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ilgirltrist11 10:36 AM 03-29-2016
First off, I have 3 DC families. 2 families I have no problem with. My last family is kind of problematic. The mom owns her own business and wants to stay open from 10:00 in the morning until 8:00 at night. My hours are 6:00am until 6pm. The father works an hour away from home. The mom asked me twice now to watch him until 9pm. I have refused. So, a few weeks ago she sent me a text a half hour before pickup saying that she was going to be late by an hour because she was in a neighboring town. I asked her if anybody could come and pick him up at 6. She said that on this short notice, she couldn't. I said well, I cannot go past 6. She showed up at 6:25. This happened again yesterday. The child is a biter, hitter and pincher. Yesterday, her son bit my son on the nose. Broke a bit of skin. Mom doesn't know what to do with him and is asking for my advice on how to handle him. I told her that keep enforcing her rules and if she wanted any names or numbers of people who could help her, I would research it. I've kind of come to the conclusion that I am going to give the family a few months to see if she can make some changes in his routine( he goes to sleep at night around midnight). If he still has issues after that, I'm going to terminate. What do you think?
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Play Care 10:41 AM 03-29-2016
I would be terming for the late pick ups alone. She's asked if you would work later and you said no. She made you do it anyway. She has no respect for you whatsoever.

I wouldn't even be touching the other issues as I refuse to go over and above for people who treat me like dirt.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 10:44 AM 03-29-2016
Originally Posted by Play Care:
I would be terming for the late pick ups alone. She's asked if you would work later and you said no. She made you do it anyway. She has no respect for you whatsoever.

I wouldn't even be touching the other issues as I refuse to go over and above for people who treat me like dirt.
Yes, that's crazy to me. Not apologetic but informing you that she WILL be running late and due to her choosing to be in another town? No thank you, ma'am.

Can you imagine if you sent her a text, "I will be opening at 10:00 am tomorrow morning. I will be out of town until then. Thanks." Ah!
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ChelseaB 10:44 AM 03-29-2016
I think she's deliberately stretching and bending your rules regarding pick up, and she thought she could force you into doing it her way...that's strike 1. The biting and misbehavior due to inconsistency on her part with no improvement would be strike 2. I'd be putting her and DCB on probation for 2 weeks, and if strike 3 happened, she's out. I'd have to give her either immediate termination notice or 2-weeks. Whatever you feel is appropriate.

But you shouldn't be bullied or pushed into doing what you don't want to do. And your son shouldn't have to worry about being hurt...

I just have little to zero tolerance for this kind of behavior.
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MunchkinWrangler 10:49 AM 03-29-2016
Bye DCM, see ya later! I would term, showing up late after telling her no, is beyond disrespectful of you and your business. You should have used the same excuse 'because it's late notice you are unable to care for her child' and no you can't do it in the future. She needs to realize that no matter what her hours are you are still working 12 hours a day and she wants you to work 15?!!? Just no, I'm sure there are other options for care that she can find. I would have greeted DCM with a term letter, effective immediately...now let me add this to my policies.
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Blackcat31 11:23 AM 03-29-2016
Originally Posted by ilgirltrist11:
First off, I have 3 DC families. 2 families I have no problem with. My last family is kind of problematic. The mom owns her own business and wants to stay open from 10:00 in the morning until 8:00 at night. My hours are 6:00am until 6pm. The father works an hour away from home. The mom asked me twice now to watch him until 9pm. I have refused. So, a few weeks ago she sent me a text a half hour before pickup saying that she was going to be late by an hour because she was in a neighboring town. I asked her if anybody could come and pick him up at 6. She said that on this short notice, she couldn't. I said well, I cannot go past 6. She showed up at 6:25. This happened again yesterday. The child is a biter, hitter and pincher. Yesterday, her son bit my son on the nose. Broke a bit of skin. Mom doesn't know what to do with him and is asking for my advice on how to handle him. I told her that keep enforcing her rules and if she wanted any names or numbers of people who could help her, I would research it. I've kind of come to the conclusion that I am going to give the family a few months to see if she can make some changes in his routine( he goes to sleep at night around midnight). If he still has issues after that, I'm going to terminate. What do you think?
Why did she wait until 30 minutes before pick up to tell you she was an hour away? Sounds to me like she might have planned that.

I would have termed for that alone.

Also, doesn't she have any emergency contact people available to pick up when she can't? We are required by law to have parents list emergency contact people.

I personally wouldnt bother trying to "fix" anything with this family.... I'd just term and find someone who can respectfully work within your hours.
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Thriftylady 11:30 AM 03-29-2016
I agree I would be terming now. They asked to pick up late, you said no. I would be done.
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LysesKids 11:31 AM 03-29-2016
Originally Posted by ilgirltrist11:
First off, I have 3 DC families. 2 families I have no problem with. My last family is kind of problematic. The mom owns her own business and wants to stay open from 10:00 in the morning until 8:00 at night. My hours are 6:00am until 6pm. The father works an hour away from home. The mom asked me twice now to watch him until 9pm. I have refused. So, a few weeks ago she sent me a text a half hour before pickup saying that she was going to be late by an hour because she was in a neighboring town. I asked her if anybody could come and pick him up at 6. She said that on this short notice, she couldn't. I said well, I cannot go past 6. She showed up at 6:25. This happened again yesterday. The child is a biter, hitter and pincher. Yesterday, her son bit my son on the nose. Broke a bit of skin. Mom doesn't know what to do with him and is asking for my advice on how to handle him. I told her that keep enforcing her rules and if she wanted any names or numbers of people who could help her, I would research it. I've kind of come to the conclusion that I am going to give the family a few months to see if she can make some changes in his routine( he goes to sleep at night around midnight). If he still has issues after that, I'm going to terminate. What do you think?
I have contracted hrs with a limit of 10 daily... I would be charging my late pick up rates and no more care unless they are paid in full @ pick up time. I have no tolerance for people that force me to work late after I said no (if you need OT here, then you must set it up at least 12 hrs in advance). If it happened a 2nd time, I would terminate for disrespect if no other reason. You are a business too and she needs to learn that. What if you had plans the couldn't be changed? As to the biting... NOPE, I have even less tolerance for that especially if she isn't helping break the habit
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Snowmom 11:32 AM 03-29-2016
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Why did she wait until 30 minutes before pick up to tell you she was an hour away? Sounds to me like she might have planned that.

I would have termed for that alone.

Also, doesn't she have any emergency contact people available to pick up when she can't? We are required by law to have parents list emergency contact people.

I personally wouldnt bother trying to "fix" anything with this family.... I'd just term and find someone who can respectfully work within your hours.
Ditto.

You set the tone on how people will treat you. If you allow them to break your policies, you're telling them they can do it again whenever they please.

You said it's been weeks since the late offense. How did you handle it? Was there a warning? Late fee?
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lovemydaycare0912 11:35 AM 03-29-2016
Take it from me. Term. They do not respect you nor will they ever. Ut will be the best thing you ever did for yourself.
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e.j. 11:48 AM 03-29-2016
Originally Posted by ilgirltrist11:
First off, I have 3 DC families. 2 families I have no problem with. My last family is kind of problematic. The mom owns her own business and wants to stay open from 10:00 in the morning until 8:00 at night. My hours are 6:00am until 6pm. The father works an hour away from home. The mom asked me twice now to watch him until 9pm. I have refused. So, a few weeks ago she sent me a text a half hour before pickup saying that she was going to be late by an hour because she was in a neighboring town. I asked her if anybody could come and pick him up at 6. She said that on this short notice, she couldn't. I said well, I cannot go past 6. She showed up at 6:25. This happened again yesterday. The child is a biter, hitter and pincher. Yesterday, her son bit my son on the nose. Broke a bit of skin. Mom doesn't know what to do with him and is asking for my advice on how to handle him. I told her that keep enforcing her rules and if she wanted any names or numbers of people who could help her, I would research it. I've kind of come to the conclusion that I am going to give the family a few months to see if she can make some changes in his routine( he goes to sleep at night around midnight). If he still has issues after that, I'm going to terminate. What do you think?
I'd be willing to work with her on her child's behavior and give that some time to turn around but I wouldn't give her a few months to turn her behavior around. She called you pretty much last minute to tell you she was going to be late and despite being told you could not work past 6:00, was unwilling to make other arrangements for pick-up - not once but twice! She won't call her friends and relatives on short notice to ask if they can pick her child up but she has no problem inconveniencing you. Nope. I'd probably not term her just yet but I would warn her that if she showed up late again for pick up, I would have to term and then I'd do it without hesitation.
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Tags:after hours, parent - call late, parents - dont know how
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