Advice please!!! bad signs?

[Dawn2Dusk]

So I am in the process of filling the last 2 spots in my day home and I think I may have made a big mistake.

So this parent calls me and says she needs care immediately so I made an exception and actually scheduled an interview for Sunday night at 7. Well first she emails me at 7 and says she will be 20 minute late and shows up at 8. She apologized but still it bugs me didn't respect my time.

This morning she shows up for her first day of care and paid the deposit but forgot the parent information form that is mandatory. Her friend dropped it off at noon but I really shouldn't have even taken her without the Form.

Well she emails her schedule today and says she is picking her kid up at 6:30 everyday which is my closing time so we will see if she is late.

I think what I'm having he most trouble with is her little girl is so sweet but won't stop hitting and pushing my little boy. She knows it wrong and apologizes but will not stop!

I have a ton of interviews this week and will not have trouble filling the spot so what should I do?

Is it rude if I tell her we need to get the hitting in control by the end of the week?

Any advice would be great thanks ladies!

[fivelittleones]

She sounds a bit demanding right from the get go. To say she needs something "immediately" - and then shows up late for the interview; especially on a Sunday when you have to work the next day. You are very accommodating - I must say, I would not have been so much.

If you are feeling like she's going to take advantage of you constantly, you should go with your instinct. Hopefully you can find someone else to fill the spot. Regarding her daughter hitting, did you tell her about this? what was her reaction?

[Dawn2Dusk]

I was going to tell her tonight when she picks up. I think that if she is late for pick up I'm going to tell her that next time she is late it's immediate termination and that we need to resolve the hitting issue immediately. I feel like shoving once in a while is normal but she actually hits him and won't stop

[Fireyesblue]

If you can fill the spot, I would personally terminate care. There are so many red flags in an incredibly short timeframe. I waited around on a Friday evening for someone to drop off their contract and they showed at 930pm... then said they needed a later pick up which was 15m after my closing time. All this to say, trust your gut. How old is the child?

[Dawn2Dusk]

She is 21/2 but she is very smart and my son is 16 months and is very gentle. He only wants to play with her but she comes and takes everything and anything he is holding and hits him or pushes him to the ground. She is really sweet little girl but doesn't know how to play with others I think. Which is weird cause her mom said she has been in a dayhome for more than a year and only left cause the mom is having a high risk pregnancy and can no longer take care of the children.

[Dawn2Dusk]

So last night she picked up on time and when I talked to her about he hitting and shoving she said she has only started it a couple weeks ago which I'm not sure I believe.

This morning her drop off was supposed to be 7:30 but she texts me at 7:50 saying I'm going to be late, it's not 8:30 and she isn't here. It's the fact that I opened my dayhome earlier for her it was supposed to open the 17th. She knows she is my only client until that time. I plan mine and my son's wake up around when she comes and it's just another sign she doesn't respect my time. Is this normal?

[Lee-Bee]

I have said it before and it sounds mean but you essentially have to treat the families like toddlers. Be very clear, very consistent and kind but firm otherwise they try and run the show!

She texted to say they'd be late...which is more than most families will do.

Unless you have explicitly (written and verbally discussed) your expectations for drop off then most families will assume as long as they come after your start time they are in the good.

You just need to set really clear expectations. If you let them come late for your interview without discussing it after then you give the impression being late is ok. If you don't set clear drop off times, they can't know what you think is acceptable. if you accept the child without all paperwork after telling them you need it all then you give the impression you don't mean what you say.

It is up to you to terminate if you feel it is best...but it sounds like you haven't clarified your expectations and you haven't given them all the info they need to stay in your good books. Until you have done that then you haven't really given them a fair chance. The next family could be worse or the exact same it is up to you to be very firm, very clear and very consistent in what you expect and what you accept from your families.

[playfelt]

Is it possible she was let go of her previous daycare because the child was hitting - given that you say child knows it is wrong but does it anyways and just doesn't seem to care about it. That is often the case when a child this age "suddenly" needs care.

[fivelittleones]

[I have said it before and it sounds mean but you essentially have to treat the families like toddlers. Be very clear, very consistent and kind but firm otherwise they try and run the show!]

Yes, so true!