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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Who Puts Baby in Car Seat?
Boymom 09:17 AM 05-16-2016
At pick-up, do you put the baby in their car seat or do you wait for the parents? And if you don't normally, would you start putting the baby in their car seat if dcd was late EVERY day (even though he sits in the drive way on his phone for 10 minutes before coming in )
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Blackcat31 09:21 AM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by Boymom:
At pick-up, do you put the baby in their car seat or do you wait for the parents? And if you don't normally, would you start putting the baby in their car seat if dcd was late EVERY day (even though he sits in the drive way on his phone for 10 minutes before coming in )
Nope. If you put baby in car seat YOU are liable if anything is done incorrectly.

Handling of, storing and/or having access to car seats makes your a party liability-wise and I want NO part in that.

I would instead require dad to IMMEDIATELY come in when he enters your property.

If not, charge a late fee verses assuming the responsibility AND liability of buckling baby in.
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Snowmom 09:26 AM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by Boymom:
At pick-up, do you put the baby in their car seat or do you wait for the parents? And if you don't normally, would you start putting the baby in their car seat if dcd was late EVERY day (even though he sits in the drive way on his phone for 10 minutes before coming in )
I don't allow parents to leave carseats here.

Is the Dad late while he's sitting outside for those 10 minutes? Is so, I'd have a nice little late fee form to hand him when he walked in the door.
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sharlan 09:28 AM 05-16-2016
I would walk outside and hand the baby to dad.

I prefer not to keep infant carseats here. I have my own if I need to go somewhere.
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Boymom 09:32 AM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by sharlan:
I would walk outside and hand the baby to dad.

I prefer not to keep infant carseats here. I have my own if I need to go somewhere.
I've thought about doing that haha! I would LOVE to see the look on his face! I understand if someone gets an "important" call every once in awhile, but he seems to get an "important" call every single day and I'm boiling! I already watched dcb for 10 hours and I don't want to watch for one minute more!!!
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JackandJill 09:34 AM 05-16-2016
I don't have anything to do with car seats, I don't even allow them to be stored here during the day.

Also curious if dad is late while he is in the car on the phone? Or is he just waiting for the last 10 minutes you're open?

^^^Ahhh that would bug me sooo much!!^^^
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Boymom 09:35 AM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by Snowmom:
I don't allow parents to leave carseats here.

Is the Dad late while he's sitting outside for those 10 minutes? Is so, I'd have a nice little late fee form to hand him when he walked in the door.
He pulls up about 10 minutes before he supposed to pickup, but by the time he actually gets to the door he is late. Even if it's one minute late, that's my time and I'm going to have to start giving him a late fee. Ugh. AND while he is in the driveway, the kids are going absolutely crazy because they see him pull up!
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Boymom 09:37 AM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by JackandJill:
I don't have anything to do with car seats, I don't even allow them to be stored here during the day.

Also curious if dad is late while he is in the car on the phone? Or is he just waiting for the last 10 minutes you're open?

^^^Ahhh that would bug me sooo much!!^^^
By the time he gets to the door, he is late and then he still has to put the baby in the car seat. My blood boils every time he does it. 3 times last week! It's totally my fault though because I have zero backbone and it is just a few minutes late but still!!! That's my time! And I wish he had some respect for my personal time.
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Boymom 09:41 AM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Nope. If you put baby in car seat YOU are liable if anything is done incorrectly.

Handling of, storing and/or having access to car seats makes your a party liability-wise and I want NO part in that.

I would instead require dad to IMMEDIATELY come in when he enters your property.

If not, charge a late fee verses assuming the responsibility AND liability of buckling baby in.
I didn't think of it being a liability! By the time he gets in my house, he's already a few minutes late and I had just about had in on Friday, so that's why I did that. He probably thinks "oh she's probably not going anywhere so I will just take my time." He is about to have a rude awakening!!!
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Blackcat31 09:45 AM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by Boymom:
I didn't think of it being a liability! By the time he gets in my house, he's already a few minutes late and I had just about had in on Friday, so that's why I did that. He probably thinks "oh she's probably not going anywhere so I will just take my time." He is about to have a rude awakening!!!
In situations like this what I do is remove the sign in/out sheet when the parent is officially late and replace it with the "Late sign in/out sheet" (which is printed in RED) so the parent IMMEDIATELY knows they are late ....even if it's just a minute (...it's MY minute ) and on the late sheet it states they now owe a late fee and need to pay it in full before any additional services will be provided.

Once you charge the fee, it RARELY happens again.
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JackandJill 09:49 AM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
In situations like this what I do is remove the sign in/out sheet when the parent is officially late and replace it with the "Late sign in/out sheet" (which is printed in RED) so the parent IMMEDIATELY knows they are late ....even if it's just a minute (...it's MY minute ) and on the late sheet it states they now owe a late fee and need to pay it in full before any additional services will be provided.

Once you charge the fee, it RARELY happens again.
I like the late sign in sheet!! Totally stealing that!

What I do is lock my front door, that way even at 5:01 parents know they have missed the 4-5pm pick up time frame (I also do this for drop off, door stays locked until 8 on the dot... I can do a whole lot between 7:59 and 8:00 )

I then highlight their space on the sign in/out sheet and write the fee next to their name.
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sharlan 09:50 AM 05-16-2016
Before I started doing daycare full-time, I babysat for a neighbor across the street. Back then I let the parent dictate the cost, etc. Mom paid me by 15 min increments.

Dad would come home, go into the house for 5 mins, then go next door for a few. Mom paid from the time dad pulled into the driveway. I finally took the child next door as soon as I saw dad. That ended their fun time. I also told mom what was going on. Lots of fireworks in that house that night and I quit.
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Boymom 09:50 AM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
In situations like this what I do is remove the sign in/out sheet when the parent is officially late and replace it with the "Late sign in/out sheet" (which is printed in RED) so the parent IMMEDIATELY knows they are late ....even if it's just a minute (...it's MY minute ) and on the late sheet it states they now owe a late fee and need to pay it in full before any additional services will be provided.

Once you charge the fee, it RARELY happens again.
That's a great idea!! Thank you! That's probably another mistake I've been making lol; I have just been writing the time they get here and leave on my Redleaf calendar keeper.
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laundrymom 09:50 AM 05-16-2016
I would call him.
Hi dad. The kids see you.
And wave out the window.
Or set the car seat outside when he pulls up. And hand baby to him then close door?
I don't keep car seats here.
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Ariana 10:02 AM 05-16-2016
I have a parent who is always 2-3 minutes late every day. I dress her child and the child sits quietly on a bench reading a book while I go about my business. Mom rings the bell, I hand her the girl and buh bye!

No way would I be strapping a child into the careseat and if you have a late policy start charging fees.
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Thriftylady 11:16 AM 05-16-2016
I am in the camp that doesn't allow car seats in the house. I would be saying "Dad tomorrow I will start charging my late fee for anything past X". And then do it!
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DaveA 11:24 AM 05-16-2016
I have parents get their child out of the carseat at drop off and put them in it at pick up.
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AmyKidsCo 12:28 PM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by Boymom:
By the time he gets to the door, he is late and then he still has to put the baby in the car seat. My blood boils every time he does it. 3 times last week! It's totally my fault though because I have zero backbone and it is just a few minutes late but still!!! That's my time! And I wish he had some respect for my personal time.
Can you put the car seat (and anything else of baby's) on the porch and meet him at the door with baby? At least he won't be in your house the time it takes to put baby in the car seat...
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AmyKidsCo 12:30 PM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
In situations like this what I do is remove the sign in/out sheet when the parent is officially late and replace it with the "Late sign in/out sheet" (which is printed in RED) so the parent IMMEDIATELY knows they are late ....even if it's just a minute (...it's MY minute ) and on the late sheet it states they now owe a late fee and need to pay it in full before any additional services will be provided.

Once you charge the fee, it RARELY happens again.
LOVE that idea, but WI requires that we use their sign in sheets. I've already pushed the issue by shrinking it down so I'd have space for the extra info I want included.

Maybe highlighting the sign-out space and printing out a slip about the fee would work though...
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Thriftylady 12:34 PM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by AmyKidsCo:
LOVE that idea, but WI requires that we use their sign in sheets. I've already pushed the issue by shrinking it down so I'd have space for the extra info I want included.

Maybe highlighting the sign-out space and printing out a slip about the fee would work though...
I have heard of some providers changing the sign in/out pen to red when parents are late.
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AmyKidsCo 12:37 PM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by Thriftylady:
I have heard of some providers changing the sign in/out pen to red when parents are late.
Ooh, that would work too. Thanks!
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Blackcat31 01:00 PM 05-16-2016
Originally Posted by AmyKidsCo:
LOVE that idea, but WI requires that we use their sign in sheets. I've already pushed the issue by shrinking it down so I'd have space for the extra info I want included.

Maybe highlighting the sign-out space and printing out a slip about the fee would work though...
In that case I would get a cover sheet.

One that says "YOU ARE LATE!" really big on it in RED and place it over the sign in/out sheet. They would literally have to lift the "late notice" sheet up in order to sign out.

I have also in the past, just swiped a stroke of highlighter yellow over the space where the parent is going to sign out. Lets them know the highlighted box means LATE.
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nannyde 01:48 PM 05-16-2016
I don't allow parents to leave car seats at my house or load or unload the kid in the car seat inside my house. I also don't allow parents to sit in the driveway. As soon as they hit the driveway they are to come in immediately to get their child.
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spud912 02:04 PM 05-16-2016
Ditto with the carseat and late pick up fee. I would also tell dad that if he could make pick up prompt so the driveway can be made available to the next person picking up. Or use any other excuse as to why you don't want the driveway to be phone time.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 11:14 AM 05-17-2016
Originally Posted by Boymom:
He pulls up about 10 minutes before he supposed to pickup, but by the time he actually gets to the door he is late. Even if it's one minute late, that's my time and I'm going to have to start giving him a late fee. Ugh. AND while he is in the driveway, the kids are going absolutely crazy because they see him pull up!
I absolutely charge $1.00 per child per minute of lateness. I have billed parents for $1.00 before and they are rude directly following it but they aren't late after that. I would definitely do that.

Also, no. I would not put a child in any carseat.
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Tags:car seats, late fee policy, late fees, pick up issues
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