No contact after certain hours

[newbie]

This weekend I had quite a heated debate with a parent via email and found that it put a real damper on my weekend when really I should b enjoying my well deserved time off! I have also experienced texts or phone calls late at night and it got me thinking........if I was a nursery I would be shut and the parents would not be able to get hold of me until I opened. I am thinking of addressing this in my next newsletter and was wondering if any of u had tackled this before?

[hectors house]

Could you just suggest that unless it is an emergency can they not text you until whatever time suits you - I had a text this morning when I was still in bed at 6.55 am from parent asking if they could come earlier today and one at 7.15 from another parent saying they would be coming later. If I hadn't had such a bad night sleep I wouldn't have even been home at those times as I go swimming most mornings at 7 am - I have told them all this many times!

[QualityCare]

Parents are not given my e-mail address, they have both my land and mobile numbers have never had a parent ring at unsocial hours my earliest child arrives at 8.00 so a phone call at 7.00 is not uncommon if she is unwell which l find acceptable. I would certainly put something in your news letter phone call at xx time in morning if child unwell, call before xx time night before if child is returning otherwise you will assume child not coming if child take a turn for the worse during the night then cancel in the morning, if parents want to discuss something about there child they can phone between xx hours.

[Bananabrain]

I have a parent who got 'shirty' because I didn't answer my phone one evening when I was at my son's concert
I seriously wonder about these people sometimes!
Said parent said 'but you are the only one we have to rely on.' 'We don't have any family here.' I had to explain that I have my own family, work 60hrs a week and there has to be some time when I am off duty!
I did a newsletter at Christmas explaining that I may not always respond to texts/ calls out of hours and that I cannot be available 24hrs a day just in case auntie's budgie keels over or they run out of toilet paper.
I find parent's attitude's quite bizzare sometimes. I seriously think they think I sit in my clothes on my sofa, waiting for them to return the following morning!
Honestly! Never fails to amaze me how daft people can be. I currently have 6 families. It is the same two families that just don't seem to 'get it'

[Mouse]

After having parents phone or text me at all hours of the day & night, even when I'm away on holiday, I bought a cheap PAYG phone & that's the one the parents now have the phone number for. I turn it on at 7am in the morning & switch it off at 7pm at night. I tell them I might check it over the weekend, or later in the evening, but they shouldn't assume I will. They are welcome to email me at any time, but again, they're told I might not read or reply to non-urgent emails at the weekend or in the evening. I have the times written in the front of the daily diaries, so it's easy for them to find & check.

It's always worked well. They do have my home phone number as well, so could contact me in a real emergency, but none of them ever do. I'll often turn the phone on in the morning to find text messages left over night. They normally start "I know you won't see this till morning, but..."

[Cammie Doodle]

I can see why this would bother some people, but its only ever been a prob once for me and that was when I was abroad for my Son's wedding!!!! Could'nt beleive they would even bother me then. I often have Parents text late at night or Early in the morning and at weekends and to be fair its not really a huge problem, its usually wanting to book kids in (Im helping another Minder out at the moment) If it bothered me I would just ignore until I was ready to deal with it (as long as it was not an Emergency) Good idea to put it in the Newsletter , I have found thats a good way to get the message across

[bunyip]

This is another of those "people don't know unless you tell them" situtaions. No point getting cross unless you have told them what and when is acceptable. The words "late", "inconvenient", anti-social", etc. mean different things to everyone. Having done shift-work for many years, they have become almost meaningless. No offense, but I bet there are many members who have late weekend parties or let off New Year fireworks without a thought for the nurses, firemen, transport workers, carers, etc. who have to put up with the racket and still be alert for a responsible job with a 4am start the next morning.

Always best to put this across in a way that shows you're looking at it from both sides.

Dear Parents,
I have been reflecting on the way in which we communicate about matters involving [child's name]'s care. Would you please let me know your preferred method of communication? Also, let me know the best time to phone you and any times that are definitely 'off-limits' for calling you.

The best times to call me are:-
My own 'off-limit's times are:- (I will not be available to take calls at those times)

Sincerely,
Your amazingly brilliant and fantastic childminder

And, as I'm constantly reminding the moaning Mrs Bunyip, voicemails and 'silent modes' are there for a reason.

It's also worth making sure parents have a clear idea of what really constitutes an "emergency". To some people this is not as obvious as it seems. I recall working in a veritable blizzard on a very exposed station when a passenger asked me for directions to Bond Street. I had to tell her most trains were cancelled and the remaining ones were delayed. She flipped. I politely reminded her that the media had been broadcasting Dept of Transport warnings to only travel in an emergency or situation of absolute necessity. Her reply: "This is an emergency. My neice gets married in 2 weeks and I still haven't bought the shoes for my outfit."

[mama2three]

Liking Bunyips letter!

My phone is invariably put on silent between 9.30ish and 6.30am - Im fed up of being woken by random texts - I dont need to know at midnight that you forgot I's mittens and will collect them tomorrow! I put a message in each one diary , something like '' like all working Parents we sometimes struggle to maintain a work / life balance - and so from....I will be available to contact between the hours of ....and ..... Outside these times feel free to leave a message and I will reply as soon as I am able''
Parents are aware that they might not get immediate replies to their overnight texts but Ill get back to them when I can.

[Kiddleywinks]

This is another of those "people don't know unless you tell them" situtaions. No point getting cross unless you have told them what and when is acceptable. The words "late", "inconvenient", anti-social", etc. mean different things to everyone. Having done shift-work for many years, they have become almost meaningless. No offense, but I bet there are many members who have late weekend parties or let off New Year fireworks without a thought for the nurses, firemen, transport workers, carers, etc. who have to put up with the racket and still be alert for a responsible job with a 4am start the next morning.

Always best to put this across in a way that shows you're looking at it from both sides.



And, as I'm constantly reminding the moaning Mrs Bunyip, voicemails and 'silent modes' are there for a reason.

It's also worth making sure parents have a clear idea of what really constitutes an "emergency". To some people this is not as obvious as it seems. I recall working in a veritable blizzard on a very exposed station when a passenger asked me for directions to Bond Street. I had to tell her most trains were cancelled and the remaining ones were delayed. She flipped. I politely reminded her that the media had been broadcasting Dept of Transport warnings to only travel in an emergency or situation of absolute necessity. Her reply: "This is an emergency. My neice gets married in 2 weeks and I still haven't bought the shoes for my outfit."

There's nowt as strange as folk...
I used to work for BR (British Rail for them's that don't remember those initials )

I've lost count how many phone calls we received during the 80's strikes despite public information announcements, news and newspaper reports, posters everywhere for weeks warning that ALL trains were cancelled, asking if the xx train to xx was also cancelled... 'erm, yes. What about the later one? There will be NO trains from anywhere to anywhere.
Oh right, what about.......?
(repeat for the next 5 or 10 minutes)

[bunyip]

There's nowt as strange as folk...
I used to work for BR (British Rail for them's that don't remember those initials )

I've lost count how many phone calls we received during the 80's strikes despite public information announcements, news and newspaper reports, posters everywhere for weeks warning that ALL trains were cancelled, asking if the xx train to xx was also cancelled... 'erm, yes. What about the later one? There will be NO trains from anywhere to anywhere.
Oh right, what about.......?
(repeat for the next 5 or 10 minutes)

Oh dear Kiddleywinks. I expect we could spend a considerable amount of time swapping tales of the lovely travelling public! I was on London Underground, based at Heathrow, so we had a toxic mix of railway travellers and airport passengers from all over the world. And of course anyone in a uniform was fair game for abuse, no matter what the source of the problem (e.g. the time I got assaulted because somebody hadn't liked the meal on their Alitalia flight.) And you just wouldn't believe the number of people who think they can go to an airport, with no intention of flying, just to buy duty free goods and then go home again.

It does put childminding into perspective. People ask me how I can cope with 2&3 year olds all day long. At least I only have a couple of them now, instead of 10,000 adults acting like 3 year olds.