Sticking to your handbook rules, a vent

[sunnydays]

It's sad that there are so many daycare providers out there who will bend over backwards to accommodate parents demands...this makes it harder for the rest of us who refuse to. In the end, it all depends on many factors how flexible you are comfortable being...how much you need the income and how hard it is to fill spots. Also, you may want to think about how you could make your daycare stand out from the others so that parents will want to have their child there enough to follow your rules. For me, I am not willing to let parents take advantage of me....but I will admit that it is easier for me to stick to my policies and principles because I do not have a hard time filling my spots. I do understand that not everyone is so fortunate. Some things you cannot change, such as what other daycares are doing, but perhaps you can find a way to make parents feel they need you more than you need them.

[gramma]

It's sad that there are so many daycare providers out there who will bend over backwards to accommodate parents demands...this makes it harder for the rest of us who refuse to. In the end, it all depends on many factors how flexible you are comfortable being...how much you need the income and how hard it is to fill spots. Also, you may want to think about how you could make your daycare stand out from the others so that parents will want to have their child there enough to follow your rules. For me, I am not willing to let parents take advantage of me....but I will admit that it is easier for me to stick to my policies and principles because I do not have a hard time filling my spots. I do understand that not everyone is so fortunate. Some things you cannot change, such as what other daycares are doing, but perhaps you can find a way to make parents feel they need you more than you need them.

Great points sunnydays. I think that if parents see us waiver on THEIR wants they see us as easy targets to manipulate. bottom line is that its probably easier for them to find a new provider than for us to fill a spot.