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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Dilemma-Kindergarten
mema 06:45 PM 02-27-2012
I'm not quite sure what to do. I have 2 boys that will be starting Kindergarten in the fall. It is half days and they will be pm. We are not far enough to be bused-we are 1 mile and it is 1.25 to be bused. Right now my children walk, bike, or scooter unless the weather is bad and then I take them to and from. Next year my son will be bused to a different school and I have a lady down the street that offered to take my daughter on bad weather days. I don't want to have to take the boys to school everyday-nice days they would walk back with dd. PM starts right after the other ones normally go down for nap so I would have to adjust that. Not sure what I should do. Suck it up and take them everyday and adjust nap or tell the parents that they would be walking alone (they would be 6 at the time, suppose to have gone this year) or tell them I cannot take them and see what they say. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
cheerfuldom 06:54 PM 02-27-2012
I think you need to keep thinking and figure out what you want and THEN tell the parents what is going to happen. If you are absolutely unwilling to drive the kids too and from school, then I think you should let them go. I dont think it is a good idea to offer up that your daughter would be walking with them because you cant put a child in charge of other children and cant be responsible for them when they are not in your direct care. Plus you would be holding two full time positions for children that would actually be part time only. Anyway, lots to think about but since you are undecided, I think you should hold off on the conversation until you make up your mind. They are not starting till fall correct?
Crazy8 07:28 PM 02-27-2012
I would let them go - as it is a disruption to your daily schedule. I will ONLY take afternoon kindy kids because they get on the bus right as I'm putting the others down for nap - without the bus no way would I take them. I would not even consider letting them walk alone.
I agree with cheerfuldom though, YOU need to make the decision and then present it to the parents. Do not bring it to them while you are still wishy washy on what to do.
I would look for two full timers for Fall!
I agree with cheerfuldom though, YOU need to make the decision and then present it to the parents. Do not bring it to them while you are still wishy washy on what to do.
I would look for two full timers for Fall!
Lucy 08:01 PM 02-27-2012
Not sure if this will help you at all, but my school district started that distance rule a couple years ago. ('09-10 school year) I flipped, because it rains here a lot, and there was NO WAY I was going to have kids walking in that all the time. Plus, I had one girl starting Kindergarten that year, and another starting 1st grade. I just wasn't comfortable letting 5 & 6 yr olds walk. I had a little girl who was just turning 1, and some toddlers. To compound it all, my school agers went to two different schools. (They are next door to each other, but each covers a different boundary on the map. Long story on why they are next door, but that's beside the point.) After school, I would've had too many to fit in my van. It basically was just NOT going to work for me AT ALL.
Anyway, I called the bus company (contracted by the school district), both the elementary principals, and the superintendant of the district and fought my case really hard. I told them that I watched X number of kids and that there was no way I could take them. I told them I would lose clients if their 5 & 6 yr olds were made to walk, that it wasn't safe, cited some news stories of abductions, etc. I layed it on thick that they need to support our local DC Providers because we make it possible for parents to go to work, etc., etc. We were JUST inside their walking boundary, AND the bus would have gone right down the street that runs behind my house, meaning all they had to do was come one street over to get the kids as they are on the final part of the trip to school. I also said that I would understand them not doing it for just the average homeowner/student, but that being a DC Provider, the rules should be a bit different because of the circumstances of having multiple kids, and babies in the house, etc.
Long story short (ok, it's not so short -- sorry!) I won!! I was sooooo thrilled and felt so accomplished for having done that!! Forgot to mention that all my parents made similar phone pleas, and we all also wrote emails. It wasn't an immediate decision. In fact, they strung us along all through August, and didn't actually ok it until a week after school started Sept. 8th.
So I don't know if your school district would bend if you put a lot of pressure on them and got your parents behind you, but it worked for us!!
Anyway, I called the bus company (contracted by the school district), both the elementary principals, and the superintendant of the district and fought my case really hard. I told them that I watched X number of kids and that there was no way I could take them. I told them I would lose clients if their 5 & 6 yr olds were made to walk, that it wasn't safe, cited some news stories of abductions, etc. I layed it on thick that they need to support our local DC Providers because we make it possible for parents to go to work, etc., etc. We were JUST inside their walking boundary, AND the bus would have gone right down the street that runs behind my house, meaning all they had to do was come one street over to get the kids as they are on the final part of the trip to school. I also said that I would understand them not doing it for just the average homeowner/student, but that being a DC Provider, the rules should be a bit different because of the circumstances of having multiple kids, and babies in the house, etc.
Long story short (ok, it's not so short -- sorry!) I won!! I was sooooo thrilled and felt so accomplished for having done that!! Forgot to mention that all my parents made similar phone pleas, and we all also wrote emails. It wasn't an immediate decision. In fact, they strung us along all through August, and didn't actually ok it until a week after school started Sept. 8th.
So I don't know if your school district would bend if you put a lot of pressure on them and got your parents behind you, but it worked for us!!
Springdaze 05:54 AM 02-28-2012
Wow! I wish I could have done that!!!!! I live .4 miles away from school and they bus at .5 miles! Sure would help if I didnt have to cart my dcks to get my own kids!
Meeko 06:18 AM 02-28-2012
It pays to ask!
Our school bus stop was down the road and I couldn't see it. I asked them to move it up a little to outside my back gate. I argued that not only was it easy for me to send my schoolies out the gate for the bus, but that I could watch and be eyes on ALL the kids as they waited! They liked that idea and happily moved the stop to bang slap outside my gate. It's perfect!
Our school bus stop was down the road and I couldn't see it. I asked them to move it up a little to outside my back gate. I argued that not only was it easy for me to send my schoolies out the gate for the bus, but that I could watch and be eyes on ALL the kids as they waited! They liked that idea and happily moved the stop to bang slap outside my gate. It's perfect!
Blackcat31 06:22 AM 02-28-2012
I don't take SA kids anymore but when I did, I left all transportation issues to the parent to figure out. I didn't call any bus garages or transportation dept's....that was all on the parent to figure out.
I guess I viewed getting to school the same as figuring out how little Timmy was going ot get to soccer practice......not MY problem.
I too, am only 4.5 blocks from the school and the buses do NOT stop anywhere within a mile of the school so that meant ALL kids had to walk and if the parent had issue with it, they had to find alternate arrangements.
No way would I alter my daily schedule for kids who were school age and half way to not needing care anymore at all....kwim?
I guess I viewed getting to school the same as figuring out how little Timmy was going ot get to soccer practice......not MY problem.
I too, am only 4.5 blocks from the school and the buses do NOT stop anywhere within a mile of the school so that meant ALL kids had to walk and if the parent had issue with it, they had to find alternate arrangements.
No way would I alter my daily schedule for kids who were school age and half way to not needing care anymore at all....kwim?
familyschoolcare 07:14 AM 02-28-2012
Have you talked to the parents about payment amounts yet if not then have it reflect paying someone to take them to school and let parent know thisi is the only way it will work
mema 07:22 AM 02-28-2012
I think I am just going to tell them that I am no longer taking SA's. I changed my ads to reflect that awhile ago anyway. I need to get rid of my big vehicle-too much $ for gas and insurance. Thanks for all your advice. Now, when do I tell them? Now or wait til closer to summer?
Hunni Bee 10:24 AM 02-28-2012
Originally Posted by mema:
I think I am just going to tell them that I am no longer taking SA's. I changed my ads to reflect that awhile ago anyway. I need to get rid of my big vehicle-too much $ for gas and insurance. Thanks for all your advice. Now, when do I tell them? Now or wait til closer to summer?
I'd wait til June. It'll give you some time to advertise for their spots, and will give them a full 3 months notice. If you tell them now, they may pull the kids and leave you with 2 empty FT spaces on the off season.I think I am just going to tell them that I am no longer taking SA's. I changed my ads to reflect that awhile ago anyway. I need to get rid of my big vehicle-too much $ for gas and insurance. Thanks for all your advice. Now, when do I tell them? Now or wait til closer to summer?