Our First Daycare Parent Voicemail, And What She Noticed That Parents Never Say Out Loud

<p>Leave us a voicemail at 651-300-2277. Your question could help thousands of providers.</p><p><br></p><p>Our first voicemail from a daycare parent, plus three provider questions we did not sugarcoat. A new provider two months in with a child who is cussing, breaking things, and throwing her cat. A provider with 10 kids whose parents keep saying they will come early and then do not. And a parent asking whether kids really did get sicker after COVID, or whether it was just her family.</p><p><br></p><p>If you run a home daycare or family child care program, this one covers documentation, behavior plans, licensor conversations, playroom resets, contract trial periods, and how to stop opening your door early for free.</p><p><br></p><p>KEY TAKEAWAYS</p><p><br></p><p>- Document destructive behavior in a dedicated notebook with dates, times, and what happened. Have parents sign written notices and keep a copy.</p><p>- Reset the physical space before you reset the child. Crayons up high, hard toys away, soft toys out, one activity at a time.</p><p>- Ask your licensor for advice before you terminate. If the family reports you afterward, your licensor already knows the history.</p><p>- Write a behavior plan with a set timeline, have both parents sign it, then follow it exactly so termination is documented, not emotional.</p><p>- A trial period clause in your contract gives you an exit before you are stuck.</p><p>- Provider Appreciation Day is the Friday before Mother&#39;s Day. A card or a kid drawn picture is enough.</p><p>- Leave before close, not at close. A minute or two late every day adds up to real unpaid hours.</p><p>- Set fixed hours and stop opening early for free. If a family wants an early drop off, charge for it and take payment before you set the alarm.</p><p>- A doorbell camera and individual garage codes solve random arrivals during nap time.</p><p>- Both sisters saw the same post COVID illness surge, and both say it has been tapering off since 2024 into 2025 and 2026.</p><p><br></p><p></p><p>00:00 Intro01:10 Family Reunion Week02:31 Minnesota Daycare Laws Coming Next Week03:55 Daycare Parents Reaching Out04:35 Provider and Parent Partnership05:22 Voicemail From a Daycare Parent08:31 Provider Appreciation Day09:18 Leave Before Closing Time10:00 Late Pickups and Provider Life12:32 Noise and Hearing Loss13:56 Voicemail About Daycare Illness16:33 Kids Getting Sicker After COVID17:29 A Sick Infant and Trusting Your Gut18:34 Running Daycare During COVID19:22 Cleaning and Toy Rotation22:48 Norovirus and Stomach Bugs26:07 Illnesses Getting Better Now28:38 Closing Daycare for the Flu30:58 Voicemail About a Destructive Child32:16 Terminating and Documenting36:06 Resetting Your Daycare Space40:43 Giving Kids a Physical Outlet43:20 Getting Parents on Board45:45 When a Child Needs an Evaluation49:36 Asking Your Licensor for Advice51:14 Making a Written Behavior Plan53:53 Trial Periods in Daycare Policies55:30 Burnout for New Providers56:47 Voicemail About Early Drop Offs59:19 Setting Your Daycare Hours01:01:00 How to Talk to Parents01:04:04 Doorbells and Door Codes01:08:29 Charging for Early Drop Offs01:13:14 Final Thoughts</p><p></p><p><br></p><p>MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE</p><p><br></p><p>- Provider Appreciation Day - the Friday before Mother&#39;s Day</p><p>- A doorbell camera for driveway alerts</p><p>- Individual garage entry codes per family</p><p>- A small one person trampoline or rebounder for active kids</p><p>- Washable window markers as a redirect</p><p>- Next week: Minnesota&#39;s new daycare laws</p><p><br></p><p>WATCH NEXT</p><p><br></p><p>Full episodes playlist: NEEDED - playlist URL</p><p><br></p><p>CONNECT</p><p><br></p><p>Website: https://thedaycaresisters.com</p><p>Email: info@thedaycaresisters.com</p><p>Voicemail: 651-300-2277</p><p><br></p><p>ABOUT</p><p><br></p><p>Brandee and Erin are sisters, business owners, and moms of nine with over 30 years of combined home daycare experience. Home daycare is a job where y