Ugh... I had a part time infant for 3 months. From day one parents rarely paid unless I reminded them to do so and they squirmed when asked to pay for extra hours. I gave them a part time rate (which is rare around here) but told them that I would expect to be paid extra for extra hours. They went over their allotted hours almost ever week. If it was just an hour I let it slide but some weeks it was several and even up to 5-7 hours over.

The second issue was that even though they had a part time slot they felt they could drop off whenever they felt like it. They would consistently be 30 minutes to an hour early!

Well, last week the baby was sick so she was not here at all. On Sunday I texted asking if baby was coming on Monday and reminded them that they owe me for last week (all daycares around here charge whether baby is there or not, we charge for the spot, right?) and to please pay me on Monday for both weeks. I don't normally ever text parents to pay me, but these people almost never paid me unless I asked, or they'd be several days late if I did not ask.

She texted back. "You will get paid." And, "I'll drop her off in the morning." I thought that sounded a bit rude, but I texted back, "Thanks, see you tomorrow."

A few minutes later she texted back "And if baby is leaving your house I need to be asked. We leave the carseat for emergencies only."

I was flabbergasted. Two months ago I took the baby for a walk around the block an hour before she was due to arrive at the house. I was planning on texting her but since she was not due for another hour I put it off and figured I'd be back in plenty of time. Well she got to my house an hour early and called me because the door was locked. Guess what she said when I told her I was ONE BLOCK AWAY??? "Oh, I guess I will go run some errand then. Call me when you get back to the house." Does that sound frantic or panicky to you? She didn't come back for nearly an hour!!!

Now after I asked her about money she suddenly brings up this episode????????? She went on and on about how panicked she was and how wrong I was to take her baby out of the house without her permission. And in the mix she also texts that she is sick and tired of me asking for money!!!

In my opinion she was just passive aggressively throwing me a jab because she was mad that I asked to be paid, and probably livid that I expected payment for the week the baby was sick.

So, to make a long story short I told her that I felt she did not trust me nor like me very much and to find someone else to care for her baby.

No matter what I said she would not stop berating me for "leaving the house with her baby" even though I was only a block away and baby was in a stroller, not in the car.

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