What the hell Vent

[daycarewhisperer]

You just ran into an adult who doesn't want to have a no come his way. He's just saying words to you. The complaint to the state is a serious series of words so I would be prepared for a visit.

It's okay that he doesn't want your no. He has a right to his little feelings. Just suck it up and poof them out of your head. Be happy he told you in advance of the complaint and get your house ready for an inspection. In my experience, when a family is termed they almost always make a complaint. It is part of the process. You can't take it personally. It is their final gesture to remain in the one up position in the relationship. When you term they aren't on top. When they cause harm to you by opening the door to an inspection and possibly having their complaint be on your public file, they are back on top.

If you do everything right by being professional and giving a fair notice then the parent will focus on HOW you termed and WHEN you termed. There's really not anything else to gain a position. There isn't a secret formula to tell them "no" and have them be understanding and fair about it. You can be kind, generous, fair, sweet, etc... but what they focus on is the NO.

Parents want to term YOU. They want to be in the employer like position and tell YOU when they will use your service. It doesn't really occur to parents who haven't been termed before that you can or will do that. When they are hit with a term they are blindsided because they look at you thru the eyes of that you are there to serve them and you want their money. When the service ends and you aren't interested in the money AND they have to find someone else to give them the deal you are giving them or better for the same or less money then they realize that they weren't the boss of you after all. That's a hard pill to swallow so they lash out with what YOU did and try to right their position by having the final say by filing a complaint.