Little Backbone Book

A Child Care Provider's Resource 

Little 

Backbone 

Book 

18 Simple little notes to parents 

That make communications 

A little easier 

thrivingchildcare.com

Preface 


Whether I am talking to veteran or new 

child care providers I hear it so often, “I 

wish I had a backbone”. What does that 

even mean? 

Well if you are a child care provider, 

often times it means having the 

confidence to stand up for ourselves 

and/or business policies and rules. 

Well if that’s you, today is your lucky 

day. 

This little book my friend is your 

backbone! Well not exactly, but maybe 

more like a virtual backbone. 


I have found that one of the keys to good 

communication with parents is to 

maintain regular communication. 

But, as providers, we are already so busy 

how can we possibly commit even more 

time to constantly writing to parents? 

Well don’t worry, because I did it for you! 

Yes, this little book is filled with 18 prewritten 

notes that are ready for you to 

cut and paste into a quick email or text 

whenever you need them. 


I have found that having some prewritten 

notes can be very helpful in 

developing and maintaining a consistent 

professional relationship with my 

clients. 

You will be surprised that just by 

providing a little reminder note can be 

the difference in effective 

communication and a confrontation. 

Often responding during an awkward 

moment can lead to words of frustration, 

which can do more harm than good. 


Each note has been designed to be short, 

sweet and straight to the point. 

Although many are situation specific, 

the notes are quite flexible and can be 

easily tweaked to refer to your specific 

need. 

Yes, it is a little more work, but you and 

your business are worth it and you will 

find that it is just a little more work. 

I have tried to eliminate the emotion 

involved in communicating with a 

parent, but still maintain a respectful 

tone. 


Each little note was created to convey 

specific information so that it is clear 

what the issue is and what is expected as 

follow-through. 

You should also use these notes as 

inspirations for your own custom notes 

related to issues that you face and tailor 

them to your own needs. 


How best to use this book? 

• Simply find an issue you feel needs 

addressing 

• Cut and paste the LBB note into a 

memo, email or text 

• If necessary, insert/change specific info 

like dates, times, etc. 

• Try not to add too much when making 

changes, just because each note is meant 

to be short (more likely to get read). 

• Send it out! 

• THAT’S IT! 


So let me introduce you to your 

backbone. Your Little Backbone Book 

that is. 

It is my hope that this little book gives 

you the confidence you need to inspire 

effective communications with your 

clients and empowers you to continue to 

grow a thriving child care. 

Sincerely, 

Thrivingchildcare.com 

Adrienne Bradley 


Little 

Backbone 

Book 

18 Simple little notes to parents 

That make communications 

A little easier 


Problem: 

The 

not received on time 

Tuition 

JUST A REMINDER: 

Next week’s tuition is due Friday MORNING. Late 

fees in the amount of $10.00 per child will be charged 

for each business day that payment is made past the 

day it was due. (This does not apply to families who 

pay on a monthly basis). Parents paying child care 

tuition monthly, tuition is due & needs to be submitted 

on or before the 1st of the month to avoid late fees. 

(Please disregard if payment has already been 

submitted) 


The Problem: 

Parents forgetting 

drop-off or pick-up 

times 


Early Arrivals: We staff based on the contract you have signed and 

maintaining mandated ratios. Early arrivals need to be preapproved and 

will carry an additional charge. An Early Dropoff fee of $5 for every 15 

minutes (or any portion there of) if you arrive before your scheduled dropoff 

time will be charged. Late Pickups: As a courtesy we also ask 

parents to let us know if they are running late as well, as late arrivals can 

throw off our schedule just as much as early arrivals. A Late Pickup fee 

of $5 for every 15 minutes (or any portion there of) if you arrive after your 

scheduled pickup time will be charged. Any schedule/enrollment changes 

require prior approval and twoweeks notice. 

Thanks in advance. 


The Problem: 

Children having hard 

time adjusting 

after the weekend. 


On weekends & off days, when possible it is best to try to 

keep as close to the daily schedule the children follow 

here, especially nap times. Also, remember to try to 

keep arrivals and departure times as consistent as 

possible. It helps your child not to have such a hard 

transition on their next day here in care. 


The Problem: 

Children bringing 

toys from home. 


Unless your child absolutely insists on a specific item to 

get through their day, as much as possible please keep 

their possessions at home (sippy cups, stuffed animals, 

rattles, especially small items like pocket change, etc.). 

Remember we have children of various ages and some 

items can be a choking hazard for some of our younger 

children. Additionally, we have such limited storage 

space here and it gets hard to keep up with all the items 

the children bring in. Thanks. 


The Problem: 

Finicky Eater 


Our menus are composed of balanced meals that comply 

with USDA Food Program standards. We work hard to 

provide flavorful menu items that the children will eat and 

are healthy for them too. If you know your child is a very 

finicky eater, or if they are only here on occasion and 

possibly will not what we have on the menu, please feel 

free to send them with a replacement meal. We need to 

insure they eat something so they can rest, learn & have 

fun here. 


The Problem: 

Belongings not 

labeled. 


As you can imagine just about all of our little ones 

have lots of stuff. So if it comes here, it needs to 

be labeled. Bottles, clothing, shoes, blankets, 

baby food, etc. Everything except your child 

needs to be labeled. 


The Problem: 

Eating before 

arriving. 


If your child attends in the morning before 9 am, it is our suggestion that, 

only if necessary, they eat a very light breakfast at home. We serve 

breakfast here at 8:30 am and lunch is served between 11:30 & 11:45 

pm. It has been our experience that if a child eats a full breakfast at 

home very early in the morning they typically either they don’t care to eat 

breakfast here and then have a long time to wait for lunch or if they do 

eat breakfast here again with us they are overfed and won’t eat lunch and 

have to wait until afternoon snack time at 3:15 pm to eat again. We are 

advised that meals should be no more than 3 hours apart. We don’t want 

to overfeed them, but we do want them fueled for a fun filled day. 


The Problem: 

Parents objecting 

to policies. 


At times you may find that one of our polices does not quite 

align with a family practice you may have. It is important to 

note that most of our policies & procedures are in place to 

meet specific standards and state regulations. That being 

said, you should know you are always welcome to ask us the 

how and why we do what we do here. 


The Problem: 

Parents calling 

off hours. 


We respectfully ask that parents please make any 

requests, inputs, or inquiries regarding schedule changes, 

needs, information, etc. during our business hours 7am 

6pm, MondayFriday. That way we have the down time 

to be fresh and well rested to care for your child on their 

next day. 


The Problem: 

Request to switch 

days due to 

holiday. 


We typically do not grant schedule changes due to paid 

holidays as the holidays are intended to allow for time off 

for the staff. Additionally, we usually are unable to make 

the change due to staff availability issues on off schedule 

days and ratio regulations. Which is why we publish the 

holidays on the website and send reminders to give 

parents ample notice. 


The Problem: 

Children arriving 

undressed 


Children are to arrive clean, dressed and fed 

(unless arriving just before a meal time). We will try 

our best to send your child home with a clean 

diaper, and would appreciate the same 

consideration when you drop off. 


The Problem: 

Lingering parents 


Please be brief at pickup times. This is a time of 

testing, when two different authority figures are 

present (the parent and the provider). All children 

will test to see if the rules still apply. During arrival 

and departure, we expect parents to back up our 

rules. For safety concerns, please be in control of 

your child during pick up times. 


The Problem: 

Parents allowing 

poor behavior 


As a licensed child care, it is required by state law that all 

parents sign their child in and out each day. For your 

convenience, a sign in/out sheet, pen, and a clock are 

located by the door, this gives us a written record of the 

child's attendance, hours, and the person who dropped 

off/picked up the child each day. Little hands are fast, but 

ask your child not to doddle on the signin sheet, as this is 

considered a formal document. 


The Problem: 

Parents expecting 

immediate return 

calls. 


If you call or text during the day, please be aware 

that we may be busy with the children and may not 

be able to answer the phone. If you would leave a 

message, text or email, we will call you back as 

soon as possible. 


The Problem: 

Regarding an 

Open Door 

Policy 


We maintain an open door policy for parents during daycare 

hours. This means that parents are always welcome to call 

or drop in to see their children. We would appreciate your 

taking into consideration our schedule when dropping in or 

calling, and remember that visitors usually cause children to 

react in an excited manner, so if your child gets confused 

they may need to leave with you. 


The Problem: 

Parents say their 

child doesn't 

need to nap 


As mandated by the state, there will be a designated 

nap/rest time each day. All children must nap, rest their 

bodies, or read quietly during this period. Rest time gives 

children a much needed break during the day. Without rest 

time, some children are argumentative in the afternoon, 

shorttempered with others, and not real happy when they 

go home in the evening. 


The Problem: 

Parents causing 

noisy disruption 

at pick-up 


If you plan for an early pickup remember other children 

might be still sleeping at any time of the day. We have a 

few suggestions to help an early pickup go smoothly; if 

possible remember to tell us your plans to pickup early at 

dropoff in the morning, text us when you are on your way 

and/or when you arrive and knock softly on the door when 

you arrive. Following these suggestions helps us to have 

your child ready for you when you arrive. 


The Problem: 

Parents sending 

sick children 


So many health concerns in the news lately. It seems Cold 

& Flu season is already upon us, as some families have 

been affected already. Parents please stay on the look out 

for symptoms and refer to our Sick & Illness Policy so that 

we can keep your child’s environment as healthy as 

possible. 


Adrienne Bradley 

I hope that you found this book helpful and that you 

will be able to use it to help you enfource issues 

that you need to address with your parents. 

I welcome your feedback and comments for 

how you will use this book or any 

questions you may have. 

Please drop me a note at: 

thrivingchildcare@gmail.com 

©2016 thrivingchildcare.com {Adrienne Bradley}

Little Backbone Book

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?