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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>I'm Pregnant.....Now What?
Kabob 07:01 PM 10-08-2013
Yep, so I found out I'm pregnant with our second child...which is awesome but also scary as I haven't gone through a pregnancy while running a daycare. I have read up on some old posts about it and made plans accordingly to minimize changes for everyone, however I decided I want to nip some problems in the bud by changing my hours. My contract says that hours available for scheduling are 6am to 6pm but I want to change to 7am to 5pm. This shouldn't be a problem for all but one of my families and I already have a letter put together based on the previous posts I've read on this forum.

My question is...do I have all the parents sign a whole new contract or do I just make an addition to their old one?

I want to minimize the hassle but I also have some issues that I see I haven't clearly discussed in my old contract (ie, dropping off before scheduled drop off time - and other big and small issues that are discussed in the handbook I forgot to address it in the contract) that will be a pain with or without my pregnancy...
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Cradle2crayons 07:11 PM 10-08-2013
Originally Posted by Kabob:
Yep, so I found out I'm pregnant with our second child...which is awesome but also scary as I haven't gone through a pregnancy while running a daycare. I have read up on some old posts about it and made plans accordingly to minimize changes for everyone, however I decided I want to nip some problems in the bud by changing my hours. My contract says that hours available for scheduling are 6am to 6pm but I want to change to 7am to 5pm. This shouldn't be a problem for all but one of my families and I already have a letter put together based on the previous posts I've read on this forum.

My question is...do I have all the parents sign a whole new contract or do I just make an addition to their old one?

I want to minimize the hassle but I also have some issues that I see I haven't clearly discussed in my old contract (ie, dropping off before scheduled drop off time - and other big and small issues that are discussed in the handbook I forgot to address it in the contract) that will be a pain with or without my pregnancy...
New contract. And just do an update to any page in handbook that has your old hours on it.
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Michael 07:52 PM 10-08-2013
Some similar threads: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=pregnant
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mamac 08:04 PM 10-08-2013
Originally Posted by Kabob:
Yep, so I found out I'm pregnant with our second child...which is awesome but also scary as I haven't gone through a pregnancy while running a daycare. I have read up on some old posts about it and made plans accordingly to minimize changes for everyone, however I decided I want to nip some problems in the bud by changing my hours. My contract says that hours available for scheduling are 6am to 6pm but I want to change to 7am to 5pm. This shouldn't be a problem for all but one of my families and I already have a letter put together based on the previous posts I've read on this forum.

My question is...do I have all the parents sign a whole new contract or do I just make an addition to their old one?

I want to minimize the hassle but I also have some issues that I see I haven't clearly discussed in my old contract (ie, dropping off before scheduled drop off time - and other big and small issues that are discussed in the handbook I forgot to address it in the contract) that will be a pain with or without my pregnancy...
I'd go with a new contract and address your issues there.

And congratulations!!!!
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melilley 05:48 AM 10-09-2013
Congratulations!

I too would just do new contracts and just make the changes to your handbook and let them know. I have in mine that I can make any changes with a two week notice and I will notify them of the changes/additions, that way I am covered and can make changes whenever I want without anyone saying anything. I also have a separate handbook and contract. In my contract, the parents have to agree to abiding by the handbook, that way, my contract is only 1 page, while my handbook is a million...lol
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Maria2013 05:59 AM 10-09-2013
Originally Posted by Kabob:
My question is...do I have all the parents sign a whole new contract or do I just make an addition to their old one?
congratulations

and if that was me, the answer is yes!
This is your chance (as you said) to fix other issues as well

Daycare and pregnancy is for most people totally doable but, pregnancy vary from person to person and also from pregnancy to pregnancy, so you really don't know at this point for example how much sleep you're gonna need, what your energy and mental state are gonna be like etc. I would definitely let parents know a new contract is coming but then sit quietly and really take some time to think things through when putting it down on paper
... allow yourself some flexibility to accommodate the unexpected
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MCC 06:53 AM 10-09-2013
Just wanted to say congratulations!
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MotherNature 07:16 AM 10-09-2013
Congratulations!
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MNMum 07:17 AM 10-09-2013
Congrats!
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Kabob 04:56 PM 10-09-2013
Thank you! I will definitely redo my contract. I had some issues pop up that definitely made me rethink my handbook as well. Oh the things I've learned.

Most of the parents know since I do have to have a sub for an approaching appointment. Of course, their first response was to worry about how much I'd be closed. I explained there was a plan in place and what that plan was...but closures due to non-pregnancy related illnesses would be handled as usual. I feel like a couple of them had the attitude of "oh great now she's gonna want more time off." Oh boy...
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Abigail 08:30 PM 10-09-2013
Congrats! I had a part time helper while I was pregnant but also because I wanted to go larger in size and work with someone so I only made sure I didn't enroll more kids than requiring one provider so I had 6-7 kids everyday for her to watch and hired another part time helper so one girl worked 8-1 and the other 1-5:30 and my husband or I opened for the first thirty minutes. That is how my maternity leave went! I went a few days past due actually so parents found out Thursday morning as I opened daycare that we were going to the hospital at 8:00 once my first girl came in and they all got text messages at 10 am that I was staying in the hospital to have a baby and daycare would be closed Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. I put in my newsletter two months before my due date that I planned to close up to 3 days unpaid but they would know whenever baby came that the next three business days--not weekend days--daycare wasn't available and everyone was super flexible with it and happy for me!

I wish you luck and if you have any questions on other details just pm me! If I have another baby I would probably do that same thing......then when daycare re-opens someone would be available to watch our first born child, lol! The joys of having helpers!
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Kabob 03:56 PM 10-11-2013
Originally Posted by Abigail:
Congrats! I had a part time helper while I was pregnant but also because I wanted to go larger in size and work with someone so I only made sure I didn't enroll more kids than requiring one provider so I had 6-7 kids everyday for her to watch and hired another part time helper so one girl worked 8-1 and the other 1-5:30 and my husband or I opened for the first thirty minutes. That is how my maternity leave went! I went a few days past due actually so parents found out Thursday morning as I opened daycare that we were going to the hospital at 8:00 once my first girl came in and they all got text messages at 10 am that I was staying in the hospital to have a baby and daycare would be closed Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. I put in my newsletter two months before my due date that I planned to close up to 3 days unpaid but they would know whenever baby came that the next three business days--not weekend days--daycare wasn't available and everyone was super flexible with it and happy for me!

I wish you luck and if you have any questions on other details just pm me! If I have another baby I would probably do that same thing......then when daycare re-opens someone would be available to watch our first born child, lol! The joys of having helpers!
Thank you! I plan to do something similar. If all goes well, I should have a helper before and after baby arrives. Hopefully all will go well this time since I'm no longer working a job where I get no food or water breaks and was working 10+ hours a day. So while I want to change my contract to simpler hours, at least I get to eat, drink, and use the bathroom during my 10-11.5 hour days here...
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