Early Pick-ups

**AliceK** · 01-04-2010, 09:57 AM

Hi

Do you think it would be unreasonable to request that parents do not pick-up between certain times. I'm talking about unexpected early pick-ups not whats already agreed. I have a mindee who is meant to finish at 5pm however quite often she will be picked up early, sometimes as early as 2.30pm. This I don't mind however I try to do the childrens tea about 4.15pm and quite often parents have arrived to pick her up either just as I'm dishing up or literally as she's just sat down to eat. Obviously I'm glad of the early finish but it's getting to the stage that I'm getting a bit cross that food is being wasted. I guess in reality it's no different to her eating the food, I mean I still have to buy it but if I knew she was going early I wouldn't have to cook the other teas so early and we could wait to eat till about 5pm. Do you think it would be unreasonable to ask that parents do not pick up between 3.45 - 4.45 without prior warning or do you think parents might find that a bit odd and maybe even suspect. I mean it's their child and if they want to turn up and pick them up they should be able to.

xxxxxxx

**RachelE** · 01-04-2010, 10:04 AM

I totally understand and its not unreasonable.

Maybe put a letter out kindly asking that if a child is going to be collected early and doesnt need tea, then to let you know ASAP, so you dont make tea and it doesnt get wasted.
Also point out what time you have tea and just politley ask that pick ups are made before or after that time to avoid disruption to all the children.

Good luck!

Rachel x

**mama2three** · 01-04-2010, 10:05 AM

i would say something like 'please respect our mealtimes are between ... and ... , and in the interests of all the children avoid collection during this time without prior agreement. '

amirose · 01-04-2010, 10:05 AM

Not if you word it correctly.

Just explain the reason why and focus on the just let me know so I know what I am doing with dinner.

I personally do not think that is unreasonable

**Tatjana** · 01-04-2010, 04:41 PM

If i was the parent i'd want to pick up my child when I wanted. I know it's inconvenient for you but i'm being honest.

xx

**loocyloo** · 01-04-2010, 05:13 PM

i ask that children that are having tea are not picked up between 4.30 and 5.15.

i used to have a dad who would arrive early, then stand there and wait until his child had finished tea, even if he hadn't even started when dad arrived! i'd offer to send it home in a tub, but he always wanted child to have tea at my house!

i say that if they are going to pick up the child between those times, with 24hrs notice, i might be able to do tea early!

working so far! only once has dad turned up early, and i said we hadn't finished tea yet, and could he come back! ( they live 2 mins away! )

it was easy to arrange, as this particular family had a year 'off' and when they came back i had a new rule! i don't know if i could have instituted it whilst they were with me! good luck!

**sarah707** · 01-04-2010, 05:31 PM

I ask parents to respect our meal times

**ChocolateChip** · 01-04-2010, 10:56 PM

The cm my niece uses (in a different area from me) apparently refuses to answer the door during mealtimes!
All the parents know this, and don't dare darken her door until the proper time, lol!
I'd love to be that strict but I don't have the nerve

**funfunfun** · 02-04-2010, 07:38 AM

I can understand your point it could become quite annoying

haveing used a cm for my own children i have turned up as my son has just sat down for tea (my cm never complianed) although i paid seperatlly for the meals

If i arrive and he hasnt eaten i just give him tea at home .An early collection is and early collection ( cm didnt mind)

If its that much of a problem for you when you do a newslettter id mention in there that tea is XX o clock and during this time unfortunatlly i wont be able to answer the door during xx 0clock and xx o clock this is to ensure your childs safty during tea/meal times .

somthing along those lines im not very good with the wording of somthings

goodluck with it all

**FussyElmo** · 02-04-2010, 11:12 AM

On one hand I can see it being annoying disturbing meal time and I would hope that my parents respect meal times (I dont do tea anyhow).

On the other hand if the child was leaving early would I consider this to be a bonus.

Hard one glad I dont offer tea

**margaret** · 02-04-2010, 02:38 PM

I feel its up to the parent to pick up child early if they wish,although i have now got wise ,sometimes they pick up at meal times because they want to see how kids behave at mealtimes,and want to sit and wait until child /ren finish so now i say hang on i will put some foil over childs meal and show them the door,they soon stop showing up at mealtimes.Some parents want everything there way regardless of how many newsletters are sent out asking them to respect my routines in my house.

**Bushpig** · 02-04-2010, 04:10 PM

A child's behaviour nearly always changes - gets more hyper etc. when their parent arrives.

I will NOT have a parent sitting there when their child is eating, it's far too disruptive for all the children (my kids are babies to 2 yrs old). They do NOT eat and behave as they usually do, and this is unacceptable in my setting.

So parents have to respect my meal times. I am quite firm about this.. you might have noticed

**birch24** · 02-04-2010, 04:25 PM

I think the best thing would be to write a note to parents to suggest the times that they shouldnt collect between as dinner was in progress, but say if they do need to collect early there should be notice of this so they the child can be ready so as not to disrupt the meal time for the others.

Lady Haha · 04-04-2010, 02:32 PM

I have one parent who does this! It is annoying and I think I will ask her to send me a quick text if her daughter won't be staying for tea. It's not so much a safety issue here as they are all schoolies, but like OP said, sometimes mum turns up just as everyone is sitting down to eat and it's just a waste. She knows I always always do tea for 4.30pm sit down, so it wouldn't hurt to let me know she is turning up then to pick up that day!

**AliceK** · 04-04-2010, 05:46 PM

I AM glad of the early finish although this wont last long as at the moment she is my last mindee to go but one of my others will be staying till 6 soon but the problem is if I wasn't doing tea for her I wouldn't be doing it so early, we would maybe sit down and eat around 5 rather than 4.15 - 4.30. Now I have no problem with doing it, I did agree after all when she first started with me but I just get frustrated when I've rushed around after the school run to get tea on time and then just as I'm dishing up her parents arrive to pick her up. I think I will just ask them to send me a quick text if they are coming between 4 -5. I've no problem with any parent coming to pick up as early as they like so if they occasionally come at 2pm thats fine but just if it's between 4 and 5 then a text would come in handy. Will be even more important later in the year when I have more mindees having tea every night.
Thanks for all your views

xxxxxxx

**sweets** · 04-04-2010, 06:07 PM

early pick ups dont affect me as i dont give the mindees tea anyway, but quite often one of the childrens nannas picks her up, she always used to come at 5ish but one day she was early and came at 4.15 as she wanted to take LO shopping, she apologised at the door for being early and i told her never apologise for being early as we all like an early finish now and again! lol. her little one is always the last one here anyway. ever since i said that she has regulaly been early, i always expect her sometime after 4. its great

**Gizmo** · 04-04-2010, 06:16 PM

I have 2 mindees that stay for dinner and have an agreement with their parents that they will text me at lunchtime if the los are getting picked up early.

**The Juggler** · 05-04-2010, 07:30 AM

Originally Posted by FussyElmo

On one hand I can see it being annoying disturbing meal time and I would hope that my parents respect meal times (I dont do tea anyhow).

On the other hand if the child was leaving early would I consider this to be a bonus.

Hard one glad I dont offer tea

I agree, I'm never one to turn down an early pick up but it is very disruptive when tea-time is subject to surprise visitors. Also very annoying when you throw away a whole plate of food.

I think I would ask in the newsletter to be informed if tea is not required that day and that parents do not collect between x and x - very politely so you don't put them off collecting early altogether

**peanuts** · 05-04-2010, 07:37 AM

i wouldnt be having tea that early, we sit down at 6 once mindees are away

**Jelly Baby** · 05-04-2010, 07:46 AM

Hi i agree it is very nice yet a bit disruptive when parents od pick up early and they havent finished their dinner.

Found out the twins eat 3 times a day..7am for breakfast which i dont have to do..10am for second breakfast and then again at 2pm ish for lunch..they are all fine as my other mindee is only a Thursday but in the hols staggering lunch will be fun..dinner at normally 4.30/5pm will also be fun as will have to sit one down and not the other 2..hmm!!

Ide send a letter out asking for a text if they are going to be early due to wasting food. Good luck x