When dcm cries and starts in the the “but they can’t handle that” nonsense, reply with a smile and a confidant “oh you’d be surprised how well they’ll adapt if we only give them the chance to do it.”
No food and drinks brought in can easily be written off as allergies of other kids and risks associated with that.
Paperwork needs to always have a deadline date and no care after that if not returned. I often say, “my liability insurance requires I keep paperwork up to date” when asking for paperwork to be completed. You could also say it’s required for licensing purposes.
Not bringing bags in can be explained as a cleanliness issue, allergy issue (if parents have pets at home for example), or general safety concerns. I had a parent who would bring a diaper bag even though I never needed anything from it as I require parents leave supplies here in their child’s cubby. One day I opened it to put a bag of soiled clothing in it and found it had multiple otc medications in it. Tylenol, gas drops, Motrin, some sort of herbal teething meds, allergy medicine, etc. I told dcm it was a safety hazard because if any of the children got into the bag and ahold of the medicine, that someone could accidentally ingest one or all of the medicines leading to overdose.
And remember, it’s YOUR daycare. You make the rules, not the parents.
