Goofy Questions

[lovemykidstoo]

Does anyone have their favorite irritating questions by parents? Mine is (just had it that's why I thought about it) questions about kids getting sick. Of course when their child gets sick it is ALWAYS due to my house. Not that they go to work and bring home germs or the kids go to McDonalds or Walmart etc. I find it so insulting that they think my house is the only place they can get sick from.

[Blackcat31]

The most irritating question or comment I get is "How do you handle it all?" as in how do I possibly handle this job?

I don't recall anyone ever asking a school teacher how she manages to handle a classroom of kids or asking a camp counselor how she manages?

I get that working parents can't relate or even begin to understand how we manage but I manage just fine thank....and the comment/question just annoys me but I answer with a smile anyways.

[lovemykidstoo]

I get that question allll the time too!! I always think, if you think I'm doing such a great job, drop an extra $20 lol!

[Childminder]

Does anyone have their favorite irritating questions by parents? Mine is (just had it that's why I thought about it) questions about kids getting sick. Of course when their child gets sick it is ALWAYS due to my house. Not that they go to work and bring home germs or the kids go to McDonalds or Walmart etc. I find it so insulting that they think my house is the only place they can get sick from.

This is the one that tics me off the most. Just had a parent quit me because I would not use her sippy cups because her 1 yr old child got HF&M, she knows from the sippy cups at my house. She thought I should hand wash because my dishwasher can't possibly sanitize them as well. Uhh…NO! Your child was the first one to come down with it in my home so chances are he brought it here. Another time a child came down with something on a Monday and I caught it before anyone else got it. Of course it was the daycares fault. "She hasn't been anywhere else." Uhh…"Didn't you just tell me that she had gone grocery shopping and to craft shows on the weekend with you?"

[MarinaVanessa]

Can I leave him/her here and pay you at the end of the day/tomorrow etc.

No

[familyschoolcare]

had several interviews last week and all of them questioned my inconvenience fee for having to go find a child that does not show up to the pickup location within 15 minutes of the bell ringing. I usualy say this used to be a problem and the problem whent away as soon as I put this police in place so while I am sure it will not be a problem with your child it will remain a police so that do not have this problem again.

[My3cents]

Originally Posted by familyschoolcare

had several interviews last week and all of them questioned my inconvenience fee for having to go find a child that does not show up to the pickup location within 15 minutes of the bell ringing. I usualy say this used to be a problem and the problem whent away as soon as I put this police in place so while I am sure it will not be a problem with your child it will remain a police so that do not have this problem again.

that inconvenience would be the parents issue. If I am doing my part and there then it would become the parent's problem to fix. I don't have this issue, but I wouldn't be charging a fee, I just simply would not allow this. If the child did not come out of school and meet me or the bus, the parents would have to figure this out. I would not be tracking 11 other kids or one other child, around to find one kid that decided to lully gag after school. Parent could meet with teacher and have teacher make sure this child was doing what he needed to do. Scary

[littlemissmuffet]

Can I pick up late?
Nope.

What do you consider sick?
Seriously?

What am I supposed to do with Johnny when you're closed due to illness or go on vacation?
God forbid you had to take care of your own child or you yourself have to actually look for alternate care.

I know your ad says you're looking for age 2 and up? My son just turned 12 months would you make an exception?
Of course... NOT!

What's the weather supposed to be today?
I have no idea, why didn't you check before dressing Johnny and bringing him all the way here?

We're in a bind - how much would you charge to watch little Suzie on Saturday?
I can't, I'm busy. But if I weren't - $25 a hour. I really value my days off.

(Sad excuse) Can I pay you next week?
No. You will be charged a $25/day late fee up to a maximum of 2 days. If payment is not received by then, your childcare services will be terminated and I will follow up in court to receive your childcare payment, lates fees (will continue building $25/day until paid in full), attorney fees, court costs and any wages lost for missed work.

Can you please stop napping little Johnny?
Nope. If you feel your child has outgrown napping, they have outgrown my daycare.

I could go on and on.

Also pretty much any question from new parents basically asking me if I know what I'm doing... really? You have ONE child, who is barely out of diapers and YOU'RE the expert in childcare? Riiiiiight.

[Mommy2One]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

The most irritating question or comment I get is "How do you handle it all?" as in how do I possibly handle this job?

I don't recall anyone ever asking a school teacher how she manages to handle a classroom of kids or asking a camp counselor how she manages?

I get that working parents can't relate or even begin to understand how we manage but I manage just fine thank....and the comment/question just annoys me but I answer with a smile anyways.

I can understand how this would be super annoying, especially if you've been asked it a lot of times but to be honest I totally wonder the same thing. My provider is a stay-at-home mom with a 5yo and 2yo of her own, my 3yo and she just started caring for a newborn (only occasional overlap with the days my daughter is there and now her oldest is in school most of the day)...and I really wanted to ask her that question! (but refrained)

I think teachers and camp counselors don't get that question as often because the kids are older and all the same age. The little ones tend to have more urgent needs, require more supervision and have a wider range of abilities. Plus teachers and counselors have more support in a crisis (another teacher next door, the nurse and admins/principals in the office, etc.)

Think of it as a major compliment. We see your job as so unfathomably difficult that we literally can't imagine how you do it.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by Mommy2One

I can understand how this would be super annoying, especially if you've been asked it a lot of times but to be honest I totally wonder the same thing. My provider is a stay-at-home mom with a 5yo and 2yo of her own, my 3yo and she just started caring for a newborn (only occasional overlap with the days my daughter is there and now her oldest is in school most of the day)...and I really wanted to ask her that question! (but refrained)

I think teachers and camp counselors don't get that question as often because the kids are older and all the same age. The little ones tend to have more urgent needs, require more supervision and have a wider range of abilities. Plus teachers and counselors have more support in a crisis (another teacher next door, the nurse and admins/principals in the office, etc.)

Think of it as a major compliment. We see your job as so unfathomably difficult that we literally can't imagine how you do it.

Thank you! It is awesome to get another person's perspective. I like how you turned what I always thought was an annoying comment/question into one that could be or should be viewed as complimentary.

[familyschoolcare]

Originally Posted by Mommy2One

I can understand how this would be super annoying, especially if you've been asked it a lot of times but to be honest I totally wonder the same thing. My provider is a stay-at-home mom with a 5yo and 2yo of her own, my 3yo and she just started caring for a newborn (only occasional overlap with the days my daughter is there and now her oldest is in school most of the day)...and I really wanted to ask her that question! (but refrained)

I think teachers and camp counselors don't get that question as often because the kids are older and all the same age. The little ones tend to have more urgent needs, require more supervision and have a wider range of abilities. Plus teachers and counselors have more support in a crisis (another teacher next door, the nurse and admins/principals in the office, etc.)

Think of it as a major compliment. We see your job as so unfathomably difficult that we literally can't imagine how you do it.

that is funny when I get asked some form of the how do you handel this question I respond withI once taught a Kidergaurten class of 19 this is nothing

[momma2girls]

I could write a daycare novel on daycare parents and STUPID questions or comments!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[itlw8]

suzie has a cold today.Could you please keep her inside today... answer Oh no I am sorry I do not feel comfortable leaving her in the house all alone unsupervised for an hour while I take all the other children outside. Maybe you had better tak her home

Originally Posted by Childminder

This is the one that tics me off the most. Just had a parent quit me because I would not use her sippy cups because her 1 yr old child got HF&M, she knows from the sippy cups at my house. She thought I should hand wash because my dishwasher can't possibly sanitize them as well. Uhh…NO! Your child was the first one to come down with it in my home so chances are he brought it here. Another time a child came down with something on a Monday and I caught it before anyone else got it. Of course it was the daycares fault. "She hasn't been anywhere else." Uhh…"Didn't you just tell me that she had gone grocery shopping and to craft shows on the weekend with you?"

Had a parent blame me for her two children's scabies. Problem was? HER kids brought it to my INFANT! I didn't have them, my husband, not my other dc kids and not my other kids! HER kids did! I had to shut down for a week, she got pissed and quit. THEN she called LICENSING on ME to tell them that *I* was committing unfair business practices by closing down and I should have understood that parents have to work. My licensing specialist laughed at her. He told her that health dept regulations prohibit my having stayed open during that week as I had to treat my ENTIRE HOME! Even the family members who didn't even get it had to be treated. I also had to treat my carpets, furniture, wash everything (kind of like if you get a lice outbreak!). She thought I was just going to hum dee dum take those kids? SERIOUSLY?! I called her and told her that because she went about this thing like a psycho, I would not take her kids back and I would NOT refund her for the week I had to close. Besides, her kids having the scabies was the reason I had to close anyway!

I also loved the day I passed out and fell down the stairs shortly after delivering my child. The parent stood over me and said "are you ok?" I didn't answer because I didn't realize I had fainted and my leg hurt. I just looked at her. She says "Ok, well I'll see you later..." She LEFT HER KID WITH ME! I wouldn't have done the same if I thought my provider was sick or hurt!

I love the parents who tell me their child's 104 fever is "just teething" or the diarrhea that has been going on 3 days in their 2yo child is "just teething"

I love the parents that tell me that any time off I take is inconveniencing them even though I always gave more than enough notice. Seemed like I could give 2 months to them, and they would be like "Oh, you really ARE taking tomorrow off? I don't have a backup" SORRY---you were told more than once that I was closed!

I loved the parent who signed with me and we went over the entire contract including all holidays. 2 days before she was going to start she asked me if Christmas and Thanksgiving would be paid to me. I said "Yes, it's included in your weekly rate and I don't work those days" She says "What if I had to work?" I told her that she'd read and agreed to the contract and that most daycares operate the same and if it wouldn't work for her, it wouldn't work for me. She ended up going unlicensed and mistakenly texted ME (thinking I was little "Joseph's mom" from her kids' school) that he would be there that monday. I said "Really? Because you told me you weren't ok with my holiday policy. This isn't Joseph's mom....you texted Adrienne!" LMAO!