Help On Hours Please!

[Tdhmom]

How do you all make parents give you an exact time. I keep getting from potential dcm "drop off between 7-7:30 and pick up between 4:30-5" do you guys let parents do that? I don't care for it. I like having dck's ready for pick up. It's a lot easier to get them to leave and no one lingers.

I told her yesterday that I would prefer pick ups closer to 4:30. And she said she was calling around to other daycares in our area (there's only 1 actual daycare facility and 1 other in home daycare) the facility doesn't have openings until 2015. So I asked her if she could give me an exact pick up time and at least 2 days notice if it will be after 5. She still didn't. She is still saying 4:30-5. I asked her daycare lady yesterday what time she picks up and she told me it's 5 everyday because she goes home for 'me' time dcm told her. Dcm is a teacher and gets out of school at 3:15. An hour and 15 min is plenty enough time to make it to my house. Why won't she give me an exact time?!

[cara041083]

I have my parents give me a "schedule" every sunday morning via text or email. In my contract, I am open from 7:00-5:30 and will take a child for 9 hours a day. Anything after the 9 ( with in open hours) is 15 an hour. I explain to the parents that I spend Sunday afternoon preparing for the week such as meals, any shopping that needs to be done, crafts and all that good stuff. I base it on the schedule I get. Then I let them know that in the event of them changing it will result in the kids missing out on something that I didn't "plan" for them to do. I hope that makes sense.

[Tdhmom]

I have my parents give me a "schedule" every sunday morning via text or email. In my contract, I am open from 7:00-5:30 and will take a child for 9 hours a day. Anything after the 9 ( with in open hours) is 15 an hour. I explain to the parents that I spend Sunday afternoon preparing for the week such as meals, any shopping that needs to be done, crafts and all that good stuff. I base it on the schedule I get. Then I let them know that in the event of them changing it will result in the kids missing out on something that I didn't "plan" for them to do. I hope that makes sense.

That's brilliant!!! This is why I love this sight!!! I always get info I would never even think of

[TaylorTots]

Pick ups.... I have a couple parents where both work 45 minutes away and are salaried. Things come up that they have to handle. Their pickup time is 4:30. Occasionally we hit 5:30 (my closing time) but they call/text me if that is the case and I don't charge extra. I am open till 5:30 anyway - if it becomes a habit then we change the contract and up the rate.

Drop offs...I only take drop offs between 7 and 8:30. I don't ask for an exact time but most parents are consistent within 15 minutes.

[llpa]

I tell parents if you think it may poss be 5 and not for 4:30 then your contract and the amount you pay will reflect the maximum time frame you are giving me. So if I decide to charge $40 for a day that they think MAY be 7-5 then that is what they pay every day, regardless of whether they p/u at 4:30. If they want to change their contract then we do. However, you have to be willing to accept the timeframe also. I assume it will be that maximum time period.

[Tdhmom]

I tell parents if you think it may poss be 5 and not for 4:30 then your contract and the amount you pay will reflect the maximum time frame you are giving me. So if I decide to charge $40 for a day that they think MAY be 7-5 then that is what they pay every day, regardless of whether they p/u at 4:30. If they want to change their contract then we do. However, you have to be willing to accept the timeframe also. I assume it will be that maximum time period.

That's an great idea as well!!

[llpa]

Also wanted to add that like a PP the 7-5 day is a half hour over my max time of 9 1/2 hrs a day. So it would also be an extra fee.

[Blackcat31]

I require a written schedule on Friday WITH payment for the next week of care.

I have parents schedule the LATEST time they are going to be picking up and that becomes their weekly rate. Even if only one day is 5 and all the rest are 4:30.

I charge $1 per minute if they are past their scheduled time.

I also limit the max number of hours they can be in care to 45 PER week. I do allow additional time if scheduled in advance and charge $1.50 PER 15 minutes (or ANY portion of).

I don't limit daily attendance because I have several parents who do work 10 hour shifts.

[Christina72684]

Wow maybe I need to try some of these things. We are open 7:30-5:30 and parents can drop off or pick up any time during those hours. If they aren't going to be here we require 24 hours notice unless they are sick and then just text me ASAP. Maybe having more rules like this would make things easier.

We do have one family who waits till 5:29 to pick up and lives less than a mile away. The DCD does work nights so he sleeps during the day. I know I hate getting up so I'm sure he sleeps as long as he can before getting his son. But it's still frustrating when he's the last kid sometimes.

[lovemykidstoo]

How do you all make parents give you an exact time. I keep getting from potential dcm "drop off between 7-7:30 and pick up between 4:30-5" do you guys let parents do that? I don't care for it. I like having dck's ready for pick up. It's a lot easier to get them to leave and no one lingers.

I told her yesterday that I would prefer pick ups closer to 4:30. And she said she was calling around to other daycares in our area (there's only 1 actual daycare facility and 1 other in home daycare) the facility doesn't have openings until 2015. So I asked her if she could give me an exact pick up time and at least 2 days notice if it will be after 5. She still didn't. She is still saying 4:30-5. I asked her daycare lady yesterday what time she picks up and she told me it's 5 everyday because she goes home for 'me' time dcm told her. Dcm is a teacher and gets out of school at 3:15. An hour and 15 min is plenty enough time to make it to my house. Why won't she give me an exact time?!

I'm just a little confused with this part. Am I just reading it wrong? What time is your closing time? In my daycare, I have people coming from 400 up to 5:00. I have one mom that normally picks up at 4:00, but sometimes it's 4:15 if she's doing something at work (she's a teacher), another teacher same thing. She normally is here at 4:30, but sometimes depending on traffic it's 4:40. She's 45 minutes away. As long as it's before my closing time I don't have a problem with it. Are you saying that sometimes she's past your closing time? Do you have children other than hers that are there after she picks up?

[cara041083]

Wow maybe I need to try some of these things. We are open 7:30-5:30 and parents can drop off or pick up any time during those hours. If they aren't going to be here we require 24 hours notice unless they are sick and then just text me ASAP. Maybe having more rules like this would make things easier.

We do have one family who waits till 5:29 to pick up and lives less than a mile away. The DCD does work nights so he sleeps during the day. I know I hate getting up so I'm sure he sleeps as long as he can before getting his son. But it's still frustrating when he's the last kid sometimes.

I started doing a weekly schedule because I too had kids being g dropped off and picked up at all hours. I never know who I would have for what meal and nap time was a nightmare. It never failed I always had at least 1 kid that got dropped off during nap time and would wake everyone up. Now I did loose some families when I put this in place but that was because they didn't want to follow my policy and thought I was asking too much. But this is the first time in 2 years that I like doing daycare again! And the families that left have called begging to come back

[Blackcat31]

Wow maybe I need to try some of these things. We are open 7:30-5:30 and parents can drop off or pick up any time during those hours. If they aren't going to be here we require 24 hours notice unless they are sick and then just text me ASAP. Maybe having more rules like this would make things easier.

We do have one family who waits till 5:29 to pick up and lives less than a mile away. The DCD does work nights so he sleeps during the day. I know I hate getting up so I'm sure he sleeps as long as he can before getting his son. But it's still frustrating when he's the last kid sometimes.

Absolutely! It isn't fair to you or your staff to not have any idea who is coming and when.

I would require written schedules to be submitted and have parents state exact times. They get schedules at work so they know when they are suppose to be there and when they can leave so why shouldn't you?

It's not a hard concept to follow but parents usually don't like having to do it but the way I look at it is I don't particularly like changing poopy diapers either but I still have too..ya know?

[Tdhmom]

I'm just a little confused with this part. Am I just reading it wrong? What time is your closing time? In my daycare, I have people coming from 400 up to 5:00. I have one mom that normally picks up at 4:00, but sometimes it's 4:15 if she's doing something at work (she's a teacher), another teacher same thing. She normally is here at 4:30, but sometimes depending on traffic it's 4:40. She's 45 minutes away. As long as it's before my closing time I don't have a problem with it. Are you saying that sometimes she's past your closing time? Do you have children other than hers that are there after she picks up?

My last kids leave at 4...so I'm staying open just for her. And not knowing if it would be 4:30 or 5 bugs me. I like knowing when my day is done just like everyone likes to know when they get to clock out. The fact that she leaves that 30 min gap to make 4:30 sound good makes me think she's really not going to be here until 5 because of how she's been with her current daycare.

[Crazy8]

I tell parents if you think it may poss be 5 and not for 4:30 then your contract and the amount you pay will reflect the maximum time frame you are giving me. So if I decide to charge $40 for a day that they think MAY be 7-5 then that is what they pay every day, regardless of whether they p/u at 4:30. If they want to change their contract then we do. However, you have to be willing to accept the timeframe also. I assume it will be that maximum time period.

This is how I do it as well and I charge more for a contracted 5pm pickup than a 4:30 pick up. Of course be prepared for them to show up no earlier than 4:59 from that point forward because "they are paying for it". And make sure those late fees start at 5:01.

[Tdhmom]

This is how I do it as well and I charge more for a contracted 5pm pickup than a 4:30 pick up. Of course be prepared for them to show up no earlier than 4:59 from that point forward because "they are paying for it". And make sure those late fees start at 5:01.

I am starting to think that is this dcm's mentality for the day. She's paying for that day she's going to get her money worth. So I ended up emailing her with most of the advice I got today along with another ladies number if she wasn't happy with the way I expect things to be done. she said she would let me know what they decide. I even put in there that I like knowing when everyone is coming and going and it's the same as if her boss wouldn't tell her when she was getting off of work. It isn't fair. Just because I'm here doesn't mean I don't mind working later. It's rude! I want an exact pick up time. Not a 30 min "just in case" window.