I Am Taking This Very Personal, Guys

[AllDeezBabies]

Okay, after I used some of your great suggestions with marketing my home daycare, I finally got someone over to my home. She is a lady that stays on my block a few doors down. She rang my doorbell and I met her in the front of my house. When she came she asked if it was okay that her daughter come mornings before school and after school until 5pm and if she could leave with my children and walk with them to school. The school is a block over, I have 2 school-aged children.

I'm assuming she wants to enroll so I let her know that we can go through the enrollment process after we discuss specifics. She stops and says "So you have a daycare?" I tell her yes, I give her my card and flyer. My daughters and her daughters play all the time. They're mainly in my front yard when they do play. She tell me "Oh, I didn't know" (I have obvious signage in my windows and front yard:confused.

Friday I go down to my friends home (who owns a daycare) and the lady's daughters are enrolled there. She's never been there before and just started that day. She said mom came down there and enrolled her on the spot.


She was willing to send her daughter to my home assuming I'll just do her a favor, I don't get this. Why wouldn't she do the enrollment? This is a real blow to my confidence. I'm not understanding. Any thoughts?

[Kaddidle Care]

Well you know the thing about not mixing friends with business.. this could be why since the daughters play all the time. (She might also be bad with payment and doesn't want to stiff a friend!)

[saved4always]

Try not to take it personally. I know that is really hard. She probably had it in her head that you would do it for free (or an "exchange" of her walking your children to school). I have found in general that people miss information all the time...there coiuld be a sign, mailer, email, etc. and there will always be someone who is clueless and never saw any of it. Most people will try to work out daycare for free if at all possible, too. In the end, you probably are better off without her. I watched children for friends before and it was so much more difficult to make them follow policies because there was a relationship at risk. I was much more comfortable providing childcare for families I only knew through my business. She may have not been comfortable having a business relationship with someone she already has a more personal relationship with, too.

[cheerfuldom]

Just move on. She's obviously up to something here and you didnt do anything wrong. You have to be really careful about other peoples kids at your house because you have liability and stuff because of the daycare.

[Ariana]

She sounds odd! I can completely understand why you'd take this personally but please don't as you have no idea why she chose that other place. For some reason you are thinking that it's because of something negative about you but you just never know. You could always ask her if it really bothers you. I once had a friend who chose to enroll her kids with another person after asking me for spots. I was quite upset about it and never ever knew the real reason. I assumed it was due to price. I asked her about it and she mentioned it was due to the other place being more convenient/close etc. so who knows really! I think it happens to everyone at one time or another.

[Lucy]

Sounds to me that she assumed you were "just another mom in the neighborhood", and that she was asking you for a favor for her kid to walk to school with your kids, and to play with your kids a couple hours after school. For free. When she realized you were in "the business" of daycare, she was embarrassed. She went to the other daycare and the price was satisfactory, so she enrolled immediately so as to get the whole thing done and overwith.

That's just my best guess based on what you said. Could be way off ??

[DaisyMamma]

That is very strange. I bet she was looking for free care. If I were you, I would ask her. People have strange reasons for choosing different daycares. You'll be surprised.

My question is, you were going to let her child walk to school alone with your children, unaccompanied by an adult? Or did I mis-read that? It sounds like a big liability.

[MarinaVanessa]

Sounds to me that she assumed you were "just another mom in the neighborhood", and that she was asking you for a favor for her kid to walk to school with your kids, and to play with your kids a couple hours after school. For free. When she realized you were in "the business" of daycare, she was embarrassed. She went to the other daycare and the price was satisfactory, so she enrolled immediately so as to get the whole thing done and overwith.

That's just my best guess based on what you said. Could be way off ??

This is what is sounds like to me too. I know that you say you have a sign out and such but maybe she thought that she'd get childcare for free and when she realized that you would charge her she felt embarrassed for even asking KWIM? She probably figured that she'd have to pay no matter what and is feeling guilty for asking you to do it free so she just chose to go somewhere else so she wouldn't have to feel awkward.

If you really feel troubled by it why not just call her up and ask her about it. "Hey Susan, I heard that your kids will be going to _____'s daycare, I'm glad you could find someplace for them to go. That's great. ______ is a wonderful DC provider. Hey just out of curiosity, I really wanted to know what brought you make that decision. I really thought that you were interested in having them come to my DC so I was curious to know what persuaded you to choose the other daycare instead ..." etc.

[AllDeezBabies]

Sounds to me that she assumed you were "just another mom in the neighborhood", and that she was asking you for a favor for her kid to walk to school with your kids, and to play with your kids a couple hours after school. For free. When she realized you were in "the business" of daycare, she was embarrassed. She went to the other daycare and the price was satisfactory, so she enrolled immediately so as to get the whole thing done and overwith.

That's just my best guess based on what you said. Could be way off ??

You've repeated the story correctly. Thank you all for your input. You all make great points.

[AllDeezBabies]

That is very strange. I bet she was looking for free care. If I were you, I would ask her. People have strange reasons for choosing different daycares. You'll be surprised.

My question is, you were going to let her child walk to school alone with your children, unaccompanied by an adult? Or did I mis-read that? It sounds like a big liability.

The school is the next block over, maybe a total of 4 houses over. They have police officers and school security in the area to look out for the children within a two block radius. My daughter is 12 and 7. When they walk to school, I look out the window until they meet up with the school security or one of the officers (they know us on a first name basis). She stayed closer to the other end of the block so walking with my children, her daughter would be safe since she noticed the school personnel knows my children and I.

[Fruitloops1]

I like how Marina worded the question.
When I get home today I will give you a name and number from someone I met at a training session at the Carol Robertson Center (she works there). She gave me her business card and said she was certified in something (cant quite remember) and said she would come out when I had my DC set-up to look it over and help me market myself. Sorry this is a bit vague, I wrote down the info and it is all at home. If I dont post the info in a day or so PM, I may have forgot.
I'm hoping she would be able to help you in some way to be able to bring people in?
Any other calls or anything other than this lady? Where are you located in Chicago?

[AllDeezBabies]

I like how Marina worded the question.
When I get home today I will give you a name and number from someone I met at a training session at the Carol Robertson Center (she works there). She gave me her business card and said she was certified in something (cant quite remember) and said she would come out when I had my DC set-up to look it over and help me market myself. Sorry this is a bit vague, I wrote down the info and it is all at home. If I dont post the info in a day or so PM, I may have forgot.
I'm hoping she would be able to help you in some way to be able to bring people in?
Any other calls or anything other than this lady? Where are you located in Chicago?

That would be fantastic. I'm located in the South Shore area.

[Fruitloops1]

Ok I have that info for you!
Her name is Danielle Robinson she is a Community Partner Program Specialist
PH#773-522-5477
email is robinsond@crcl.net
What she told me was that she would come to my daycare once I had it entirely set-up and go over it with me. She would make suggestions in regards to my space and my DC over all. I am going to give her a call once I get everything finished. Let me know how things are going.