Choosing Families

I have never declined a family from starting here. Once (in my 10 1/2 years of daycare), I have had to ask a family to find other daycare. Recently, I have been wondering if I can start to pick and choose my daycare families.

It seems that there is always one family that just doesn't 'fit'. Either I'm on a different wave length than the parents and we just don't speak the same language. Or the behaviour of the child is a constant drain on my energy. Or the schedule and unreliability of knowing what is happening in my days or income is another source of energy-drain for me.

It is hard to work with parents that don't see me as a person. I am simply 'the babysitter' and there is a respect issue that I battle with.

As parents change their schedules on a dime and expect me to just go with it ... as they call me after the time they are expected to have their child picked up to tell me that they will be even later ... as they (occasionally) forget to pick up their child due to communication break-down between the parents ... I am starting to get frustrated.

I have tried to put guidelines in place so that both the parent and I can know what to expect (schedules and income). I write up my newsletters to keep reminding parents of small housekeeping items that are what I would think are common courtesy. When we are working together, it's important that the respect works both ways. So I try my best to be accommodating.

It seems easier to hold onto a 'challenging' child or set of circumstances, than to accept a new family and the unknowns that go along with that. So I keep talking myself into accepting the fact that the known is better than the unknown.

In the past hour and a half, I have received a phone call from one family to tell me their babysitting needs will be cut in half. Effective immediately. Just a few minutes ago, another family called to tell me she was still at work (I was expecting her to be picking up her child when she called) and she'd be here when she got here. I had already ordered supper to be delivered, at a time that I assumed would give me lots of leeway to have this child gone. Now, my supper will be here before this child is gone. It is such a small thing. But it is so frustrating.

I worked outside of my home for 20 years and I was the one on the end of needing childcare for my children for those 20 years. So I appreciate the working parents dilemmas and challenges. I try to be flexible. But there are times that I simply feel like a door mat. Today is a day like that.

If I could make a change ... would I? Probably not. I'll continue doing what I am doing. At least for now.