DCM was on time, came in and I said the daycare is this way, she headed for my livingroom First red flag
We went into my first room and she put the little one down (my 2 other dcg's were in the other room, and said "wow your rooms are so clean and organized" you must really stay on top of things. I told her that my dck's keep the rooms this way. That I teach them from day one. The little girl goes to the FP house and she jumps up and says "you think that there might be something in there she could get caught in her throat?" Second red flag! (sure mom I am so stupid as to have tiny things a child could swallow). So little girl has everything...I mean everything going in her mouth

We go to my second room and little girl is playing and again everything going in the mouth. Mom asks me "why do you want paid on Friday's? Third red flag!! Because this is my policy. I had to explain 3 times to her that she pays on Fridays for the following week. I still don't think she got it!!

Little girl grabs my 22 mts Dcg around the neck and was chocking her, Mom sat there. I quickly took the little girl off my dcg and put her in my lap and then the little girl reached up and kissed me on the mouth. about 3 seconds later the mom said "since I am in the health care field, I don't want any of the other kids kissing my little girl in the mouth and I want to stress that you wash hands and wash hand and more washing hands!

She now she was on my BAD side (and that don't happen very often with me) First of all, NONE of my other dck's kissed her little girl, the little girl kissed me!! And second the little girl just had 50 or more toys in her mouth and put germs all over them and that is ok that the other dck's play with them!! I understand the no kissing on the mouth, but the little girl caught me off guard and just kissed me. But why not say "I would perfer that YOU don't kiss my daughter on the mouth" Don't act all high and mighty and tell me not to let the other kids kiss her in the mouth.

She also told me that the other provider is wonderful and she loves her. The little girl has been with other provider since she was 4 mts old. She is upset because provider took 2 more children and she feels provider can not handle. She said one was 4mts and one was 2. This was my last red flag!!

I walked her to the door and she said, I will talk to my husband tonight and I am pretty sure we will start her on Monday. I told her to call me because I had another interview at 7pm tonight!! (which I don't)

This mom would of been a deep thorn in my side!!

Reply

Yeah I wouldn't have been thrilled with her either! Yuck. She sounds like a couple of the sets of parents I've had. Sorry the interview didn't go well!

Reply

She has an excellent provider and probably walks all over her, maybe this provider took 2 new dck's so she would leave! I just 2 more calls on my website...they were both for infants that i don't take.

Reply

Hey, look on the bright side: your website is working!! You'll find the right family soon enough.

Reply

That mom sounded like such a handful!
wow, that sucks. But like silversabre said, your website is really working and you will find the perfect familly soon..

Reply

I hate when they finish the interview by saying/asking if they can start tomorrow, or monday, or whatever. They just ASSUME we will accept their little precious. I got news for ya, Mom.... the interview is for US just as much as it is for YOU. They don't understand that. They think they are coming to interview US and if they like what they see/hear, THEY make the decision to start their kid here. Nope.

Reply

Wow. I am glad you are seeing the flags now instead of later. I'm sorry it didn't go well.

Reply

Is there a web site or information sheet that we can save a bunch of time and just flat out email a potential client/interview person that explains we interview each other just as much to see if we're both a good fit? LOL, if anyone finds a site that explains just such and is appropriate to send out I would love to have it!

Reply

I'm sorry your interview didn't go as well as you had hoped. The mom sounds like a real treat to deal with.

Reply

I am glad she showed me those red flags too! But remember she is in the health care field and knows everything Her little girls coat was probably a $200 one and she probably would of wanted me to hang it in a zipper bag so none of my other dck's would touch it

Reply

yep daycare.com!

I think i'm going to send all potential clients to read every single forum on here PRIOR to interview day. lol. Then I'll quiz them on the site...

1) what is xmas gift etiquette?
2) what do you pay me?
3) what time do you pick your child up?

Michael! Michael! Can we promote daycare.com on our websites?

Reply

Baybee, you are to funny!! Also I went to your website and wanted to say it's GREAT!! Mind if I use a couple of your poems?

Reply

Thank you! Use may use anything you want! They are not my poems I just found them online.

Reply

I just got this text....

Her: Hi, we r going to enroll ****** for Monday. I will have paper work n $ by Friday

Me: Sorry, I filled the opening this morning.

Her: U didn't say u had someone of interest yesterday

Me: She called me last night and came this morning

Her: she sends this little green ugly icon

I guess I was only supposed to cater to her and not take any other calls (I really did not fill my opening) I just did not want this nightmare of a mom!!

Reply

good for you!! who is she to ASSume that you would want to accept her kid?! Like others said it's a mutual interview, what if she didn't like you, would you have the right to just be like "um, you came to my interview your kid starts monday" I'm sure she would have no problem telling you where to go if YOU made assumptions....i swear the parents are 10 times worse than the kids

Reply

cillybean you are so correct!! I would rather deal with my kids anyday! This lady was a large thorn waiting to stab me. But with all the advice I have read on here, I just told her the spot was filled (being nice today!). Can't wait for het to call me or text me when she goes back to my website and the opening is still available or she has a friend to call me...haha

Reply

if she does bother you again, simply tell her that you were trying to spare her feelings but the honest truth is that you didn't feel like her child was a good fit for your group.

Reply

Actually, from what you posted in your OP, you DID tell her you had another interview! Glad you decided not to take this family, I'm sure mom would have made your days miserable!

Reply

This is what I would be afraid of . Rather than saying I filled the spot I would have told her that I am still interviewing for the spot and will contact the family that I think will be the best fit for my program.

Reply

I also would have told her that you didn't feel it would have been a good fit rather then tell her you filled the spot. She works in health care, does she work at a doctors office? Somewhere she can talk about you to other mom's? I once told a mom that I filled the spot and she went around taking signs down that she saw for me advertising for spaces (CRAZY) she also took her kids to the dr and his nurse brings her daughter to me for daycare, she was bad mouthing me to the nurse because she felt I took the spot from her for someone else. While we are definitely interviewing them too, they don't see it that way. If they are comfortable they think it's their spot to have! I have dealt with to many crazies, that I tend to put it off more on me then them. It's isn't you it's me!! I tell parents that i don't think my program would be a good fit for their child because.....I may be a bit paranoid, but i worry a lot about what will be said afterward. Never underestimate the power of a ticked off parent!

Reply

Thanks, good advice! But I can probably tell you that where she works, she has many other women talking about her!! Just the way she came off as her child was better and when she told me that she LOVED her provider and was only looking for a new one was because the provider took a 4 month & a 2 year old. This would tell anyone that she thinks her child deserves all the attention.
I have grown to old to play games with any parent. And as far as her being ticked off....I won't loose any sleep over it!! And She may of been over powering her provider now, but let her get a new provider...she may be begging her ("LOVED") old provider to take her back!

Reply

I think the comment about the old provider would be such a red flag that I wouldn't think about anything else. what would have happened if you took in more children, would she leave, you should have gotten the other providers name and number and called her to find the scoop

Reply

That was a big red flag for me. And YES if I was to take a baby, she would of told me I could not handle 2 small children (like she said about the old provider)
She would of NEVER gave the other providers number, You bet I would of called her. This mom had GREAT things to say about this provider!!

Reply