Parents Dropping Of Kids Late

[Paisley]

Hi all, I'm new here, but have been lurking and reading the posts for a while. I have already learned so much I have a question. It really annoys me when a parent brings her child late. He was coming at 7:30, but sometimes (frequently) its not until 8:15. When I asked her if this was his new drop off time she laughed and said she should be here at 7:30, but always runs late. However, she still expects him to have breakfast. He is a baby so I don't prepare meals, but it throws off my routine with the other kids if I have to stop and feed him right when he comes in. This also throws off the rest of his feeding schedule. I understand things happen and people run late, but every day? Thats just crazy. Am I being silly or does this bother you guys as well? What do you do about it? I hate to push this issue to much, because there are a few other issues with this mom that I feel are more important.

[Live and Learn]

Personally late drop offs don't bother me unless (1 they are my first drop off of the day- hey I could have hit the snooze button for once! (2 they come late AND UNFED (3 their coming late makes me late if I have to leave and go somewhere.
I think you had better say something to momma. Communication solves most problems. I am thinking something like "hey it really throws me off my routine if lil junior shows up late and unfed. I expect junior to eat before arrival." If breakfast is something you offer to everyone you could say that you schedule lil junior's feeding at 7:45 and if he arrives later than that you will feed him next at 10am or whenever you generally do snack.

[DanceMom]

I have a breakfast cut off time. If your child is not here by 7:45am breakfast will not be served so they are to come fed.

[missnikki]

If you have other issues with this parent, and want this to stop, I would say a good middle-ground would be to tell her what you told us about throwing off your schedule , and explain that you are not going to feed dck past breakfast time. If she's going to be late anyway, please take the time to feed dck so your routine isn't interrupted.
That will inconvenience her just enough to keep her on her toes, IMO.

[laundryduchess@yahoo.com]

I would just say,.. oh I understand that (being late) and that you get so behind sometimes too. That you will try to get little raymond a larger portion of his morning snack today because he seems to be quite hungry when you drop off late and he misses our breakfast time. Then smile and do the uncomfortable pause thing,.... she will learn real fast that lack of preparation on her part does not constitute an emergency on yours.

Of course then as soon as she leaves,.. give the little guy something small to tide him over until snack.

When she asks at pickup if he was fussy, or really hungry of whatever,.. just say yes, he had two portions of snack today and seemed fine after that. Don't tell her he was fed after she left,...she is an adult for goodness sake,... she needs to get her rear out of bed. I have no sympathy for laziness. If she overslept, came in apologizing that he wasnt fed, and asked you to please feed him that is one thing,...but to just show up with a hungry guy because she is running late,.. no,.. she is already late,.. take 5 more minutes and feed your kid.

[momma2girls]

What gets to me is they expect you to stay at home no matter what time they drop off. I had a little boy usually is dropped off between 8:00(contracted time is 8:30) and 8:30. His dad didn't drop him off one day til 9:30! I told him oh I didn't think he was coming today, beings there isn't any school today(Mom is a teacher) no meetings, or anything for the teachers. I just about left for a walk about 15 min. prior to you coming. He replied why should it matter you are open and here all day long. I said no I am not- I take walks almost everyday with the children. I wish I would have been gone, then he wouldn't have known what to do!! This drives me nuts!! I can't believe he dropped off 1 1/2 hrs. after he normally comes- no phone call nothing!!

[laundryduchess@yahoo.com]

iowa,.. directly copied from my contract,...
~ VERY IMPORTANT Please call or text if your child will not be attending for the day. If you do not show up or call within 1 hour of your contracted drop off time I will assume you are keeping them home or have made other arrangements for that days care. I consider it a gift of a paid day off from you and may make plans to be away for the day. It will not affect my vacation of personal days.


=-)

[momma2girls]

iowa,.. directly copied from my contract,...
~ VERY IMPORTANT Please call or text if your child will not be attending for the day. If you do not show up or call within 1 hour of your contracted drop off time I will assume you are keeping them home or have made other arrangements for that days care. I consider it a gift of a paid day off from you and may make plans to be away for the day. It will not affect my vacation of personal days.


=-)

I love it!!

[Paisley]

Thanks for the ideas

I think I will tell her he needs to be fed prior to coming if he will be late. That seems pretty standard to most daycares. I'm not sure how she will take it though. When I talk to her about issues I am having she just kind of looks at me with a deer in the headlight stare. Don't you hate that look I am very happy to know that I'm not the only one that is irritated by late drop offs. I will definately be adding the late drop off clause into my contract I love it!

[Live and Learn]

Ah, the ol' deer in the headlight stare...I know it well!

[legomom922]

I have a family that does that...daily and has been doing so for 4 months! Their contracted time is 730am. I think they came once at 730. The rest of the time they show up anywhere from 8-930am, but usually more so between 8-830. And I know exactly why they did it!!

My contract states that early drop off service is available for a fee of $5, they may drop off up to 30 minutes early. So they contracted the 730 time to cover their butts when winter comes, and it takes them longer to get to work! This way they get to escape the $5 early drop off fee...hmm..smart huh?

Just when you think you have everything covered! I think in the future, if someone tries to pull that trick on me again, I am going to tell them they have to change their contracted time. I just have to figure out what to say the reason is for doing so that they will understand.

I really dont care if they come late, in fact I prefer it..more quiet time for me, and makes for a shorter day.::

[momofboys]

I have a family that does that...daily and has been doing so for 4 months! Their contracted time is 730am. I think they came once at 730. The rest of the time they show up anywhere from 8-930am, but usually more so between 8-830. And I know exactly why they did it!!

My contract states that early drop off service is available for a fee of $5, they may drop off up to 30 minutes early. So they contracted the 730 time to cover their butts when winter comes, and it takes them longer to get to work! This way they get to escape the $5 early drop off fee...hmm..smart huh?

Just when you think you have everything covered! I think in the future, if someone tries to pull that trick on me again, I am going to tell them they have to change their contracted time. I just have to figure out what to say the reason is for doing so that they will understand.

I really dont care if they come late, in fact I prefer it..more quiet time for me, and makes for a shorter day.::

I can understand you not really caring if they are a bit late. I would not either; however, it would affect my ability to leave the house. I drive kids to school at specific times. Not knowing when a parent arrives can be nerve-wracking b/c you know the minute you leave the house for the 10 min timeframe you are driving kids to school that DCP will show up! I would not like that at all!

[MarinaVanessa]

Yup, I also have a family that's like that. Contracted from 8am-6pm but doesn't get here until 8:30-9:30 sometimes as late as noon. Doesn't bother me much since I drop off the SA's at school at 7:45am and I'm back by 8am anyway so it doesn't get in my way BUT she always brings DCB without feeding him food. He gets the boob, so don't get me wrong but he's 15 months old now and the only real meals he gets are the ones that I give him here and dinner at home.

When he gets here he asks for food as soon as he gets put down on the floor and I always EVRY MORNING hear "Oh, he hasn't had breakfast yet, he had the boob but no food". Sometimes it's as late as noon! Does it bother me? Not really. Technically (if she's telling me the truth) he's had BM so he should have something in his tummy and my response is always the same "Oh, well we already had breakfast and 1st snack but lunch is coming up at 11:30" If she were bringing him at 8am like she was supposed to then he'd get a snack at 9am. I guess the way I see it is like this, if she's not concerned about feeding him real food and can get by on BM only until noon (EVERY time he's brought at noon she has said the same thing) then he'll b fine with a sippy cup of water until our next meal or snack.

Oh and on an end note ... I will always prefer to have a child dropped off late rather than picked up late.

[Paisley]

Thankyou

I just find it messes with everyones schedule. Especially the baby. However, there isn't a whole lot I can do about it (other than talk to her.) He isn't big enough to have a snack to tide him over. I would either have to give him a bottle or baby food.

Oh and on an end note ... I will always prefer to have a child dropped off late rather than picked up late.

Great point!!!! At least she never has picked him up late!!!!!

[Jewels]

I have in my contract the times I serve breakfast, so if they show up within that time, late or not, they still get breakfast, I dont plan any activities until after this time and clean-up after, I dont care if there late, doesnt bother me, gives me extra time without all of them in the AM, I have one parent who will bring there son every once in a while, outside of my eating time, and he'll tell me he needs a snack or something, and it bugs me, but I just go with it, and just give him a little snack, Hes a younger more self absorbed dad, and I'm just like whatever, I do like it when they send me a text message if they are running really late, and most have always done that.