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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Wording For Pick Up Time
Unregistered 11:05 AM 01-09-2014
Looking for a concise, yet polite way to word pick up time information in my hand book. Parents are arriving on time to pick up the kids, but pick ups drag on so that the actual closing time is now delayed. Trying to find the words to say they must be heading out the door by their contacted pick up time.
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lucky 11:20 AM 01-09-2014
I am having the same problelm! Mine have been showing up at 5:30 exactly then it takes 5- 10 minutes to get out the door. I have really been considering changing my closing time to 5:15 because of it.
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Unregistered 11:23 AM 01-09-2014
Five - Ten would not frustrate me AS much. The 10 - 20 does however. Behaviour of course goes out the window at this time too, making me just really want to be done the day.
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MCC 11:30 AM 01-09-2014
This is what mine says

"I will try my best to speak with you one on one during drop off and pick up times, to allow me to have this time for each family, it is important that you do not linger these times. In order in ensure the safety and privacy of each child, and in order to maintain our daily routine, I cannot allow parents to “observe” for more than 15 minutes"
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Lucy 11:32 AM 01-09-2014
I have the child completely ready to walk out the door. Shoes, coats, belongings, everything. When mom's car pulls up, I tell the kid it's time to go, then I open the door and stand in the doorway. My goal is that the kid will walk out the door and onto the porch just as the mom steps foot on the porch. A couple words of small talk and/or a highlight or funny of the day, and gone! It doesn't always work, but I do definitely have them COMPLETELY ready to go before mom even gets here.
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Unregistered 11:33 AM 01-09-2014
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Looking for a concise, yet polite way to word pick up time information in my hand book. Parents are arriving on time to pick up the kids, but pick ups drag on so that the actual closing time is now delayed. Trying to find the words to say they must be heading out the door by their contacted pick up time.
Pickup time is at XX.XX precisely. If you have questions or concerns about your child or other concerns, I would be happy to schedule a meeting. Please keep pickup time to a minimum so that I may be on time for other obligations and for family time.
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harperluu 11:35 AM 01-09-2014
Originally Posted by lucky:
I am having the same problelm! Mine have been showing up at 5:30 exactly then it takes 5- 10 minutes to get out the door. I have really been considering changing my closing time to 5:15 because of it.
I did this exact thing a few years back. My own children had activities at 6:00pm that we were consistently running late to attend. It was because parents skated in at 5:28 and took forever getting out the door. Now if I interview and have two families that I like, I always take the one with an earlier pick up time.
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cheerfuldom 11:42 AM 01-09-2014
I have the kids ready to go and pick up is right at the door. Parents dont even need to come in the house. If they have something lengthy to discuss, I ask that they communicate and set up a meeting time for that. Pick up and drop off times are not a good time to address concerns that need my full attention. I have no problem telling mom and dad that they need to go. I guess I am just a big ol meany but I haven't had anyone late for close to a year, it just doesnt happen here. I don't allow it. I also don't allow long pickups where parents want to chat, wander around the house, let Jr. bounce off the walls. I will say directly "John it's time to take Mason home. The daycare is closed at 5:30 so I need you to leave. I will see you both tomorrow at drop off" and just be clear that they need to leave.
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Blackcat31 12:04 PM 01-09-2014
My previous handbook said this:

"Transition times such as drop off and pick-up can be a difficult time for children. Please try to make these times as short as possible. If there are things you need to discuss with me, please call and set up a time where we can talk uninterrupted. "

**************************************************************

My current one says this:

Late Pick ups

Parents are required to pick up their children and be OFF site according to their contracted pick up times.

For example: if your child is scheduled from 8-4:30, this means the child MUST be picked up and off site NO LATER than 4:30. Parents still on site after their scheduled pick up times will be billed the appropriate late fee.

Anyone picking up near closing time (5:00 PM) must be OFF site NO LATER than 5:30 PM. NO exceptions.

If there is anything you need to discussion with me, please call and set up a time in which we can talk without interruption.


*************************************************************

If I personally need to talk to a parent about their child's day, I will e-mail them or call them myself. I have tried hard lately to not talk about anything that goes on here during the day at pick up or drop off....it just seems to extend the drop off/pick times and that was getting too stressful so I stopped.
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Unregistered 05:36 AM 01-10-2014
Thank you! Sparked the wording I needed.
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Great Beginnings 05:38 AM 01-10-2014
Originally Posted by Lucy:
I have the child completely ready to walk out the door. Shoes, coats, belongings, everything. When mom's car pulls up, I tell the kid it's time to go, then I open the door and stand in the doorway. My goal is that the kid will walk out the door and onto the porch just as the mom steps foot on the porch. A couple words of small talk and/or a highlight or funny of the day, and gone! It doesn't always work, but I do definitely have them COMPLETELY ready to go before mom even gets here.
Yep, this is what I do as well. Sometimes I wonder if it seems rude but then I laugh and don't really care because I have my own family and life and they need to understand that.
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Unregistered 09:18 AM 01-10-2014
Don't forget that evrey minute counts towards time/space percentage at tax time. Those extra minutes can bump your percentage more than you realize.
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MarinaVanessa 11:02 AM 01-10-2014
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
My previous handbook said this:

"Transition times such as drop off and pick-up can be a difficult time for children. Please try to make these times as short as possible. If there are things you need to discuss with me, please call and set up a time where we can talk uninterrupted. "

**************************************************************

My current one says this:

Late Pick ups

Parents are required to pick up their children and be OFF site according to their contracted pick up times.

For example: if your child is scheduled from 8-4:30, this means the child MUST be picked up and off site NO LATER than 4:30. Parents still on site after their scheduled pick up times will be billed the appropriate late fee.

Anyone picking up near closing time (5:00 PM) must be OFF site NO LATER than 5:30 PM. NO exceptions.

If there is anything you need to discussion with me, please call and set up a time in which we can talk without interruption.


*************************************************************

If I personally need to talk to a parent about their child's day, I will e-mail them or call them myself. I have tried hard lately to not talk about anything that goes on here during the day at pick up or drop off....it just seems to extend the drop off/pick times and that was getting too stressful so I stopped.
SOOOOO stealing this. My handbook will never be done.
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My3cents 11:45 AM 01-10-2014
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Looking for a concise, yet polite way to word pick up time information in my hand book. Parents are arriving on time to pick up the kids, but pick ups drag on so that the actual closing time is now delayed. Trying to find the words to say they must be heading out the door by their contacted pick up time.
look at your clock or watch and say oops, time to go I don't want to have to charge you late fees. We close at.......whatever time that is for you.
ooops that would be the verbal response when it happens

Closing time is such and such anything after closing time is a $1 a minute. If you need to speak with me about your child please do it before closing time or set up a time that we can meet and discuss your child. I have a family life outside of daycare and it is important to me that my work day is done by my closing time.

I know others will have some good wordings on this......
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Rafael 02:36 PM 01-12-2014
Do the parents get offended by this?

Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
My previous handbook said this:

"Transition times such as drop off and pick-up can be a difficult time for children. Please try to make these times as short as possible. If there are things you need to discuss with me, please call and set up a time where we can talk uninterrupted. "

**************************************************************

My current one says this:

Late Pick ups

Parents are required to pick up their children and be OFF site according to their contracted pick up times.

For example: if your child is scheduled from 8-4:30, this means the child MUST be picked up and off site NO LATER than 4:30. Parents still on site after their scheduled pick up times will be billed the appropriate late fee.

Anyone picking up near closing time (5:00 PM) must be OFF site NO LATER than 5:30 PM. NO exceptions.

If there is anything you need to discussion with me, please call and set up a time in which we can talk without interruption.


*************************************************************

If I personally need to talk to a parent about their child's day, I will e-mail them or call them myself. I have tried hard lately to not talk about anything that goes on here during the day at pick up or drop off....it just seems to extend the drop off/pick times and that was getting too stressful so I stopped.

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Blackcat31 02:43 PM 01-12-2014
Originally Posted by Rafael:
Do the parents get offended by this?
Why would they get offended?

They don't hang out in Target after it closes. kwim?

I am a business too and have hours I am available and hours I am not.

There is NO reason a parent needs to be here (my property) beyond a certain time.

If they need to discuss something, it needs to be done some other time as I don't discuss things on the fly and I don't do any discussion about the child or the child care while the child is present.
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Denise 04:45 PM 01-13-2014
When I babysat, back when my own kids were babies (over 20 years ago) I had a young dad come to pick up his baby, lay on the floor, play with him, talk to the birds we had, pick up the baby and talk to the birds, talk to the dog, play with the dog, talk to me ... I would hint around, start making dinner, cover the darn birds, let the dog out, ignore him and devote my attention to my own kids ...he would never leave. I finally gave him the darn birds to take home and told him they need to be fed every day at x time (exactly a half hour after he got out of work) or they would die. He never stayed late after that. LOL He drove me completely nuts. If and when I do have the opportunity to open my own daycare (before I get too old) I will take the suggestions here and add them to the handbook I'm working on. I'm older now and more assertive so I don't think I'll have an issue laying down the rules. I would love to be able to have an all-inclusive handbook so I can "refer" parents back to it.
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Tags:buh-bye outside, pick up issues, pick up policy
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