Parent trying to arrange extra hours with my answering machine

[amirose]

Hiya,

So today was not a good day. I have a set of parents who are seriously messing me around with their hours and the end result was a very upset tired and hungry 2 year old :(

Mindee was supposed to be here till 6.30pm, mum dropped off and told me dad would be here at 5pm and I was told not to give her dinner.

So I had 5 children here after school, and l had the 2 year old was creating an enormous amount of chaos from the moment we walked through the door (only child syndrome + the first time she has been here after school) - it was manic and one of my parents actualy came in and started helping me with the 2 year old who would not let me do ANYTHING

Heard my phone rang at 4.45 but was busy dealing with the screaming child (worst I have ever seen her!!!) and then another one of my parents turned up and I got distracted.

5.15pm comes and I realise her dad isn't here then remember my phone check it theres a message been delayed won't be with you till 5.30-5.45 can you give her tea :veryangry: :veryangry: :rolleyes: I fed the kids at 4.30pm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This message was left at 4.45!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay this is all making me mad again!!!! Dad actualy had a go at me saying its my fault as he had left a message :censored:

Right so getting to my point :littleangel:

I want to add a note to my newsletter that basically says you cant make arrangements with my answering machine - if you haven't spoken to me then its not okay!!! So far I got ...

"Extra Hours
I am always happy to try and be as 100% flexible as possible and appreciate that sometimes delays happen but if you do require a late pick up and haven’t spoken to me in person then the arrangement has not been agreed."

I am sure theres a better way to put it but I am to mad and I just want to write lots of bad words :o

So guys, with your nice fresh rational minds, could you help me word it professionally pretty please? :littleangel:

[Daftbat]

Your wording sounds fine to me.

Completely agree - i had a parent call because of a delay today and they wouldn't have left it to chance with an answering machine - they would have called my mobile if i had not answered the landline.

[TheBTeam]

I think your wording is fine, I would put more detail in simply because I know that i have some parents who do not feel the need for me to agree what they want, they just assume!!!!!

Extra Hours
I am always happy to try and be as flexible as possible and appreciate that sometimes delays happen, however, if you require a late pick up, please could you ensure that you speak directly to me. We may not be indoors or I may be busy with children, so please could you call me on my mobile then I can speak with you and you can be sure that I can meet your needs and advise you of any potential issues that may affect the situation.

HTH

[peanuts]

i had a parent turn up at 6.15. normal p/up 5.30-6pm. was waiting by the door as i had to be somewhere at 6.15. when she arrived i had everything at the back door and locked the door as soon as i saw her with my coat on. i did get a sorry i'm late, but that was all. i rushed off as soon as they were out the gate and was away in my car before them. i can see a wee note going into the next newsletter. Normally i dont have anything that early on a monday but its out of childminding hours so i dont need to let parents know.

[loocyloo]

i have had parents leave me ansaphone messages or text messages about care for that day, and i have finally got through to them that if they don't actually TALK to ME, i may have not got message, and if i don't reply they don't know if its ok!

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Do you feel that the issue here is the arrangement with the answer machine or the time it was left?

Personally if I had already done tea I would not of started again, even if I had spoken to the parent.

Maybe a solution is to ask parents to call you on your mobile and have that in your pocket all the time.

Why don't they every organise themselves?

[jellytot]

you may want to add something about if the parent will want the childs tea to be given how they will need to speak to you by maybe 4pm if you feed them at 4.30

[amirose]

Do you feel that the issue here is the arrangement with the answer machine or the time it was left?


BOTH!!!

With regards to the answering machine, who leaves one message gets no reply and then just turns up when they feel like it??? I was so mad with him.

The time it was left made it so much worse!!!! The kids had already had tea. I didn't re-cook though my other half very sweetly made her spaghetti on toast - which she deliberately slung across the room when her dad eventually turned up :angry:

EUGH! It was such a nightmare, its normally so relaxed here after school and this one child and her parents managed to turn it into an utter nightmare :panic:

Personally I don't think they grasp the concept that if they want her here after school that they have to accept shes not going to be the be all and end all of my world and I have 4 other kids who equally need my attention!

My 18 month old mindee who I often have after school causes no such chaos. :panic:

[daisyboo1980]

BOTH!!!

With regards to the answering machine, who leaves one message gets no reply and then just turns up when they feel like it??? I was so mad with him.

The time it was left made it so much worse!!!! The kids had already had tea. I didn't re-cook though my other half very sweetly made her spaghetti on toast - which she deliberately slung across the room when her dad eventually turned up :angry:

EUGH! It was such a nightmare, its normally so relaxed here after school and this one child and her parents managed to turn it into an utter nightmare :panic:

Personally I don't think they grasp the concept that if they want her here after school that they have to accept shes not going to be the be all and end all of my world and I have 4 other kids who equally need my attention!

My 18 month old mindee who I often have after school causes no such chaos. :panic:

sounds like one of my parents

[The Juggler]

you may want to add something about if the parent will want the childs tea to be given how they will need to speak to you by maybe 4pm if you feed them at 4.30

personally I would insist on knowing by lunchtime at the latest! what if you need to buy more food?