Daycare.com Forum - View Single Post - Do You Expect Your DCP to Listen to You?

Originally Posted by ConcernedMotherof2:
To each her own, Legomom, but you seem to have a pretty strong opinion on this issue . Personally, I never expected anything crazy weird from a DCP, but I've heard of some people asking for some pretty strange things that really weren't necessary and definitely not worth the hassle (or downright impossible) in a daycare environment.

I think this mainly comes down to a communication issue. Parents need to understand that what they choose to do in their home doesn't always transfer into a daycare environment. For example, the dcp should be able to have the child on whatever nap schedule works best in her care environment. As a parent, my stance has always been that since my kids aren't in my care during the day, there are certain things that are just out of my control. I can ask questions, pop in or make suggestions so that I know what's going on with my kids, but the dcp's job is hard enough without me making any demands on her other than keeping the kids safe and usually happy.

On the juice issue...the provider could easily tell the parents that she doesn't serve juice in her home for whatever reason and the parents should be able to roll with that. Seriously--is juice really something a baby *really* needs anyway? I can almost understand a dcp just putting it away and not serving it to avoid an irrational conversation. Now, if a child has specific unique nutritional needs, I would think that the parents would communicate that with the provider and those instructions should most definitely be followed.

As a DCP, it's up to you how you run your business. I think it's wonderful that you are both willing and able to keep up with the demands of your dc parents. You must really enjoy your job and that's fantastic!

What she said!