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mrsnj 02:20 PM 11-16-2015
Sorry....rant....
I have a mom who wanted before/after. I pretty much have stopped it cause it interferes with my day and because I don't charge a lot, it isn't worth the aggravation. They take more times and break more things and it just was not worth dealing with buses and headcounts etc. But this is one of my long time clients who just started kinder so I said ok. She asked and asked for my rules and tuition info and I gave it to her in Aug. She said nothing. I charge a flat low fee for before/after and then do add ons. So I explained what half day and full day add ons were. She accepted it. School started. Been coming for three months now. This week we have our first half day. She texts and says she wanted to pick up in the middle of naps. I told her no. He must either get picked up at the bus drop off time or wait until after naps. Not a new rule. No pick up during naps. Well....she texts me and says "Oh so I guess then there is no afterschool care then if I have to pay extra for half day? I figured if I picked up an hr after the bus drops off then its not more"........Now I explained all this in Aug. I put it in writing. She never once had a question. Now she wants to push her pick up time to middle of the day so I don't charge her. She is expected to be here till 5. I don't care if she picks up at 11am. If he comes in my house then I am charging. She doesn't get to 'shift' her hours to fit her needs. This is disruptive to my day. I have two buses dropping off in the beginning of naps (my daughters is the other). Now her husband wants to come and ring my bell in the middle of naps cause she wants to shift hours and pick up early so she doesn't have to pay extra?! It does not work that way and for the pennies I charge for before/after I NEVER EVER haggle cause 1. I make nothing major off them. 2. I don't care if she comes. She can go to the local school after care or a prek and pay a good $160+ and then still pay for add on things like holidays etc. I was so mad. I didn't even reply to her text message. I made a copy of my rules and info again and put it in his cubby. I am doing her a favor. It was clearly written out. Never in my info does it say you can change your days or times to please your needs. Do you know what my naptime would have been like with people coming and going as they please!? How about this....you can pay my low rates and he can stay. OR you can take a hike down the road cause it isn't worth it to me. WHY do people think it is ok to do whatever they please and then want to get pissy when you say no??
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nannyde 02:29 PM 11-16-2015
Why are you charging so low for this. Raise rates and weed out these parents.
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nanglgrl 02:32 PM 11-16-2015
That's a big reason why I stopped taking school agers. Yes, I could make a little more money because in my state I am allowed 4 school agers on top of my 8 preschoolers and infants but the amount of money that I could charge wasn't worth the hassle. Once parents start to get free daycare, aka school, they don't want to pay anything for that child to attend daycare. They get it in their heads that they won't have to pay anything or that they will pay very little once their child starts school. They don't understand the child still takes up a spot, disrupts the schedule, their child uses more materials, breaks things, requires more attention and is usually too big for most of the toys.
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Blackcat31 03:12 PM 11-16-2015
Originally Posted by nanglgrl:
That's a big reason why I stopped taking school agers. Yes, I could make a little more money because in my state I am allowed 4 school agers on top of my 8 preschoolers and infants but the amount of money that I could charge wasn't worth the hassle. Once parents start to get free daycare, aka school, they don't want to pay anything for that child to attend daycare. They get it in their heads that they won't have to pay anything or that they will pay very little once their child starts school. They don't understand the child still takes up a spot, disrupts the schedule, their child uses more materials, breaks things, requires more attention and is usually too big for most of the toys.
I think that is one of the biggest issues with this business.

Parents think the least amount of time used should be easiest/cheapest when in reality, it's the exact opposite.
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nanglgrl 03:13 PM 11-16-2015
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I think that is one of the biggest issues with this business.

Parents think the least amount of time used should be easiest/cheapest when in reality, it's the exact opposite.
So very true!
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daycarediva 03:57 PM 11-16-2015
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I think that is one of the biggest issues with this business.

Parents think the least amount of time used should be easiest/cheapest when in reality, it's the exact opposite.
and there really isn't a way to explain it that they will understand and/or agree.

Similar situation-only my SA rates are NOT cheap- they can go to ANY SA program and pay about HALF what I charge. No shame either, I TELL them it's expensive. I don't want big sibling here. It's not personal, he/she might be the greatest kid ever but I don't run a SA program. I won't do it unless it's worth it. I charged mom a FULL day on Veteran's that I was open (per contract) because dcb was here 8-11. She didn't even ask- just assumed since he was using the same amount of time I would charge her the same daily rate. She got a copy of the contract handed to her with the portion about fees highlighted. No discount. If there is a half day or NO school, full day rate.

Next week the kids are off Wednesday and I am open. She was given TWO different invoices- one WITH the day and one WITHOUT (but his regular rate). NOW she's annoyed that I am charging her for the full week (I took paid days off Th/F) but telling her SA boy can't come on Wednesday unless I get the full day rate for Wed. She asked me if he can come M/T before and after school, W full day and since he wasn't coming TH/F we could just call it even." (TH/F equal a full daily rate) *BANGS HEAD*. Here's me "Do you need a third copy or was it not clear????" and an awkward stare.
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Play Care 03:15 AM 11-17-2015
Originally Posted by daycarediva:
and there really isn't a way to explain it that they will understand and/or agree.


YES!!!

And no matter how often I tell parents that I am just NOT an SA provider, they always seem taken aback when I tell them it's time to move on. I guess they think that their kid will be the exception

We sent our dd to a SA summer camp for a week this summer and it WAS expensive, but there was age appropriate supervision (an adult for every group) age appropriate activities (lots of outside stuff - swimming, hiking, games, archery, zip lining ) etc. And that costs money. We have a free town program (arts and crafts in the AM, swimming "lessons" in the PM) it's staffed by high school kids. I've heard of kids getting bored and taking off and the staff have no idea where they are. The crafts are usually kind of dumb, the "swim lessons" are a joke, etc. But parents love it because it's "free"
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Thriftylady 04:54 AM 11-17-2015
Originally Posted by Play Care:


YES!!!

And no matter how often I tell parents that I am just NOT an SA provider, they always seem taken aback when I tell them it's time to move on. I guess they think that their kid will be the exception

We sent our dd to a SA summer camp for a week this summer and it WAS expensive, but there was age appropriate supervision (an adult for every group) age appropriate activities (lots of outside stuff - swimming, hiking, games, archery, zip lining ) etc. And that costs money. We have a free town program (arts and crafts in the AM, swimming "lessons" in the PM) it's staffed by high school kids. I've heard of kids getting bored and taking off and the staff have no idea where they are. The crafts are usually kind of dumb, the "swim lessons" are a joke, etc. But parents love it because it's "free"
My DD works at our church camp. During the summer one SA boy (who is quite a handful), comes for 5 week sessions. They are Sunday evening to Friday evening sessions. His single mom uses it as daycare because our church camp is non-profit and gets a ton of donations (food, supplies, building supplies, services etc). Most camp sessions are $180 a week and she can't find daycare for that price for him.
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mrsnj 08:09 AM 11-17-2015
I wish there was a like button here. LOL! I so needed one for most of your comments.

NO you cannot explain it to them. She is paying nothing compared to last year. But she has had the 'don't have to pay for care' taste with her free in school babysitting. So she is honestly going to haggle with me for a half day? Seriously? No where in my info did it ever say you can move your times etc. It says basic rate is xyz and you pay this if you come or not, full day is -----, half day is------ full time week is ------. Does not say "Oh but if you shift your times or move your days then what the hell! Its not extra! I don't mind moving my day around to accommodate you. Its all good!!" And I think it stunned me cause she isnt new. She had my info. She spoke with me about all this in Aug. And it wasn't asked. She just assumed that what she would do. Now normally she picks up around 4:30/5pm. But I am open until 5:30 and there have been times she has been here after 5 until I close. She is a teacher and gets stuck with a child who wasn't picked up. She wants to stop for an errand. Her husband forgot to get DCB. It isn't extra until she goes over 5:30. So....I want to say to her....under your theory (not my rules btw) of you have an 'hour to pick up after the bus drops off' does that mean I get to charge you extra if you go past 5?? I will bet that is a no. So what makes her think she won't be charged extra for coming here early?

I charge a low rate BTW cause I cannot bring myself to charge an arm and leg to just put the kids on and get them off the bus. Most times before and after is only here a minimum amount of time. So I charge for the extras. Half day? Its more. Full day? Its more. Etc. I dont feed lunch (only on full days here). I don't do homework. Etc. And about two years ago I had my fill with before/after and said enough and stopped it. This is the only child I have. And mom knows it. He doesn't even have a sibling here! Pretty sure she has it good and needs to take a chill pill and hush cause I don't care if she comes or not.

Thanks for listening to my rant. LOL! Sometimes it feel good to just let it out!
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mommiebookworm 08:14 AM 11-17-2015
Originally Posted by Thriftylady:
My DD works at our church camp. During the summer one SA boy (who is quite a handful), comes for 5 week sessions. They are Sunday evening to Friday evening sessions. His single mom uses it as daycare because our church camp is non-profit and gets a ton of donations (food, supplies, building supplies, services etc). Most camp sessions are $180 a week and she can't find daycare for that price for him.
That is so sad! I'm assuming those are overnights?
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Thriftylady 11:37 AM 11-17-2015
Originally Posted by mommiebookworm:
That is so sad! I'm assuming those are overnights?
Yes it is an overnight camp. Mom has some free care with grandma according to DD, but grandma just doesn't want to deal with him. I don't know how she knows this, but it must be true. DD said he can be pretty disruptive but the camp director tries not to send him home because his home life isn't great and they want to keep him in a better environment. And all the poor camp deans are volunteers, I can imagine they want to pull their hair out some days, from what DD says.
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Ariana 12:22 PM 11-17-2015
Wow! Some people just feel like we are their employees not that they are paying for a service whether it is used or not.
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MsLisa 07:20 AM 11-19-2015
As someone who runs an before & after school program, I agree with a lot of you. Aftercare often falls into and makes us feel like cheap babysitting with some of these parents. Its the most aggravating feeling in the world when we know what time they get out of work and should be picking up, but low and behold their kid is the last kid here and the parent shows up in obvious "i've been home" clothes......well gee thanks. I could have gone home early for once but hey for only $10/week (thanks ccis) why not take a nap instead?

(PS. As for price, ours is $20 before/ $40 after / $60 both per week. Doesn't matter how often they use us or how long the kid(s) are there, price is a fixed rate.)
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Tags:bad fit, raising rates, school age care
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