getting parents to actually sign stuff?

[Bluebell]

What do you do if you send a letter home with parents (- say about holidays you've booked or permission for a special trip or about an amendment in your policy) and ask them to read and sign and return to you. How do you get them to actually sign it and remember to bring it back?
What do you do if they don't sign it? Do you nag them? do you print another one off and get them to sign it while they are there? If they haven't bothered to read it I don't really like that idea! Just wondering! had some stuff not come back like 'building a picture form' but that is not a legal requirement so I'm not worried but if I had a problem with something more serious I would prefer to have confirmation in writing that I had informed a parent and they had signed it!

[migimoo]

I was advised to make them read and sign whilst at your setting...from experience 9/10 will forget or lose any forms you need returning;)

The only one of my parents who ALWAYS fills in perfectly and returns signed the very nxt day is the parent of my very 'challenging' LO....I think she's so happy someone'll have him she'll do anything to keep me happy,lol:laughing:

[Bluebell]

oh bless her at least parent is lovely.

- I have a parent that drops off in morning - always running late and she doesn't do the pick up. I know she will never remember to fill it in but I'm sure she won't have time in morning either! same with others really - off to work in morning and then pick up is either hand over at school or they pick up from me but need to rush off to pick other children up.

I've just written a confirmation of someones leaving dates as haven't had it in writing and she is always saying things like we told you that or we already agreed that and it is always different from the conversation I remember so I thought I don't want to get leaving date wrong and then I am double booked!!

[The Juggler]

just print another and say really need this signed so printed it again to make it easy for you. can you sign it now please ;)

[sarah707]

I ask parents to sign at collection time - it saves lost paperwork!

I then text or email (depending on preference) if it's something I really don't want them to forget! :D

[miffy]

oh bless her at least parent is lovely.

- I have a parent that drops off in morning - always running late and she doesn't do the pick up. I know she will never remember to fill it in but I'm sure she won't have time in morning either! same with others really - off to work in morning and then pick up is either hand over at school or they pick up from me but need to rush off to pick other children up.

I've just written a confirmation of someones leaving dates as haven't had it in writing and she is always saying things like we told you that or we already agreed that and it is always different from the conversation I remember so I thought I don't want to get leaving date wrong and then I am double booked!!


What about using email then? You send the email and they return it confirming that they have had the information - you may not have a signature but you do have written confirmation that they've received it.

Miffy xx

[singingcactus]

If it is permission for a specific trip, I will ask parent to sign it at my place. I will talk to them about the trip the day before, then they have overnight to think about it before they sign.
Anything else, like holiday dates, I send them an email, give them a notice and just constantly remind them of my dates. I don't do newsletters or anything like that because I don't find them useful in such a small setting. I have a good relationship with all my parents and we use actual talking to relay most of our information.

[rickysmiths]

I don't do specific trip permissions. It is all included in the permissions a parent signs when they join me.

A letter about holidays I get them to sign before it leaves my house.

When I amend my policies for Sept I will do a contract review at the same time and ask parents to make time one evening to pop in and sign the new paperwork.