I recently started caring for a new infant and his family had apparently been raving about my services. The recommended my care to another family of a 3 year old little girl, whom they would need full time care for. My weekly charge is more than they are paying now but they think my curriculum is worth it. Sound great right? And I DEFINITELY need anther kid. One dilemma was brought up last night.... they need care for her every other Saturday AND they need care from 6:45-3:30 M-F and on those every other weekends. My hours are 7:30-5:30 and I am definitely NOT open on weekends. What would you guys do? I already open my doors early @ 7:15 for another family, but I really like to have some time in the morning with my daughter before we start care. I really need to get more kids in here though and a full time 3 year old would be great. I like that she's getting picked up early but being dropped off that early and the weekend thing.. idk If you guys DID decide to do that would you charge extra or raise your rate for the special situation?

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If you really need this family.....are you willing to open earlier 5 days a week? I am sure they could find a babysitter (teenager, can come to their house) on Saturdays. Departure time sounds really tempting, 3:30!!

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And YES I would charge extra, you will be opening early 30 minutes every morning!!

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I think they're pretty adamant about having the same provider watch the DCG on the weekends. I'm not sure why though. I know if she were here on Saturday's we wouldn't be following our curriculum and it'd be more of an errand running relaxed type day. I'm not completely opposed to the idea of opening that early but at the same time I like having the extra time with my daughter in the am for us to wake up before jumping into the childcare. How much more would you charge for opening up so early?

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Personally, I don't work weekends. Ever. But I would open early.

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No weekends for sure. I think you will get burned out. At least I would. It sounds like they aren't a good fit.

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I would open early, 3:30 departure would make it worthwhike - I might consider saturday but only 1x a month or so - I could not do it every Saturday.

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I would charge at least $25 extra per week for opening early 5 days a week and double time for Saturdays.

What time does she need you every other Saturday?

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Its 6:45-3:30 every other Saturday

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*** Important question- How does your husband & family feel about only having one day a week with you all to their self?

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I love starting early and finishing early! (6 am -4 pm) The best thing I ever did for my family was change my hours. Everyone is out of here every single day by 4 and I love it!


I would never do weekends though. Maybe as someone else suggested she can get a student on weekends.

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I would pass and not even entertain the idea. There is absolutely no way I would do weekend care, I already work 5 days a week. I've got a personal life too and need family time with my DH and DS. No way. I also would not open earlier. I've done that before and it was a mistake.

Yes it's nice they'll have an early pick up time, but if you have other kids staying later than that till 5/5:30 anyway it really doesn't help you much, it only makes your workday longer.

However, I say all this in the context that in my area I don't have any trouble filling my spots. But if I were in a position where I couldn't say no because I needed the money then I'd have to do what I have to do.

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No earlier openings and no weekends. You'll end up resenting this family in the end...and most of the time the ones that you do these sorts of things for are the ones who end up abusing your policies. I'd pass and wait for a family who fits in with your schedule.

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I have to agree with this ~ I once had a family I opened early for, exactly as early as you would have to open. She was also supposed to be an earlied pick-up. It never happened...she was often the last parent pick-up. I think her attitude was that I was open anyway, so the later pick-up didn't matter.

I would never open early again. And a Saturday would be NO WAY!!!!!

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I set my hours for a reason when I first started in this biz.

I changed them to accomodate families that needed care outside my normal hours.

If I had a chance to do it over, I would never ever ever flex my hours to care for anyone. NOT worth it in my experience.

Did I mention NEVER?!?!


Weekend care??? That one would have been a "NO!!" before the sentence was even out of their mouth.

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Personally, I'm here anyway. I would do it, especially if they are willing to pay. I'm licensed for 7 days a week. I would only take 1 child after my normal hours.

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Wow... you have a tough decision. I currently open early for a family (6:30) and their little one just becomes part of our morning routine..eating breakfast etc. The Saturdays ...... me personally, I wouldn't do. I know it is hard when you need to fill your spots...I've been there. The time you are able to spend with just your family is important also. I have a 4 and 7 year old...they sooooo look forward to Saturday mornings and the weekends when it is just us..time with mommy and daddy. You say that Saturdays would be a "running errand" type of day. Running errands with one is doable, running errands with two is sometimes down right challenging and sometimes impossible. If you do decide to do Saturdays, I would charge a PREMIUM for those days. Good Luck with your decision!

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I would never be willing to do weekend care. I look forward to my weekends, make all the plans to do things I can't do during the week, relaxing, cleaning, errands, one on one time with my kids. I just couldn't do it...I NEED my weekends

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I agree with the posters that wouldn't do the weekend care. At my DH other job he worked nights as well as weekends. I only worked M-F (8.5 hours a day) so to make extra money I would babysit on weekends.

Then he had a job transfer and so now he has days and weekends off. However now my work day is between 11-13 hours. I no longer babysit on the weekends. I treasure my weekends. It's really the only time I get to see my DH.

I had the opportunity to watch a family on the weekends. Pay was awesome. I turned it down. If I had taken that job as well I would NEVER ever see my husband. Sometimes it's just not worth it

As for opening earlier: I personally wouldn't. You open for one, you can best be sure other parents will notice and then you are opened for all.

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This. NEVER. I used to adjust my hours, work evenings, weekends, whatever it took. NEVER AGAIN.

My kids ended up resenting the daycare, I ended up resenting the families and feeling VERY taken advantage of.

IF you need the money, (I know you are a single mom) I would do it, but I would get contracted hours, and MAKE them pick up at their early time. They want care for 5 days one week/ M-F and 6 days/M-S the following? Both parents work ALL week AND the weekend? IF you are considering Saturday, I would charge them a FT rate +$5/extra day for the early opening AND double my daily rate on Saturday.

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Maybe I missed it but what time does the other child get picked up? Even if this child goes home at 3:30 you'll still be working til your last kid goes home. What if you get another child down the line with a 5:30-6pm pick up?

I agree with everyone that said not too.

I have done this for one family, I thought it would be no big deal. 7:30 to 5:45pm are my regular hours but I opened at 6:30 for them. DCB went right back to sleep until 745 but after while I got really burnt out. The kicker was that because I had already gone out of my way to open early this DCM just assumed I would do it again and changed her schedule to an even earlier time (515am ) so now DCB is leaving in 2 weeks because I'm not doing it again.

I really didn't think an hour would make much of a difference but it really did! I was so burnt out some days and its harder for me to feel alert and awake when i get up early but then sit quietly in a dark room playing online or doing paperwork while DCB sleeps. And don't get me started on how frustrating it was when DCM would pound on the door for me to open it for her (it was unlocked she just wanted it opened for her to carry DCB in) or make a ruckus and wake my whole house up at 6:30 (DD sleeps til 8am normally)!!

Every other week or not I couldn't do a Saturday. I need 2 days to recover and prepare mentally for the week!!

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Me, too. Except for I did change my hours BACK to what they originally were recently. I only lost one family (that needed 11 hours of care 5 days each week) and I am not sad!

I will never change my hours again.

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I did Sat. For two kids from different families and it worked out fine. It was only till noon.
I did 5:30am-5:30pm for 10 yrs., so 6:45 seems like a dream!

My hours are 6:30am-7:30 now, but my kids come @ 7:30 right now. I am not full yet, so I dought I will be able to keep the 7:30 after I am licensed. But I agree.....it's really nice!

I would do both for a full- time child right now if I got a call for that. Especially since it's every other Sat., but I have worked two jobs for the past ten years, so I roll with it fairly easy.

I think there is a chance of burnout with the Sat. though. You know yourself best.

Good luck w/ your decision!

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The weekend care...
NO WAY... ABSOLUTELY NOT...

I did it..
About 15 years ago.. I was already keeping this little boy fulltime during the regular work week.. mom was a nurse..
After a few months she came to me..
apparently she had someone who kept him every other weekend when she worked 12 hour shift Saturday.. and 12 hour shift Sunday...
But this person had become unreliable..
She knew I did not do weekend care..
but.. she loved my daycare...and hoped I'd consider it..
for the extra $$$...
I discussed it with my husband and decided to do it..
and.. for about a year it worked fine...this little boy became part of the family...
However.. Then the mom got pregnant..
That's when I opted out...
There was no way I was going to keep a newborn baby 12 hours a day... Saturday AND Sunday.. every other weekend..
By then the little boy was potty trained...and really easy care...
but a tiny baby? 7 days a week.. nope..

She was crushed.. and left my daycare completely...I was sad that things ended like that.. but..

I have NEVER EVER considered it since...

As for opening early..
I do it occasionally for my current clients..
My stated hours are 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m..
I will allow drop offs as early as 6:30 a.m.. with prior approval.. I don't charge them extra..
but I will say this..
I have 1 mom... she's a great daycare mom..
love both kids... 4 yr boy and 19 month girl..
last week she sent a text message asking if she could arrive early the following day.. I said sure...
I'm always out of the shower... hair blow dried.. and just working on face by 6:30 a.m...
I use the bathroom in my daycare room so.. I'm already right here...
It's mostly not a huge inconvenience for me...I just put a few puzzles out on the table..
but.. this little boy... 4... He is SO DANG LOUD!!!!
Did I say LOUD? I mean really really LOUD... the kid is wide open...
just WEARS ME OUT!!!..
Once the other children begin to arrive.. and the normal daycare noise level scales up several notches.. I don't notice him as much.. but mercy..
at 6:45 a.m... the room is totally quiet.. and then the door opens.. he walks in and HEEEEEEELLLLLOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
PIERCES MY SPINE... wears me down instantly..
That's the moment when I think wow.. really?
Why on earth did I tell her it's no trouble for them to arrive early?

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Personally, I would open early, bring the child in and lay him/her right down for a morning nap. Laying her down for an hour each day will still allow you the time with your own family and you to get ready for the day.

I wouldn't charge extra because they are leaving early and the early departure is far more valuable to me.

As for weekends...no if, ands or buts. They need to find someone else to cover that department.

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We are all talking from experience and many say the same thing. It depends on your needs. But from my personal experience. I open at 5am for one family 5 days a week. She picks up no later than 3:15. She pays extra for that shift.

Weekend care I agree that without know how she would blend with your family if it would be a good fit. With that day being more of a hang out day, she would have to feel comfortable and your child(ren) get along with her too. It would be hard to make that kind of committment without trying it out.

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I am a single mother of a 2 year old. Its just me and her. I love our mommy and Hazel days but I really need the money and I just opened in September. I don't WANT to have to do this, but I know I need to start somewhere and I try to be flexible to meet the needs of my families to an extent. I was highly recommended to this family and I think that is one really positive thing about how I've been conduction my business so far. As of right now I'm not even CLOSE to making my bills and am constantly battling a utility shut off notice. I need this family THAT badly. :/

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If you really need the income and are willing to do this, just make sure you set really FIRM boundaries so that you aren't being taken advantage of.

I would also let mom know that you are willing to do this FOR NOW and that should your situation change you may have to stop doing it. That way she knows you are doing "special" and "special" won't become the normal expectations later.

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Weekends....ummmmmmmm NO WAY!!!! That is the only time I get to spend with my own family, but that's just my opinion! You know your situation better than anyone else does, so if it works for you go for it.

As far as opening up earlier. My hours are from 6-6 and I have a dcf that has to be at work at 6 so they drop off around 5:45.

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Thanks. I think I will definitely have to do this.

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Because of this right here if I were in your shoes I would definitively be tempted to take this child on while keeping a few things in mind:

• I would make it clear to them in their contract and verbally that this is SPECIAL care that I would ONLY be extending to this ONE family
• I would charge a premium rate for the extra hours before the 7am opening time.
• I would be charging premium for the every other saturday child care
• I would make it clear that I would NOT be opening any earlier for them on any days and that any extra hours that they needed passed their pick-up time would be charged EXTRA and it had to be approved by me first
• I would talk to the family that recommended this family to you and would just make it clear that you appreciate that they are referring families to you but that you wanted to make sure that they knew that if they did refer more families that they told the other families that you OPEN AT 7AM and are closed weekends
• I would keep it in my head that when I reached the ratios that I wanted and if the opportunity arises I would replace this early family with a family that needs child care within my normal business hours (but not before offering the early family the opportunity to switch their hours to those within my business hours, and if they declined then I would replace them)

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Thanks everyone! I feel better about how to approach this special situation. You guys rock

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I agree If you feel like you have to do this then definitely make sure you set boundaries! They could seem like the greatest parents/clients ever after only a few short meetings (or months even) but as anyone here can tell you things can change very quickly. Or maybe they will be consistently great but over time you fill all your regular schedule weekday spots and begin to feel like this is too much. Either way I hope it works out!


Good luck!

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