CM Club: Fed up with Early Drop Off - Advice Please

[looneytune]

I feel extremely petty here but I can't help how I feel.

Mindee A has been with me just over a year. Mum changed jobs last month and new hours were arranged. She was hoping to stick with same hours but add extra day to make full time but this didn't work so after a couple of weeks, we agreed on new hours and signed an amendment to contract. The new arrangement was for drop off at 7.45am. Several times, A has been dropped off at 7.35am which I know is only 10 mins early but I've been caught out a couple of times (on the loo etc). The problem is that if dad is dropping off then they may not arrived til 8.15am so if I need the loo (sorry TMI) just before 7.45am, I go. Anyway, this is becoming more of a daily thing now (the early drop off) and a few times (incl. today) they've asked me to give breakfast.

I don't have a problem with providing this as I don't charge anyway but we all sit down to have breakfast at 7.30am so I've already sorted it out and am spooning food into babies mouth at that time. I therefore have to wait until we've finished and then I get her breakfast but then sometimes we end up running a bit late (as I'm sorting a few of them out at once and we're supposed to leave around 8.15am).

I don't mind them coming 10 mins earlier and not paying, I just want to know! What annoys me the most is when it's on a Monday or Friday as I don't already have a mindee here at that time. I had to answer the door with a mouth full of toothpaste once because they arrived at 7.35am and I wasn't ready. I would have been ready to start at 7.45am and surely it's up to me if I leave getting ready til last minute as long as I'm ready in time?!

What are your thoughts on this. Am I being totally and utterly petty or can you understand why it annoys me?

Any advice on how to nip it in the bud?

I had this problem a few times. I found that opening the door, looking at my watch and saying - oh you are a bit early today I'm still doing such and such.... was enough. The hint was taken and they started arriving at their normal time after this. If this doesn't work I guess Twigletts suggestion would really work and its still polite.

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I have the same problem, mindee contracted from 7.45, but can arrive any time from 7.25-8.15. Its really annoying like you looneytune, needing to stick to a routine in the mornings it really is a nightmare. I know that i need to be ready by 7.45 but might get ready 5 mins before that time as getting my own children ready for school.

Its funny how this seems to be a common problem.
Last year I had this a lot but this year the children who are supposed to arrive at 8 are often just arriving at 8.35 as the putting on coats and shoes chaos ensues. Not a great time to arrive and make an 18mth old feel comfortable. - Its hello, straight into the pushchair and goodbye mum/dad.

I don't like to leave parents standing at the front door as they will just continually ring the bell - and then I have to deal with my own stroppy teenagers who resent having to wake up before lunchtime (they're on hols from university)!!

Am thinking that removing the batteries from the doorbell is a good move ... then unplug the house phone ... and turn off my mobile ... and leave curtains shut so that they can't see me when they bang on the windows!!

I've been thinking about this too.

Have a mindee who is basically contracted from 8.15 until school starts (roughly 35 minutes until he's let in) then after school until 5.30 (roughly 2hr15.)

I told parents I charge a minimum of 3 hours a day, which is what I charge for this mindees as it's a 10 min difference only. During the holidays when the parents signed they said drop off would be a little later (around 8.30) till the same time, so that's the contracted hours for the holiday.

Ever since day one, they've come anytime between five past and half past. Usually pretty much on the dot, but there have been a number of times that they come early - particularly during the holidays! Parents are averaging 8.15 still during the holidays (although they don't pay til 8.30) and a few times have arrived at 8.05 still. What bugs me the most is the comment when I do a polite ' dear you're early today!' is that they then say 'this is the time we're MEANT to get out to get to work on time!!' implying any other time they get here is late.

I know I should remind them of contracted hours - and bring up the fact that during the holiadys they're completely out - maybe once a holiday they come as late as 8.30 - but I'm worried I'll have to bring up a few other things - such as tardiness on the other end of the clock. Like I said, contracted till 5.30. The parents arrive AT 5.30, if not a few minutes later, whereupon little jimmy refuses to leave! Just repeated says 'no' to parents, and pretends to be involved doing something or just blatantly ignores them. Coercing from all of us may get jimmy out the door by 5.45, but he's been here up until 6. Parents think he's just 'stubborn and cheeky' in a cute kind of way. He's now refusing to leave until his friends (other mindees) do as well - and their parents are always late too which means even if his parents are here on time, he will still be here way over. However I have a different arrangement with the other parents, which means that I do have to offer some leniency to them.

Is it just me that sees a contract of finishing at 5.30 the time the child should have left by, not the time the parents should 'aim' to arrive by?

If a parent is coming at a different time to that which is contracted, and is doing so on an extremely regular basis, then I would very kindly offer to change the contract to accommodate this.

If my contract states that child is with me till 5.30pm, I do see this as the time I expect parents to arrive by (at the latest). (I am going to ask some RL minders for their opinion on this now, perhaps I'm wrong about this). Some parents pick up and go fairly quickly, others come in for a quick chat, and sometimes stay longer.

It isn't always that convenient, but I hope that parents will pick up on the fact that sometimes I have time to stop and chat and, at other times, I "ignore" them and get on with whatever it is I'm doing (and hope that they leave!!)

I've always told new parents that I want them to feel welcome in my house, but that it isn't always possible to sit and talk. It isn't something that they necessarily remember, but I'm not very good at being assertive.

After years and years of having parents turning up early and then taking up residence on my sofa at the end of the day(while dp calls me repeatedly for dinner) chatting about all sorts while their lovely children trash my home,i now have all hats coats shoes at the front door and they don't get in.

If they have to say more than how's he/she been they are asked to ring in the evening as i now have to have my tea/help kids with homework/bath dd etc.

I simply don't have the energy to retidy my home and listen to parents woes every day.maybe it's my age?

Don't feel bad about it,i certainly don't!!

Funnily enough I too have problems getting one mindee out of the house. It is a struggle to get tea on the table for 5 on the dot (when non tea eating mindees leave) get him fed and then deal with the inevitable dirty nappy he produces during the meal. Mum usually arrives on time - and then changes the nappy but she does it SO slowly and wants to chat and play with him, when all I want is for her to get it over and done with and leave. Also if he is slow eating she wants him to have pudding and then phaffs around making him eat more. - Sometimes he clearly hasn't fancied his main meal and messes around - and with my own children who do this they don't then get pudding if they haven't at least made an effort with thier main course so it is sending out mixed signals.
Ah the joys eh?

My late-leaving mindee's parents are job changing so I think I will bring up a contract review for the last day of term (next week lol) as I want to bring up the hours before summer - else I could face weeks of him being here half an hour early.

I suppose the best way to phrase it is 'I wanted to discuss the contracted hours, I've noticed there's a difference with arrival and departure times.....'

Was considering stopping doing morning school drop offs all together (only one mindee requires this) however as I pointed out to dh, I charge a minimum three hours a day so I'd basically be saying 'I'm not doing mornings, but you have to pay me the same' lol

one of my 'early' parents owed me £13.50 this week and gave me £15 and said she would get change later
doing the figures before he has done 1hr extra this week by coming early so when mum comes to sign on monday will point out that there is no change as extra hours were done
dont normallly charge but will give it a go this week
anyway only next week to go then its school hols and he is only term time
i can hear my bed calling

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hear hear

when babysitting once (for a VERY stingy but VERY wealthy amily) they made me give them 5 p change....

when i didnt have it they deducted 5p the next time

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