Originally Posted by Sunshine69:
Today I was unexpectedly offered a job. I saw the job posted on the school website last week and sent in an application. I mentioned it to a friend and the friend told me they knew the head of the department I applied for. Over the weekend my friend spoke to said friend about my application and came back to me with the number of the person responsible for hiring. I left a message and they called me back today and told me they trusted the person who gave him the referral and offered me the job on the spot. I still have to fill out paperwork and pass a background check, which I already have for daycare, but can start anytime.
I currently am open for daycare 7-5. We all know the day isn’t over when the last kid leaves and we can plan on another 2 hours of paperwork, cleaning and menu & activity planning. The new job is 6:30-2 and I’ll be making about the same money weekly plus have school breaks off with my own kids. No more getting up early and shoveling snow before dawn to clear out for daycare clients. I didn’t want to pass it up.
I had planned my very first vacation since 2016 from daycare for April 5-9 which I informed parents about mid-February. I’m also closed on Good Friday as set forth in my policy and contract. I gave parents notice today that I would be closing officially on the 9th but since I already had holidays and vacation, my last open day would be the April 1.
Most of the parents were very understanding. However, the one that’s given me the hardest time since his kids enrolled is having a fit. He said he was shocked I only gave them a week’s notice (apparently he can’t count) and I should’ve given them a heads up that I was looking for a job to give them time to find other care.
My contract says 2 weeks notice by either party. I feel they got their 2 weeks notice. Am I wrong?
My vacation would’ve been paid, per my contract, but I’m waiving payment since the kids won’t be back after April 1.
The parent acknowledges that they won’t get the rates that I charge them from any other provider and says they only have so much in their budget so it may not be worth it for dcm to continue working. I currently don’t charge them for their school-aged child for days I have the child before and after school. I only charge a for the full days the child is here doing remote learning. The school currently does hybrid learning. During school breaks, they don’t always send the child to daycare every day and they don’t pay me for school breaks even though their contract says they’re supposed to. I have two other siblings from the same family full-time. I’ve found it easier to just let it go than repetitively explaining the contract terms to dcm when she’s here, and then again to dcd after hours when he calls me to complain about what dcm told him.
I’m taking it as they wanted me to give them the opportunity to leave me without income by telling them I was looking for a job ahead of time.
It’s amazing because parents have only given me two weeks notice or even less when they lose a job without consideration to how it affects my income. While I dislike it, it’s what the contract allows them to do and life circumstances can’t always be planned. I would’ve never called them after hours and hassled them because I felt they should’ve given me more notice than the contract called for.
I explained to the parent that it happened quickly for me and wasn’t really planned and that because I also had a vacation planned during the notice he is saving daycare costs for 2 kids for the week I had planned vacation. If he wants me to tell him I’m open until the 9th, that’s fine, but I’m still closed for vacation and he still has to pay me.
I’m having a hard time feeling guilty and am more aggravated that this person thinks they deserved more. Is just helps cement that I made the right decision given the parents expect me to provide more than my contract states and they don’t even pay me what the contract says.
I get that it’s difficult to find care for 3 kids. It’s actually next to impossible here because so many long-time daycares have closed. I asked around in my provider circle and 3 are closed/closing by summer. I’ve helped this family as much as I can at the expense of my own family. I’m a sole parent with an ex who refuses to pay his child support. Any break I give to another family costs my family.
Does anyone think I should’ve told this parent I was looking for a job sooner?
Thanks for “listening” to my rant. I know it’s been a long one.
There's always going to be "THAT" parent
Good luck to you!