Daycare Vent

I send my DS to a smaller center for daycare. They know I am a teacher and every time we have a break coming up, they ask me if I will be dropping him off...

This shouldn't bother me, but it does. I know they are asking for staffing purposes and I will most likely NOT be sending him, but I like the option of sending him if I need to run errands or go to the gym - especially since I am paying for it. Vent over!

Do other people's daycares do this?

Re: Daycare Vent

Mine doesn't do this, but I would be annoyed also. Especially because I send DS to daycare whether or not I am off.

But then, what if you say that you arent sending him, and last minute, you decided to drop him off? Will they turn him away because they arent staffed appropriately?

Message edited 1/26/2015 11:04:28 AM.

Daycare Vent

I'm not a teacher but generally if breaks in the school calendar came up they always asked. They knew we had no older children but still they'd ask for staffing purposes. Ironically, my aunt is a sub so we'd let her care for AJ on some holidays but on major holidays that they were open but I was off, I'd still drop her off. What I do with my time is my business. I pay for them to care for her.

Re: Daycare Vent

They always ask - and I always say yes.
I'm not a teacher, but sometimes I take a day off and keep them home w/ me - but I need the option ......

The only time I say they won't be there is when we have a planned vacation

Re: Daycare Vent

They ask me as well for staffing.

Unless I have a planned vaca, I say yes. My son is very routine oriented. He loves going and sometimes will cry if he realizes it's a day where he normally goes, but we don't go. It's great that he loves his daycare so much - they do so much with him. And I pay the same whether he goes or not. So, because of that and the fact that he loves his routine so much I do send him.

Daycare Vent

They always ask us and we always send her even if we are off work. She loves going there, we need the routine and we pay no matter what, so we almost always send her. I think they only ask for staffing purposes so try not to be offended or feel guilty.

Daycare Vent

They ask us for staffing. Solution is to say yes he will be there and then call that day and say nope he's home.

It doesn't bother me. Just like I need to plan my schedule so do they.

Re: Daycare Vent

Mine does this as well. My son is 7 months old so I am new to daycare. I kept him home for the Christmas break but I could see after a few days home was definitely off routine. I may send him part of the week for the February break just to keep up his routine. I love spending time with him, but I realized how much he used to the routine. I'll let them know ahead of time, though, what days I plan to send him in. I think that's appropriate.

Re: Daycare Vent

If it's a popular holiday week- like Christmas and New Year's, they do ask what days, if any, we will be sending our DC's in.
It's purely for staffing level purposes.

If i were you, I'd say, yes I plan to send him X days that week- and then you have the option of bringing him on those days if you need to.

If you don't, I am sure they won't hold you to it, kwim?

Re: Daycare Vent

Our daycare is a large center but they ask everyone around Christmas. They also ask about summer vacations as early as possible. I see no issue with this. It's not like they're nagging us, it's an email and a sign in the classroom.

If you're not sure, just say so. You have every right to use them if you need or want.

Re: Daycare Vent

Our day care sent home a questionnaire about the Nov/Dec holidays. It's for staffing purposes. I filled it in as if DS would be there every day, though we decided to keep him home one or 2 of those days to do family activities. It didn't bother me. They need to run a business and I would prefer that they have enough teachers there to watch my son.

Daycare Vent

It doesn't bother me. I appreciate that they stay open a lot of the days that the SD is closed. It makes no sense for them to open if no kids are coming.

Daycare Vent

My daycare asks for weeks when schools are closed. They are open but know that alot of times families plan vacations during that time. I do not think it is a big deal that they ask. If you want to have the option tell them that you do not know. Problem solved!

Daycare Vent

Not a teacher but they always ask. I let them know when I plan to pick her up early too. It helps them with staffing so I don't see why you would be annoyed.

Re: Daycare Vent

Yes, they ask bc staff is also trying to take off days of holiday weeks so they have to know so they know who and when to grant vacation days too. Not a big deal, I just tell them.

Daycare Vent

Thanks everyone! I didn't know if all places did this. I realize WHY they do this so that's actually why I feel bad dropping him off since I don't want someone to miss a day off since I want to go to the gym for an hour.

Re: Daycare Vent

DS#1 attends preschool with aftercare and DS#2 attends aftercare at a different preschool.

Both schools ask if we will be sending the kids to the school during breaks. This is purely for staffing purposes. I would not take offense. We sent both kids for a few days during xmas break and the majority of the class was not there. I want to say there were only 3-5 kids per class per day. My kids only went 2.5 days out of the 2 week break.

Daycare Vent

They give everyone a sheet asking if they will won't be bringing them in during the certain days and estimated time on those days so they staff....

honestly if its dh or I we tend to keep her home. If we have a relative watching older kid we tend to send dc in since it is open.

Daycare Vent

They always ask, even for the random Monday holiday like Columbus Day or MLK Day. Staff probably requests the day off and they probably want to see how much staff will be needed.

Re: Daycare Vent

I can definitely see how this would bother you - it would totally annoy me too
But as the others said its probably asked to ensure coverage.

Message edited 1/28/2015 9:50:16 AM.

Re: Daycare Vent

Re: Daycare Vent

I don't sent my DD to a center based daycare, so no one asks if she is coming or not (I only pay when she is there, and its known that I keep her home during my days off since I have school aged kids that are also home). If this were me, I would always say yes if there was a possibility that I might want to use the daycare. If you are paying for it either way, you are entitled to the days and if you decide to send you child, great, if not, thats ok too. It is better for them to be over-staffed than under.