I collect my granddaughter (7) from school four days a week and keep her till her parents finish work. I enjoy it and I'm not stopping. But we agreed on 7 pm, and lately it's 8.30, sometimes 9. I still do some advisory work in the evenings and by then I'm tired. How do I say this without sounding like I don't want her? Last time I mentioned it my son said 'just this week, amma'. That was three weeks ago.
My mother did the same for us when my daughter was small, and I'm embarrassed to say we did exactly this. We didn't notice how often 7 became 8 until she said it plainly. What changed things was her fixing one firm night. On Thursdays she had her own plans and one of us had to be there by 7, no exceptions. Seeing her hold to that made us take the other days seriously too. Would a fixed weekday like that work for you?
The 'just this week' line, I've said it to my own mother 🙂 and meant it every time, which is the problem. Maybe ask them to message you by 5 if they'll be late, so it's a heads-up and not a surprise at 7.15. Then the lateness is visible to them as well.
this. our daycare charges for every 15 min after closing. we are never late there 😂 grandparents don't charge so they get the late version
Replying to @cobalt_paper_7456
Ha. I won't be charging my own children. But you're right that I've made it very easy to be late.
Reading this as the parent who is sometimes late. Most days it isn't that we don't respect your time. The last meeting runs over and we tell ourselves you don't mind. Please say you mind. Directly, not as a hint. It will sting for a day and then they'll sort it out.
Amma garu, I am also the late one in my house some days. At the works the shift ends only when the job is done, I cannot just walk off. But I always call before 6 and tell. Even if late, at least the family knows. That much your son should do.
That's fair, and a call before 6 is really all I'm asking. Thank you, andi.
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