Parent Who Is Consistently Early and Late

[Baby Beluga]

I have a parent who is consistently early and late, in very small increments.

For example, this family is contracted from 6:45am - 4:30pm.

DCD will show up at 6:40, 6:41, 6:42 etc.

At pick up he will pull into my driveway at 4:30p, 4:31, 4:32.

When increments are this small, do you say something or let it go?

This morning he showed up at 6:40am. (they were my first arrivals today) I was in the restroom helping my own child and did not get to the door until 6:44pm. How do I get him to understand that even though a couple of minutes may not seem like much to him, it IS to me. Especially when he is just pulling in the driveway at 4:30pm and his children are my last pick up.

[MunchkinWrangler]

For dropoff, I would honestly, not open the door or even open up blinds or curtains until your opening time. If you do this on a consistent basis, he should get the point. Pick up I would have the child ready to go and say bye with a smile and get on with your night. Think of Target, they could have someone standing at the door before open and they don't open the doors until the time and they don't apologize for it and neither should you.

[rosieteddy]

I wouldn't say much about late in minutes at the end of the day.Have the kids ready and waiting after 10 min I might think about saying something.At 15 min late I would charge late fee. The morning is a whole other ball game. I would put a note on door and say open at x time and not a minute early.I would explain that morning is very important and every minute counts. You would rather they come on time or a few minutes late so you can prepare for the day.

[lovemykidstoo]

I am a stickler for being late. Anything at all over my closing time and I'm irritated. If I close at 5:30, then I really expect people to be leaving my driveway at that time.

Morning is a little different to me at least. If they're 1 or 2 minutes early, I figure they didn't have to stop at any red lights. That I think is a harder thing to control. Where I live, there are alot of lights. If a parent usually drops off at 730 and has to be to work at 745 and makes all the lights they may be a little early. If they hit a few lights, they'll be late. Anything more than 5 minutes early though and I would be talking to them.

[Ariana]

I have parents who are like this. I don't mind early, but they aren't coming in the morning. I also would not answer my door!! As for late pickup it definitely irks me but I let it go. My contract allows for up to 15 minutes late before my late fee applies. I have DCG ready to go and I have cut out the small talk

[childcaremom]

This is one of my sticking points. I do contracted hours and keep my doors locked. They don't get unlocked until their contracted time. Period.

I have late slips and charge late fees. I might waive it once but then after that I enforce. I charge a set rate per part of the first 15 minutes. That slip is added to their bag as soon as the clock hits their pick up time. Late fees are in their bag the next morning or they don't come in. Like someone else said, their child is picked up and out the door by their end time.

I have allowed LOTS of time for parents to get here after work. NO excuses.

[Laurel]

I have a parent who is consistently early and late, in very small increments.

For example, this family is contracted from 6:45am - 4:30pm.

DCD will show up at 6:40, 6:41, 6:42 etc.

At pick up he will pull into my driveway at 4:30p, 4:31, 4:32.

When increments are this small, do you say something or let it go?

This morning he showed up at 6:40am. (they were my first arrivals today) I was in the restroom helping my own child and did not get to the door until 6:44pm. How do I get him to understand that even though a couple of minutes may not seem like much to him, it IS to me. Especially when he is just pulling in the driveway at 4:30pm and his children are my last pick up.

For 2 or 3 minutes on either end, I wouldn't let it bother me at all. How can anyone be expected to be 'exactly' on time? That doesn't sound reasonable to me.

When it starts getting to 10 minutes or so then I would be irritated and if it happened more than 2 or 3 times, I'd say something.

[Snowmom]

I always speak up.

My rate structure is a bit different than standard contracted times though.

Have a discussion with them or write up a note:
Dear Parent:
In the past few weeks, you have signed out before and after your contracted timeframe. In order to continue with your contracted weekly rate, I need Sally to be dropped off and picked up between the hours of 6:45-4:30. There are no grace periods in effect. She must be dropped off after 6:45 and must be picked up before 4:30.
If you need to adjust your times, please schedule a time to meet with me to review your needs. Please be aware that changing your weekly time allowance will mean a change in your weekly rate.

Thank you,
Provider

[Blackcat31]

For 2 or 3 minutes on either end, I wouldn't let it bother me at all. How can anyone be expected to be 'exactly' on time? That doesn't sound reasonable to me.

When it starts getting to 10 minutes or so then I would be irritated and if it happened more than 2 or 3 times, I'd say something.

I would normally agree with this but the parent is clearly "stealing" the provider's time....since drop offs are early and pick ups are late.....not the other way around.

I always speak up.

My rate structure is a bit different than standard contracted times though.

Have a discussion with them or write up a note:
Dear Parent:
In the past few weeks, you have signed out before and after your contracted timeframe. In order to continue with your contracted weekly rate, I need Sally to be dropped off and picked up between the hours of 6:45-4:30. There are no grace periods in effect. She must be dropped off after 6:45 and must be picked up before 4:30.
If you need to adjust your times, please schedule a time to meet with me to review your needs. Please be aware that changing your weekly time allowance will mean a change in your weekly rate.

Thank you,
Provider

This ^^^^^

[Blackcat31]

I have a sign in/out sheet the parents must use daily.

Once a parent is early or late I take the "normal" sign in/out sheet from it's spot and replace it with the "late" one

The late one is printed in RED and lets the parent KNOW they are late/early and what the fee is for it.

It looks like this: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8_...ew?usp=sharing

[midaycare]

Do NOT open the door early. I open at 7:30 am. I check my phone and only when it says 7:30 do I even head towards the door. Even if I'm ready early.

For late pickups, that deserves a talk.

[thrivingchildcarecom]

In ten years I have seen it all. Parents sitting in my driveway until 6:00 on the dot. Everyone arriving early one day. Parents going all the way home and forgetting to pick up their child. I even had a parent tell me that, the extra 30-45 minutes was just a little more work.

Parents don't realize coming early or arriving late can throw you out of ratio and arriving after hours puts us out of our operating hours. All of this could result in citation and/or fines. But if we don't say something, they think its no big deal.

Some years ago, I made the decision to encourage them to stick to their "contracted" hours by imposing a 9 hour child care limit. 9 hours is what is included in the base tuition. If it goes beyond 9, more $$.

Anyway, back to you. I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY SOMETHING! Otherwise, believe me, it will get worse. Initially, I just mention that they have arrived early and need to stay with their child until the correct time. Then if I see multiple families are "forgetting" I send out a mass message reminding them of fees for extra time.

Let me know if you want to see the short (non-emotional) note I send out. Send me a PM and your email and I will share it.

Hopes this helps and good luck.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

For 2 or 3 minutes on either end, I wouldn't let it bother me at all. How can anyone be expected to be 'exactly' on time? That doesn't sound reasonable to me.

When it starts getting to 10 minutes or so then I would be irritated and if it happened more than 2 or 3 times, I'd say something.

I absolutely expect families to either be on time or after I open. I don't open 30 seconds earlier than my opening time and I indicate when I am open by turning a porch light on (I have one family who waits in their car for 5 minutes before I open).

I also charge $1.00/minute for being late. I will, and have, charged $1.00. I don't want to work one minute past my closing time and I have a 20 minute pick up window for this exact reason. The kids are all ready to go and waiting during those 20 minutes as I read books. Some parents pick up earlier but I have things to do after work with my own family.

[Laurel]

I absolutely expect families to either be on time or after I open. I don't open 30 seconds earlier than my opening time and I indicate when I am open by turning a porch light on (I have one family who waits in their car for 5 minutes before I open).

I also charge $1.00/minute for being late. I will, and have, charged $1.00. I don't want to work one minute past my closing time and I have a 20 minute pick up window for this exact reason. The kids are all ready to go and waiting during those 20 minutes as I read books. Some parents pick up earlier but I have things to do after work with my own family.

That's fine if that is the way you want to do it. I just can't imagine charging someone for one minute. Seems a bit over the top. We can agree to disagree.

[Meeko]

That's fine if that is the way you want to do it. I just can't imagine charging someone for one minute. Seems a bit over the top. We can agree to disagree.

I guess the thing is, where do you draw the line? I can't say I close at 6, but it's OK for them to pick up at 6:02. That actually means I am open until 6:02 as far as they are concerned.

Then the next day they think 6:03 is no big deal...I mean what's one minute? And so on and so on. They WILL get more brazen.

Before long you get picks up 10 minutes late and a client who then has a hissy fit if you eventually say something. And what can a provider say when the parent says "But it hasn't been a problem until now????"

I start out as I want to go on. In charge of my own time.