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2ndFamilyDC 06:25 AM 11-14-2011
Do any of you give a discounted rate for two or more kids in a family?

If not, do you find that everyone expects it or that they are just fine paying the full amount for both?

My experience has been that people expect to get a discount and are surprised to find that they are expected to pay full price for both.

Just wondering if it is the norm to give discounts or the norm to have them pay full price for both kids.
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JenNJ 06:33 AM 11-14-2011
I used to but I stopped. My care is market rate and I can't discount without losing income. The discounts now are negligible. $5 a week for the second child in care for current families, no discounts for new families.
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flightlessbird11 06:36 AM 11-14-2011
Originally Posted by 2ndFamilyDC:
Do any of you give a discounted rate for two or more kids in a family?

If not, do you find that everyone expects it or that they are just fine
paying the full amount for both?

My experience has been that people expect to get a discount and
are surprised to find that they are expected to pay full price for both.

Just wondering if it is the norm to give discounts or the norm to
have them pay full price for both kids.
I have always charged full price for both. You're giving each child the same amOunt of love and attention to both. I also see it as two separate spots. If they were unrelated, you wouldn't charge one spot a discounted rate. I know some parents are turned off by this, but the ones who arent, are the ones who respect what you do and understand that it's worth it. JMO
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Unregistered 06:39 AM 11-14-2011
Originally Posted by 2ndFamilyDC:
Do any of you give a discounted rate for two or more kids in a family?

If not, do you find that everyone expects it or that they are just fine
paying the full amount for both?

My experience has been that people expect to get a discount and
are surprised to find that they are expected to pay full price for both.

Just wondering if it is the norm to give discounts or the norm to
have them pay full price for both kids.
I use to give a discount of 20 off a week when I was a licnesed daycare in another state and could watch 8 children. I now moved and had no intrest in getting my licenses but in my state you can watch 2 children unrelated to you so I dont give discount and charge a lesser rate then where I lived before as cost of living is less here.
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morgan24 06:40 AM 11-14-2011
I do but only because that is what everyone else in my area does. I hate doing it. I don't give less care, but if you don't give one clients will go where they can get it.
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melissa ann 07:21 AM 11-14-2011
I have never given sibling discounts. No one ever asked either.
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WImom 07:27 AM 11-14-2011
I don't. It's harder to fill two spots if they leave. I also find siblings harder than only's to take care of.
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graham.shellbell 07:32 AM 11-14-2011
I give discounts(BIG discount)and I very much regret it!! I have all sibling groups and the discount is not worth it...like someone else said your not giving any less care so why give the discount. I am changing that for new families when they come in but as of right now I am full and don't see any new families coming in anytime soon.
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cheerfuldom 07:43 AM 11-14-2011
I don't and I also don't have any sibling groups. Thats okay with me. I would rather make the most possible income. I have a small group so a discount would eat into my income very quickly. I don't make much as it is.
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awestbrook713 08:05 AM 11-14-2011
I do but have changed it in my 2012 contract and the parents weren't crazy about it, but are slowly accepting it.
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Blackcat31 08:23 AM 11-14-2011
Originally Posted by 2ndFamilyDC:
Do any of you give a discounted rate for two or more kids in a family?

If not, do you find that everyone expects it or that they are just fine
paying the full amount for both?

My experience has been that people expect to get a discount and
are surprised to find that they are expected to pay full price for both.

Just wondering if it is the norm to give discounts or the norm to
have them pay full price for both kids.
I do not give sibling discounts.
It is pretty much 50-50 for parents who expect a discount and those who don't.
It is also 50-50 for providers here who do give discounts and those that don't.

For the parents who question my policy, I simply explain the normal song and dance about how each child fills a separate space and do not receive discounted care so I don't give discounted rates. Most understand and are ok with it and those that aren't ok with it or don't understand are probably parents I wouldn't want to enroll anyways.
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Meeko 08:25 AM 11-14-2011
Nothing irritates me more than parents who EXPECT a sibling discount. They are asking you to take money out of your pocket and put it in theirs. But you can bet they expect you to give their second child as much care as the first.

If a discount is OFFERED, then great. But to expect it..or ask for it... is down right rude.

My husband and I love to eat out with "buy one get one free" or $5 off second meal" deals. But I would never dream of going to a restaurant and ASKING for a discount on my meal.

Do folks ask for discounts at Walmart when they buy more than one item? No....they wait and/or hope for a coupon or a sale. It's not your right to ASK for someone else to take a loss.
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beachgrl 08:42 AM 11-14-2011
I was offering one at first to those who asked, I told them $10 less each week per child for siblings but now I think I will go with not offering it because I see it as two spots they are using. I have already dropped my rates to compete with others in the area but I just don't think I want to deal with sibling discounts.
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wdmmom 08:47 AM 11-14-2011
I used to offer 50% off the oldest child. I lost my butt! I now offer a 10% discount on full time sibling groups. 10% a week is equivalent to about $15.
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2ndFamilyDC 08:49 AM 11-14-2011
Thanks everyone for you answers. I now know what I will say
next time someone asks me for a sibling discount.
Reply
daycare 08:55 AM 11-14-2011
Originally Posted by 2ndFamilyDC:
Thanks everyone for you answers. I now know what I will say
next time someone asks me for a sibling discount.
I will give a family discount, parents must agree to the following:

Only full time families will qualify. Part time does not get any form of discount ever...not for sibling or for vacations.

1. payments paid one month in advance in full, get 10% off. If they do not pay on time, they lose their discount for the next month.

2. Sibling exclusion. If one is home, so is the other. Unless they have a dental appt or something else that the parent needs for only one child to attend, they both stay home. I require them to make all arrangements 24 hours in advance
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Lucy 03:03 PM 11-14-2011
I quote a slightly higher rate for families with 2 or more kids, then happily tell them I'll give them a sibling discount. I end up with the same amount I would've charged for 2 un-related kids. Sneaky? Yep!!
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Blackcat31 03:04 PM 11-14-2011
Originally Posted by Joyce:
I quote a slightly higher rate for families with 2 or more kids, then happily tell them I'll give them a sibling discount. I end up with the same amount I would've charged for 2 un-related kids. Sneaky? Yep!!
nice!!
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Texasjeepgirl 06:04 PM 11-14-2011
IN MY OPINION:... siblings are FAR MORE WORK...
sibling rivalry.. ... hello...
big brother or sister picking on little brother/ sister.. because that is what they do at home..
wears me OUT..
2 years ago I had THIS SITUATION: (You'll have to pay attention, or you'll get lost)
TWO SISTERS....
had babies with
TWO BROTHERS...

did you follow me on that?

each sister had 2 children.
One had 2 little girls.. One had boy and a girl..
4 kids...
I had the first set.. 2 little girls.. in my daycare .. for nearly a year.. before I finally let the other sister enroll..
I KNEW BETTER..but... I finally had the available space... and they had been begging me for a year..

BAD DECISION..
and.. I lived to regret it..
it was AWFUL..
At first one sister was married.. but.. she split up... and moved in with other sister..
I ended up with 4 kids that were together 24 hours a day.. with me in daycare...and at home...it was HORRIBLE... I should have been charging double .. per kid...

www.tammyschildcare.com


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AnneCordelia 06:19 PM 11-14-2011
I agree that siblings are more work than singletons. That has been my experience.

Siblings are also a financial risk to me, as I only have 4 children in care. If they leave, that's 50% of my income.

The cost of care doesn't go down for me...food still costs the same, supplies still cost the same.

With all that in mind, I do not offer a sibling discount.

I like Joyce's idea of quoting higher. LOL.
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Michael 08:48 PM 11-14-2011
Originally Posted by Texasjeepgirl:
IN MY OPINION:... siblings are FAR MORE WORK...
sibling rivalry.. ... hello...
big brother or sister picking on little brother/ sister.. because that is what they do at home..
wears me OUT..
2 years ago I had THIS SITUATION: (You'll have to pay attention, or you'll get lost)
TWO SISTERS....
had babies with
TWO BROTHERS...

did you follow me on that?

each sister had 2 children.
One had 2 little girls.. One had boy and a girl..
4 kids...
I had the first set.. 2 little girls.. in my daycare .. for nearly a year.. before I finally let the other sister enroll..
I KNEW BETTER..but... I finally had the available space... and they had been begging me for a year..

BAD DECISION..
and.. I lived to regret it..
it was AWFUL..
At first one sister was married.. but.. she split up... and moved in with other sister..
I ended up with 4 kids that were together 24 hours a day.. with me in daycare...and at home...it was HORRIBLE... I should have been charging double .. per kid...

www.tammyschildcare.com
Where have you been in 2008? Nice to see you drop back in.
Reply
Michael 08:49 PM 11-14-2011
Discounted Sibling threads: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...bling+discount
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2ndFamilyDC 01:56 PM 11-15-2011
Originally Posted by Michael:
Discounted Sibling threads: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...bling+discount
Thanks Michael!! Appreciate you pulling this all together for me.
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Christian Mother 03:39 PM 11-15-2011
nope no sibling discounts here. Not when I am only allowed 4 kids.
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momofsix 06:08 PM 11-15-2011
I do and I don't like it since I can only have 6 kids at a time. It's what's done around here-if I didn't it would be very hard to justify since everyone else does.
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