I have been open for 6 years. Usually I send out a mass text to all the parents the Saturday before a holiday. I have forgotten at times, but nobody has gotten upset over it since they have a copy themselves. We have a new family that has been with us for about a month and has never used daycare before. Lots of families verified last Friday if we were off today and with my husband starting school tomorrow. I mistakenly forgot to text everyone a reminder. She showed up at the house (their was a sign on the door about the holiday) and rang the doorbell and was extremely irrate that nobody reminded her about the holidays and how we ruined her entire day (even though her husband was not working because he hadn’t started his new job yet). I am so upset at myself for not sending the reminder text. Do you all 100% remind all parents every holiday?
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Originally posted by luckygirl99 View PostI have been open for 6 years. Usually I send out a mass text to all the parents the Saturday before a holiday. I have forgotten at times, but nobody has gotten upset over it since they have a copy themselves. We have a new family that has been with us for about a month and has never used daycare before. Lots of families verified last Friday if we were off today and with my husband starting school tomorrow. I mistakenly forgot to text everyone a reminder. She showed up at the house (their was a sign on the door about the holiday) and rang the doorbell and was extremely irrate that nobody reminded her about the holidays and how we ruined her entire day (even though her husband was not working because he hadn’t started his new job yet). I am so upset at myself for not sending the reminder text. Do you all 100% remind all parents every holiday?
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Originally posted by luckygirl99 View PostI have been open for 6 years. Usually I send out a mass text to all the parents the Saturday before a holiday. I have forgotten at times, but nobody has gotten upset over it since they have a copy themselves. We have a new family that has been with us for about a month and has never used daycare before. Lots of families verified last Friday if we were off today and with my husband starting school tomorrow. I mistakenly forgot to text everyone a reminder. She showed up at the house (their was a sign on the door about the holiday) and rang the doorbell and was extremely irrate that nobody reminded her about the holidays and how we ruined her entire day (even though her husband was not working because he hadn’t started his new job yet). I am so upset at myself for not sending the reminder text. Do you all 100% remind all parents every holiday?
In my opinion, reminding people is a courtesy, not a requirement. I hand them a list of holidays at the beginning of a new year and at enrollment. It's their job to remember, put it in their calendar and arrange back up care. Not my responsibility if they forget.
If I were you, I'd be pretty irate they rang my bell when there was a clear sign saying "closed". I'd be REALLY irate for her blaming me for "ruining her day". I don't put up with that kind of disrespect and she'd be told that that kind of attitude will result in her having NO care in the future.
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I don't remind adults to remember information they've already been provided.
I provide care services to their children not reminder services for parents.
I don't live in my daycare house so if they show up on a closed day it doesn't effect me at all. If I did live here, I'd just put a sign on the door that daycare is closed so they'd see it when trying to drop off. Showing up once on a closed day and not getting service would be enough of a reminder for most adults to pay better attention to the schedule of closed days they were provided.
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From what you said in your post, it sounds as though you give your parents a list of the holidays you close on. If that's the case, your dcp should be upset with herself for not checking the list - not with you.
I usually do put a reminder notice up just as a courtesy to parents who may not have the holiday off and may not remember it's one of the holidays I take off. This year, the Columbus Day holiday snuck up on me; I thought the holiday was next week for some reason. At the end of the day Thursday, I did verbally remind most of the families who have kids here on Mondays but sent an email to one of my new families since they weren't here Thursday. Good thing I did! Based on their response, I think they did forget and were planning to bring their child here today.
I know we shouldn't have to remind parents but they're human and make mistakes, too. I'd rather post a reminder than have to get up early to answer the door in my pajamas.
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I have my holidays in my handbook and hand each family a printed out list. The list is also posted on my website. I also have i my handbook that I "may" remind clients about closed holidays but that it's each client's responsibility to remember. I do also post a notice at the beginning of the week before and may verbally remind them but that's always at the beginning of the week before the holiday. After that if they can't remember then oh well.
As far as this family being irate ... they're new. It's a great opportunity for them to learn that they're adults and they don't need their hands held the whole way. ::
Hopefully they didn't give you too much trouble and weren't outright rude.
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Unless you count "see you Tuesday" as a reminder, I've never reminded parents of holidays or closed days. In your case, I might send out a note giving out the closed schedule, with a reminder that while you may send out a reminder text ahead of time, it is still the parent's responsibility to remember scheduled closed days and make their arrangements accordingly.
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Originally posted by Unregistered View PostI even had an 8 x 11 sign on the door saying we were closed for Columbus Day and she still rang the doorbell. You guys made me feel a lot better. Thank you so much for your responses. 😊
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I do three things for current parents:
- I give out an annual printed calendar each September (as we follow the local school district calendar).
- I include special days & holiday school closures for the month on the monthly newsletter that is given out printed at the start of each month. (Ideally they put this one page newsletter on their refrigerator/cork board. I also have the same newsletter as the cover of the sign in binder each day.)
- I have a private class shutterfly site and add all holidays and special days in that calendar which is set to auto remind them of things on the calendar in advance. (Most parents opt-in for notifications from the site since I do not send many and they love seeing pictures of their kids on there.)
In addition to those three I may casually ask what they are doing on the holiday weekend (if time allows at pick up) and it is always listed on my website under the calendar section but currently enrolled parents never check my website only prospective clients/parents.
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- I give out an annual printed calendar each September (as we follow the local school district calendar).
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I have my closures listed on my website, in my handbook and I give parents THREE printed copies in jan of every year. I tell them they have no excuses for forgetting. Then I post a sign in my door the night before saying we are closed.
Parents have no excuse for forgetting or getting upset if they do forget.
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I also have my closures in my handbook because they are paid and i expect them to know that ahead of time and sign and agree to that but i also remind them because i still feel that awkwardness when i close paid so i give notice. I have a cute little chalk board in my front entry i write all notices on and ill write notes on that about sicknesses going through the home or closures coming up. Parents still miss it so sometimes, not always, ill say at pickup while a child is grabbing their stuff "hey did you see we have whatever written on the board?"
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