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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Anyone Want To Lend Me Their Backbone?
Love 05:37 AM 08-31-2017
Im giving a letter out to all parents today letting them know Im changing my hours. I know a couple families will have a problem with this and wont accept my "to better fit the needs of my family" reasoning. They are still going to ask me why and try to negotiate or argue it. I hate confrontation, i hope my backbone is strong today! Why is this always so hard? Parents have no problem trying to change their childs schedule or giving us a two week notice, but when we do it we feel guilty? (Or at least I do).
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Leigh 07:39 AM 08-31-2017
Originally Posted by Love:
Im giving a letter out to all parents today letting them know Im changing my hours. I know a couple families will have a problem with this and wont accept my "to better fit the needs of my family" reasoning. They are still going to ask me why and try to negotiate or argue it. I hate confrontation, i hope my backbone is strong today! Why is this always so hard? Parents have no problem trying to change their childs schedule or giving us a two week notice, but when we do it we feel guilty? (Or at least I do).
If you keep explaining yourself, you're opening yourself up to negotiation. Simply say "My hours are changing to X on X date. Please kindly give 2 weeks' notice of withdrawl if these hours don't work for your family". If they try to negotiate, the only answer I would give is that these are the hours that work for YOU, so you must change them. Don't blame it on your family (but, would just MY kid be so hard to keep later?) or on activities (but, you could just take him along-he'd behave). Just tell them that you ARE closed at X time starting on X date.
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storybookending 07:43 AM 08-31-2017
Stay strong. If they start to argue just throw back the need to put your families needs first and say nothing else. Don't give them anything else to go on. Try not to feel bad as they wouldn't put their families needs in front of yours in a heartbeat.
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Love 08:10 AM 08-31-2017
The parent i suspected would ask a million questions did. It was hard. I ended up saying it was for my kids activities. For the most part she understood. She asked if it was everyday and if there was any wiggle room on certain days. I said "Uh yeah idk ill see it depends, is it certain days?" She said it may be random. To which i said " yeah idk" with a sour face and explained how i couldnt be late. She said she will have to talk to her husband and see what she can do, that she may have to pull because she likes the flexibility of picking up whenever. It doesnt hurt me finacially if she leaves. I dont plan on making an exception or staying even 1 min past. The rest of the families were fine with it. There is just one more I have to tell but im waiting until tomorrow at pickup, so with the long weekend I wont have to deal with her for awhile. Shes going to be my toughest one!
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Ariana 10:25 AM 08-31-2017
Are they your friends? Do they come to your house for dinner? Why do you care what they think and how they handle it? They are business clients!! You do not have a personal relationship with them and they obviously don't care about you!! Already they are trying to squeeze something extr out of you after you already told them the hours were changing. See how disrespectful they are being? You owe them nothing!!!

^^ my peptalk
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racemom 11:08 AM 08-31-2017
I would like my local stores to stay open later than 9:00 p.m. on nights that I would like to shop later, I also need our courthouse to stay open until 6 several times a year so I can renew license plates and such, do you think they will?

Sorry, don't mean to be a smart a$$, but what is the difference, because you are a small business your clients needs come first. No!
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EntropyControlSpecialist 11:33 AM 08-31-2017
Originally Posted by Ariana:
Are they your friends? Do they come to your house for dinner? Why do you care what they think and how they handle it? They are business clients!! You do not have a personal relationship with them and they obviously don't care about you!! Already they are trying to squeeze something extr out of you after you already told them the hours were changing. See how disrespectful they are being? You owe them nothing!!!

^^ my peptalk
I agree.
If they decide to leave, you won't think about them any longer and vice versa. There's no need to stress if you can help it.

I have changed my days of operation before and recently changed my hours as well. It can be so easy to get wrapped up in worrying about how it will effect others. But that the end of the day, you need to worry about you and your family first. They always do the same.
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Love 11:35 AM 08-31-2017
You all are right. I put way too much thought into these things!
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Mom2Two 11:39 AM 08-31-2017
Originally Posted by racemom:
I would like my local stores to stay open later than 9:00 p.m. on nights that I would like to shop later, I also need our courthouse to stay open until 6 several times a year so I can renew license plates and such, do you think they will?

Sorry, don't mean to be a smart a$$, but what is the difference, because you are a small business your clients needs come first. No!


From her reaction, it sounds like she wants to meet babysitting needs not work needs, is that right? I would definitely not feel guilty about that!
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SunflowerMeadow 08:48 PM 08-31-2017
You've gotta do what's best for you
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