My Fresh Hell
Life in Scribbletown.

The Tyranny of Stupid People

2005-08-17
I am so fucking pissed right now. It is a rare moment that I am brought to tears and have to close my office door so nobody has to witness me cry.

I am taking a few days off at the end of the month, while Dusty is between preschools. I had planned to drop Red off at the sitter�s and then take Dusty to visit her new preschool, buy her school supplies, take in a movie, eat lunch in a restaurant (something we never do), and just generally take advantage of this unexpected time off.

Well, when I mentioned this to Red�s sitter, she informed me that when I have a day off, so does she.

Um, excuse me?

So, I�m paying for care that I can�t have because I�m not working that day. How does that work exactly?

It�s in the agreement, she says.

I don�t recall that AND I�ve taken off plenty of days from work before without this being mentioned. So, suddenly the rules have changed? She doesn't understand that such a rule, were it true, would only put parents in the position of lying to her in order to secure care for their children when they wanted or needed to take a day off from work.

Here�s the sentence in the illiterately-written agreement that she claims means that when I�m not working, it�s a holiday for her:

�Rates are the same for those days you or your child are unable to make.�

Nevermind that it�s not even a complete, grammatically correct sentence. That is not what it�s saying at all. I interpret this sentence to mean that whenever I don�t feel like bringing my child to her, I still owe her payment for that day. Which, I don�t have a problem with. That is reasonable.

Her interpretation, if you can even call it that, is not reasonable. It�s unfair and makes no sense. And, suddenly it�s an issue. I've taken off plenty of days from work and still brought Red to her without any mention of this rule. I don�t get it. I�m paying her, it�s a regular week as far as she and Red are concerned. But, because I�m not at work, I can�t bring Red in AND I have to pay her.

The fuck!

She also claims that all daycare centers do this.

Uhhh, no. They don�t. Because they�re not insane.

So, I called Red�s new place and moved her start date up to the 29th of August. The woman I talked to was shocked to learn what Red�s sitter was doing. We both were in agreement that, it makes no difference where I am physically (as long as they can contact me should they need to); if Red�s coming in that day, and I�m paying for it, that�s all that matters.

So, now I get to inform the sitter of this and hope that Red�s treated well during her last remaining week and a half at her house. And, I�ll bet you a trillion dollars that she expects to be paid for something seeing as how my original six weeks notice has become a week and a half. Guess I�ll be transferring some money from savings to pay for this unfortunate turn of events.

God! I can�t wait until my children are out from under the tyranny of daycare. This fucking sucks!

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9:21 a.m. ::
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