Hi there! I'm new to posting here, but I have come on to "lurk" several times. I hope my "incognito-ness" does not keep anyone from responding to me.

I'm finding myself in a bind. I have done home childcare for 7 years now, and have never encountered an issue like this and I don't know how to go about it. I live in a small community so it's hard for me to seek advice from other DCP's in my area.

I have a 4 yo child who has been in my daycare for almost a year now. He has always been a "problem" child so to speak. It started out with hitting other children, when that was fixed another problem would come up. What we have tackled in the last year has been hitting, throwing toys, jumping off furniture, running in the house, etc. Those are normal child issues, that are easily corrected with any other child.

My normal proceedure for, lets say, running in the house - is to have the child sit down and take a few minute "break". The kids will sit down, relax and then we will redirect them. However, with the child I'm speaking of, I catch him running and tell him to sit down and he throws a tantrum and will run himself into a wall and proceed to bang his head on the wall, or if there is no wall near him, he will punch himself in the face. I have brought this to the parents attention several times. They yell at him and take his video games away... I have told them that something needs to happen, that his behavior has to change and they need to work with me. I have pointed out that I'm his DCP, not his parent.

I've had other parents express their concern to me about this child and not wanting their own child around this behavior. I've had 1 family tell me they are thinking about pulling their children out of my daycare due to this child.. I really can't blame them. It seems like I've tried every technique in the book with him and we are getting no where, it actually feels like we are going backwards with him. This is why I have decided to let them go. I don't know how to do it.

I can honestly say that I'm at my wits end with this situation. In my years of doing daycare, I have never felt this way.

How do I tell the parents that I don't want to take their child anymore? I'm not going to lose one great family because of a behavior issue with another!

Sorry, if this got wordy and rambly.. I'm frustrated to tears tonight. Today was the all time worst day with him... The kid literally spit in my face today! I've had ENOUGH!!

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