I've read on this forum that lots of people won't do family or friends.
But I have done so several times, and never had a problem. If you have any doubt that she will read and adhere to your rules, be straight with her when you go through it with her. Tell her you can't play favorites or it will not work out, that you have to apply all the rules to her and her child, just as you do with everyone else. It's only fair. "Special auntie stuff" can happen after hours.

I have no regrets from the many years that I had nieces, nephews and children of close friends here. Some of these children also ended up with special needs, and we handled that all pretty well too.

The hardest thing for me was that some of my child care families seemed to assume that I treated my friends' kids or my nieces and nephews better than I treated their own children. Whenever I encountered that, I addressed it, because I treated them just as I did my other child care children during child care hours. It wasn't difficult - I did the same with my own children.

I will say that not one single time did any of my relatives or friends pay me late (or not that I can remember, so it was never an issue), or come late (except due to weather that affected everyone) or push any major buttons for me. I think they knew not to cross that line. I did my best to make it clear, and tried to treat them with the same directness and respect that I used with all of my child care families.

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