Is this going to be awkward...

[AmandaKDT]

So I have a new child starting this week and the parents aren`t able to pick up the child before my closing time, so it turns out their old daycare provider is willing to pick her up and take her back to her house until the mom gets home from work. The reason they needed a new child care provider is because their old provider is no longer doing home daycare.

That`s all fine, but here is the funny part. It turns out their former daycare provider came for a meeting with me last weekend because she was looking for summer care for her own school age kids since she is going back to work outside the home. The meeting went well and she said she would contact me shortly about securing the spots for summer. But I never ended up hearing back from her other than an email several days later asking whether the deposit goes towards the first two weeks or if I hold it. I answered her question and all she wrote back was `K, thanks.`` Then I never heard from her again. This annoyed me because I thought it pretty inconsiderate.

So this is the woman who is supposed to be picking up the new dcg everyday.

I don`t know if she is still going to be approaching me about her own kids attending my daycare, but after her not bothering to get back to me I had intended on telling her the spots were no longer available. But now I`m going to see her several days a week. Am a right to feel this has put me in an awkward position...

[dodge__driver11]

Ok....

To me ...this just seems strange.

I would NEVER ASK A FORMER DAYCARE PROVIDER to do anything for me regardless of how things ended, because I left her care for a reason.

I wouldn't care for it.

[mimi]

So the former daycare provider picks up the dck from your home. Fine. I would be proffessional and polite with her at pick up. This is an arrangement between Mom and this other person. The important thing is dck is picked up by your closing. I would not consider taking the former providers children due to her not getting back to you with a firm yes or no and leaving you hanging. Otherwise, I would just go along with their arrangement as long as former provider was proffessional and polite with me.

[AmandaKDT]

It does seem strange, but as long as someone is reliably picking the child up it is okay with me. I'm going to be confirming with the parents that they have an alternate backup person encase the former provider isn't around (like on holiday) or if she decides it isn't working for her to do the pickups anymore. I can only assume they are paying her to do it.

But I don't think I have to worry about her asking for summer spots because I just saw her ad on Kijiji looking for a person to come to her home to watch all five of her kids for the summer (she came to see me about care for 3 of them). Though I don't know how much luck she'll have, she is only offering $50 for a 10 hour day with 5 kids.

But she can do whatever she wants, just would have been nice for her not to leave me hanging - especially from someone who is/was also a daycare provider. Guess we'll see how it goes at pickup time on Tuesday. C'est la vie!

[playfelt]

Is it possible she never intended to have any children in your care - just used them as an excuse to meet you and see your space?

[Monday 2 Friday Mama]

I think Playfelt is onto something here - it just doesn't smell right to me.

Is it possible she never intended to have any children in your care - just used them as an excuse to meet you and see your space?

[AmandaKDT]

Is it possible she never intended to have any children in your care - just used them as an excuse to meet you and see your space?

But what would be purpose behind that? I know she is not doing home daycare anymore and she didn't know this family was going to be meeting with me until after the fact.

[playfelt]

Are you sure about that... it sounds like a provider that is still not 100% certain of her own decisions and can not make her break from the family. At the same time if she is that emotionally connected to the child she may truly feel the need to know that she is going to a home that meets her standards. The mom may very well have talked to her about the interviews she had done and gotten feedback. I have had parents who are moving on for reasons of moving out of my area or a child going to school etc that have asked my interpretation of what they heard as in would I have taken it the same way. I try to remain as neutral as possible but for sure I can read between the lines of what the provider is saying and what is likely meant cause we all do it in interviews.

As long as child is just being picked up by the woman then I would let it go and have no problem with it. I would make sure that all communication is with the mom via email and not through the other provider as in limited info at pickup unless it effects the next hour she is with her like child just woke up and hasn't had a snack yet.

[AmandaKDT]

Yeah, the parents told me the reason she is willing to do the pick ups is because she "Isn't ready to let go yet."

[Momof4]

Yeah, the parents told me the reason she is willing to do the pick ups is because she "Isn't ready to let go yet."

Oh for pete sake, the child runs the household and the parents live to serve. I can't stand it, this is rampant. Parents, take back your homes, take back your lives, be parents to your children!!!