I have in my PHB my hours that I'm open 7:30-5:30. Lately one family has been coming 10-15 minutes early and my door is usually open because my husband leaves for work at 4:30, well today he had the day off from his early job so the door was still locked. We were at a baseball game last night and didn't get home until 1:00 am, so I was running a little behind this morning. My phone rings at 7:18 from DC grandma letting me know that her husband has been pounding on my door for the last 5 minutes. I was just getting ready to go out to my living room and turn on lights, etc. I didn't even realize what time it was when she called until after I had hung up with her. I'm a little irritated about it, I don't open until 7:30, so there for I shouldn't have to have my door open before that, they are just lucky that most days it is and I'm ready to go. Anyway, I'm updating my PHB because my license classification changed when I renewed my license last month. So my question is, do you have anything in your PHB that states that they are not to arrive before your open time? I have it very clear about my closing time that they must arrive no later that 5:30, etc., but nothing about my start time. I've been pretty lax about it because I only have 2 families right now and the one family doesn't arrive until 8:00 am. I'm still in my first year of doing daycare so I'm still trying to work all the kinks out. I've been licensed since last July but didn't start until January.

Thanks for your help!

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I think bc you've allowed it to go one for so long that the parent might not understand that opening time is at 7:30am and not before. I would explain at pick up today that doors will be locked until 7:30am then will be opened at such time. Then hand out your new updated PHB. Let them know that it states very clearly your opening and closing times which they signed already and there has been no change to that. If they would like a change to drop off discuss on what you think is fair regards to time and addition to pay also. If you are having to work more time then a fee shld be attached. If they would like to pick up early so as not to pay a fee...you can decide on that as well.

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I get my hubs to lock the door behind him when he leaves for work before I open DC. It took awhile to get him in the habit, but now he never forgets

In the event he does forget and a parents comes in before my opening time (7:00 am) they are charged $1/minute - just like a late fee, except it's an "early fee". This happens very rarely, and once a parent is charged with the early fee it never happens again!

I have had parents sit in my driveway waiting for me to open - and even if I'm ready to go, I'm not opening that door until 7:00 am.

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I open at 7am. My room is in the front of the house. My parents know that they may not come in until the blinds are open and the lights are on. If I were you I would remind them that the paperwork they signed informed them of your opening time. If you are willing to allow them to continue to come early, then you need to let them know that it is a courtesy that you allow them in before 7:30 and not an expectation. If you do not answer the door, then they may not come in. I would have your husband make sure he is locking the door on his way out to work in the morning.

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I've only had 1 parent show up early and she tried doing it everyday for a week. I posted my hours at my front door and I got an OPEN/CLOSED sign. I used it for the whole next week and never had another issue. I don't even use it anymore because everyone knows...I won't answer the door until 7am! (And that's 7am according to the clock in my house, not the one in their car or their watch or their cell phone.)

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I open at 8am.

I don't let them in until then without prior arrangements.

My work phone ALSO does not turn on until 8am, is shut off at 6pm and all weekends.

If it is important enough and they have exhausted all other resources (friends/family) they can make arrangements in advance with me.

I am not family or friend and I mean that in the kindest way I can put it.

Back-up and emergency plans are their responsibility, not mine. I have my life in order to be here when I said I would. I expect the same from them.

My clients are all adults.

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DC Grandma got her for pick up (they have custody of their granddaughter) and she said "Husband is wondering if you could open earlier? He has to haul grain and has to do two loads a day and the place closes earlier now and he's not able to get two loads in with your hours. If you could open earlier he'd pick her up earlier" I said what is earlier? And she said she'd call me back, so I'm waiting for a call back. I'm already open 10 hours a day. I don't want to open earlier but I also don't want to lose this family as I only have 2 families (1 kid each), so I can't afford to lose them. My husband is going to tell me to do whatever to accommodate them, but my other family is here from 8:00-5:30. I don't know what to do. I will not open any earlier than 7 and will not open before 7:30 during the school year because my DD gets on the bus at 7:10 and our mornings are hectic enough that I don't need DCK here while I'm trying to get her off to school.

WWYD?

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That's your call. YOU need to do what works best for your family. If you make any special accommodations, I would put it in writing and have what the accommodations are and how long they will last. Find out if it's temporary or something that will last long term and go from there.

If it meant me getting off any earlier, I'd jump on it. If there are other kids still there, it would depend on HOW much earlier are we talking?!

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I'm all for getting done earlier, but I'll still have one kid until 5:30, so in all reality I wouldn't be done with my day any sooner! I'm going to talk to my husband when he gets home and see what his thoughts are on it. Good news is she'll go to school in the fall, so this early thing wouldn't last forever, I'm still waiting to hear from the Grandma to see how early they are talking.

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I work Monday - Friday 530am - 530pm. I was opening at 630am but changed my hours for a family because dad goes to work at 4am and mom's hours changed to 530am. I will NEVER change my hours again for someone. I did this as a favor for them and have gotten nothing but heart ache from it.

Before changing my hours I asked that DCB not get picked up at 2pm because that is right smack in the middle of nap (1pm-3pm is nap time). She was very respectful of this for a bit... she would go to the gym or whatever till 3pm or 315pm. Well now she is coming at 2pm waking DCB up along with the rest of the kids and she doesn't care!!

NEVER AGAIN WILL I GO OUTTA MY WAY FOR A FAMILY THAT CAN'T SHOW ME AND MY BUSINESS RESPECT AND THANKFULNESS!!

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If it is only two weeks or so while getting crops in, I would do it.

If it was permanent I could not. I have breakfast with my own family and get them off to school during the school year. I have a bit more flexibility during the summer.

I would also see what kind of trade we could do . Perhaps some fresh produce for temporary extended hours. THAT would be wonderful, IMHO.

I miss having a farming/gardening family. I do have a couple that give good investment/retirement advice, now....

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Yes I have it in my handbook that I open at a certain time and that I close at a certain time. On top of that I go on to explain that those my business hours, as in the hours that I am available and that each family will have a set hours that they need that will fall within those hours called their "scheduled hours". I also explain that anything before or after their own scheduled hours of care has to be approved by me and will be charged extra and that if they drop off before my opening hours or pick up after my closing hours they will be charged extra at an even higher premium rate (I call it my overtime rate).

I used to have the problem with people dropping off early and even picking up late until I changed my locks. I know I mentioned it before here on the forum and yes I pay a monthly fee but let me tell you that the money that I spent on the lock and spend on the subscription is WELL worth it to me. It's a lock with a keypad on it and you go online and give each parent/family their own access code to the door based on their schedule. If parent A likes to drop off 5-10 minutes early every morning and pick up 5-10 minutes late in the evening, guess what? They're not getting in because their code only works for their scheduled hours. Their code won't work even if it's just one minute earlier or later than their scheduled hours. My lock is always locked otherwise but you can still use the handle to get out without it becoming unlocked (I had the same problem with the door staying unlocked when my BIL would leave). I don't have that problem anymore and I love it.

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I have only been doing child care in my home for about 2 months, so I guess this is kind of new to me, but do you guys allow parents to just walk into your homes with knocking or ringing the doorbell?

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Some States wont let folks lock their doors...

That would be the day I closed....

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Some do and some don't. When I first started I didn't allow clients to just walk in and would ask them to knock or ring the bell. When I did this I found that I was having to constantly stop what I was doing to get the door. It became a nuisance to me. I could be in the middle of preparing meals, changing a diaper, washing hands, feeding a baby, tying a pair of shoes, wiping a nose, in the bathroom etc. I decided that it was better for me to just let them come in on their own. Just recently I did the lock thing. My door is always locked from the outside but always unlocked from the inside so not just anybody can get in and my clients each get their own code to get in now that works only for the hours that they are paying for while my household members codes work all of the time.

Other providers choose to have their privacy and it's better for them to have their clients knock or ring the bell. Some keep their doors locked and some other's don't but clients are still required to wait until the door is answered.

This is your business and your home. You should do what is better for you and what you feel comfortable with. If you start doing things one way and then decide that it no longer worls for you, you can always change it. That's the best thing about being your own boss.

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Yep--at pick-up in particular. I have their child, they are by all means permitted to come in so they can get their child. Drop-off is a little different; they always knock and wait for me to answer the door or call "Come in!" at drop-off. Just how I roll.

Like MarinaVanessa said--I could be in the middle of 501 different things and it's annoying to have to stop to go get the door, especially because my front door is up half a flight of stairs from the playroom. These days especially, half the time when parents get here I'm nursing the baby and it's just way easier for them to be able to come straight in.

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I think that it is lock form the inside which means that you could install a lock that automatically unlocks when the door nob is turned form the inside, like the some on many bathrooms. Here in California I know large family day care have to do that.

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My parents just come in but no further than the front hall where the kids coathooks are located unless they're invited to see artwork hanging up or something like that. I usually hear the door but if not they yell. The playroom and kid area is just around the corner.

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