Has this happened to you

[playfelt]

I show the main floor and the basement (diningroom and basement have play areas for the kids). I do not ever show the upstairs bedroom level but do show the parents at an interview the packnplay their child will use. I do interviews evenings and weekends where I get to concentrate on the family and get a good feel for them too.

I will do one short visit before they sign. The come first thing in the morning and stay no later than morning snack - come at 8 and go so we can have snack. I do not feed the visitors as mostly I interview babies anyways and I don't need parents and babies in the way while we clean up, wash up, get set up to eat etc. Mostly the parents want to meet the other kids their child will be around - are they rough, show signs of scared, unhappy, etc. I visit with the parents in the middle of the playroom upstairs - ie all confined to diningroom with any toy I know is a potential issue removed for the morning. About 8:45 I tell the kids to start putting the toys away while I say goodbye to our visitors - which sort of leaves them no option but to move towards the door. I explain that I have an obligation to not make my interviewing disruptive to the children and therefore they visit during freeplay but once we do snack we need to be free to carry on with our normal program. Again since they have a baby who cares what books I read or songs I sing as it will be awhile before their child joins in anyways since baby at interview might only be 6 months old.