CM Club: Did I do the right thing?

[looneytune]

Mindee B due at 8am this morning and I have to leave at 8.30am at the latest to get my ds and mindee A to nursery on time.

I left at 8.30am without mindee B here and when I got home they were waiting like I expected.

Do you think I was right to leave? I didn't have time to call and check if they were nearly here.

The dad was fine but said he tried to call at 8.10am to say running late but I was right next to the phone until about 8.25am and I didn't here it ring.

Just wanted your thoughts really

You done the right thing, did they know you have to leave at x time and they were late. dont make you and ds late because of them. Full support mate.

Yes, in fact they are all told I leave at 8.20am (8.30 at the VERY latest) to avoid these problems.

Yes, I would have left as well.

On my first childminding course this came up and we were told we should wait. I disagree - there is no guarantee the late mindee will even turn up; some parents are not prompt to let you know they are sick or decided to take the day off.

Also, if you wait you are failing in your responsibility to other mindies who need to get to nursery/school etc on time, let alone your own children.

I would've left as well...! You have other children to think about now just mindee B... My mindee (I am now on maternity leave) used to be late regularly and after warning his Dad over and over I got fed up. One morning it got to ten thirty am and he still wasn't here and so I took DD out- why should she and I have to be stuck in waiting around when god only knows when they will show or if they will.

Dad called at eleven (his son was usually dropped between 9:30 and 10am) I told him, he was late, we had things planned and other commitments and so he would have to drop his son at the park where we were or take him home. I explained I had given more than enough warnings that he kept dropping him late regularly and explained once in a while is fine but every week was too much. I had also written letters home twice on this subject.

He never did drop him late again