treat it as you normally would and move on.

Don't read into the behaviors, words and actions of parents and you won't put yourself in the position to feel as though things ar eyour fault or that you have to "fix" them.

Hope your migraine is gone and today is a better day for you.
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saved4always 10:01 AM 05-02-2012
You may be over-reacting and it most likely is just them being thoughtless, not retaliating. If you have late fees in place for late pick ups though, you should be sure to charge them those. Whatever thier reason for being late, it was rude not to text or call to let you know they were going to be late.
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SunshineMama 10:52 AM 05-02-2012
Thanks ladies! I would rather be over-reacting then them being vindictive!

I was just soooo frustrated yesterday by the end of the day, and it was just not the day for late pick ups!
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Hunni Bee 10:58 AM 05-02-2012
I dont know. If they always texted before and all of a sudden just were late after you made your vacation announcement, it kind of looks fishy.

I dont think they meant actual harm, but it does sound like "well, she's going going on vacation anyway, it won't matter if I'm late".

JMO.
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SunshineMama 02:41 PM 05-02-2012
Ok so today, the 1 family was 10 minutes late today again with no calls or texts. They have always done so even if they were going to be one minute late.

I looked back at my contract and saw that I changed my 7 calendar days paid to 5 calendar days unpaid for my new handbook (stupid me). DCD text me monday confirming I would be gone Fri-Fri, which technically is 6 calendar days, 1 more than my handbook. (oops-on my part, I am taking an extra day).

So I think that since they are "allowing" that to go (they didnt mention anything to me about it though), I think they think they can also break the handbook and come whenever they want to pick up their kid now.

So now what do I do? I dont want to cut my vacation short by a day, but if I dont even follow my own handbook why would they? No other families have any problems at all with this, but something is amiss with this one family.

I keep talking about terming this kid anyway, but now I'm preggos and am afraid no one will want to go with a preggo provider (only 5 weeks tho so its super early).

What would you do? How do I address this? Because I sure a heck don't want to watch their kid late every day and I dont have late fees, and if I did they can always call me out on my extra day (not that I dont deserve the extra day of vacay for working for their family 50+ hours a week- but I did make a mistake). Ugh I am so mad at myself.
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saved4always 03:32 PM 05-02-2012
Since I only charged for the days I actually watched children, I did not specifiy how many days I would take in the year, only that I would give at least 2 weeks notice of when my vacation is. My contract does say at the end: "Changes to this contract must be made in writing and acknowledged in writing by the other parties at least 2 weeks before the desired changes take effect." Do you have anything in your contract like that? If you do, I would make changes today to take out how much vacay you can take and just say that your vacation time will be unpaid and you will give whatever notice of it you think is fair. Then add in a part about late charges for pick ups after scheduled time. Give them a copy tomorrow to sign and make it effective whenever you want it to.

If this family is doing this to get back at you for taking an extra day, they are being very petty. Taking 6 days of vacation is not excessive at all, especially if you don't charge them for it.
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SunshineMama 05:16 AM 05-03-2012
That is a good idea. I can do the changes effective monday. All my vacay is unpaid, so hopefully they wont have anything else to say about it. I need to add a late fee to the changes too!

Originally Posted by saved4always:
Since I only charged for the days I actually watched children, I did not specifiy how many days I would take in the year, only that I would give at least 2 weeks notice of when my vacation is. My contract does say at the end: "Changes to this contract must be made in writing and acknowledged in writing by the other parties at least 2 weeks before the desired changes take effect." Do you have anything in your contract like that? If you do, I would make changes today to take out how much vacay you can take and just say that your vacation time will be unpaid and you will give whatever notice of it you think is fair. Then add in a part about late charges for pick ups after scheduled time. Give them a copy tomorrow to sign and make it effective whenever you want it to.

If this family is doing this to get back at you for taking an extra day, they are being very petty. Taking 6 days of vacation is not excessive at all, especially if you don't charge them for it.

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bgmeyers 06:58 AM 05-03-2012
I have one daycare mom that has been with me for 4 years. I have found that if I have to close for any reason, vacation, holiday, illness (very rare), she always comes back and asks for "special". It's become a pattern and I ponted it out to my dh a while ago. He sees it now too, so it wasn't just my imagination.
It's like a tit for tat.
I'd watch for patterns. See if it happens again.
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