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clairer
22-11-2013, 08:54 PM
What do you do when children refuse to leave?!

Sometimes parents are early and I call the child to the door, they refuse. I open the door to the parent and continue persuading and cajoling the child to the door. What do you do when they refuse? I have occasionally said to the parent you will have to back me up here/come and pick the child up physically. Or sometimes I count to three! Such hard work (when in the final few minutes before freedom) and embarrassing in front of parents when the child has been good all day and suddenly they play up. Just wondered if anyone has any further techniques to get children to stop playing and go home!

emma04
22-11-2013, 08:59 PM
Mine have no choice, I pick up and hand over!
Whilst saying, all's been fine, it's all in their diary, I'll let you go, have a good evening!
Then I shut the door and enjoy my own!

Mouse
22-11-2013, 09:03 PM
If handover becomes a problem I ask parents to phone or text as they're due to arrive, or when they're outside and I get the child ready and take them to the door. I don't open it until the child is ready. I then hand them over, shut the door & send them on their merry way.

clairer
22-11-2013, 09:03 PM
That's fine if a child is two, but when a child is six or seven and there is more than one of them I can't carry them all lol!

emma04
22-11-2013, 09:08 PM
That's fine if a child is two, but when a child is six or seven and there is more than one of them I can't carry them all lol!

Bad luck! I only have little ones! Lol!

Try a cattle prod! Or more legally you could bribe!

clairer
22-11-2013, 09:13 PM
I have considered a trail of sweets like Hansel and Gretel.

Mouse I may try that thanks.

Mrs Scrubbit
22-11-2013, 09:17 PM
If handover becomes a problem I ask parents to phone or text as they're due to arrive, or when they're outside and I get the child ready and take them to the door. I don't open it until the child is ready. I then hand them over, shut the door & send them on their merry way.

I do this too, works a treat esp. now that winters come and it takes an age to put on coats,scarves,mitts ( worse still.....gloves!) and boots xx

Koala
22-11-2013, 09:48 PM
Bad luck! I only have little ones! Lol!

Try a cattle prod! Or more legally you could bribe!

or a swift kick up the ar** :thumbsup: for the parents

Tinkerbell1979
22-11-2013, 10:52 PM
I'm having same problem at min, lovely as it is I just want them gone lol

Simona
24-11-2013, 09:16 AM
This is a hard one but in the end it also comes to setting boundaries with children especially the older ones and getting them to understand that the setting rules need to be followed at pick up time too.

I would have a discussion with them and let then reflect and tell you why they delay going home.
Often they may be involved in games and it is hard to get them away...try 'winding down' activities 15 mins before pick up and shoes on 10 mins before pick up

Apart from the havoc this causes it is also hard to have a discussion with other arriving parents when you want to give them a quick summary of the day and other children are being chased around ...it may also cause a problem with confidentiality if all you want is 5 mins to relay personal info.

I don't know why but children always seem to behave differently when parents arrive, they seem to push the boundaries and behave in a way to attract attention....when that happens I ask the children to tell me why they behave in such manner and how we can make going home time easier for all concerned.

littletreasures
24-11-2013, 09:27 AM
I had a little one that didn't want to go.
I said to them if they're good and go home, they can come back again tomorrow,lol.

It worked. I also had a chat with them that when Mummy comes I want them to come and get their shoes and coat on and go straight home as it's time for my children now

loocyloo
24-11-2013, 09:34 PM
I say to mine that if they don't go home, they can't come back the next day!

I try to make sure that mine have shoes coats etc on and bags are ready to go.

blue bear
24-11-2013, 10:25 PM
At this age they are old enough to sit together and draw up some house rules and consequences for breaking the rules. Children are often much harsher for breaking rules than we would be.

Have a group tidy up time 15 minutes before these children are due to be collected and offer more easy to put down activities, a story,bead threading, looking through toy magazine for christmas ideas. Get parent to text when on the way so you can count down, mummy on way will be 10 minutes, 5 minutes, coat on 2 minutes that sort of thing.
Remind them of the house rules, we get ready to go home quickly and the benefit to this, (5 stickers for getting ready nicely gains 5 minutes tv time/iPad time etc)
If they mess around remind them of the consequences.

Stay firm and In charge.

dawn100
25-11-2013, 11:27 AM
Is it only when parents are early that they refuse to leave? If so it may be as simple as getting parents to text you when they're leaving work to let you know when to expect them that way you can prepare the children. Some kids like to know what's happening next and when and they might find parents turning up early unsettling. I know my eldest son like routine and if things didn't happen at times he expected he would really struggle.
Whilst bad behaviour isn't acceptable sometimes we have to try and look at it from the childs point of view imagine you had gone out with some friends and your husband was due to pick you up at 11 but turned up at 9 and you had just started a glass of wine but he expected you to leave imediately without finishing it and you had to end your social night early - I think most would be a little annoyed. It might only be 10 mins early with a child but to them 10 mins is a long time!