I am trying to get the things that really drive me crazy under control and most of this has to do with parents. I've been doing daycare for just over a year and like it but lately I feel taken advantage of and disrespected. I seriously think that parents think of me as their kid's/their butler. I want to avoid tension with parents but am making myself irritable in the process.
I have a parent that got off work early yesterday and hung out for 35 minutes during snack. It's so hard for me to say "please leave". I feel like parents should not be touching or messing with other people's kids but she got right down with 3 babies and let them hang all over her. This same parent occasionally shows up late... After close and wants to discuss everything about her 16 mo. Olld. Keeping her from leaving my home for an additional 15-20 min. She also hints at me giving her son different foods than the other kids... And spoon feeding him. "I think he'd eat more if his food was pured and fed to him." Well, no. Because he needs to learn how to feed himself. This mom also brings her kid when he's sick. A few weeks ago she brought him saying his diarrhea was from teething and milk intolerance. I stupidly went with it not knowing how bad it was. Then he had two blowouts so I told her. She showed up at my house with Pedialyte, Gatorade, and other "sick" stuff telling me to put him on a clear liquid diet. I told her he needed to go home and she tried to argue it! No. Just no. This one also argued with me on Monday because she didn't believe he really needed more diapers. Why would I lie about him needing more diapers!
Next, I have a parent who wants her 11 mo. Old to not get a 3rd breast milk feeding per day because she pumps 2xsper day and only wants to do it once. BUT she doesn't want to do formula. What the heck do you want me to feed her then? Grrr. I'm on the food program so I told her what they require so hopefully that helps. So the food program says 2-4 oz. Bm for snack. She chose to do 2 oz. At snack which is at 3:15pm and then was 20 min late at pickup so 11 mo. Old was screaming angry for milk... Again late pickup really irritated me and no one bothered to tell me they were going to be late.
I have 5 families and only 1 has never paid late or picked up late/dropped off early.
I have one parent that has texted me telling me to have their kid ready (coat and shoes on) because they were in a hurry. (They were picking up early) Ugh, no I'm changing diapers and WORKING. I'm not your personal attendant. They also brought his Halloween costume on Halloween and told me to send them pics of him when I dress him in it. None of the other kids brought costumes so I wasn't going to put 1 kid in it and make them all cry for theirs! This one is 5 and super babied at home.
Moral of the story parents drive me crazy.