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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Dcf late for pickup Friday
midaycare 04:15 AM 10-12-2015
I have a dcg, 10 months. Dcf is supposed to pickup at 3:45. On Friday dcd shows up at 4:25. He laughs about it. "Dcm planned a play date for our other kid right after school, what was she thinking?"

I was annoyed. My rule is simple. If you let me know you need extra time, it's generally not an issue. Especially with the early pickups. But no contact for 40 minutes? Come on! I did text, after 35 minutes. No reply until pickup.

Now Dcf is acting annoyed with me. Me!

This is a baby that was hungry and takes a looooong time to eat. I would have fed her - I wake her up at pickup every day. Not knowing when dcd was coming, I didn't feed any then felt awful about it.

I'm just venting. I can't believe they were late and are treating me poorly because I have the gall to be annoyed.
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Blackcat31 06:26 AM 10-12-2015
Originally Posted by midaycare:
I have a dcg, 10 months. Dcf is supposed to pickup at 3:45. On Friday dcd shows up at 4:25. He laughs about it. "Dcm planned a play date for our other kid right after school, what was she thinking?"

I was annoyed. My rule is simple. If you let me know you need extra time, it's generally not an issue. Especially with the early pickups. But no contact for 40 minutes? Come on! I did text, after 35 minutes. No reply until pickup.

Now Dcf is acting annoyed with me. Me!

This is a baby that was hungry and takes a looooong time to eat. I would have fed her - I wake her up at pickup every day. Not knowing when dcd was coming, I didn't feed any then felt awful about it.

I'm just venting. I can't believe they were late and are treating me poorly because I have the gall to be annoyed.
I refuse to allow families off the hook for that type of thing and I would out right confront them. Give the issue back to them. THEY were late so YOU should be upset not them.

"DCD, I was a bit surprised that you picked up so late on Friday and by the fact that no one thought to text me or reply when I texted you. If there anything I should be aware of and or if you perhaps need your contract to be reviewed, please let me know."
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Baby Beluga 06:38 AM 10-12-2015
Not cool of these parents.

I had a similar issue a couple of weeks ago. DCM was working late and DCD who was working from home that day (and lives 5 minutes from me....) was late picking up by 40 minutes. I sent a text to both DCM and DCD that said something along the lines of "Hi DCM and DCD, DCK is still here. Since there was no mention of a late pick up today I wanted to make sure all was okay?"

DCD had simply "lost track of time" even though DCM reminded him 1 hour prior to pick up time.
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nannyde 06:52 AM 10-12-2015
When your rule is they can be late for free if they do xyz they only care about the late and free part.

That's why he was so tickled by the situation. He thinks you are so silly to require something done to get late and free. What difference does it make to him if you know about it? His interest is only in the late and free.

Switch to a late fee and never allow a gray rule for pickup. Even if they do notify they will be late, the fee is a dollar a minute.

It's not personal. Because you have offered late and free the parent believes it is included in the tuition.
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midaycare 09:22 AM 10-12-2015
Originally Posted by nannyde:
When your rule is they can be late for free if they do xyz they only care about the late and free part.

That's why he was so tickled by the situation. He thinks you are so silly to require something done to get late and free. What difference does it make to him if you know about it? His interest is only in the late and free.

Switch to a late fee and never allow a gray rule for pickup. Even if they do notify they will be late, the fee is a dollar a minute.

It's not personal. Because you have offered late and free the parent believes it is included in the tuition.
I have it in my contract and have never enforced it. I've never felt the need to.
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momofboys 11:39 AM 10-12-2015
Originally Posted by midaycare:
I have it in my contract and have never enforced it. I've never felt the need to.
I'd be sure to let them know that you let the late fee slide on Friday; however, any other day that a DCP is late the fee will apply & then do it!
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284878 06:30 AM 10-14-2015
Originally Posted by midaycare:
I have it in my contract and have never enforced it. I've never felt the need to.
Enforce it.
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mommyneedsadayoff 06:33 AM 10-14-2015
Originally Posted by midaycare:
I have it in my contract and have never enforced it. I've never felt the need to.
What is the point of having it in there if you don't enforce it? Follow what you have in the contract and enforce it so that parents won't walk all over you.
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Ariana 09:49 AM 10-14-2015
I had to tell a dad off about dropping dcg off late. I usually get her lunch ready to go a few minutes before she arrives and when he was 20 minutes late with no text I had to go put it all away, then he shows up and I have to take it all out again Anyway I explained the situation to him in a very serious professional tone and he apologized profusely and it never happened again.

If you have contracted hours then the parent should be there or a late fee is applied. I just had to tell a mom about this as well. Her time was contracted for 4:30 and she kept showing up closer to 5pm and then by the end of my rope it was creeping past 5pm. This needs to be nipped in the bud. good luck Don't worry about them being miffed either. All kinds of people get miffed when they have to adhere to rules....the nerve!
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midaycare 10:07 AM 10-14-2015
Originally Posted by mommyneedsadayoff:
What is the point of having it in there if you don't enforce it? Follow what you have in the contract and enforce it so that parents won't walk all over you.
I can't remember a time I've ever had a Dcf be more than 5 minutes late without texting/calling. And the late pickups are so rare ... Maybe one every other month.

So this is really the first time I've dealt with this.
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