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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Rolling My Eyes...Day Off REMINDERS??
caligirl 10:41 AM 11-15-2011
26 years of being a DCP.....how many reminders do you think a person needs????............I give parents a printed calendar.......an email.......a newsletter.....AND a reminder email a week before I have a day off and I STILL have parents who forget......I just do NOT get it. Why, in this era of technology, would someone forget and need to be reminded over and over?? I mean, put it on your wall calendar, your desktop (computer calendar....email calendar) your cell phone calendar...... I mean, what the heck.......

I quit doing my yearly calendars about 5 yrs ago and now do 3-6 months at a time.....I print one.....email it.....do newsletters....email reminders....and there is always at least one that forgets....this time however, I had THREE parents forget....

I was complaining to my mom, who taught 1st grade for 20+ years, and she said that the teachers would have to pin a note on the back of the children's shirts saying 'REMINDER'.....I think it's ridiculous. Maybe it's just me.. but when my kids were in school and I got that printed calendar at the beginning of every year, I'd take out my calendar and mark each day school was closed...and then I'd stick that calendar on the fridge just to remind me in case I forgot.

One year, one of my kids forgot to lock the front door and the day after Christmas (which I always take off) at about 7am I heard footsteps in the living room (hi-heels) and I jumped up, put my robe on, walked out to see what I was hearing and there was one of my DCM's walking around the living room, I remember saying 'what are you doing here?' she said 'well I was wondering where everyone was?'...I reminded her I was closed 'ohhh I totally forgot!'......last year, I was in PA on a weekend trip and one mom called me on Monday morning asking if I could open the door 'I'm not home remember??'....."ohhhh I totally forgot!'

I yi yi......... well, just needed to scratch my head here........wondering what on earth to do about these parents......maybe I should just stop giving them advance notice and just tell them the week before ....
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rbmom 10:49 AM 11-15-2011
I will never understand how parents can forget about this stuff either!!
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laundrymom 10:56 AM 11-15-2011
I agree!!!! Two years ago I had a mom leave voicemail to my cell " hey we are staying home today, my car won't start. The next day, hey I'm trying to get in but the doors locked. , 20 min later , you need to call me back, I'm late for work!!! 5 min later
gee, did I make you mad? Can you not hear me pounding?
Ok, I'm leaving, I guess you are still in bed. Call me when you get up so I can salvage my day. I'll take him to work until your call. The next day she called and said, you know, it's not very nice for you to lock me out. I don't know what to do. I'm not happy.

Then I get one that says, I talked to the referral service, I'm going to be finding new care, I just can't figure out why you haven't responded.

So thursday when I got off the river and to my car I checked my messages. I called her back, she berated me for a couple minutes about how could I claim to be a professional but treat peoPle like this? I said,... Polly parent I'm in deep Missouri on a rafting trip with my family, remember,? I borrowed your Kayak?
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caligirl 11:00 AM 11-15-2011
Originally Posted by laundrymom:
I said,... Polly parent I'm in deep Missouri on a rafting trip with my family, remember,? I borrowed your Kayak?
OMG that is HYSTERICAL!! What did she say???????
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wdmmom 11:04 AM 11-15-2011
Some people should NOT be allowed to reproduce! I don't know what I would have done if my own parents were idiots like that!
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Meeko 11:06 AM 11-15-2011
I have a yearly calendar posted in my entry showing closed days marked in red.
I also post a monthly calendar showing any closed days.
The parents all get copies of these.
To make sure...I also post a notice on my screen door in large print when the closed day is that week.

Me (Wednesday): *posts large print notice that says "Don't forget we are closed next Monday for Memorial Day"*

Friday. Doorbell goes (notice is right above the bell in huge red letters)

Me: DCB...Mommy's here!"

Parent: OK...seeya Monday!"

Me (trying not to roll eyes): I'm closed Monday. It's Memorial Day"

Parent; What?! I have to work! What am I going to do?"

Me: It's on the yearly calendar, the monthly calendar and see that sign that's been up for days now....?"

Parent: Oh, I didn't see it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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laundrymom 11:06 AM 11-15-2011
Originally Posted by caligirl:
OMG that is HYSTERICAL!! What did she say???????
She said,..... Yeah but I thought you were Just going for the day!
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caligirl 11:11 AM 11-15-2011
Originally Posted by laundrymom:
she said,..... Yeah but i thought you were just going for the day!
ooooommmmmgggggg
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caligirl 11:13 AM 11-15-2011
Ok so, I really do appreciate hearing other DCP's dealing with this same issue I've had to deal with for TWENTY SIX LONG YEARS.........I am sitting here just cracking up!!!

I really, really, really don't get it......REMINDER AFTER REMINDER AFTER REMINDER. Is this really necessary?? The only one that I never have to remind, is the mom that's a teacher.
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laundrymom 11:14 AM 11-15-2011
Originally Posted by caligirl:
ooooommmmmgggggg
Yeah 10 hour drive pulling a camper lol

I told her,... I will see you in about a week and a half. And I hung up.
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2ndFamilyDC 11:28 AM 11-15-2011
OMG! So nice to know that everyone else has this same issue.

Have to admit I was reading this thread just laughing my butt off.

I almost want to print it off and share it with all my families;

but I know they wouldn't read it anyway.
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caligirl 11:36 AM 11-15-2011
I'm not kidding......I can remind them every which way, over and over again (which I should NOT have to do) and they will STILL forget... They'll always say 'oh I forgot!' which tells me that at one point in time, the did at least KNOW that I was off....so why not put it in their calendars????
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laundrymom 11:40 AM 11-15-2011
My family and I actually have a " raffle" lol. Winner gets a treat. Lol. We play" who is going to show up for daycare on a closed day" lol
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sassysue 11:43 AM 11-15-2011
I have the same family that shows up every holiday,never remembers.
I do the same thing-handbook,newsleter,post on bulletin board,one week before send out a reminder,post on door.Tell her the day before!
She actually just started getting it this year.It was always a running joke between my husband and I.
He'd look out the window and say"so and so is outside standing at the door,you want me to let her in?"
He even says it on the weekends for fun,the joke never gets old to us.ha-ha
I'm betting she will be here the day after Thanksgiving too.Some people will never get it together!
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SimpleMom 11:48 AM 11-15-2011
Along with all that you do to remind, I also put a nice big white paper on my front door with dc closed hours and such in Black ink. Worked all but two times.

It's such a wierd feeling to be hanging out with your own kiddos in your jammies--totally relaxed and see a dcp roll on up the drive (lol).

The other time, I wasn't home, but got a call about it which was on my messages when I returned from another state.
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2ndFamilyDC 11:50 AM 11-15-2011
[quote=caligirl;166326
.so why not put it in their calendars???? [/QUOTE]



Very good question, I wonder that all the time.
The whole reason we tell them way ahead of time is so
they can make alternate arrangements, which they
obviously don't.
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daycare 12:00 PM 11-15-2011
I am annoying with all of the reminders.

I send out a weekly email of what we will be doing each week on Sunday. I will put reminders in this email as well. I will send it every week.

Then the week of the closing, I will send home a reminder again via, email, text, and notes on the door, chalk board and wipe board

I also have a sign in sign out log book that the parents must use daily. I black out the dates that I will be closed with a yellow marker and write the words closed in black in. This really gets their attention

I also put reminders on invoices that go out on the 5th of every month...My parents pay monthly....

Lastly, I have it on my website.

Also, I give a verbal reminder at the start of the week..

Sucks that I have go to through all of these measure to remind the parents, but this is what I have to do to get it done with out complaints
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caligirl 12:19 PM 11-15-2011
Originally Posted by daycare:

Sucks that I have go to through all of these measure to remind the parents, but this is what I have to do to get it done with out complaints

Don't you often wonder how they get ANYTHING done?? Do they remember THEIR days off?? Do they remember to pay bills on time? Do they remember when their appointments are?? I haven't had to be reminded of anything since I was a kid
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Texasjeepgirl 12:19 PM 11-15-2011
I LOVE THE BORROWED KAYAK STORY.. HILARIOUS....
I have had the same issue with parents ... especially when it's a split up family... dad's day to have them on the day I have scheduled to be closed... always a big surprised look on his face .. 'You're CLOSED TOMORROW?'

The awesome thing about my current daycare is: We live inside our furniture building.. and the side that my daycare entrance is on.. we have a 6 ft chain link fence around the lot.. with razor wire at the top... and a double wide gate that I lock with a chain every night... so.. if it is a day that I am CLOSED... I just don't go out and unlock the gate.. (duh).. It doesn't stop them from dialing the phone .. or sending a text message on my cell.. 'ARE YOU OPEN TODAY?'
BUT...it does stop them from pulling in the gate and pounding on the door... lol


www.tammyschildcare.com

www.texasjeepgirl.shutterfly.com

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mommiesherie 12:29 PM 11-15-2011
Originally Posted by sassysue:
I have the same family that shows up every holiday,never remembers.
I do the same thing-handbook,newsleter,post on bulletin board,one week before send out a reminder,post on door.Tell her the day before!
She actually just started getting it this year.It was always a running joke between my husband and I.
He'd look out the window and say"so and so is outside standing at the door,you want me to let her in?"
He even says it on the weekends for fun,the joke never gets old to us.ha-ha
I'm betting she will be here the day after Thanksgiving too.Some people will never get it together!


Haha that's great. I won't be here day after thanksgiving I will be shopping. Lol. So will do them any good to show up! I never close for specific hollidays but my parents are good about it when I do need to. Especially since I only charge for days they are here
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caligirl 01:26 PM 11-15-2011
I'm closed for all the major holidays (and some not so major)... I've never had a problem with them remembering holidays......it's the 'non-holiday's that they forget
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Unregistered 09:17 AM 11-16-2011
....it happened to me! I couldn't control the laughter yesterday when I read this post about the kayak. Then, this a.m., momma walks in with her little and asks for the schedule next week. HUH? I gave you my schedule a year ago for the year, with quarterly reminders and post it on the first of the month on a big huge board inside my door. I am closed all of next week for my annual vacation (like always, every year...nothing has changed). ????what the heck?
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Unregistered 09:56 PM 12-18-2011
My daycare provider, who my daughter loves, does NOT give a yearly or monthly calendar. She takes all state holidays off, then random days off every once in a while with sometimes less than 3 days notice. We've been planning all year for my sister to drive 6 hours to watch our daughter for the week between Christmas and New Years, and now suddenly she's taking the Friday before that week off, and only Tuesday and Wednesday the following week.

You all are doing it the right way. Good. Work.
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Kaddidle Care 04:46 AM 12-19-2011
It's the Cell phone, Texting era. Nobody knows how to plan ahead any more. Their brains are numb.

Also.. they tend to forget what they don't WANT to know.
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mismatchedsocks 05:20 AM 12-19-2011
I dont get how they dont know with all the reminders!? when they get their first notice of a day that their daycare wont be open, dont you think they would think, hmmm where should i take sally when her daycare is closed?? ok if you dont think that on first reminder, then definetly the second reminder. Come on people.

I close the day after thanksgiving, always have. Some times I go shopping early, sometimes not. Last year, we were here, sleeping 6am, I unplugged the doorbell, which I do on days off. but we heard a pounding. I ran to door, thinking something was wrong. Mom kissed her two kids and tried to push them in the door. I said "wait, what? I am closed today" she said i have to go shopping, i do it every year and you are open why not this year? I said in all the years i have been open i have never had kids the day after. She said well what can i pay you to take them. I said i should charge you for waking me up, but i wont, see you monday. i mean come on!
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Unregistered 05:32 AM 12-19-2011
I once had a grandfather show up to pich up his two grandchildren. I was closed, due to both of my own boys being violently ill. The children were not there, and yet at 3:00, I heard my front door open and he came walking right in. My policy is to always ring the bell before entering. I was standing in vomit covered pajamas holding my vomit covered baby. He said hello and proceeded to walk into my basement, where the classroom is located. I stood there FLABBERGASTED! The kids weren't even there!!!!!
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caring4kidsinSD 11:23 AM 12-19-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I once had a grandfather show up to pich up his two grandchildren. I was closed, due to both of my own boys being violently ill. The children were not there, and yet at 3:00, I heard my front door open and he came walking right in. My policy is to always ring the bell before entering. I was standing in vomit covered pajamas holding my vomit covered baby. He said hello and proceeded to walk into my basement, where the classroom is located. I stood there FLABBERGASTED! The kids weren't even there!!!!!
That's why I LOCK the front door on weekends and after hours. I have neighbor kids who come to daycare and tend to just 'come over' to see me just because.
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Springdaze 01:24 PM 12-19-2011
Ive never had that happen, but I wonder if they do it hoping you will feel bad and watch them anyway! I send something home and put a note on the door.
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bgmeyers 03:49 PM 12-19-2011
I just don't do it anymore. I give one notice of a closure and all holidays are in my handbook. I refuse to hold the hands of an adult. If they try to come on a day that I'm closed, they don't even get in the front door. I will either keep it locked or I'm gone. Too bad.

I believe in natural consequnces and if we coddle these adults, how will they ever get it?
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Tags:closing notice, day off, funny, reminder letter
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