Why Does It Bother Me SO MUCH....

[caligirl]

when my first drop off of the morning keeps getting here 5 minutes early. I have ALWAYS been such a timed person....... I am getting so fed up with my first child getting dropped off early......day after day.....

This morning, I just glanced at the clock, said to myself 'oh good, I have 5 more minutes, I can vacuum the playroom'......no sooner had I said that, then I see the car pull up in my driveway...it was 6:54....I OPEN AT 7:00........grrrrrrrrrrrr my front window curtains are open so she see's me.........the front door was open (not the screen, but the door).....I went to unlock the screen and said 'mama mama mama, you are FIVE minutes EARLY again! I was just going to vacuum knowing I still had 5 minutes'.......I get the usual 'sorryyyyy' I said 'well, you would NOT believe what I can get done in 5 minutes, and today was the vacuum'......she said 'you can still vacuum.' I said 'uh, NO I can't. I won't be able to vacuum now'. She then said 'well I could always wait here for 5 min'......now you KNOW I am not going to tell her 'yes, do that' because that would irritate me even more.......the point is, I don't even want to see her car pull up until 7:00......why oh why does this get under my skin SO badly. I'm in such a mood now!!

[mac60]

I totally understand. I always opened at 6:30, had a family ask if they could start at 6:15 due to moving and now other parent needed to drop off. I said yes. Well, 6:15 quickly turned into 6:05, 6:07, always before 6:15. So not only do I not get any extra for getting up and opening early by 15 min, the 15 minutes quickly turned into 20/25 min early. Ugg. That opening half hour earlier makes a big difference in my day, I know have to get up 1/2 hour earlier, and then no one else comes till 7:30. ugg again. My biggest mistake was not putting a dollar amount on opening early.....harsh lesson learned. They don't get it. They don't understand, or they simply don't care. If they started work 10 or 15 min early each day, they would get paid that extra pay, for some reason, they don't think we are worthy of it. ugg a third time.

[2ndFamilyDC]

Oh annoying big time. I do not currently have that problem but have in the past. There is so much we can do in 5 minutes. Vacuum, throw a load of clothes in the washer, wash up dishes that our family members left for us in the sink over night. 5 Minutes might not seem like much to a parent but to us it is a big chunk of time. Keep your drapes closed and door locked til 7:00 AM sharp. Tell her that if your drapes are not open your not open yet.

[B Lou]

Ok. I don't want to step on any toes here, but I have had days where as I sent my husband off to work and sat down to enjoy my coffee and 1 hour of piece and quiet, have a parent show up 45 min. early. So I guess the 5 min early wouldn't be a big deal to me. I could see 15 min ealy but really 5 min. I guess I would have turned on the cartoons for 5 min and vaccumed the floor.

I'm not trying to be rude and really don't want to offend anyone. But really I can't believe we're complaining about 5 min.

[2ndFamilyDC]

Ok. I don't want to step on any toes here, but I have had days where as I sent my husband off to work and sat down to enjoy my coffee and 1 hour of piece and quiet, have a parent show up 45 min. early. So I guess the 5 min early wouldn't be a big deal to me. I could see 15 min ealy but really 5 min. I guess I would have turned on the cartoons for 5 min and vaccumed the floor.

I'm not trying to be rude and really don't want to offend anyone. But really I can't believe we're complaining about 5 min.

Well I think if you give a parent 5 minutes then it turns into 8 then 12 then 20. Being taken advantage of is being taken advantage of. For some I guess it is not a big deal but to others it is. To me it is.

[Kaddidle Care]

I would have pretended not to notice them and vacuumed anyway. Open at your stated time and if they knock ignore them.

Those 5 minutes per day add up - if they need you early, make them pay for it even if it's an extra $5.00 per week.

B Lou, I hope you are charging for that extra time. If not, you are being treaded on.

[sharlan]

Ok. I don't want to step on any toes here, but I have had days where as I sent my husband off to work and sat down to enjoy my coffee and 1 hour of piece and quiet, have a parent show up 45 min. early. So I guess the 5 min early wouldn't be a big deal to me. I could see 15 min ealy but really 5 min. I guess I would have turned on the cartoons for 5 min and vaccumed the floor.

I'm not trying to be rude and really don't want to offend anyone. But really I can't believe we're complaining about 5 min.

I don't really see the issue, either. Turn on the cartoons and vacuum. There's no point in stressing yourself out and ruining your day.

[awestbrook713]

I would say parents showing up early doesn't get to me as much as the family that when the father dropped off would be here around 5:45 and a mom that would drop off around 6:30. I would constantly have to ask who was dropping off because I don't like getting up at 5:20 if I don't have to. It would just give me time to sit and get mad about the disrespect I felt the parents were showing me. They now txt me or I txt them the night before so I know what time I need to be up and I am a happier person.

[daycare]

I know how hard it is to be on time with kids, so I allow for a 5 min grace period, however, she could sit and wait in her car if she's early.

[B Lou]

Well in my contract I give them the 5 min. lead way, but after that I charge for every 15 min. early or late. But again really 5 min.. What do we expect for them to do sit. on the corner until exact time? I mean even when I had to clock in at the grocery store they gave a 5 min lead way without the penalty.

[caligirl]

I'm not trying to be rude and really don't want to offend anyone. But really I can't believe we're complaining about 5 min.

Not stepping on my toes. Like I said, I don't know why it bugs me, but it does. It probably goes WAY WAY back to when I was a medical receptionist and I'd get to work to have patients at the door waiting for me to unlock...and they would go to my window wanting me to help them before I was ready..computer wasn't on, coffee wasn't on for the doc....etc.......
so it's just a thing with me I guess. I am very scheduled and watch the clock......... now, if he weren't my first kid of the morning, I wouldn't care one bit. It's just that I need that last 5 minutes before a 10.5 hour day

[B Lou]

Well then I guess if it bothers you so much then charge her $1.00 for every min. their early. Again sorry if I offended you.

[caligirl]

Well then I guess if it bothers you so much then charge her $1.00 for every min. their early. Again sorry if I offended you.

LOL I'm not offended. Like I said, it's just me. I just needed to vent

[Cat Herder]

OP, Do you have a sign in/sign out sheet?

Also, I added some tags at the bottom left to show you that you are not alone in this.

MANY providers are equally annoyed by this.

[Unregistered]

You can get a little sign that says OPEN & CLOSED. Worked wonders for me years ago! And I agree with you, those 5 minutes is yours!
Next thing you know winter will come and it will be 10 minutes!

I suggest you do the OPEN & CLOSED sign and see if it helps. And even if your door is open (you can get one of those suction cups with a hook) keep the sign to CLOSED. And tell DCM you will turn the sign to OPEN when it is 7am!