Quote Originally Posted by kindertime View Post
Ummm... a long list of requests? Sounds like you are in for a long day, every day with this family. I was going to ask in my previous post if they are young parents. Thought better of it, but now I'm asking. Young with too much outside advice? It has been my experience, older parents are more mellow. "Sure, let 'em eat dirt."

Sounds like these parents are going to nick-pick the sh*t out of you if you keep them on.
I find that it is a personality type not an age factor....I had both my kids by 20 so call me a little touchy on the stereotyping of young parents 😊 In my nearly ten years of experience, I have seen a really good mix of both. I find those parents who were older when they had their first and tried for a long time are more obsessive and neurotic. Most of my younger parents are much more open minded and collaborative in terms of working with me and taking advice versus a first time parent who is a good 10 years plus older than me who can't handle being told in any certain terms by someone of my age. Not so much an issue now, but when I first started out, my first set of parents when I was 23 with two kids in school were all mid forties. Some were great, and others clearly had initial issues with me "telling" them or advising them on what to do considering I was so young until they realized that I had some experience as a mother that counted for something regardless of my age.

To the OP... My instinct would be to tell them not only the obstacles it presents in a daycare needing to meet to needs of multiple children, but also that it is an important skill set for their child to acquire ASAP, to be able to self sooth and gain independence. Are they the kind of parents you can have a good frank conversation with? I'd talk to them really honestly about this if I was in your shoes explaining that CIO will have to happen at some point so the child learns to settle themselves and sooner rather than later is optimal not only for healthy psychosocial development but it will also be more difficult once the child heads into a resistant stage of development. Make it about them and what's best for them and I think they will be more receptive. Make it clear why it won't work in any daycare, but explain that it's in their best interest. Does she plan to have more kids, because if she does how does she expect to rock two kids, and have any kind of ability to do much else.

Don't worry about how you could have done things differently, just focus on trying to make things work and just accept that if this mother won't budge on the CIO, then termination will be the best thing for you.