The mom of my 4 year old daycare boy was fully aware when I took her son back in a month ago that I close at 5p.m. I had her son back in Jan. for 2 weeks only, before the father's work ran out and they didn't need me any longer. She asked last month if I had a spot and I explained to her I do, but I need to close at 5p.m. because my girls are in Softball with practices at 5:30 so I need time to clean up and get my kids dinner, ect.
In the past month that I have had her son she has picked up past 5p.m. about 7-8 times (maybe more, I would have to look at the calendar). It is in my contract any pick ups after 5 will be charged a late fee of $4/hour with a one hour min. (WAY too cheap I know!)...I wasn't charging it and I know I should have been consistant but let it slide until last Friday...5p.m. rolls around and she's not here yet...my kids were anxiously waiting to use the swimming pool and once again I had to wait around for her..so I decided no more nice girl, I'm charging the late fee....she gave no problem paying it.
So last night I typed up a daycare newsletter...letting parents know what we have been doing in daycare and then addressed the late fee. I explained that in all fairness to my closing time I will be charging my late fee for anytime after 5pm...but then proceeded to say that I need to close at 5p.m. sharp and if your work schedule cannot accomodate this pick up time, parents will need to make arrangements so their child can be picked up at that time, or find an alternate daycare that has a later closing time. I start my day at 5:30a.m. and I don't want any kids past 5p.m....my family time is important, even if it's 5:05 it bothers me.
She is the only mom that picks up after 5 so basically that is all directed toward her....I have not yet given her the newsletter because I feel it will be wise to wait until I get paid on Friday (yup, I'm learning!)
Well now I'm wondering if I should just scratch that letter and just write out a termination letter instead. I don't like to terminate loosly....but honestly I have found myself in a "hairy" spot again...the kids are now all out of school and I feel I have WAY too much on my plate...too many mouths to feed, too many messes to clean up...too many arguments to break up...just a lot of things going on for one person...I have 4 of my own kids plus 5 full time daycare kids and 2 part time kids coming 1-2 days/week starting next week.
I thought I could handle it, but now I'm thinking not, and feel bad to terminate because of my fault, know what I mean? However the after 5 pick ups is a good enough reason for me, but if she fixes that issue I'm still not sure I want to continue with him because of too many kids for one person. I think he's harder to tolerate because his mother irritates me...letting him get into her running car, dropping him off whithout seeing me, not giving me much response when I tell her he isn't listening to me all day long, letting him be her boss, ect.
I know it's my business and I need to do what works for me and my family, and I feel letting him go will help reduce my stress level, it just feels good to write it all out and get it off my chest. I keep tossing my mind up of should I let him go or just give her the late fee newsletter and hope she needs to find someone else to meet her work schedule needs. Something I need to think hard about today and tomorrow.
In the past month that I have had her son she has picked up past 5p.m. about 7-8 times (maybe more, I would have to look at the calendar). It is in my contract any pick ups after 5 will be charged a late fee of $4/hour with a one hour min. (WAY too cheap I know!)...I wasn't charging it and I know I should have been consistant but let it slide until last Friday...5p.m. rolls around and she's not here yet...my kids were anxiously waiting to use the swimming pool and once again I had to wait around for her..so I decided no more nice girl, I'm charging the late fee....she gave no problem paying it.
So last night I typed up a daycare newsletter...letting parents know what we have been doing in daycare and then addressed the late fee. I explained that in all fairness to my closing time I will be charging my late fee for anytime after 5pm...but then proceeded to say that I need to close at 5p.m. sharp and if your work schedule cannot accomodate this pick up time, parents will need to make arrangements so their child can be picked up at that time, or find an alternate daycare that has a later closing time. I start my day at 5:30a.m. and I don't want any kids past 5p.m....my family time is important, even if it's 5:05 it bothers me.
She is the only mom that picks up after 5 so basically that is all directed toward her....I have not yet given her the newsletter because I feel it will be wise to wait until I get paid on Friday (yup, I'm learning!)
Well now I'm wondering if I should just scratch that letter and just write out a termination letter instead. I don't like to terminate loosly....but honestly I have found myself in a "hairy" spot again...the kids are now all out of school and I feel I have WAY too much on my plate...too many mouths to feed, too many messes to clean up...too many arguments to break up...just a lot of things going on for one person...I have 4 of my own kids plus 5 full time daycare kids and 2 part time kids coming 1-2 days/week starting next week.
I thought I could handle it, but now I'm thinking not, and feel bad to terminate because of my fault, know what I mean? However the after 5 pick ups is a good enough reason for me, but if she fixes that issue I'm still not sure I want to continue with him because of too many kids for one person. I think he's harder to tolerate because his mother irritates me...letting him get into her running car, dropping him off whithout seeing me, not giving me much response when I tell her he isn't listening to me all day long, letting him be her boss, ect.
I know it's my business and I need to do what works for me and my family, and I feel letting him go will help reduce my stress level, it just feels good to write it all out and get it off my chest. I keep tossing my mind up of should I let him go or just give her the late fee newsletter and hope she needs to find someone else to meet her work schedule needs. Something I need to think hard about today and tomorrow.
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