The Venting Thread

[BaileeB]

DCM: "Do you do partial week charges? Like if DCG will be out one day during the week?"

Me: "Per my policy handbook, if at least 2 weeks notice is given, vacation days will be charged at half rate" (This will be changing next year lol because I am over it)

DCM: "Got it! She definitely will not be there 10/7."
....
DCM: "What about for breaks like spring break, fall break, summer break?" (She is a teacher)

So I am going to take that as you don't "got it". 🤦♀️ Let me try again, "PER MY POLICY HANDBOOK..." LOL

[SandBox]

You could up her rate and tell her she can have all those days without being charged. Since it sounds like she doesn’t want to drop her child off on her breaks. Be one less child and a little break during those times. Just something to think about.

[GirlMomma]

Another Monday…

Another DCK coming in with a diaper rash… after the last rash from the weekend before cleared up this past Thursday/Friday.

Another 20oz water bottle full of milk in the morning… after repeatedly telling DCM the child doesn’t drink it. Common sense should tell her that water bottles are for water, not milk.

Another message sent requesting enrollment/FMLA forms to be signed and returned by xx despite the deadline stated.

This job is more about managing the parents more than it is about the child

Since August 1st, I’ve received 22 calls from people desperately needing childcare, not including emails. I am about ready for new parents, but I am afraid they’d be worse!

[Blackcat31]

This job is more about managing the parents more than it is about the child

SO TRUE!!!

I have 2 kids that annoy the heck out of me (mostly their parents) and my DH keeps telling me to find replacements for them. I "sort of" agree but haven't even attempted to as I am terrified I will get a kid/family worse than the ones I have so I try hard to focus on the positives these current kids have. It's hard but the fear of getting someone worse is real! lol!

[GirlMomma]

Blackcat31 the fear of getting a family that is worse is so real 😂

[Sparkles]

The kids who are normally here later, left early...and the one who is usually gone early is here late. Never fails!

[Sahm121]

Why does it feel like it’s a battle anytime dcb (just turned 1) has a cold? I understand your child is FINE at home, but he’s not fine at daycare.and you pick up at 5pm and get home by 5:30… dcb goes to bed at 6:30; so In that WHOLE hour he is fine, but the ten little hours he’s here he is miserable. Shocker isn’t it;


the text reply today when I said they need a doctor visit since it’s been 5 days with no improvement was that according to google a regular cold lasts 5-10 days so they’re fine… uummm no. Your child is miserable. No one else is sick (thank God) yet. I wanted to reply According to google ‘parent IS A VERB’

[Blackcat31]

If they are fine at home but not at daycare that means they need to be home.
I have similar parents.

[Eleamo84]

Really wish my center kept the COVID drop off policy that the parents wouldn't enter the room. DCM, stop asking invasive questions about other kids in care and pay attention to your own child!!!

Sorry just had to get that out!!

[Alwaysgreener]

Annalee

So the key is covered porch. I need to get one, off to Amazon. LOL

[Annalee]

Alwaysgreener....I know providers using canopies to make this work.

[Alwaysgreener]

Annalee

In 2020, I drew up plans for a screen room to replace our current porch. DH and I both agreed that the porch needed to be replaced with a bigger covered porch. He did not want to get a quote in the fall. So the next spring we get his friend out and got a quote. The price was double+ more than we expected, so DH canceled the project. I have not been unable to convince him to get a new quote for a small screen room or covered porch.

I also bought a small awning for over the current porch but it did not fit over the door without adding trim which he does not want to do.

[Sparkles]

Seriously?! Please ASK me if it's okay to pick up a few minutes after closing, don't TELL me. I never know what to say in the moment and I hate that. So disrespectful.

[e.j.]

That's a pet peeve of mine. I'll rarely refuse a request but I'm always so tempted to say, "I'm sorry; that won't work for me." every time a parent "tells" me they're picking up late.

[GirlMomma]

I would reply with what e.j said

[Blackcat31]

I close AT 5:00 PM.
At 5:00 I take the regular sign in/out sheet and replace it with a Late Sign out sheet printed in red.
This tells parents they are late and owe a late fee. Minutes add up.
I dont want to work after hours and I do NOT want to work after hours for free.

[DaveA]

I will have been closed for two years in 9 days. I just got a “Do you have openings for next week?” call. My name is still on a local providers database.

[Springvalley]

On Wednesday we all get a group text from an EMPLOYEE not the manager, assistant manager, owner etc an EMPLOYEE that tells us a case worker from DHR contacted her to inform her (again not a manager, assistant manager owner etc) that a child in her class should not be released to two people that are not on their pickup list and for us to check their ID etc and that if they do that we need to contact 911 immediately and get the child to a different area because they are not allowed to get this child and that two people are only allowed to get this child etc. So here's my opinion if you own or are the manager of a childcare center is DHR not suppose to contact you regarding these types of situations and is it not up to you to put the group text out to the employees??? I just thought the whole thing was strange coming from an EMPLOYEE!! Here's another opinion of mine as well, if they are not allowed to get this child then why in the CRAP would they come on to daycare property??? Shouldn't there be a restraining order or something in place stating they can't come and get this child or come on to the property???

[Alwaysgreener]

As a teen opening a store before the manager showed up, I would have to take calls from corporate and take messages. I would let my manager know about the call and let him take it from there. IMO it was not my place to inform my coworkers. So even if this coworker answered the call, she should not have announced anything without talking to the manager first. As a manager, I would be pissed that I was last to know.

My question would be, did she take the call on her phone or company phone? Was there something going on that the manager asked her to let everyone know? (Is this coworker secretly in training for a promotion? I have seen this happen before) IMO the parent should have talked to the manager if there was an issue going on, not DHR unless the parent was the one you were not supposed to release the child to. Honestly, they are more likely to show up unannounced to take the child as they would not want anyone to call the parent and tell them.

An Order would only be needed if one or both of the people are the parent or legal guardian. Anyone else, you should be notified (by the parent) to remove them from the list.


IMO (based on my experience) there is more to this story than you know or she got a prank call and acted on it.

[Springvalley]

Probably is more I just don't know. I just read the group text and replied! I'm like you she shouldn't have sent it out, it should have came from either the administrator or the assistant administrator not the employee

[Springvalley]

Alwaysgreener I'm like you the administrator should have let everyone know instead of the employee! Unless she got the ok from the administrator to send out a text. Our director left about 5 years ago so the owner went and got her degree so that she could be the director. So when she got her degree to be the director/owner she allowed another teacher to be the administrator and another girl to be the assistant administrator so back last year the administrator decided to retire and cut her hours back and so when that happened the assistant administrator became the administrator and another teacher became the assistant administrator. So now the administrator and the assistant administrator are both trying to get their degrees so that the owner no longer has to be the owner/director and the administrator and the assistant administrator are both the director and the assistant director

[Alwaysgreener]

IMO it is a liability for a random employee to .message everyone. I think it is wrong of the DHR employee to give out that information without asking for a director.

Honestly like I said I find the call to be fishy all together.

[gumdrops]

19mo likes to have ALL of her fingers in her mouth and she has a cold right now, so the slobber and snot is disgusting!

[Alwaysgreener]

The new family was 3 minutes late last week. I invoice her this week for the 3 minutes, I titled it Late Arrival, makes sense to me. I have used this title in the past and I have never been questioned. It confused her, so I corrected it.

Her response is that she does not see it in the contract. I sent her the policy on the website. She did not respond yet.

The thing that gets me is, does she think that showing up late to get her child is okay when she already shows up at the last minute any other time?

[GirlMomma]

The fact she argued it and thinks it’s okay irks me 😠

[Alwaysgreener]

She paid it.

But other than my 'favorite' dcm telling me "this can't happen again," I have never heard one word when I charge any kinda late fee.

My policy is that you pay a week in advance, (I don't charge for my vacations). Well I hate going on vacation worried that they forget to pay while I am gone/closed. (This was before electronic and that all dropped off a chick at my house. I would have no idea when or if they paid.) So I make it due the week I am open and no payment while close. I say they are paying to hold their spot (You pay in advance to hold your space)

It was their second week and they failed to pay before my vacation, so I sent an invoice reminder, still no payment after 24 hours. So I added a late fee, they paid the amount owed but not the late fee.

[GirlMomma]

I just had this come up Monday with my “new” returning family.

My invoices are emailed on Sunday, payment is due no later than closing time on Monday. My only exception are the families that pay me with a check - since that is normally deposited instantly via mobile deposit. Monday comes and goes. No payment. Monday evening, she’s automatically invoiced the late fee. I texted an open invoice reminder Tuesday morning before she arrived. She did at least pay the full amount and I didn’t have to have this conversation with. I’m just proud of myself for enforcing my policy… usually I’d waive the first late fee.

[GirlMomma]

I enjoy having less kids when DCF go on vacation… but I hate “retraining” the kid to act right again

[Springvalley]

IMO it is a liability for a random employee to .message everyone. I think it is wrong of the DHR employee to give out that information without asking for a director.

Honestly like I said I find the call to be fishy all together.

Found out this woman was related either on mom's side or dad's side & was not the bio parent and the guy who we were told was not to come & get this child was a new boyfriend of this lady. The child as I stated in my previous post is in the custody of the aunt. All of this started because the child's dad caught their apartment on fire and burned not just their apartment but several others as well. The childs sibling had to be rushed to a burn unit and is expected to recover. The aunt has custody because the mom got took to jail plus got her kids took away but was never involved in the fire at all. The dad was alone with the kids when it occured

[Alwaysgreener]

This week is taking to long. I can't wait for Thursday to be done.

[GirlMomma]

I’ve said this for years, even in my previous career: “The shorter weeks take the longest.” 😅