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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>How Would You React to This ...
Unregistered 09:33 AM 06-23-2011
I've been a licensed provider for over three years, recently got my daycare accredited, I do lots of reading on this forum but haven't posted yet. Anyway, here's what happened yesterday. My daycare is in the downstairs of my house, the families enter and leave thru the garage. The parents will text when they're on their way or in the driveway and I will open the garage door for them. So yesterday at pickup my last child's mother came and got her, we did our goodbyes and they left. I went upstairs for a few minutes and came back down to close the garage door and when I hit the button for the garage to close I here a "OH!!" and I look and it's the mother and the child in the garage playing with my sons ride on toys! I was like "oh you're still here!" and didn't say anything else, she just grabbed the girl and as soon as they were out of the garage I closed the garage door. I thought to myself HOW RUDE of you to stay in somebody's garage playing with their child's toys. It's one thing if we're talking and I'm out there and the kid goes and grabs something while we're talking but what she did I didn't like that at all. I guess now it's going to be as soon as their feet exit the garage the garage door goes down.
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Meyou 09:39 AM 06-23-2011
I would just mention that you keep the door closed for safety reasons so they need to leave the garage area quickly or risk being trapped.
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Cat Herder 09:53 AM 06-23-2011
My daycare is in my converted garage.

I have a wireless driveway alarm that alerts me of someone coming down the drive and when they leave.

They are cheap and mount with a simple screw. It solved that problem for me.
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jojosmommy 10:16 AM 06-23-2011
Do you have a side entry door? A provider near me only allows parents in through the side entry and only leaves it unlocked when parents are "allowed" to drop kids off. Then you wouldnt have to open and shut the garage door every time.

I would remind them that toys in garage are for storage and for safety sake they should never allow their kids to play in the garage.
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wdmmom 12:08 PM 06-23-2011
Originally Posted by Catherder:
My daycare is in my converted garage.

I have a wireless driveway alarm that alerts me of someone coming down the drive and when they leave.

They are cheap and mount with a simple screw. It solved that problem for me.
Where could I find something like this???
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Blackcat31 12:48 PM 06-23-2011
Originally Posted by wdmmom:
Where could I find something like this???
We have purchased them from Harbor Freight, Menards, Northern and Home Depot before. Check your local hardware store.
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wdmmom 01:14 PM 06-23-2011
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
We have purchased them from Harbor Freight, Menards, Northern and Home Depot before. Check your local hardware store.
Thanks! Menards is right down the road. I'll be looking into it right after I return from vacation!
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Blackcat31 01:45 PM 06-23-2011
Originally Posted by wdmmom:
Thanks! Menards is right down the road. I'll be looking into it right after I return from vacation!
No problem. Here is the SKU for the one we bought there so they know what you are talking about. This one was around $25 but they will probably try to sell you the $79 one.....we fell for it but went back and bought the cheaper one and so far it is the only one still working after 3 years...LOL!!

http://www.menards.com/main/electric...332-c-6464.htm
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CheekyChick 01:50 PM 06-23-2011
IMO, that shows they feel comfortable enough to linger and play. Remember, your home is that little girl's second home. I'm not judging, but if I were the mother, I would feel a bit hurt by your reaction.
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Unregistered 01:58 PM 06-23-2011
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I've been a licensed provider for over three years, recently got my daycare accredited, I do lots of reading on this forum but haven't posted yet. Anyway, here's what happened yesterday. My daycare is in the downstairs of my house, the families enter and leave thru the garage. The parents will text when they're on their way or in the driveway and I will open the garage door for them. So yesterday at pickup my last child's mother came and got her, we did our goodbyes and they left. I went upstairs for a few minutes and came back down to close the garage door and when I hit the button for the garage to close I here a "OH!!" and I look and it's the mother and the child in the garage playing with my sons ride on toys! I was like "oh you're still here!" and didn't say anything else, she just grabbed the girl and as soon as they were out of the garage I closed the garage door. I thought to myself HOW RUDE of you to stay in somebody's garage playing with their child's toys. It's one thing if we're talking and I'm out there and the kid goes and grabs something while we're talking but what she did I didn't like that at all. I guess now it's going to be as soon as their feet exit the garage the garage door goes down.
I don't think they were being rude, your garage isn't just "somebody's garage', it is the garage of this childs second home, she probably passes through it every day wishing she could play with those cool toys.

Closing the door right immediately behind them is what I would feel is rude. Seriously, why the need to close it instantly??

I agree with the previous poster, I'd be a bit hurt by your reaction and feel that maybe you were the one being rude???
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mac60 02:08 PM 06-23-2011
People need to remember that you are a business, and they have no right to linger in your home/and or garage.
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cheerfuldom 04:53 PM 06-23-2011
She needs to close it to get back to the other kids or to her other plans for the evening. The parents pay for care from this time to that time. That means that once parents have picked up, the daycare is no longer theirs to use. There are A LOT of things that kid can get into in a garage especially since this doesn't sound like a designated daycare area (meaning not child proof) and if this kid gets hurt, the provider is the one liable for it. So is she supposed to stand out there and wait until the parents feel like leaving? I think not. It is not rude at all to have rules. They are there for a reason and keep people safe and happy working together. This is just another example of a parent that can't tell their child no and would prefer to stretch out that daycare time as long as possible so turning the kid loose in the provider's garage sounds pretty good to them.
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Cat Herder 05:06 PM 06-23-2011
Originally Posted by CheekyChick:
IMO, that shows they feel comfortable enough to linger and play. Remember, your home is that little girl's second home. I'm not judging, but if I were the mother, I would feel a bit hurt by your reaction.
No, it is not. I am sorry if that offends, but it is not.

The child attends a childcare program in the providers home. The providers work day had ended and the parent was not INVITED to play in her garage with or without her child.

This is an entitlement issue. Nobody is entitled to use another's property without permission. Even if they pay that person for a service during business hours.

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I don't think they were being rude, your garage isn't just "somebody's garage', it is the garage of this child's second home, she probably passes through it every day wishing she could play with those cool toys.

Closing the door right immediately behind them is what I would feel is rude. Seriously, why the need to close it instantly??

I agree with the previous poster, I'd be a bit hurt by your reaction and feel that maybe you were the one being rude???
Those "cool toys" belong to the providers child, in his own home. The providers child or his personal toys are NOT a part of the childcare program.

IMHO, It is horribly rude and inappropriate for an adult to feel she has the right to touch another persons property without being invited or having permission.
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Sunshine44 05:14 PM 06-23-2011
I feel the same as Catherder! It is entitlement! I have issues with one daycare parent and their child here! Some days the kid runs to my playground area and the parent says "no, time to go" and the kid will flip a lid and the parent will say ok, one turn on the swing or whatever.

The fact of the matter is, this is not anyone's second home. It is a business. If you want a second home for your child then you can pay my mortgage too. They pay for me to take care of their children for a certain # of hours per day and they are not permitted to be here after that. To me it isn't any different than my neighbor coming into my garage when I wasn't aware and playing with my things. Odd.
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MG&Lsmom 06:03 AM 06-24-2011
Nope, not rude. It's also a liability issue. While the parent may have signed the child out of the provider's care, as long as they remain on the property she would be liable for any injuries that occur.
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countrymom 06:13 AM 06-24-2011
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
We have purchased them from Harbor Freight, Menards, Northern and Home Depot before. Check your local hardware store.
I have that alarm too and we bought it at harbour frieght, it goes on sale alot, I have 2, one near my property and one by the pool (its lock and key but i have that too) also have a door alarm too, so when my door opens I have an alarm that goes off. I'm acually thinking of getting cameras, its also for my own kids too.
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dEHmom 06:52 AM 06-24-2011
so I think although it does seem rude, I think it was just a mistake. The mom probably didn't realize it, or you don't know, maybe the child was being difficult and the mom just stopped and didn't do force the child to leave. If it happened again, I would deal with it then.

Honestly, I think maybe just talking and saying you generally allow XX minutes to be completely out of the garage and then you close the door because you don't want to leave it open unattended as others may wander in.

I would say it in a way that you are not coming across as "get off my property" but more so just in terms of you need to close the door, so you usually just allows this many minutes. I am sure she will understand.

To me it's the same as a front door. I never close the door directly behind them, but I slowly close the door after they've hit the sidewalk, say goodbye and shut it. I know if I was leaving my childs daycare and the door was closed the second i stepped out of it, I would feel like it was rude. Most of my parents close the door behind them, but in the summer the big door is always open, and it's just the screen door. So I wave and say goodbye to dck as they are walking down the steps.
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Unregistered 07:05 AM 06-24-2011
That is exactly it! My husband has lots and lots of tools in there, we have personal things stored in there that anybody lingering and me not out there could easily steal, or like was said a child could get hurt on. The garage is licensed as a pass thru only not a daycare area, that it what I expect it to be. If I leave the garage door open anybody has access to the daycare, literally walk right in. By quickly closing the garage when the parents step out I was thinking they appreciate the safety aspect of why I'm doing that. I'm glad a majority of people agree with me & whoever said about a second home and they're envious to play with my children's toys, cannot disagree more. My children are highly impacted by the daycare and there's daycare toys and non daycare toys, their toys are off limits & my kids know if you bring a toy into daycare then the other children have full access to it.
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mrsp'slilpeeps 08:22 AM 06-24-2011
Im sorry but I 100% disagree with the people who think the provider is being rude by closing the door right away.

Are you kidding me!!???

The stuff that is in her garage is HER stuff and they DO NOT have a right to touch it. That would be like someone coming in to her bathroom and using her makeup and perfume. That is extreamly rude.
If things go missing who is to blame?

DCP's are paying her to care for the kids and when parents pick up, they are done for the day. That does not give them the right to hang out and snoop. Shame on them for bad behavior.

As soon as I read this I was appauled that someone would do this.
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MissAnn 09:52 AM 06-24-2011
Originally Posted by Catherder:
My daycare is in my converted garage.

I have a wireless driveway alarm that alerts me of someone coming down the drive and when they leave.

They are cheap and mount with a simple screw. It solved that problem for me.
What is it called? Do you know where we can buy one online? I think I'd like one of those!
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Cat Herder 10:05 AM 06-24-2011
Originally Posted by MissAnn:
What is it called? Do you know where we can buy one online? I think I'd like one of those!
This is where I got mine:

http://www.homesecuritystore.com/c-6...ay-alarms.aspx


Mine is pictured top row, middle, today. I have three teens so it plays double duty...
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Tags:door lock, entitlement, lingering parents, parent - unrealistic expectations, provider - own child, security
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