Originally Posted by nannyde:
Okay start here: https://www.daycare.com/nannyde/inte...nyde-style.htm
Then do part two: https://www.daycare.com/nannyde/category/interview-2
That will help you learn how to interview and get the better behaved parents.
Then read the first two blogs of this: https://www.daycare.com/nannyde/
They are excerpts of the book on parent behavior.
If they are helpful you can get the book on Amazon Kindle for 9.99.
https://www.amazon.com/Daycare-Whisp...=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
This will cover pretty much every kind of parental behavior. I didn't cover helicopter parents because I haven't had one but other than that... most parental behavior is covered.
There are other blogs for free that discuss policies and how to enforce them.
Look... this job is HARD. It's supposed to be. You are a fresh newbie and it, like any other job of value, is HARD to learn in the beginning. Think of it as learning a foreign language... for real.
You have to learn your craft and make your mistakes like we all have.
Another HUGE tip is to devour the archives here. Go through every post from as far back as you can get and read the ones with ten or more responses. Read the entire thread then move to the next one.
I don't know how far back Michael has the archives now but when I came hanging around in 2008 I spent hundreds of hours pouring over the archives before I joined in 2010. I do this with every daycare board I can find. Back in those days there were more that actually supported their archives so I could read them. I didn't join any board until I read the entire archives. With two littles of your own you won't have the time to read them ALL so start with the bigger threads and move your way forward to the present.
This site is the best for learning how to do daycare. You have to teach yourself how and reading how others handle issues is imperative to getting your own style hammered down.
Once you find posters that you enjoy reading then search their posts exclusively. I recommend Cathearder , Blackcat and Crystal for starters. They are my go to's.
Do the work.... it's not supposed to be easy... and it aint. 
Well said!
I have been in this business for over 2.5 decades.
I am good at what I do but I FULLY believe that I am good at this because of the experiences I had the first 3-5 years. After that, the rest is simply fine tuning.
I believe all providers should have to endure a multitude of negative experiences before feeling comfortable in their role of business owner. I think it's the same for most jobs/professions.
It's impossible for someone to just give you the rules and simply say you now have the magic potion to never having issues again.... the real magic potion isn't in the answers it's in the experience.
Oh, and for what it's worth I didn't actually turn a profit in this business until I was probably in my 3rd year.
