So Irritated...

[KBCsMommy]

A family friend who had a baby recently was supposed to enroll her baby in my daycare.

I have been bugging her since she was 7 m pregnant to come look at my daycare and interview and she never did.

Fast forward baby is now 8 weeks old and supposed to start soon. I interview family yesterday first they were 25 min late. She texted me they were going to be late but still, very annoying.

So interview seems to go well. She was a little leary that her baby would have to go outside with us, that the baby would cry, etc. Normal stuff new moms worry about.

So, mom gives half of the deposit signs the contract takes the paperwork says she will be bring the rest of the deposit and signed paperwork this week. Baby is to start end of the month.

This morning the mom texts me that her and her husband are uncomfortable about a few things and want their deposit back. They are just going to figure out something different for baby's care.

I tell her she can have her deposit back and not to worry about it, sometimes every family needs something different for their family and personal preference. She texts me back "Yeah no kidding". (I thought this was rude)

So now I feel like crap because she wants special. I feel like there is something wrong with my daycare or my space. But on the other hand I think I dodged a bullet on this one and it's a blessing in disquise

[Unregistered]

Be glad. It is best to not mix "business and pleasure". It ruins relationships

[preschoolteacher]

I think that what she sent sounds rude, too. I'd be relieved that she didn't enroll. By the way, I think it's excellent you take babies outside--that would be a plus in my book

[AmyKidsCo]

It sounds like you lucked out! I've only had 1 good experience caring for a family member or friend's child.

[cheerfuldom]

I dont take family, friends or neighbors, period.

[KBCsMommy]

It is normally my policy to not enroll friends or family and I have always turned them down when they asked about daycare.

I hardly ever see this person so I didn't feel it would be a big deal. In retrospect I felt a little uneasy about the situation since I had been hearing through the grapevine she was very "tearful" and "difficult" after going back to work. So Im feeling better about the situation.

I think Im making a bigger deal out of it than it is

[MarinaVanessa]

It is normally my policy to not enroll friends or family and I have always turned them down when they asked about daycare.

I purposely avoid enrolling friends and family or at least now make is perfectly clear that they will be treated like regular clients. I find that friends and family or people that you know (neighbors etc) always expect special because the know you.

I was already leery of this family when I first read the original post because of this sentence "I have been bugging her since she was 7 m pregnant to come look at my daycare and interview and she never did." This right here already told me that they already had reservations about the daycare. If you have to chase them or have to keep reminding them chances are that they have hesitations about it already KWIM. They may have just had a different idea of the type of daycare they wanted and you don't provide that. If they are your friends why not just ask them what they are looking for in daycare and say that you might be able to refer them to someone else (so that they don't feel put on the spot or like they are going to offend you).

They could have just gone through with the interview as to not offend you if they were looking something different. It may not mean that they think your daycare is bad, just not what they had in mind.

[Patches]

I think you definitely dodged a bullet and that it was really nice of you to even give her the deposit back

[KBCsMommy]

So Ladies.....

Through the grapevine I hear that she didn't like some of my policies.

1. She didn't like the babies car seat outside. (On a covered porch on a table)
2. She didn't like the babies diaper bag outside.
3. I won't hold the baby while she sleeps.
4. A possible money issue.

Okay, so now its plainly clear she just needs a nanny and it really wasn't me or my daycare.

[MarinaVanessa]

Are they opting for a nanny instead? If they are and if they had a money issue I'm wondering how they are going to be able to avoid a money issue by getting a nanny considering that nanny care is generally the most expensive type of care there is :confused:

[KBCsMommy]

Are they opting for a nanny instead? If they are and if they had a money issue I'm wondering how they are going to be able to avoid a money issue by getting a nanny considering that nanny care is generally the most expensive type of care there is :confused:

The hours she needs are about 5 hours a day which is basically a full time spot. She thinks she can have one of her friends come to her house everyday for less money and only on the days she needs care. It doesn't make sense to me either this is just what she said. It's just not realistic.

[Starburst]

It is normally my policy to not enroll friends or family and I have always turned them down when they asked about daycare.

I hardly ever see this person so I didn't feel it would be a big deal. In retrospect I felt a little uneasy about the situation since I had been hearing through the grapevine she was very "tearful" and "difficult" after going back to work. So I'm feeling better about the situation.

I think Im making a bigger deal out of it than it is

Chances are she is probably either going to try to be a stay at home mom or she really wants to but knows for some reason it wont work out (money issues; baby's dad want her to work, etc.) so she is trying to come up with ever excuse in the book to avoid enrolling the baby in a daycare or trying to post pone it as much as possible.

[MarinaVanessa]

The hours she needs are about 5 hours a day which is basically a full time spot. She thinks she can have one of her friends come to her house everyday for less money and only on the days she needs care. It doesn't make sense to me either this is just what she said. It's just not realistic.

Oh I see, In my opinion the complaints she has are silly and petty ... maybe an excuse to say that you aren't a good fit for what she really wants ... cheap daycare. Now it makes sense about the "nanny" thing. If a friend is going to help out and not charge her very much then it's a no-brainer for her at all. I agree, it's not about your daycare.