Originally Posted by deliberateliterate:
It's their first day and he was arguing with me over my vacation policy (no charge when I'm off, 50% for anything additional). He wouldn't let it go, and I stood my ground. The mom and son are absolutely adorable, but I'm not changing policy for them. I just started another new f/t family last week and wasn't looking for anyone else, but she called, we met and I loved her son and her days and hours were perfect. Now I know why she didn't bring back my contract herself when she came Mon/Tues/Today to ease him in. She wanted him to do the dirty work 
. He brought the contract, but with a big X through the policy. Um no.
I said everything that I knew you guys would say. How this is my only source of income, and that he was paying for the spot. I even said that if he didn't like it, to find other arrangements (very diplomatically of course). He didn't care, he said he didn't want to pay for something that he wasn't going to use. When he could see that I wasn't backing down, he suggested a compromise of only paying for 1 week (he wanted 2 weeks no charge), and I said no to that as well.
I ended up venting to the parent who came in immediately after he left. She could tell I was shaken. 
I always use the car payment analogy on this line of thinking.
We pay a car payment but still park the car in the garage/driveway all night (ie NOT using it) but still pay the full payment when due.