I started a new family a couple of weeks ago. The child is fantastic and the parents seemed totally down to earth, had a sense of humour, just great all around people.

I was really excited about this match and so were the parents. Dad couldn't say enough about how happy they were that they found me.

Last week they called me in the morning and told me he had a bit of a cold and wouldn't be coming. I told them children are welcomed with colds unless they are just too sick to participate or are showing signs that its more than a cold. They insisted on keeping him home. On friday the next day they were to come they told me they were keeping him home again and were going to the doctors. Fair enough: I asked them to call me sunday and let me know how the little one was doing.

Sunday night I texted them and asked them what hours they wanted this week (the days were set we were just working out the times that worked best for the family) He told me the days he wanted. I told him that his days are set each week and I was just doing as promised and helping them work out hours. Then he goes to ask what works for me . . . huh? I told him I was open from 8 to 5:30. He decides he'd like to pcik up his child in the middle of nap. . . . . sigh . . . . so I asked him to come for 3:30 so he would be disturbing the sleeping kids and gave him is total for the week.

This is where it went bad. He asked me if he could just use his credits from the week before when his child was sick. I informed him that sick days are paid in full . . . he would have known this if he read my parent handbook (which he signed in the contract saying he had) he then became irritated and told me that he had kept his child home out of respect and brought his nanny in so he was now paying double because he was trying to be respectful. Honestly i didn't think that was my problem. he was welcomed to come with his cold and that family also having a nanny is their decision not mine. I asked him if he had read the parent handbook and he told me he had missed that part . . . I apologized for being caught off guard.

Dad then asked was the deposit was for (also clearly laid out in the handbook) and I explained it to him.

At this point the texting was rediculous and asked if I could call

He texted me back hours later and told me him and his wife needed time to think about all this.

I said I would apply his deposit to the days he is missing and to get back to me

I've lost them due to their own negligence haven't I?

Sigh . . . .

I really like this family