Interview In A Half Hour. I'm So Nervous

[AuntTami]

Ah! I finally got all my paper work figured out and printed off so my interview will be here within the next half hour.

DCD called to tell me that another lady at his current daycare is having problems finding a new daycare too and if everything works out, I might end up with two full timers out of this!

Their current provider accepted a position outside of her home so she's closing the doors.

This family seems wonderful. Moms a teacher dad is a loan officer with a local big bank. I am praying so hard but I'm so nervous stheyre not going to like me or my setup or something.

Send me good vibes!

I need this enrollment desperately but I'm not going to let them know that, obviously

[Laurel]

Ah! I finally got all my paper work figured out and printed off so my interview will be here within the next half hour.

DCD called to tell me that another lady at his current daycare is having problems finding a new daycare too and if everything works out, I might end up with two full timers out of this!

Their current provider accepted a position outside of her home so she's closing the doors.

This family seems wonderful. Moms a teacher dad is a loan officer with a local big bank. I am praying so hard but I'm so nervous stheyre not going to like me or my setup or something.

Send me good vibes!

I need this enrollment desperately but I'm not going to let them know that, obviously

Ahhh, you'll do fine! Good luck!

Laurel

[Josiegirl]

How did it go?? It's hard to relax when an enrollment helps to pay our bills.
Much too late to offer advice but I just try to be honest with them and tell them I'm a little nervous, ask my questions, pay lots of attention to their child, let them ask questions.....ah never mind. You probably did fine!!

[AuntTami]

I think it went well but I always think it goes well . She said she "felt comfortable" with me and liked that I treat the daycare kiddos like they're family instead of just dollar signs. She said she'd talk to her hubby tonight and let me know tomorrow. I hope it went well! I think it did. She seems wonderful.

[Unregistered]

I think it went well but I always think it goes well . She said she "felt comfortable" with me and liked that I treat the daycare kiddos like they're family instead of just dollar signs. She said she'd talk to her hubby tonight and let me know tomorrow. I hope it went well! I think it did. She seems wonderful.

Hate to bring a negative to your positive thinking but the mere fact that DCM mentioned that she loves that you treat the kids like family and not dollars signs says "You will do MORE for LESS because we're family" and basically tells me she doesn't think you are worth anymore than what you are charging because you do it for the love of her child.
This is the attitude that gives you the most issues when trying to raise rates or enforce your policies.... parents always view "those" changes as money....
"YOU only want the money or you wouldn't be raising rates"
"But you love my child, so why would you charge more?"
"But we are family so why are you making ME follow your rules?"
"As family, you'll do special and give more.....etc"


Sorry, but that's been my experience.
I DO like/love the daycare kids but I don't love them as my family because they aren't.
They are income to me, no matter how much I care about them.
So for me, all decisions and actions performed on behalf of my child care program are based first and foremost on my income and ONLY secondly on feelings.

If you do enroll this family, I'd make sure you enforce your rules from the very beginning otherwise the "but you're family" way of thinking could come back and bite you.

[Josiegirl]

Hate to bring a negative to your positive thinking but the mere fact that DCM mentioned that she loves that you treat the kids like family and not dollars signs says "You will do MORE for LESS because we're family" and basically tells me she doesn't think you are worth anymore than what you are charging because you do it for the love of her child.
This is the attitude that gives you the most issues when trying to raise rates or enforce your policies.... parents always view "those" changes as money....
"YOU only want the money or you wouldn't be raising rates"
"But you love my child, so why would you charge more?"
"But we are family so why are you making ME follow your rules?"
"As family, you'll do special and give more.....etc"


Sorry, but that's been my experience.
I DO like/love the daycare kids but I don't love them as my family because they aren't.
They are income to me, no matter how much I care about them.
So for me, all decisions and actions performed on behalf of my child care program are based first and foremost on my income and ONLY secondly on feelings.

If you do enroll this family, I'd make sure you enforce your rules from the very beginning otherwise the "but you're family" way of thinking could come back and bite you.

You'll probably want to bop me on the head after my reply but I respectfully disagree. Some people are going to try and use/abuse the dcprovider/parent relationship no matter how you treat their child.
I think the families who are looking for in-home care want someone who treats their child like their own, when they're there. They don't want a provider who's always going to treat their own children better; they want someone who is going to do family type things and make their child feel 'at home' while they're in dc.

I've always thought of my dc as the children's home away from home. I'm taking care of them the same way I brought my own up.

[AuntTami]

I appreciate your input unregistered. However, I was the one that TOLD her that I treat my daycare kids like an extension of my family. It was a selling point for me and it still remains so. I don't have any children of my own, so yes, I treat my daycare kiddos as a part of my family. They're involved in my daily life, they do my daily tasks with me, and even help with some tasks(such as unloading the plastic bowls from the dish washer).

I have a very solid handbook(it's the only thing I actually am completely happy with as far as my daycare is concerned ) and it outlines all late fees, extra charges, extra days, etc. they know that even though I treat my kids like part of my family, that it's still my business and my job.

The major reason I pointed out that I treat my kids like family is because she had mentioned that a previous provider didn't care about the kids and they were just a money making opportunity for that person and she didn't truly care about the kids. She said the day she pulled her son out of care it was because when she went to pick up her son, the prouder was on the third floor of her house ON THE PHONE while the kids were on the first floor, alone and unsupervised and that the provider had WAY more children than she was supposed to. So i made it a point to mention that I treat my kiddos like part of my family and that I certainly wouldn't ever leave my own family in a potentially dangerous situation and I certainly wouldn't do that to my daycare kids either.

They seem very respectful. She said she understands that my work is my work and my home life is my home life, as that's how she functions too. She doesn't even bring papers home to grade because when she leaves school, her job is done and it's family time now, so I don't foresee too many issues. And if any arise, my handbook should answer any questions .

I'm very hopeful that this will work out. I had a good feeling, but I'm just waiting to hear back from them at this point. Hopefully they call back.

[AuntTami]

The dad called earlier to say they would like to start their son on Tuesday! Hurray!

[TheGoodLife]

AWESOME!!! Congratulations, I hope it is a perfect fit for your daycare happyface

[Josiegirl]

Wonderful!! Now hopefully, the other person they know that might be looking for child care, will give you a ring also!

[Controlled Chaos]

Congrats!

[hope]

Congrats! Make sure to have them pass your contact information along to the other family also. Maybe you can even ask for the other families email. So glad this worked out for you!

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

The dad called earlier to say they would like to start their son on Tuesday! Hurray!

happyface

[Laurel]

Great!

Laurel

[midaycare]

Good for you!