I am a new provider, I started in September. Last summer a woman had called me with some questions about my daycare, well she decided to call me again, this week to ask some more questions, and to schedule an interview. First, I tell her I am at full capacity, she says you are full, completely? I say yes. She says she just needs an afternoon or two, and it is okay if I don't watch both of her children, just the three year old then. I say fine, I have Thursdays, for one child. We schedule an interview for today, but I am already on guard now, because she just seems picky, and she was complaining about the "amount of tv in some daycares". I also recall her saying this summer, that her husband had indicated to her that he thought she should do a better job parenting/training.

I am on guard more, because I have been reading this forum over the past couple of weeks, and gathering insight.

She comes by today. It was just a nightmare. First, she wants her three year old son to come right when we start naps. I ask if he will lay down, she says he might for 20 minutes, and is that okay. I look at her and explain that I have two babies I have to get to sleep, naps are my only chance to pee/clean up after lunch/fill out parent forms. She doesn't respond to that. My play room/sleep room is basically the same thing, so the noise of him playing would probably disturb the other children.

Not only that, the children are rude, disrespectful, and not obeying. The 5 year old comes in demanding crayons, I tell her I am not getting them out right now, as they are in a bin in the kitchen, and that she should play with something else. The girl has to go potty, the brother doesn't want to leave the room, the mom won't take the boy out, so I lift him out, while I am holding a baby, and carry him out. Later the boy has to pee, the mom directs the sister to go help him, she refuses, I offer to go down, he doesn't want my help, just his sisters, so his mom comes down. They stand, without lifting the lid, and he pees, on my toilet seat. I inform her, that everyone sits to pee at my house, she relates this to the boy, as though he is going to remember. After this, he refuses to wash his hands, and runs out, so I have to go and get him, he declares that he hates having his hands washed. I say that we wash our hands a lot here.

Later the mom is talking and mentions that all of the good daycares are full. I say huh, how so? She starts talking about the 4.00 an hour one at the college. I am cheap, I charge 6. She says the the one near her house charges 12. I am not surprised.

She starts talking about peeing, and tells me that the boy is potty trained. Well, sure, if you ask him, I think. She says that at his other daycare he started, they don't have a problem. She also says that they don't have a problem getting him to lay down. I ask if there is more than one worker. She says there are several, and the children are in different age ranges.

When it is time to go, the mom says that they are leaving. I say okay, lets clean up some of these toys before you go, as the place was spotless before they arrived. The mom helps me clean up a good bit of it. Then when it is time to go, the 5 year old declares that she isn't leaving, because she hasn't colored. I tell her that she can stay, but we are going to do nap now, and she will have to lay down and sleep. She doesn't like this, and throws one of my daughters giant stuffed animals on the floor, almost hitting the baby. This stuffed toy is the same size as my three year old daughter.

I tell the mom I will think about it, and let her know. I thought about it, and I know my answer, and I will email her this weekend. No, it isn't worth it for me to watch her son, so that she has a little more time to study. If she wanted to pay me 10 an hour, I would.

I am considering taking drop ins at 10 an hour on Thursdays now though, so that good came out of the interview.

I am SO GLAD I read this forum, it has been helpful in so many ways. Yes, I want to be nice, but I get the feel that this woman is going to walk all over my pick-up/drop-off times. No thank you.

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That sounds like a nightmare. Oh my goodness. I'm glad you see it too and won't be taking these people on. This forum has made me a stronger provider as well. We don't have to take everyone who comes into our home. That would cause burnout quickly trying to accommodate everyone's requests that don't work with anyone else's.

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