Parents select to put their child in daycare for a variety of reasons. When daycare parents have time off or vacation time, they choose to do a variety of things with their time, some of which may or may not be a concern for daycare providers. A daycare owner asks:
“Does anyone else get frustrated when daycare parents NEVER spend any time with their kids on vacations or days off? I wonder why some people even have kids if they never want to spend any quality time with them”.
We asked the fans of OwnADaycare on Facebook who are daycare owners for their opinions on this matter. Here are their best responses:
Yep and I get even more frustrated when they lie to me about it. I have one that will dress in her work uniform and bring them at 5 a.m. so I don’t know she has the day off, but then blows it when she comes to pick up an hour late and in her sweats because she was home sleeping!
Even though this is a question that a lot of people ask, in this business it is important to not be so biased because we don’t know what a parent may be going through. Sometimes parents work hard and go home afterwards and work even harder. Perhaps they need some “me” time or perhaps this is the only time that they have to accomplish a task or plan.
I totally understand that and I even offer to keep kids on days parents have appointments and things to get done, however most of my daycare parents work 8 hour days as opposed to my 18 hour days, and they get paid days off and sick days, I get no days off. And I am not biased; I am very understanding and good to my daycare parents, but hate that they don’t want to spend time with their kids.
Nothing frustrates me more than parents who drop their kids off when they are off work. A couple hours, I would understand. But I have parents who drop their kids off at 7am and pick them up at 5pm when they are home ‘cleaning.’ The kids know…and all they want is to spend time with their parents. I don’t understand because on the days that my daycare is closed, I spend every minute with my kids doing something…I don’t send them off. Guess it’s a different parenting style.
I see all sorts of parents. They work lots and play hard without their kids; however they do many quality things that I wouldn’t think about but they are all the same quality. There are the parents that are better parents when they spend little time with their children.
I have also seen stay-at-home parents who are with their kids A LOT but it isn’t lovely. There is not quality that is for sure.
I have learned, I do not have to have sympathy (because often these parents take all these breaks because how hard they feel they either work/parent) however, I must always have empathy. I do not deal with situation the same. It could be my personality or my experience but, yes, it is easier for me than many of them. That is why I take care of their children and not the other way around.
Also, I have learned over the years to mind my own business and not care/get involved with what they do on their own time or their finances. All I really expect is A) I get paid on time and B) they p/u on time. Currently I have 2.5 Moms who’s children come here don’t work. That is none of my business. I get paid and on-time and they p/u on time. All I ask!
Rather than be bothered, consider this: Maybe the parent was never shown how to parent in a good way or was not ready to be a parent, you are giving the children love and showing them how to express emotion in a positive way so they will know how to love their children as adults. We are not here to judge but to offer what we can to these families, how about sending home a parent/child activity and ask parents to take pics and share the experience
One day, a dad picked up and said, “Well, that felt good, I got the whole house cleaned, the car, and even did some food shopping”. WOW, I just did that, but with your kid and mine.
Well ladies we are providing a service to these parents. It really is not our business what they do with their time. Just saying!!!
We can keep our home/childcare clean every day with 5+ kids following us around, waiting for breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, outside time, inside time, diaper changes, baby feedings. But they have to drop their kids off the entire day, so they can clean house? I don’t get it either.
I do and I have a parent right now on vacation and i still have their child for normal times. Yes i would like to get off work early but I look at it this way, at least I’m still getting paid for their vacation.
I had to call one of my parents one day as her little one had come out in chickenpox spots. I called her work number and was told she hadn’t been in at work that day as her Childcare (me) had let her down again, and she’d had to stay at home to look after her child! I wondered how many other times I’d let her down. I kept her child away from the others and when she came to pick her up, didn’t say I’d try her at work, but made sure her work knew exactly who I was and let her face the consequences when she turned up for her next shift .
Well I feel this way it should not matter to you if the parents are home or not. We are getting paid to keep the children. When I was paying for childcare I felt that it was my choice or right to leave my child. I am paying for the days whether they are present or not, why shouldn’t they still be in care. If you do not want them come then have a choice to reduce the pay otherwise just deal with it. It is our choice to be in this business. This is just my opinion.
I have a very hard time keeping my home/childcare clean every day with kids up to 13hrs a day. I would like a day off just to clean, instead of always catching up on my weekends. But I love the kids and that’s what matters.
I do not own a daycare but have a very dear friend that does. I did daycare for one family at a time and at the end of this past school year lost that one family. I read how daycare providers L.O.V.E each and every CHILD that comes into their care. Parents are a whole nother story. I do not understand either why parents cannot spend time with their children. Not one bit!! I’m trying to understand how you others feel, but, I just can’t. If you spent thousands of dollars on your wedding and had children because that is what you are “supposed to do” next, don’t have children. If working hard is your goal in life, don’t have children. As at home moms and daycare providers we DON’T GET days off to clean. We don’t get 8 hours or more a day AWAY from our children. Yep, we should find time for ourselves to have “me” time or “husband” time. But those kinds of things are a part of life. Taking a vacation and not including your children (for the most part) is not okay.
More than half my families are home/don’t work and I have their kids. I don’t care what they are doing, this is my job to care for and educate their child. Should some spend more time with their children? Sure, but some kids are better off NOT with their parents! As long as they are not abusing their child, I am being paid, and they don’t bring them sick, I really don’t care at all where they are or what they are doing.
If a parent is paying for your service it should not matter what they do with their time when the child is in your care. As long as you’re getting paid for it than they can do whatever they want. Some parents just need breaks. I love having extra breaks to run to the store without kids etc. Work is a break from your kids but parents don’t notice it since they are stressed from their workload.
I have stay at home moms that use my program. I’m glad to have them. The tuition that I gain from the families in my program affords me to be at home with my children while working in the early childhood field. I feel blessed. Tired, but blessed
I have to throw in the opinion of one of those parents me. I have been guilty of taking my child a day or two of my time off, because with working 60 hours a week to keep food and bills paid for, you need some rest time. I love my little girl and wouldn’t take the word for her, but I love her enough to know when it is best for some rest for me so I can be my best.
I know their kids! I wouldn’t spend the day with them either. I am surprised they even come back for them! Can you tell it is Friday! I can’t wait for school to start; we need to get back on schedule.
You have to remind yourself that this is the profession you chose, to care for kids. You are paid to watch them during your hours whether the parents want to keep them or not. We are just like the post office – we deliver no matter what.
I have in the past, but have learned this year to take a little more time off for myself and have some great sub’s to take over the daycare so i get breaks, so it doesn’t bother me anymore, The only time it does bother me is if they are late picking up when they have the day off, that bugs the heck out of me.
It used to but it doesn’t anymore. I provide a service one that they pay for regardless if their child comes or not. If they don’t want to hang out with their kid, fine, more fun for me!!
It only bugs me for the child’s sake, not mine. I try not to judge because we really don’t know what is going on in their lives and as long as they are willing to pay… We should be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
I sometime think as daycare provides (my self included) promote parents to do this. By charging a weekly rate, they are paying the same rate no matter if there child is there or not but I honestly think who cares? They are paying YOU so they are free to do whatever with their time that they want! And i feel honored that i get that time with their children.
You can’t get caught up in what the parents do with their time off your job as a daycare provider is to take care of the children so what if the parents drop off the kids to clean house. Stop talking about what the parents do and focus on what you can do to provide the child with the best quality care. Let’s face it most kids get more love and attention from their daycare provider than anywhere else. Let’s focus on the children please
This has been a pet peeve of mine for a long time. I’m still getting paid for the day/week but spending time with their own children seems to not be on the to-do list. And then they complain when I take my vacation and they need to find someone. I know my vacation a year in advance and give them the dates a year away so they can plan – some parents are downright rude at the thought of spending a day with their own child. Just makes me wonder.
I work 3 nights a week, and if I’m “cancelled” from work, I still take my kids to daycare regardless. It’s good for them to have interaction with other kids. Plus, I’m still paying her if they’re there or not, so why not take them?
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