Originally Posted by Indoorvoice:
So I posted in another thread this week my teacher policy of charging less for teachers with the understanding that they stay home on snow days and breaks. Of course this comes back to bite me.
My middle daughter is very good friends with a school age dcg. They grew up together. Dcg attends before and after and dcb attends full time. They're a teacher family and I love them.
My 3 kids and the teacher family kids have been home all week due to the polar vortex. Today the teacher dcm texted me asking if my middle child could come to their house to play. Dcm picked up my kid for 3 hrs and dropped her off. I knew it was a bad idea.
Part of our contract states she gets reduced tuition for keeping her kids home during breaks and snow days. Well we've never had 6 snow days in a row like this. She is paid in full for this week for dcb even though they did not attend and tuition was waived for her school aged daughter since I knew school would be closed all week.
After taking my daughter today she texted me an hour after my kid was dropped off and asked if I would take both of her kids tomorrow. I should have never taken her up on watching my child today. I'm not equipped to take her school ager for a full day while my other 2 school agers are home. I usually only have her for a half hour before and a half hour after school. There is no way I will he able to keep them quiet for the babies' 2 nap times. I know I can say no per our contract but it feels wrong since she watched my child today. I hate this part of the job and I'm so tired of never getting a break. Ever. I never know the right thing to do or say and I'm just so tired of this job. Sorry for the vent in a form of a post and I don't even know what I expect you to say. I've been looking for other jobs, but no luck yet.
You need to change your mindset and how you view things. I am telling you, it's a major stress reliever.
(bolded above) She did not "watch" your child yesterday. She invited her to a play date. That has NOTHING to do with reciprocation. If your DD wants to invite her DD for a play date, you can discuss that but the invitation wasn't a trade of services.
If DCM asks you to take her kids you can always say something like "I'm sorry but that just doesn't work today."
You don't have to explain or state why. If DCM starts to bring up or mention having paid for a week she didn't use, I would just say that was part of the deal when she choose the teacher rate option.
NEITHER of you knew what the weather would be or wouldn't be like this last week. It was gamble on both parties parts. She just "lost" this time.
Parents never feel guilty during the weeks their provider "loses"
Saying no might leave you feeling guilty but the reason you feel guilty is due to your perceived situation. You are striving for fair and balanced. DCM just wants "special".
It's okay to say no. It doesn't make you a bad person.
It makes you a person who has boundaries. What a great thing to role model for yourself and your family.
