Early arrivals

[newbie]

I have addressed this over and over again in my newsletters but it continues regardless!!!!! Today a mum brought LO 10 mins early :(. Now I know that this might sound ridiculous but that 10 mins caused problems as I was still trying to get my own children out of the door for school (they make their own way to school). They weren't quite ready to leave and I was still sorting them out. As mindee was early, it meant that I couldn't focus on my own children and it is starting to really get me down :(

[candy cat]

just ask her if she would like to change her contract as you have noticed she is early most days ;0)

I only had it once on a first day and said 'wow your early I have only just got dressed'.....she never did it again :0)

[Koala]

Those 10 mins on a morning are worth their weight in gold when we are trying to get our own kids out of the door and it doesn't get any easier the older they get, believe me. So I quite understand how frustrating this is for you but your early parent might not, you are going to have to spell it out to her i'm afraid. Otherwise it will just wind you up more and more and this will filter through to your own kids, I know because I have done it and it is not fair on them. GOOD LUCK :thumbsup:

[muffins]

My own LO's are 10mths, 3yrs & 4yrs, I dont have time to stand round chatting to anyone in the morning! When mindees arrive after asking how they are I just go back to what I was doing whilst parents take coat shoes off, if they then want to chat they can come speak to me whist I'm doing whatever it may be at that time. When parents look like they're ready to leave I go with them to make sure the doors locked:thumbsup:

[Mouse]

I agree with Koala. Parents often don't understand how important those extra few minutes are to us. You need to be blunt with this parent and tell them that they must not arrive before their contracted time. Explain that those last few minutes with your children are vital and that you cannot have a mindee there until their contracted time.

If they still keep doing it, just don't answer the door.

[littlebears1009]

If you have addressed and they still do it, when they arrive you could politely ask them to wait in the lounge/playroom as they are early and you havent quite finished getting your own children ready for school and you will be with them when you have sorted them. 10 mins is a long time in a morning when you have numerous children to get ready x

[vals]

Get an open/closed sign for the door! hehe I have heard of plenty of minders that just don't open the door until start time. When they go to nursery or school they aren't let in before they open.

[AliceK]

Get an open/closed sign for the door! hehe I have heard of plenty of minders that just don't open the door until start time. When they go to nursery or school they aren't let in before they open.

Yes I've ignored the door plenty of times in the past. My own children got used to shouting through the door "she'll be with you soon"

xxxxx

[little chickee]

The method of not opening the door until contracted time really does work.

Explain face to face to parents one lasttime that they must not be early. No need to go into a lot of detail, just a simple " please stick to your contracted starting time. I have a lot to do in the morning and will not be able to open the door to you until xxx o'clock".

then stick to it. Make sure door is locked, curtains can stay closed and take battery out of the bell if necessary.

Be firm and ignore any knocking ( however contanst!). if necessary stick your head out of nearest window and say " you are early, I'll be ready in xxx minutes".

It will work!

[newbie]

So this morning after great advice from u guys I decided that I would not open door till contracted times. The only problem began when my 7:45am turned up 5 minutes late. Opened door at 7:50am to persistent doorbell ringing to find my 7:45am child there PLUS 2 x 8am mindees who were their usual 10 mins early!!!! Was still trying to get son out of the door too :(

[rickysmiths]

I have addressed this over and over again in my newsletters but it continues regardless!!!!! Today a mum brought LO 10 mins early :(. Now I know that this might sound ridiculous but that 10 mins caused problems as I was still trying to get my own children out of the door for school (they make their own way to school). They weren't quite ready to leave and I was still sorting them out. As mindee was early, it meant that I couldn't focus on my own children and it is starting to really get me down :(

I wouldn't open the door to them until I was ready, simple. One day leave earlier and take your children to school and get back on start time?

[KatieFS]

Do you think it might help to charge extra amount if they are early. Like hourly rate plus £10 penalty.
I would try not to answer the door, but previously parents have kept knocking and I start feeling bad for child

I might try 'oh hi, you guys are a bit early and I'm not ready yet so mum/dad can you come in too while I get ready'
Then be painfully honest, if it keeps happening. Be brutal - 'when you are early this isn't precious time with my children. It isn't acceptable to keep coming so early. '

[gef918]

I had mum turn up an hour early a couple of weeks ago - she had become confused with the clocks going back an hour. I was just so relieved that she was an hour early rather than me being an hour late (and therefore all 3 of my children being late for school) that I just smiled and let him in (she would have taken mindee home until the correct time, but I thought that would be too confusing for him and then I'd end up with a grumpy child).

[jaykay79]

omg this exact same scenario happened with me a year or so ago. one parent stared turning up 2/3 mins early which wasn't the biggest deal but did start to irritate me slightly as my mornings are timed perfectly to spend every last available second in bed lol. so even 2 mins early and i still wasn't quite finished faffing. so then that turned into 5 mins and i definitely started to become annoyed. then other parent commented a couple of times "oh, X is already here" and started thinking she was missing out on a bit of free early drop off action here so she started to come 5 mins early too. it was like some pathetic race between them to drop child off first, hint after hint was dropped about being early "oh goodness, you're early, i was't quite ready" etc etc and not answering the door straight away, leaving them a few minutes. no effect. so then it went to 10 mins early and the final straw came when they were 15 mins early one day, i was still in my pj's, hadn't yet brushed my teeth and was sat on the loo having a poo (LOL). so here goes the doorbell again and not just once, like 10 times in a row after i didn't immediately answer. bang bang bang bang bang ding dong ding dong ding dong, then ring ring ring ring ring goes my phone bang bang ding dong. all the while i can hear their disbelief outside that they are not getting a response "i've been ringing the door bell for 5 minutes and she is not answering her phone, this is ridiculous, blah blah blah" all the while i am sat on the toilet refusing to budge out of principle getting more and more annoyed. so, eventually i went down (in my pyjamas) and we are still over 5 mins away from start time and answer the door, i very curtly explained to her that i had been on the toilet! ha. after that they both received an email explaining that they were to refrain from early arrival as it was impacting on my time, not covered by insurance outside of contracted hours blah blah. it worked and i never had an early arrival since, woohoo! x

[clairer]

Jaykay that is SO funny!!!!! You did make me laugh. And so true.

Those five or ten mins parents early are our time and we have a right to do a poo or clean our teeth- especially when our days start so early! What a cheek ringing the doorbell endlessly if the parent is early!

I love the idea of the closed and open sign!!!!!!!!!! I may try that. For now I continue with the newsletter reminders..if early or late you WILL be charge a half hour!!

[newbie]

Oh jaykay that made me laugh so much and made me feel so much better as I honestly thought I was overreacting about the 10 mins early. This week was no better and my endless hints didn't work :(. I think in their eyes I already have a mindee here so it doesn't matter! But the mindee is 4 and is settled in front of TV whilst I get my 3 ready for school!!!! The early mindees are babies so it's a HUGE impact if they are early as it stops me being able to do anything!!! I currently charge £5 for 15 mins early drop off or late collection but am now thinking of changing this as it doesn't cover 10 mins early. Does anyone else charge for early arrivals??? I.e. If they are 5 or 10 mins before contracted times drop off, do you charge for a half hour fee??

[Bluebell]

ok you can shoot me after you read this because as a childminder i agree but as a parent I'm always one of those people that hates been late! I'm always a few minutes early for Dr appointments and dentist and hated the thought of being late for the childminder - especially as I knew she had to get going on the school run.I'd be mortified if I felt like I was 'keeping her waiting' I would always be 5 minutes early and she never said anything to me so it never occurred to me that it might be an inconvenience or that it was unpaid time - I thought a few minutes to chat and let her know anything she needed to know about my child was important. Oh how I cringe now thinking about it!

[tas]

So this morning after great advice from u guys I decided that I would not open door till contracted times. The only problem began when my 7:45am turned up 5 minutes late. Opened door at 7:50am to persistent doorbell ringing to find my 7:45am child there PLUS 2 x 8am mindees who were their usual 10 mins early!!!! Was still trying to get son out of the door too :(

Early morning arrivals are so annoying!

I would be blunt with this parent and tell them straight that the 7.45am child is contracted to start at that time and has therefore paid for it. So unless they want to change their contracted hours and pay for the extra time, do not knock on my door until 8.00am!!! :mad:

[gcragg]

One of my mums turns up sometimes twenty minutes early. So great to hear its more common and that I'm not cracking up by feeling so cross. As a new childminder I've been finding it hard to address this issue. The mother often says: 'Do you need help, can I do something?' as she comes into the house watching me try to get breakfast for my 19month old which makes me then feel as though I should have been ready and I'm inadequate.
Great to read, referring to policies generally seems to be the trick as I'm reading.
Best wishes

[yummyripples]

People don't realise how much you can get done in 3 minutes! !!!!
I spoke to a mum once about arriving early. It was probably only 3 or 4 minutes but it was every day. She said we would have to sync our watches cos according to her she was on time.

[jadavi]

Oo how annoying!!!

[smurfette]

People don't realise how much you can get done in 3 minutes! !!!! I spoke to a mum once about arriving early. It was probably only 3 or 4 minutes but it was every day. She said we would have to sync our watches cos according to her she was on time.

This is a problem because by their watch they may be right so it's a tough one! Sssoooo annoying!

[line6]

ok you can shoot me after you read this because as a childminder i agree but as a parent I'm always one of those people that hates been late! I'm always a few minutes early for Dr appointments and dentist and hated the thought of being late for the childminder - especially as I knew she had to get going on the school run.I'd be mortified if I felt like I was 'keeping her waiting' I would always be 5 minutes early and she never said anything to me so it never occurred to me that it might be an inconvenience or that it was unpaid time - I thought a few minutes to chat and let her know anything she needed to know about my child was important. Oh how I cringe now thinking about it!


I have to say I would be exactly the same as you. I hate being late. But now I'm minding I don't think I'd be too stressed with 5 mins early or late but any more than that is pushing it.

[kel1983]

We had a mum who turned up 20 mins early at 7.10. We don't have young children to get up so don't really tend to get up until 7am. My mum who I co mind with was in the shower and I was still in my pj's. I answered the door and the mum saw me in my pj's still and was so ashamed of herself for being so early. Apparently they had no bread at home so had to buy sandwiches and she had to drop then to her husband that couldn't possibly stop on his way to work and buy them himself. She kept apologising and text me later in the morning too. Well I don't think she will be doing that again. If she had text first to check we were up and it was ok it would not have been a problem.

It's almost as annoying as parents collecting early when you are not even ready and little one is still eating. They just don't think. Like someone above pointed out if it was a nursery they wouldn't let them in early.

[bunyip]

ok you can shoot me after you read this because as a childminder i agree but as a parent I'm always one of those people that hates been late! I'm always a few minutes early for Dr appointments and dentist and hated the thought of being late for the childminder - especially as I knew she had to get going on the school run.I'd be mortified if I felt like I was 'keeping her waiting' I would always be 5 minutes early and she never said anything to me so it never occurred to me that it might be an inconvenience or that it was unpaid time - I thought a few minutes to chat and let her know anything she needed to know about my child was important. Oh how I cringe now thinking about it!

Personally, I agree with Bluebell.

I'd rather be early than late. I'd rather be ready 15 minutes before my first arrival than pushing my timing to the last moment and hoping no-one showed up a few minutes early. When I was employed, I preferred to get into work early and have a coffee than walk onto the station the moment my shift began and be in a rush from the start. So being ready early when I'm self-employed doesn't bother me either.

I think that, working from home, we often forget that parents have to consider traffic delays and last-minute tantrums before lo's get into the car. The sensible ones build in a little extra crisis-time to their schedule instead of running the risk of letting us down by being late. You can tell I'm one of these people who spends a lot of time in departure lounges/waiting rooms, but doesn't often miss the plane/train. :rolleyes:

All that said, I know people are different to me. But i do think we need to be a bit flexible with clients. Some CMs really do seem to think they should arrive bang on the dot, not a minute sooner and not a minute later.

I think the OP has done the right thing in communicating her displeasure to the client. Too many problems arise cos CMs never actually let the client know what they find (un)acceptable.

The next step is to decide and be perfectly clear with the client about what sanctions will apply if they continue to ignore the CMs wishes. So whether that involves a locked door, a punitive additional charge, or serving notice, you need to be 100% firm and don't 'promise' anything you aren't prepared to see through. :thumbsup:

[little chickee]

5 minutes early or late i don't mind at all. Watches and clocks can all be different. Like Bunyip I am ready and organised by 5 mins to 1st arrival. Its when a parent who is not supposed to arrive til 8.30am arrived at 8.05 and i had just gone into the shower that its a problem.

I could hear my dogs barking so had an idea someone was at the door, i rushed to shampoo and wash etc and opened the door in a towel and dressing gown. It was dad who was dropping off for the 1st time and had a miscommunication with Mum about times.

I actually felt really sorry for him - he couldnt get away fast enough!! Funny enough they've always been on time since!!!

If 3 or 4 minutes are crucial to you in the morning - and I understand that it can be- i would suggest synchronizing watches with your parents.

[bunyip]

Ooh, the 'dressing gown & towel tactic' sounds jolly effective. I might have to try a variation on that one:-

"Gosh, you're early. The lap-dancer I brought home from the club last night hasn't even left yet.............." :rolleyes: :D