Parent Night Out

[littlefriends]

Do any of you offer occasional weekend nights for childcare so parents can do dates or shopping or whatever? How do you word it to them and how do you charge? Do you add it to business expenses or just keep it off the books as extra cash?Ive never offered this but have had several families ask or say they’d be interested if I ever did. Not sure about it though I’ve never considered it!

[BrynleeJean]

I used to.
It was in my operational policies under my payment structure next to the fees worded like
Parent Night Outs: This home may open on occasional parent night outs at the providers discretion.
Thats all
Then if I did them id post a paper with the title "PNO (parent night out)" and a list of activities and foods or snacks we would be having, as an advertisment like
GLOW IN THE DARK BOWLING
FLASHLIGHT TAG!
MAKE YOUR OWN PIZZA!
and at the bottom I put the hours and rate
the food was coming out of my money as well as the activities so i kept that in mind when making the rate, for program won't cover that meal
my hours were something like 5:30-11?
My state minimum standards says that children can't be in care for more that 15 hours or something I forget but whatever it was messed with me keeping it open later for parents.
Technically that 15 hours is just from when little johnny comes and goes so like from 9a-11p or whatever not my open-close hours so keep that in mind if your state has that rule like mind check that out.
And yes any child I take care of in my home has to be part of my childcare program so it was separate. I included the income into my tax work at the end of the year.


I didnt do it much though because I found that even though parents said that it sounded like a great idea, they didnt bring their children that much and if they did it was more because their child begged them because of the fun activities, not because they wanted a sitter. Because if they REALLY needed one they alway had some kind of family in town to watch their kids for free.

[Blackcat31]

Nope. I am already available for services M-F 10.5 hours a day so I don't offer services outside that.

I have my own family and in some ways I think offering a Parent Night Out sets parents up to view you as a glorified babysitter verses a professional child care provider.

I'll happily provide the names and numbers of trusted teenagers that are willing to babysit if parents want to go on a date.

[amberrose3dg]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

Nope. I am already available for services M-F 10.5 hours a day so I don't offer services outside that.

I have my own family and in some ways I think offering a Parent Night Out sets parents up to view you as a glorified babysitter verses a professional child care provider.

I'll happily provide the names and numbers of trusted teenagers that are willing to babysit if parents want to go on a date.

^ something tells me my parents probably wouldn't come back for their kids until god knows when. I already had some pull that on my days off. No thanks!

[Gemma]

Originally Posted by littlefriends

Do any of you offer occasional weekend nights for childcare so parents can do dates or shopping or whatever? How do you word it to them and how do you charge? Do you add it to business expenses or just keep it off the books as extra cash?Ive never offered this but have had several families ask or say they’d be interested if I ever did. Not sure about it though I’ve never considered it!

I always thought "Parents Night Out" was something providers offered for Free as a "Thank you for your business" gift ...I might give this a try!

Originally Posted by Gemma

I always thought "Parents Night Out" was something providers offered for Free as a "Thank you for your business" gift ...I might give this a try!

I did this for 15 years. I gave 6 hrs free on a satin Dec for parents to shop. We'd play in the snow..make Graham cracker gingerbread houses...pizza..When I started it parents were very grateful...couldn't believe it..what a great gesture. This is the first year I'm NOT doing it. Over that past 5/6 years...it was just another day to dump their kids..and not.have to deal with them. The parents got pushy too..asking for 1/2 earlier...or coming late...I only had 1 family last year say thank you too. It was very hurtful.

[amberrose3dg]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I did this for 15 years. I gave 6 hrs free on a satin Dec for parents to shop. We'd play in the snow..make Graham cracker gingerbread houses...pizza..When I started it parents were very grateful...couldn't believe it..what a great gesture. This is the first year I'm NOT doing it. Over that past 5/6 years...it was just another day to dump their kids..and not.have to deal with them. The parents got pushy too..asking for 1/2 earlier...or coming late...I only had 1 family last year say thank you too. It was very hurtful.

This is what I am talking about. I do not have any families in care that would appreciate or not ask for additional special if I did it. This is one of the many reasons I am closing for good in June.

[Ariana]

I just couldn’t do it! Nothing wrong with the idea but I already spend so much time with these people’s kid I could not do any more. The money would be nice for the holidays though so I totally get it!

If I were to do it I would use my personal FB page and just announce that the daycare is open on Saturday X date or Friday extended hours and then list the prices for that service. Call it Holiday Shopping Hours or something festive like this so they don’t view it as a regular thing and then you could do it regularly later if you enjoyed it or felt it was worth it. If I did not have an FB page I would just put it in my newsletter or tell parents at the door....depends on how you communicate with your parents.

[Cat Herder]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I did this for 15 years. I gave 6 hrs free on a satin Dec for parents to shop. We'd play in the snow..make Graham cracker gingerbread houses...pizza..When I started it parents were very grateful...couldn't believe it..what a great gesture. This is the first year I'm NOT doing it. Over that past 5/6 years...it was just another day to dump their kids..and not.have to deal with them. The parents got pushy too..asking for 1/2 earlier...or coming late...I only had 1 family last year say thank you too. It was very hurtful.

I used to do the same. Stopped for the same reasons. I have not had a thank you for gifts in 3 years, now.

I will occasionally offer a PNO for former clients when I am working on a short-term financial goal and my DH is out of town for work. Empty nest makes me pace around a bit, lost, when he is gone. I am still adjusting. The extra funds and seeing my now school-aged former DCK's is pretty fun. Then again, I preferred babysitting to dating or parties (also always turned into babysitting without payment ) back in high school. Kids and animals, ya know.

[Firefly]

I have never done this. I really look forward to my time off after working long hours and I feel something like this would come to be expected.

[littlefriends]

Originally Posted by Ariana

I just couldn’t do it! Nothing wrong with the idea but I already spend so much time with these people’s kid I could not do any more. The money would be nice for the holidays though so I totally get it!

If I were to do it I would use my personal FB page and just announce that the daycare is open on Saturday X date or Friday extended hours and then list the prices for that service. Call it Holiday Shopping Hours or something festive like this so they don’t view it as a regular thing and then you could do it regularly later if you enjoyed it or felt it was worth it. If I did not have an FB page I would just put it in my newsletter or tell parents at the door....depends on how you communicate with your parents.

This is exactly what I was thinking. A special night once a year near Christmas that I’m advertising to them as a party for the kids type of thing and the parents can use it to shop or a date but it’s just once a year and it’s just those hours. I could use the extra money this time of year. But I’m also pretty aware of how selfish some of my current my families are.

[skipper]

No. But I'm a small set up, I know bigger places with more staff do it. Not my cup of tea though!

[Ariana]

Originally Posted by littlefriends

This is exactly what I was thinking. A special night once a year near Christmas that I’m advertising to them as a party for the kids type of thing and the parents can use it to shop or a date but it’s just once a year and it’s just those hours. I could use the extra money this time of year. But I’m also pretty aware of how selfish some of my current my families are.

I think you need to go into it with ZERO expectations and do it only for the $$. Don’t go overboard with activities, do what YOU feel is right and worth what they are paying you. Movie and pizza sounds about right in my books. They do a PNO at my daughters karate place and it is $20 per child for 4 hours, they do a few games, movie and pizza.

[rosieteddy]

Offered this one year .Parent night out dinner and a movie after DC closed on a Friday night.Only one parent utilized the offer.It was the longest day for both the child and myself.Gift wise I sent a "family"gift home the last day before the holiday.Then I bought a few new toys for daycare.They were set up on first day back after the holiday.I would send a thankyou for any gifts I received and included a note about what we added to our supplies.The children spent a lot of time at DC so the toys were used here.