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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Annoyed- Child not coming on time
SunshineMama 05:21 AM 07-31-2012
I have a single mom (dad is around but mom does most of everything) who is scheduled to come at 7:30. For the past 2-3 months, she has been coming between 8:15 and 9:00.

I finally confronted her yesterday, and told her that I would like to change her arrival time later and she replies, "Oh, my boss has been really on me and I need to go to work earlier when I am supposed to. I will be there at 7:45."

This was YESTERDAY... today, she arrives at 8:05! She is my first arrival, which is why this is so annoying. I am pregnant and need all the sleep I can get, especially since I am having trouble at night with my 22 month old since we moved her into her own big girl bed.

A late fee won't do anything- she can barely afford the discounted rate that I give her already. And if it was anyone else- I would term, or add fees, etc, but she was recommended by my best friends family and they are close. And, which is really why I have not done much: Her son is best friends with my daughter, and he is literally the easiest child in the world. Always follows the rules, gets other kids to follow the rules, completely potty trained, never cries, plays well, shares, etc. He is the perfect kid. On days that he is not here, the other kids act up more. I dont think she would go anywhere else because she is really happy here, but I dont want to chance losing this child because I love him so much.

I am thinking about just sleeping and doing what I need in the morning and being ready by 8am anyway. If Im not ready by then and he's here no big deal I guess. Unless you all know of another solution???

Not to mention- how the heck do you hold down a job where you are over an hour late every day?
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Truly Scrumptious 05:34 AM 07-31-2012
Since you've discussed it with her and she still didn't comply. Now tell her that you've changed her hours in the morning to her typical hours and stick to it no matter what she says.
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SunshineMama 05:43 AM 07-31-2012
Originally Posted by Truly Scrumptious:
Since you've discussed it with her and she still didn't comply. Now tell her that you've changed her hours in the morning to her typical hours and stick to it no matter what she says.
Yeah, I am thinking that is my only option. I have a hard time relating to people who dont follow through with what they say they will do. Why bother in the first place!
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brookeroo 06:49 AM 07-31-2012
Originally Posted by Truly Scrumptious:
Since you've discussed it with her and she still didn't comply. Now tell her that you've changed her hours in the morning to her typical hours and stick to it no matter what she says.
What a concept! I think I will do this as well. Although my worst offender I made the mistake of not putting on a contract.

I watch my nephew for my brother who is a high school teacher so his hours are part time in the summer when he coaches and there is already a lack of care about how he's not communicating with me at all. So I don't want to lose my nephew because it's about he only way I get to be around him. My brother and his wife are pretty anti social and keep to themselves.

He is my first child here everyday year round. He tells me he wants to come at 6:30 in the morning (since that is the earliest I would commit to him) and began showing up after a week at 7:15-7:45. Without any communication. His excuses were always that he over slept. Im always thinking i wonder if i overslept how that would go over…

This is after every night being up about every 2-3 hours with my own infant. So you miss the window to take a shower and can't even get on a routine. Cant drink coffee or soda cause im breast feeding and my daughter doesn't react well to them. And of course the one day you decide not to wait on him and do your own thing based on weeks of the same thing (even after talking to him about it and no change) he up and decides to come at the original time on a random day and gets all ticked off cause you aren't open and ready. The only reason I said ok to 6:30 was cause its my brother. Now he's wanting "6:00if not earlier". Yeah right!!! No way Jose is that going to happen!!!!!
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Truly Scrumptious 07:41 AM 07-31-2012
Several years ago when I did day care for my sister....she was the worse parent ever!

I put in my contract that parents hours would be changed to their typical hours if they violated their contracted hours, just because of the very thing you're describing. I don't like to be used and my time "set aside" just in case a parent might need it.
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kathiemarie 08:13 AM 07-31-2012
This is where I differ with many of you. Maybe because I'm older or my kids are older but I don't have a problem when a child is late. I open at 7:30am no matter what. Sometimes my first child isn't here until 8 or later. I read, drink coffee, prep for the week while I wait. I treat this like a job out side the house. My hours are 7:30 to 5:00. So I'm ready to go to work at 7:30. I understand that you need your sleep so I would tell your brother that the 6:30 start time is not working and your are changing your hours to what ever you need them to be. STICK to it. Its hard working with family but if you are firm and keep the "family" out of it then it should be ok. I found when I started treating this like a job not somethng I'm doing until my kids are in school I enjoyed it much more and it was easier to enforce my rules. Good luck.
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Fruitloops1 08:31 AM 07-31-2012
My handbook says if they are 15 min late then their spot it no longer available. You may have to do that once for them to get the idea that you're not messing around.
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Daycarelady1979 09:18 AM 07-31-2012
I have one like this too. Supposed to be here at 8:45 but sometimes doesn't show up until 9:30 or 10. She's supposed to be at work at 9...I don't understand how she keeps her job when she's late all the time?!?
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brookeroo 09:27 AM 07-31-2012
If it's later in the day then I don't care but like I said if I'm making an exception and opening early to accommodate someone it drives me up the wall.

Typically I open at 7:15 otherwise and usually they do not make it until between 7:30 and 8:45 but that does not bother me as much as getting up at 6:30 to wait 45 minutes to an hour for someone to show up because I'm doing you a favor. Go pay a facility 185.00/wk as opposed to the 50-100 I would charge if you want flexibility. Again the only reason I put up with it is because I would not see my nephew otherwise and I want to be in his life and I want my children to know their cousin.
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