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Holiday Park 08:38 AM 01-21-2013
Here is the email I sent Friday afternoon, before they both got off work:

"They are all napping so I had time to write.

I really do enjoy having ****** here . She's a cool little girl and I've grown quite attached to her. Unfortunately I don't feel I can keep her from biting that same child again when I have them together on Fridays.

For the safety of others I can't allow her back on Fridays until further notice. She's welcome to continue here on Mondays.

I will give the un-deposited check back to who ever picks her up or I can apply it to the following Monday after next week. "


Both parents showed up late by 7 minutes past my 5:30 cut off time (but stayed till almost 6 with their trying to confront/discuss it with me) .

They rode together so they could confront me about the termination for future Fridays. DCD was not happy and acted like it was my fault for being unable to stop her biting,and gave me the third degree as if he didn't believe it happened right before my eyes,while she was sitting in my lap,(as if it had to only happen due to not supervising her) and the other child was sitting on my other leg on my lap too. He couldn't it could happn that fast right before my eyes. He said why couldn't I just keep them separated. I have a play yard set up in my Huge Play room. But I don't feel it's fair to confine either child(victim or biter) to that area all day long every single Friday.

The victim (baby who has gotten bit too many times by her) actually can't handle being confined even for one hour and cries,and throws tantrums when hes in there. Although I do feel he needs to get used to being confined/separated as needed without having to throw a tantrum/freaking out, that is a separate issue with him I choose to work on separately, and I still feel it's not fair to confine either of them like this for that reason, for any period of time longer than it takes for me to use the bathroom,clean up kitchen,etc.. But not all day! So Fridays clearly don't work out for anyone with her here. I had to put him first because hes here FT and I like his family/mom a lot more than the other child's parents.

Well,I didn't try to reason with him. I am just telling you all my reasons. I simply stated that it was not personal. That even though I loved their little girl and she was a joy to have here, I had to put the safety and well being of the whole group first, and Fridays just didn't work . After he stated they would need to find other arrangements, I told him she can just be Drop in care only,from now on.
I felt disrespected that they CHOSE to ride together in her car (He got off work early and she apparently picked him up from home) to confront me,risking making themselves late. So that's why I charged the $5.00 late pick up fee. At first he challenged it, by saying it had not been 15 minutes yet. He was rude for being late,and rude to argue about a late fee. I said I am just following Handbook policies and I must enforce my rules or no one would follow them if I didn't enforce them.

This is what it says in the P.H. about late pick up fees:
"Late Pick-Up Fee
If a child is picked up later that the expected time
without advance notice the child care provider may not
be present and it will then be the responsibility of the
client to either go to the child care provider’s location to
pick the child up or wait until the child care provider
arrives. A $5.00 fee per child will be added to the
clients account for every fifteen minutes, or portion <---
there of, that the child is late in being picked up when <---
it's past the contracted pick-up time. This fee is due <---
immediately at the time of pick-up
if on a Friday/last
open day of the week, or late payment charges may
apply. Otherwise,it’s due on Friday/last open day of that
same week,along with your weekly payment for the
following week. "

DCD said he didn't have his check book. I got the vibe he was already being difficult and at that point I wasn't sure if I even wanted to keep providing care for them at all. Mentally I was ready to just send a immediate termination for ALL days, after they left. And I didn't want to have to chase after $5.00 and $10 per day of late payment fees for them not paying it. I had a check they had given me that morning for the following Friday (Since I closed today,and don't charge when I close) . Since they wanted to apply that check for next Monday's care, I offered to give them $25.oo cash in exchange for the $30 check so technically I would be paid that $5.00 fee on time,saving them from late fees (or me having to deal with chasing after late fees). This way (in my mind) if I chose to end care altogether,I'd be done with them,and wouldn't owe them anything.

They agreed to do that and just pay for the following Monday28th, separately. That night DCM texts me that they lost the $ and it must be in my front yard somewhere. And if I find it,just keep it,and apply it for Monday the 28th. I text her back stating I didn't see any cash anywhere in my yard. I thought that sounded strange and started wondering if they were trying to pull one over on me.
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