The Bane of My Existence

I have zeroed in on the one thing that bothers me above all else in my daycare world. Families that come here sporadically.

I feel like these families throw my day into complete chaos. There is no schedule to their coming and going, very little advance notice, no routine what so ever.

These children come so rarely, that every day that they come feels like a 'first day'. Retraining them on what the expected behaviour is here at daycare is a requirement every time they reappear.

The rules at home seem to be far different from the rules at daycare. And if I try to enforce 'my rules' while the mom is still here - watch out! We are in for a crying session. So, I have to wait until the mom is gone and then my rule of consistency is broken. The kids very quickly catch onto the fact that they can act one way when their parent is here and get away with it. So the retraining period takes the better part of the day. It taxes my resources - my energy and patience is depleted fast.

I have realized that 'these days' are my bad days. I am having less and less bad days. So when I do have one, it stands out. And the reason behind them has come into focus.

I believe that it is up to me to determine what does and doesn't work for me. That is my responsibility. If there is a problem that is recurring and I discover what it is, it is my job to fix it ... or else live with it.

That is what I love about my self-employment career in the world of daycare. I am my own master. If there is a problem, it is up to me to rectify it. If I don't find a workable solution, I can blame no one but myself.

Now that I know what the bane of my existence is .... it is my job to fix it!