So, I'm Avoiding My Friends Phone Calls Cause I Know She's Gonna Ask.....

[crazydaycarelady]

......me to watch her kids.

She just got a job and will need part-time dc. I have room because I have a part-time helper who comes when I need her, which my friend knows. She used to run her own dc so knows the in-and outs of the business. A couple of things - one of her kids drives me nuts AND she is a tight wad and will probably try and get a deal.

UGH! How am I (with my weak backbone) going to avoid this?

[mom2many]

It can be tricky watching a friend's kids...I have had it work well on several different occasions, but a few times it has been difficult. It really depends on the individual and if they think they deserve "special" treatment because you are friends & try to take advantage of the situation.

If you have concerns, I would just tell her that you value her friendship & don't want to jeopardize it by mixing business with friendship.

[DaisyMamma]

If you have concerns, I would just tell her that you value her friendship & don't want to jeopardize it by mixing business with friendship.

The ironic thing is that telling her that could jeopardize the friendship
That's tough. What if you say your worker isn't available those days/times?
Or you just enrolled a kid who has similar hours...then a few weeks down the road let it slip that the kid didn't work out?
although, lying is probably not the best way to deal with it. I suppose you will have to tell her that business and friendship don't mix and hope she doesn't get upset.

[e.j.]

The ironic thing is that telling her that could jeopardize the friendship

This is true. I had that happen to me. It helped me realize it wasn't much of a friendship to begin with.

Hopefully, since she has been a child care provider, she knows better than to ask and if not, will understand why you don't want to mix friendship with business. Can you give her names of other providers she could contact if she doesn't already know others she can ask? That might soften the blow a little.

[Texasjeepgirl]

9 years ago my husband and I sold our home... (we thought we were going to go to trucking school and become team truckers)...
My best friend had said she was interested in opening a home daycare....she had a fulltime job as a manager of a retail clothing store...but.. had thought she might want to work from home instead..she was single at the time... with 1 school age daughter...
I offered to turn my existing clients over to her...well.. she counter offered to let me run my own daycare in her home.. (closed the garage in)..
We did it for 3 years.. and during that time she got married.. and decided to have another child with new hubby..
I KNEW I had to get out of there...
For one thing.. my husband and I never did go to trucking school.. ..
we had moved in to our retail furniture store.. and for 3 years I had been driving back and forth to my friends house to run MY daycare in HER HOME..
Anyway.. LONG WINDED dang story short..
I moved my daycare to our store...
(greatest thing that ever happened to my daycare business)...
and.. my friend had a baby..
THEN she needed childcare..
I flat refused ... I told her there was just no way our friendship could survive..
I feared conflict with her husband.. every time the child was hurt.. scratched.. fell down.. whatever..
I feared issues with her husband regarding payment...
holiday.. vacation.. hours of operation.. etc..
She really basically agreed.. but was struggling to find quality child care for her child...
I helped her find one place... she didn't like it..
I helped her find another place.. didn't like it..
and.. finally she said she guessed she was going to have to beg me to keep her child...
I told her that if we absolutely COULD NOT find suitable care.. I would do it...but.. then I remembered this one sweet little lady here in town that had a very small in home care... and.. they LOVE HER...so...THANK GOODNESS..
I was flat out .. brutally honest with my friend...
and she agreed with me...

https://www.tammyschildcare.com

www.texasjeepgirl.shutterfly.com

[crazydaycarelady]

I am going to have to flat out refuse -which I agree might end the friendship right there! My friend is the kind that likes to get a deal, while at the same time thinks she is worth top dollar.

When one of my dcfamilies refers someone to me I usually give them a discount like a free day of care or something. Well, my "friend" referred someone to me when she closed her daycare and then wanted a free day of care for her child!

[busymomof2]

I just recently had a good friend ask me to care for her infant son part-time. I didn't want to do it because I didn't want it to affect our friendship plus I know she would have wanted a deal. I just told her that her son and the dcg have different nap and eating times (which is true) and that does not work for me. She understood, found other care and we are still friends.