Originally Posted by gracepatiencelove:
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.)
You will get better
. It is still the thing I like least about owning my own business- no one to blame things on! But eventually you will learn that it generally is a bigger deal in your head them when you actually say (and maybe put up a sign) that says: no shoes allowed. I generally have all my reasons why ready and parents say: oh- ok!
For some stuff- I put it on regulations.... For example with the shoes: the state requires I have a sanitary play space for the children. If I allow shoes I would have to mop constantly!
The forum is also great at supporting the use of your backbone!
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