Originally Posted by ForMyKids18:
I just started back up in February. I found a family with two kids. They asked to push my pick up time from 5 to 5:30/5:45 sometimes six. I gave in. First day dropping off they said it'll probably be closer to six most days, but they we're will to pay more money. So by the end of the first week I upped their price. As time has gone on I decided I wanted to have Fridays off in the summer, my last summer before my child starts going to preschool. I gave a months notice for the Fridays I will be closed. I didn't expect the parents to be happy about this. But the parents are telling me that they can't take all this time off and it's putting them out.... I feel like that's not my problem, and sorry ( not really) you have to use your vacation days to actually be with your kids. They gave me a list of Fridays they asked if I could work, Fridays that I said I would be closed... The people pleaser in me wants to give them a few Fridays. The mother in me wants to tell them to go somewhere else if it's not working. I'm torn. Please send advice.
When we providers use phrases like
"find my backbone" and "
you need to use your vacation for your kids" we are talking about letting parents know that they need to parent their own children--like take care of them when they are sick or spend their federal holidays off with their children instead of bringing them to daycare.
What you are talking about is that you have very quickly changed your mind about what you offer as far as the Fridays off go.
It sounds like you have made a mistake or are changing your mind after having made an agreement with them. Although it also sounds like it goes both ways, considering the push back on your closing times.
What about making a clean slate of this and start over--advertising that you are only available for M-Th? There always seem to be plenty of families that want part time care, and T-Th or T & Th seem to be quite popular. A lot of part-time families seem to want Fridays off too.