I Made Some Mistakes. 😕

[BaileeB]

So I have been running my in home daycare for the last 6 months or so and at first I absolutely LOVED it. It’s something I wanted to do for the past 4-5 years. However; now I am closing in the next couple weeks (mostly for family reasons) but I realized that I do not love it as much as I did in the beginning and I think the majority of the problem is with myself and the policies I have and my enrollment forms. I think I was WAY too relaxed on my policies and I was very nervous about starting up and finding clients (I started unlicensed but now I am licensed). So I want to share my mistakes I made and ask for advice on how to correct other things that bother me and ask for advice on things that those of you who have more experience believe are very important things to include in the enrollment forms.
Mistake #1 - I was too eager to get clients that I wasn’t picky
#2 - I agreed to watch my unruly niece (at a discounted rate 🙃) who is very speech delayed and has behavior issues.
#3 - I did not have a strict enough illness exclusion policy
#4 - I did not give myself enough paid sick/vacation days
and #5 - I did not assert myself enough as a business owner and now the DCP think of me as a friend (I know most from high school) and they pay late, show up for drop off and pick up whenever with no notice (not adhering to the schedules they gave me), blatantly don’t follow the signed policies and just generally do things that irritate me but I let it happen and then was too scared to speak up and say something since it might upset them 🙃
there are a few other mistakes I have made but those are the main ones and if anyone would like to share any mistakes they have made and what you learned and important things you included in your enrollment forms I would really appreciate it. I am looking to possibly reopen in about 6 months (if I can get things sorted out with my family’s needs). I really want to enjoy my job like I did before but I know I need more structure for my business so any advice is much appreciated!
TIA!

[fivestarday]

My only advice would be don't watch those same kids again for the parents who were disrespectful to your policies--no matter what. Start fresh! You already have an excellent idea of what you did wrong and there are so many great people on here who can give you even more excellent advice. You got this!

[Alwaysgreener]

#5 Blame everything on the daycare.

Example (DC name) requires all payments to be posted by 5 pm on Friday.

DC name is looking for donations for the local food drive.

DC name will be closed on Friday.

[GirlMomma]

This changed A LOT for me!

[GirlMomma]

I think I’ve done all of your mistakes, too! LOL
I was just telling someone the other day that I feel like I make this up as I go along… and they said I do. I can’t predict parent behavior. I am sending out a newsletter adding in a “shoe policy.” A SHOE POLICY! 😂

Something’s I do differently now than when I started:

- I don’t offer part-time rates so it cuts down on people coming that only need part-time care. With that, my parents are now contracted to a schedule and must stick to that. I’ve recently started contracted times. I got tired of having children here open to close because “tHoSe ArE yOuR hOuRs” 🙄

- I have a drop off cut off time. If children aren’t here by 10 AM, I don’t take them. I suggest if you do this, set it for 9 AM, 10 is too late! 😅 Before the rule, I had a parent come at 1 PM to drop off in the middle of nap time… all the time! They would comment it on it being nap time, too! I made an exception once to take a child at 11 AM after an appointment. Guess what? The doctor’s office ran behind and they didn’t show up until closer to noon with a moody, hungry kid. I no longer make exceptions.

- My first year open, I didn’t take any vacation time for 11 months. Now, I give myself three weeks a year and I take a minimum of two weeks off. In 2023, I will be taking all federal holidays off - PAID.

- I don’t do business with friends or family. Living in a one stop light town, it’s difficult to do. But it’s not worth the headache. I did business with a friend once and kept her child part-time. She bent the rules and was the parent that wanted to swap her part time days when her child was ill so she could get her “monies worth.” We no longer speak.

This business is tough and you have to be even tougher!

[flying_babyb]

I think I’ve done all of your mistakes, too! LOL
I was just telling someone the other day that I feel like I make this up as I go along… and they said I do. I can’t predict parent behavior. I am sending out a newsletter adding in a “shoe policy.” A SHOE POLICY! 😂
!

Out of curiosity what's in your shoe policy? I have some shoe issues too!

[Alwaysgreener]

I have a no open toe shoe policy.

I also have them remove their shoes when they get in the door but that's not a policy.

[GirlMomma]

I’m cracking up because it’s silly I had to address it…

No open toed shoes and the kids need to be able to put them on and remove the shoes themselves - age appropriately of course. I have one parent that sends her child in hi-top like shoes that lace up. The poor 3YO can’t even get them on much less tie them.