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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Nosey Parents!!! (Vent)
wdmmom 03:26 PM 10-24-2011
We recently started a small construction project in our main floor daycare. I send emails home early last week (prior to starting any work) to let the parents know that it may take longer for us to get to the door for arrivals and departures. I also mentioned it to him directly because I know he doesn't check his emails but once a week. Everyone was fine with it. Some of the parents asked what we were doing. We had some minor drywall repairs to make and we decided to paint it too.

Today one of my DCD's doesn't even knock or ring the doorbell! He walked right in and was dumbfounded (as if he wasn't notified or something.) He wanted to know where everyone was (in the lower level playroom), what we were doing (painting), who was doing the work (my hubby, myself and a family friend), etc.

First of all...DO NOT WALK INTO MY HOME! I don't care if the door is open/closed, locked/unlocked. So I again reminded him that PEOPLE LIVE HERE! IT'S NOT JUST A BUSINESS! People don't go walking in to your house! Please don't go walking into mine.

Secondly, the email I sent out said we would be doing a small project. I don't really feel like I need to tell the parents what we're doing, when it will be done, who's doing it, how much it cost, etc.

I am providing the same care I was prior to and will continue thereafter. We are just in a different room of the house.

Are your daycare parents nosy too?!
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misspollywog 04:01 PM 10-24-2011
Urgggghhh! I would NOT be happy if people just walked into my home like that! I always keep my door closed until I know a DCP is in the driveway and then I'll open it and meet them at the door. Otherwise, my doors are closed and locked!

Maybe for the time being you could place a note on the door explaining that it might take a minute to answer and could they please wait outside? It would help if you had a bench or something for them, too. Then they won't have a good reason NOT to sit down and wait.

As for the construction project, I can see why a DCD would be curious and probe for details, I think maybe it's a man thing.
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momofsix 04:38 PM 10-24-2011
My door is open, I expect parents to walk in and come get their child. I don't have time to go to the door for each of them!

But that's my policy and parents know it. If yours is different and the parents know it, then yes, it was rude for him to just walk in.

I agree with pp, I wouldn't think he was being overly nosy, just curious, unless his tone of voice said otherwise?
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dave4him 04:50 PM 10-24-2011
We dont have a big house so i keep the door locked, its the worse feeling having someone just walk in unexpected!
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mac60 05:41 AM 10-25-2011
Parents are nosey......we just put new flooring down, and so far have had 3 parents trapsing in without removing their shoes, stepping off the area rug in the foyer......then they ask me "how much it cost". Nosey nosey. Enough said.
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littlemommy 06:10 AM 10-25-2011
I have one parent who drops off at 10. She used to walk right in, with wet shoes on my cream colored carpet, all the way through my living room to sit on my couch before leaving. I've stopped that by keeping the door locked and only open it when they are here.

Now the worst thing she does is peek in through my door window every day when she gets here. It's annoying. I'm looking for the right curtain.
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Unregistered 08:02 AM 10-25-2011
You will always get parents who lack manners and class, every walk of life.

Always keep your door locked, I gate everything now so they cannot get into my family room - kitchen area. I don't tell parents anything other than what pertains to their children. I've been asked schedules of other members of my household, if they can see my upstairs, and many other outrageous things. Friends, family and visitors are also not their business.

I answer these questions by telling them I am the only one that runs the daycare (my family is not your business), and also the daycare is downstairs period. If I pick up a new parent and they are overly obnoxious, I simply drop them asap.

I had one lady that would ploop her horrible almost 4 year old on my couch without asking. Even after showing her where the other kids were sitting and indicating he sit there. As soon as she left I got him and his shoes off my couch. I made sure every morning to have all the children in the living room for drop-offs, nipped it right away much to her dismay!

All you can do is take precautions for those kinds.
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Unregistered 05:17 PM 10-25-2011
I got rid of an overly nosy, obnoxious daycare dad this past January...there were several other issues but I just couldn't take the perpetual questioning over every tiny detail of our lives. There were SO many questions that had nothing to do with the care I was giving the child that I started to feel trapped in my own home...my daughter-in-law nicknamed him "Stalker Dad". It was THE best day of my life when I finally sent them packing..
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Crystal 08:19 PM 10-25-2011
All of my parents walk right in and INTO my home and play environment. If I have a project going on, I tell them exactly what I am doing, and typically one or more of them will offer to help out. I'll take the nosey parents if that's what I get!

I have been fortunate though....I have had VERY few obnoxious parents.
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mac60 04:32 AM 10-26-2011
For me it is a respect thing...I don't mind so much if someone ask me where I got my flooring, I do mind that they walk in my house with wet shoes, step off the area rug, and walk thru 2 rooms to look at it with wet shoes. If someone wants to ask me questions and offer to help me, no problem with that either, except the helping me part has never happened. Just the being nosy part.

When we did our flooring, we had to have things moved out of the rooms one room at a time, and I explained to the parents that things would be out of whack for a couple days and told them about getting the flooring.

As far as putting gates up at doorways....I do that, and I still have parents that cross it. I even had one dad a while back that just about fell stepping over it, he caught his foot. I have put notes on my front door, put notices in bags, and yet still some don't get it.
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Crystal 06:33 AM 10-26-2011
Yeah Mac....that would piss me off too. Absolutley no reason for them to walk on the carpets and stuff with wet shoes....I wonder if they do that in their own home? Very rude and inconsiderate.

I do love that my parents are not nosey to the point of being in my personal business. And, that I have gotten alot of help here from many of them....landscaping, floor repair, drywall patching.....and I know I could ask any one of them for anything and they'd be happy to help!

Sometimes it seems like some providers need to dump the whole lot of parents and start fresh....if only it were that simple huh?
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Tags:nosey, parents - ask too much, parents - enquiring
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