Originally Posted by EntropyControlSpecialist:
I was a real softie when I started out. I wanted to accommodate everyone and make a good name for myself. I quickly realized, especially with the help of this forum, that not having a backbone meant I got walked all over. I am still nice, but I am professional. This is my business and I do not allow the families to dictate the rules to me. I create the rules, they are reviewed prior to enrollment, and the family decides if they can abide by them or not. I usually get "tested" on my rules by clients at some point and I don't waiver anymore nor am I apologetic about the policies that are in place that they agreed to abide by. Friendly but professional has gotten me a lot more respect and allowed my love for this job to return. No one has ever left because I have used my backbone like I assumed they would so be confident in the policies you create!
THank you for al lthe links and information! I will PM you soon, if I can figure it out
I'd love to check it out! Thank you!
The backbone is going to be my biggest problem, I can already tell. I want everyone to like me. I already had all of these great references as a sitter but that might be because I was pretty accommodating. I've been thinking and praying and I feel like this is the direction I'm being led, but still... I can't let people walk all over me. I have this huge desire to not come off as a snob but there are just certain things I'm not okay with that I'm having trouble articulating... (shoes in my home is the big one right now. I spent hours cleaning my carpets and they're already filthy again. I'm having a bunch of playmats put down, anyway, but still. Yuck.)