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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Oh, The Things I Have Learned!
JustMe 07:41 PM 02-14-2013
I honestly don't know how I could have prepared better to open my daycare. I spent almost a year researching and renovating and talking to other daycare providers prior to opening. I had a well-thought out and researched parent handbook, an excellent set-up in my home, a childcare background, and have taken many, many courses related to childcare and ECE. I thought I had done everything. I enjoy kids.

I was so excited to open. I *finally* did about 6 months ago. I loved my new job for the first few days, then everything went horribly wrong. Tomorrow is my last day. I can't wait to have this behind me.

So here, to anyone who is interested in where exactly I failed, is my list of things I did wrong. New daycare providers pay attention! I NEVER expected it to go like this.

1) I accepted a friend as a client right away because I was worried about income. Don't take friends or acquaintances as clients unless you have major backbone. It's so hard to enforce policies without coming off like a major witch.

2) I didn't make the parents read through my handbook with me. I am pretty sure that they didn't even read it at all. My rules were broken so many times I gave up.

3) I accepted a crazy client. I thought she was normal at the time, unfortunately. Then I bent over backwards for her and her spoiled kid. I opened a week earlier than I had planned in order to accommodate them because of issues at their former daycare (red flag!), and I made special foods for her very picky kid because she was my first daycare kid. A couple of days after my official opening date, dcm reported me for very serious allegations involving her child and I was thoroughly investigated and cleared. She had no reason to report me based on the report that I received. However, that incident left me devastated and scared to run my daycare effectively. I totally lost any backbone that I might have had after that, only a few days in.

4) I didn't have a trial period for kids. The kids I had were not easy, and I say this as someone who did childcare for years previously. I had a baby who refused to take a bottle or to be put down, and I had kids who were very wild and rough. These kids made it impossible to get more kids, because they demanded all of my time. Additionally, I was not able to do the kinds of things I had wanted to do (learning time, projects, etc) with these kids.

5) I tried to be nice. I think it's hard for childcare providers especially because people who are inherently nice are drawn to this profession. Unfortunately so many parents take a mile when you give an inch. I really honestly expected people to treat me the way I would treat my own child's daycare provider, if my kids were in daycare. That is, I expected people to be honest and respectful of my house and my business. This did not happen. I also expected parents to treat their children the way I would treat mine - you know, not leaving them here all day when they have a day off, making sure their kids were clean and had a change of clothes and weather appropriate clothes, etc. Sigh.

There are more things, I am sure. Tomorrow will be bittersweet for me, but at the end of the day I anticipate relief. I can't wait to be done.
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Starburst 07:56 PM 02-14-2013
I too have and still am taking ECE classes and I also have expeirience working in a home daycare and doing some feelance babysitting. And I too am doing lots of research on family child care as well as starting to stock up on little but necessary daycare/preschool supplies. Now I am kinda scared because I know I have problems with having a backbone with some parents I am sorry it didn't work out for you.

So what are you going to do now? Are you going to go back to work/school or just focus on being a SAHM/W for now?
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JustMe 08:09 PM 02-14-2013
Originally Posted by Starburst:
I too have and still am taking ECE classes and I also have expeirience working in a home daycare and doing some feelance babysitting. And I too am doing lots of research on family child care as well as starting to stock up on little but necessary daycare/preschool supplies. Now I am kinda scared because I know I have problems with having a backbone with some parents I am sorry it didn't work out for you.

So what are you going to do now? Are you going to go back to work/school or just focus on being a SAHM/W for now?
I hope some of my experiences can help you to prepare for opening your daycare! Honestly having a backbone is a necessity or you will find yourself going crazy lol.

Right now I am going to be on maternity leave, then I will be returning on a very part-time basis to my previous job. I am going to be considering myself a sahm
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Starburst 08:53 PM 02-14-2013
I had a really bad expeirience around this time last year with a mom I babysat for. I was a full time student (4 classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and an online class- total of 18 units!) and I watched the girl almost 24/7 and never got a regular schedule (she told me at the interview she knew her scedule at least 3 weeks ahead and would give me one) and barely got paid on time and we fed her real home made meals (never fast food). My mom was on unemployment and I was making only $125/wk part time and $150/wk full time I was barely breaking after the cost of feeding her and transporting her from school because the mom didn't tell me her school was in the middle of the boonies (thank God I had another babysitting job that actually paid then when she was at school) The girl was no picnic either- she was very hyper (9 years old) and tried to sneak around and break all the house rules- She said she wasn't even afraid of her mom because she knows her mom will let her get away with anything . My roommate and one of my moms friends would be so shocked when she wasn't at my house that they would ask me "Where's you daughter?" because I literally was raising her. My mom made it worse because she would always make me feel bad by saying "Oh, It reminds me of when I used to have to work all the time and you always had to take care of yourself" (thay are both single moms) Plus the mom had a disfigured face/hands and wore a wig (I think she was a burn victim) so I think I felt bad for her because of that and she was a single mom. And she never paid for the last two nights (different weeks) that her daughter spent the night and she just never called again and I think she left town- At that point I didn't even care I was just relieved that I didn't have to watch her kid anymore.

That expierience really hardened me, and non of the other parents I have babysat for have treated me this badly so I know it is mostly because she just was not a reliable person (though I should have stood up to her). After learning some things from this site I will probably do a "pay before play" schedule. And make sure to keep on top of my hours, their contract hours, and will be responsible for paying overtime and on time.

Well I hope everything works out for you. Good Luck
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HomeMADE 05:45 AM 02-15-2013
I am so sorry to hear this. Especially the part about being reported, that's the pits.

I have also fallen into the dreaded trap of taking a friend of my husbands child into my dk. But I have finally found the solution. Since she refuses to bring him everyday and only pays for the days that he is attending. On top of that she texts me that he is not coming at like 2pm. So I go all day thinking he is coming.

I am going to inform her that since she is not looking for ongoing everyday care that I would like to move him to the drop off contract. I am going to continue to allow her to pay the rate that she is at even though my drop off rate is higher. Because this will force her to call me with 24 hour notice and if she is not here by 8am I don't have to take him.

This will allow me to take on another fulltime child because she was taking up a spot. And that is what I was upset about.
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Blackcat31 07:40 AM 02-15-2013
Originally Posted by HomeMADE:
I am so sorry to hear this. Especially the part about being reported, that's the pits.

I have also fallen into the dreaded trap of taking a friend of my husbands child into my dk. But I have finally found the solution. Since she refuses to bring him everyday and only pays for the days that he is attending. On top of that she texts me that he is not coming at like 2pm. So I go all day thinking he is coming.

I am going to inform her that since she is not looking for ongoing everyday care that I would like to move him to the drop off contract. I am going to continue to allow her to pay the rate that she is at even though my drop off rate is higher. Because this will force her to call me with 24 hour notice and if she is not here by 8am I don't have to take him.

This will allow me to take on another fulltime child because she was taking up a spot. And that is what I was upset about.
This sounds great in theory but what happens when she isn't "forced" to call you 24 hours in advance? Will she just drop off anyways? Will she actually call? Will you turn her away at the door if she doesn't call but shows up?

Personally I think you are making a mistake allowing her to continue paying the rate she is. This is YOUR business. Take charge of it.

Tell her this is her new rate and that she will be a drop in family only. Tell her this means she may not always have an open space to come to and then by allmeans, enforce every single rule and policy you have.

She really isn't a friend if she is taking advantage of you and not following your policies. If she was a real friend, she would respect the hell out of you and appreicate that she has a safe and trustworthy place to bring her child to.

I am always sad to read posts about parents who "tell" their providers what they will and won't do. I am always sad to read posts about how bad providers feel in regards to having a backbone to enforce their policies.

Just like JustMe posted about.....this job is only a nightmare IF you allow it to be. You dont' HAVE to take this kind of thing from your clients.

Be proud of your program and what you do....don't let one mom who thinks she can tell you how to run thiings ruin it for you.
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