Have I Lost My Backbone?

[Christian Mother]

My first ever daycare family that I love love love I am feeling like I've lost my backbone. I want to help and be fair. But I feel like I am treading in something that is going to drown me. Ever get that feeling when you agree to something?

This summer a mother who is a teacher switched schools which is far from where we both live. Her commute is about 30 min. So she fights traffic getting here. Which the change in her school hrs have changed for her which I agreed to open early from 7am to 6am. But I have kept the closing time to 4:30pm. I don't mind getting up early. I thought I would but I've adapted pretty well to it. Mom said that bc she works early she gets out early...but the past 3 wks have been all over the place bc she has meetings. I totally understand that so I told her that I give her 45 hrs a wk which is 9 hrs a day which is scheduled with our contract. But she got confused bc in my parent hand book says 6am til 5pm. She was thinking that was considered full time rate. So i explained that those are just the hours I am opened til but that each family has there own paid time slots which allows 9 hrs. So she said that she has a hard time trying to get here with 9 hrs and asked if i'd allow 9 1/2 hrs per day which I said I had no problem to but after 47.5 hrs I would start charging $5 per hr. Which also allow 15min to be late after the 9 1/2 hrs time frame.

Last week she paid $20 bc she accumulated 51.5 hrs so I charged her just $20 instead of the 25 + I should of charged her. Mind you we horse trade bc she spends 25min 2 times a week with my daughter for therapy on her speech so instead of charging her $125 a wk she pays me $85. So, I told her I will draw her up a new contract with hrs to 6:15am to 3:45 but she is allowed an extra 15 to be late which I think she can use. I think what got me though is that If she drops off late she still picks up later and I told her that I will only add up the hrs of the week not the per her contract. Which I totally screwed my self there with. But what do you do. She said that if this doesn't work for me then she will have to look for a new daycare but she really didn't want to but she didn't know what else to do. I kept thinking hun,if you can't afford late fees your not going to be able to afford any other daycare. But, who knows I could be very wrong there. Do you guys charge for 9 yrs a day or 10...? Am I being fair... should I give her 10 hrs instead of 9 1/2. Do you all work 50 hr work weeks. I made the comment that after 45 I felt that after those many hrs per day anything after I should be paid for and she said that she doesn't get paid for after hrs. But, I told her that most people work 8 hr days get a lunch hr maybe half and hr and if they work over time get paid for it. I treat this as a business so I felt that I should be paid for an extra hrs not in our contract. Why do parents always want to extend there hrs. ? I know many will ask about Dad, dad works from home sometimes is out of the house on business meetings but works til 4:30pm and can't get little guy til after. No one is able to pick him up if he's late but mom or dad. I've had him since he was 3 months and will have his baby brother in Dec. Am I making a big deal out of this???

[MarinaVanessa]

I consider FT to be 30-50 hours a week, but that's just me. A "regular" work schedule around here is an 8 hour shift (8-5 with an hour lunch) and I added an extra 30 minute commute time each way just to be safe. That's how I came up with 50 hours being my max. Anything over 10 hours and I charge extra.

[Christian Mother]

Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa

I consider FT to be 30-50 hours a week, but that's just me. A "regular" work schedule around here is an 8 hour shift (8-5 with an hour lunch) and I added an extra 30 minute commute time each way just to be safe. That's how I came up with 50 hours being my max. Anything over 10 hours and I charge extra.

Does all your families contract for 10 hrs each? I have a family that uses 8.5 and another between 7 and 7.5. But this family is using 10 if not more. We contracted a in 09' at 10 hrs from 6:30am to 4:30pm and it seemed to be ok but mom would always come right at 4:30pm if not 15 min late. right before I accessed a late fee. But it seems with this new job she is here at 4:30pm 5pm. It is such long hrs for a 2 yr old.

[sharlan]

I think you're being a bit tight. For a parent to work an 8 hr day, plus 1 hr for lunch, you're talking 9 hrs. Now add 30 mins each way for the commute. That totals 10 hrs a day.

[MarinaVanessa]

Originally Posted by Christian Mother

Does all your families contract for 10 hrs each? I have a family that uses 8.5 and another between 7 and 7.5. But this family is using 10 if not more. We contracted a in 09' at 10 hrs from 6:30am to 4:30pm and it seemed to be ok but mom would always come right at 4:30pm if not 15 min late. right before I accessed a late fee. But it seems with this new job she is here at 4:30pm 5pm. It is such long hrs for a 2 yr old.

No not all. I have a DCM that's scheduled from 8-5. She keeps to it most days but sometimes picks up early or drops off later (with notice) to spend time with DCB. 10 hours a day is what my weekly fee covers. Any time beyond 10 hours a day is an added charge. I had to think of it from a business perspective when I had families that stayed longer than that ... I can't change what hours they work or what they do with their time KWIM?

[Christian Mother]

Thanks ladies,...I appreciate your honestly. I guess switching to 10 hrs is the right thing to do. I do want to be fair and not stress her out so I will change her contract to meet her needs. I think tomorrow that will be a nice surprise for her and hopefully it will help her out so she isn't stressing.

[Crazy8]

I don't get into charging for 9 or 10 hours a day. I find out what hours they need to contract and I give a rate based on those hours only. I don't get into how many hours a day it is or how many hours a week or what anyone else pays me. None of it is their concern - if I can accomodate the hours they require care I will take them. I don't understand contracting to a certain time but allowing them 15 min. extra - kind of defeats the purpose of having a contracted pick up time.

Teachers generally have the shortest days of any profession I have dealt with. I don't know a single teacher that needs to pick up at 5pm. That seems strange to me. What are the schools hours?? I understand the first week or two being in meetings and I our schools have faculty meetings the first Monday of every month so I'd even be flexible for that. But if she's changing her contracted hours you have every right to change your rates for that care.

[tbutler]

I don't think you're making a big deal out of it at all. You know the amount of time you want to put into your business that will keep you sane, make an income, and make you feel that you, the parents, and children are treated fairly.

[Meeko]

Originally Posted by Christian Mother

My first ever daycare family that I love love love I am feeling like I've lost my backbone. I want to help and be fair. But I feel like I am treading in something that is going to drown me. Ever get that feeling when you agree to something?

This summer a mother who is a teacher switched schools which is far from where we both live. Her commute is about 30 min. So she fights traffic getting here. Which the change in her school hrs have changed for her which I agreed to open early from 7am to 6am. But I have kept the closing time to 4:30pm. I don't mind getting up early. I thought I would but I've adapted pretty well to it. Mom said that bc she works early she gets out early...but the past 3 wks have been all over the place bc she has meetings. I totally understand that so I told her that I give her 45 hrs a wk which is 9 hrs a day which is scheduled with our contract. But she got confused bc in my parent hand book says 6am til 5pm. She was thinking that was considered full time rate. So i explained that those are just the hours I am opened til but that each family has there own paid time slots which allows 9 hrs. So she said that she has a hard time trying to get here with 9 hrs and asked if i'd allow 9 1/2 hrs per day which I said I had no problem to but after 47.5 hrs I would start charging $5 per hr. Which also allow 15min to be late after the 9 1/2 hrs time frame.

Last week she paid $20 bc she accumulated 51.5 hrs so I charged her just $20 instead of the 25 + I should of charged her. Mind you we horse trade bc she spends 25min 2 times a week with my daughter for therapy on her speech so instead of charging her $125 a wk she pays me $85. So, I told her I will draw her up a new contract with hrs to 6:15am to 3:45 but she is allowed an extra 15 to be late which I think she can use. I think what got me though is that If she drops off late she still picks up later and I told her that I will only add up the hrs of the week not the per her contract. Which I totally screwed my self there with. But what do you do. She said that if this doesn't work for me then she will have to look for a new daycare but she really didn't want to but she didn't know what else to do. I kept thinking hun,if you can't afford late fees your not going to be able to afford any other daycare. But, who knows I could be very wrong there. Do you guys charge for 9 yrs a day or 10...? Am I being fair... should I give her 10 hrs instead of 9 1/2. Do you all work 50 hr work weeks. I made the comment that after 45 I felt that after those many hrs per day anything after I should be paid for and she said that she doesn't get paid for after hrs. But, I told her that most people work 8 hr days get a lunch hr maybe half and hr and if they work over time get paid for it. I treat this as a business so I felt that I should be paid for an extra hrs not in our contract. Why do parents always want to extend there hrs. ? I know many will ask about Dad, dad works from home sometimes is out of the house on business meetings but works til 4:30pm and can't get little guy til after. No one is able to pick him up if he's late but mom or dad. I've had him since he was 3 months and will have his baby brother in Dec. Am I making a big deal out of this???

This is why I have flat rates. It would drive me nuts to quibble over a few minutes here and a few minutes there etc.

I open at 6AM. Don't think about being early.
I close at 6PM. Heaven help you if you are late.
DONE.

[Christian Mother]

Hahah!! I ended up just giving her the 10 hrs 6am to 4pm but I no longer allow 15min to be late after 4pm. I will start charging late fees the min. after 4pm. I did tell her that she had the option to pay me $30 a day if she wanted to use the 6am-5pm that way she never had to worry about being late. She thought about it but I think she is just keeping the 6am to 4pm although tues. will be 7am to 5pm. We will see how it goes. I never understand why people fight late fees. It's only $5 for a extra hr. She only pays me $85 a wk bc we trade work so she can do therapy with my daughter. hmmmm!!

[tbutler]

Originally Posted by Meeko60

I open at 6AM. Don't think about being early.
I close at 6PM. Heaven help you if you are late.
DONE.

LOL! I love your bluntness!

[nannyde]

Originally Posted by Meeko60

This is why I have flat rates. It would drive me nuts to quibble over a few minutes here and a few minutes there etc.

I open at 6AM. Don't think about being early.
I close at 6PM. Heaven help you if you are late.
DONE.

I like having both. Set hours that limit the total number of hours per day and no quibbling.