Parent concerned by proposed child ages

[playfelt]

I like it when they call my current parents because they all report back to me with their opinions and interpretations and that is helpful in my decisions.

[bright sparks]

I think the difference between concern over a surgeons capability and a daycare provider comes from the knowledge that a surgeon is trained for a significant amount of time versus a lot of providers who start out so they can stay at home for there own children and are neither regulated or in a lot of cases don't even have any training. A surgeon is heavily regulated, has licensing which is more than just a fee and a piece of paper as they have to keep current through lots of ongoing training and observation, amongst other things and they also work as part of a team and have a "public" reputation versus a single daycare provider who behind closed doors is not observed doing their job either well or otherwise. Not really comparing apples with apples when you compare a surgeon and a daycare provider. And actually, when I get a specialist appointment, I DO research them and try to find out what kind of track record they have and their area of specialty. A note about references...Is a daycare provider likely to give the details of a parent they had a bad experience with to a prospective parent to call? No so those references are really not necessarily painting a 100% true picture from ever angle.

Caregiving is a social interaction between people....just words, words can be extremely powerful and should not be dismissed as trivial things. Everyone has their own way of approaching this business and that's fair enough. Sometimes my words fall on deaf ears but I am not going to be a robot and start to shut of my personability because of the crappy individuals who couldn't give a toss about what I say. I am caring and compassionate and to some parents this is the reason they choose me over others. Other times, this doesnt make a difference to some. Thats what makes different providers unique and meet different peoples needs. When a parent asks lots of questions it doesnt automatically mean they are a head case, and when a provider is extra kind and caring it doesnt always mean they will be taken advantage of all the time. Quite often, the parents who I click with quicker and are the easiest interview turn out to be head cases down the road so sometimes even with a wealth of knowledge and experiences you can't judge everyone exactly the same. Just having set boundaries that you never ever let the parents cross will help keep things under the providers control.

A new parent plus a new provider need to be very verbal and clearly communicate with each other in order to demonstrate compassion and understanding and gain mutual respect which will hopefully set a good path towards a positive daycare relationship.

[mop]

The interview went well actually and I sent the parent a pdf of all my forms and info.

However, today I noticed the mom put out an ad on Kijiji looking for a nanny. Not surprised as her schedule varies from week to week, and I don't think they wanted to pay for "daycare spots". I actually wondered from her initial concerns if a nanny is a better fit for what they expect.

I appreciate everyone weighing in. Thanks!