Make a Buddy List to Keep You From Paying Late Childcare
You know the feeling of being stuck in a traffic jam or on a crowded bus, racing against the clock to pick up your child before the late kindergarten penalties come into play. Next time, instead of getting nervous, ask your “pick up friends” list at your fingertips. You will avoid late fees and your child will not feel bad about being the last in kindergarten.
The idea behind the Friends List is simple: you and a couple of other parents agree to take each other’s kids to kindergarten if someone says they are late. The more people you have on this list, the higher your chances are that another parent in the group will pick up their child at the same time and can discharge your child. It will run smoother if you remember a couple of things:
- Each parent in the group may be required to fill out a form at the daycare center that states that you or other group members can pick up their child.
- Everyone in the group should participate in lighting others , not just use the group to pick up their child.
- Agree on a communication protocol to avoid overloading the group message. For example, as soon as someone replies that they can grab your child, go to direct correspondence about when and where you will meet him.
- Set a standard time frame for the other parent to have your child . Of course, if you are stuck in a terrible traffic jam, you may not encounter this, but in general, parents should only have their child for a short period of time. It is not an alternative to childcare services unless otherwise agreed by the group.
You can adapt this idea to your situation. Maybe you want to add trusted friends or family members to your friend list. You can make friends lists for everything from kindergarten to sleepovers, dating and birthday parties.