How 'early' do you let parents come?

[MyKzooFamily]

How early do you let DCK's get dropped off before their actual 'start' time?

I am not an early morning person, but I do wake up early and literally schedule the first 2 hours of my day down to every 5 minutes. Exercise, shower, get ready, laundry, get my kids up, do breakfast, get hubby up for work, get his stuff going, etc., etc. I plan down to the last 5 minutes I have before kids are supposed to start showing up.

All of my kids come RIGHT at the time they are scheduled for, or a tad after. But one of them comes 20 minutes early. Ocassionally, 30 minutes early, and I'm not okay with it. But before I say something, I wanted to see how much of an 'early allowance' everyone else offers. Before, Mom had to drop 2 school ager's off, then drop off 2 y/o, so I figured her scheduled changed each morning, but I don't see how. Now, with no one in school, I'm confused why the re-start child is coming early, when the parents know their scheduled time. If they pay for 8am, I don't want to have a knock until 8am.

So I'm going to tell Mom she now has to pay for 7:30, even if she comes at 7:40, as I bill hourly. But I'm wondering if anyone else allows an 'early allowance' for their DCK's.

[midaycare]

I'm very flexible - but not with early dropoffs. That is where I draw the line.

[bklsmum]

I do not unlock the door before 5:30.

[coolconfidentme]

I have contracted hours. It is considered early unapproved arrival if someone comes earlier. If a parents wants to stop off for that morning coffee after drop off, it will cost them $1 a minute. It's no different then when they pick up. I'm not here so you can run into Walmart after work. Charge them..., it will stop.

[NeedaVaca]

I do not allow early drop offs unless it was pre-approved with a price attached.

[LysesKids]

I do not allow early drop offs unless it was pre-approved with a price attached.

Same here

[DaveA]

I do not allow early drop offs unless it was pre-approved with a price attached.

This- and had better be a REALLY good reason or I will say no. The only 2 situations I've said yes to are if 1) one parent is out of town and the other has to drop early off to be at work on time, or 2)medical procedure that starts early.

I charge $3 every five minutes for early drop off.

[melilley]

The only time I allow early drop offs is if the parents ask for approval first. I don't mind if they are 5 minutes early, but anything earlier than that annoys me. I've only had it happen twice without preapproval and that was when I first opened and didn't charge, but will now! That's our time before the other kids arrive!

[AmyKidsCo]

I charge by the week and tell parents that when they contract for full time care they're entitled to bring their child anytime during my open hours: 7-5. So I generally don't care if they drop off early, as long as it's after 7. But if I charged hourly I'd charge for early drop-offs too - otherwise they're basically getting free child care.

[Cat Herder]

I do early drop-off's occasionally. Sometimes I charge, sometimes I don't.

* The caveats are how the family treats me, that it is prearranged, the reason and how often it happens.

If I have a parent show up early (unexpected or demanding), I may turn them away at the door or charge them the standard $1 per minute (depending on what new toy/equipment I am saving for).

I did not do early drop-offs when my kids were in grade school, though. It simply was not possible with the routine of getting them out the door to school.

[Shell]

My door opens at 8- you come before then, you wait at the door. 2 days a week I open at 730 for one family (for a fee). When others arrive before 8, I still make them wait. I had to get firmer after I had one that would have quality talk on her cellphone time in my driveway (no longer allowed), and would come in early because dcm felt it was easier to make a mess at my house than to have to clean up after dcg in the morning.

[Blackcat31]

Its much like Cat Herder said...depends on the family, their attitude and their over all standing in my program.

[MyKzooFamily]

I think I will just plan on this family coming at 7:30. They are really great about everything else, I was just REALLY bummed when I decided to shower/get ready 25 minutes before they were to arrive, and they arrived right then. I have 4 little ones that need up/dressed, fed, ready for school, all that kind of stuff, so I like to use every minute I have before my first arrival. I also charge hourly, so feel it's unfair if I'm watching them another 40-50 minutes per week when they only come for 8 hours/week total. BUT... I really like this family, so I will see how it goes. I will also make them change days to my 'earlier crowd' days if they continue to be early, so at least they are not making me start early when my next DCK doesn't come until 9:30.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I do NOT let parents arrive unannounced prior to their drop-off time. With that said, I don't do contracted hours.

You either come, for free but pre-scheduled, during my early drop-off time (a fifteen minute window and I WILL NOT open the door after it) OR you wait until my regular business hours begin (at 8:00am).

I ask that everyone arrive between 8:00am-9:00am unless they let me know they will be later than that. I want everyone here before our schedule truly begins for the day. I have a couple of families that will arrive some days at 8:00am on the dot and then other days they arrive at 8:35am or 8:20 or 8:45...I am not quite sure how all of these people keep their jobs, or maybe their jobs allow flexible starting times? :confused: I've ALWAYS had jobs that required me to be at work at the same time so that concept is foreign to me.

I have read about many ladies here who charge late fees for being late in the morning and that seems to work well for them.

[cheerfuldom]

No way would I do an extra 30 minutes every day....thats 2.5 hours a week you are doing for free! 10 hours free a month. so you are giving them a free day every month, 12 free days a year. When you look at it that way, I would charge or refuse them until 8. I dont care if they sit in the car in the drive for 30 minutes.