I charged late fees tonight. First time I've ever done that, but it's Friday night and 3 of my kids were still here at 6:45.

One family is contracted until 7:30, but grandma has picked them up every single day except 3 times in the last 3 weeks no later than 5:30 pm as they live with her and mom. I've told both mom and grandma they need to let me know when the kids will be here later or not so I can make sure I have planned for dinner.

I don't want to plan on them being here, then get picked up really early and have extra food. And in the same respect I don't want to plan on them being picked up early and then not have enough food if they aren't picked up until later. I've made that clear several times.

Since grandma picks them up early every day, I made plans to take my granddaughter and her friend to the movies at 6:20 tonight.

I didn't charge them late fees as that's the time they are actually contracted, but I did make it clear they have to give me 24 hour notice if they are being picked up early so I know how to plan my evenings.

The second family is my drop in...she is usually picked up by 3 pm. Today, they told me mom was picking her up after work. She works with my next door neighbor who gets off at 5 pm. So by 6 I was a little unhappy, by 6:45 I was REAL unhappy.

I told mom how much she owed me, and had sent a text prior to that saying they were being charged late fees. Mom goes home to get money from dad and calls me to ask why the amount was so much...I told her it was late fees, and that it wasn't even the full amount I charge anyone else.

I felt bad, but I also feel they can find someone else if they don't like it since she's only drop in anyways...no big loss (even though I love the little girl to death)

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Good job on sticking to your rules.

If parents are more than 5 min late, I send them a light-hearted text saying something silly like "Hey, I have 2 extra girls here if anyone wants them!" (Usually I'll send it to mom AND dad.) If I don't hear an answer and it's been about 15 min, their backup list gets called -- ALL of them! I need to have their whole posse worried about them so that they'll all call and ask where they are!

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do what you have to do.

i would change that first family to a 530 pickup permanently. if they need a later pickup, they give you 24 hour notice and pay by the 1/2 hour for extra time. I would charge $5 for every 30 minutes. leaving a child after hours with no notice is a $1 a minute late fee. i would tighten up the agreement with this family. leaving a 2 hour window for pickups and not communicating well is going to wear you out.

for the drop ins, i would do a three strikes rule. you break any policy, three strikes and you dont come back. this late would be strike one!

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