Would You Be Upset???

[provider of 5]

I feel that maybe I made a big mistake here...

I have one open spot in my family daycare, so I have advertised on facebook and craigslist. On my daycare facebook site I was getting a lot of peopple asking about my services. Then out of no where this "babysitter" put a comment on my post advertising and said she was cheaper and could be contacted for babysitting.

It did offend me because I take the time to advertise these really great and complete ads. So, I am ashamed to admit that I emailed her and said I do not want to offend you or hurt your feelings but I think it is rude to advertise your babysitting services on my post. That there are more then enough of kids to go around and she should take thee time to post her own ad.

She then wrote me the nastiest email ever! Claimed she was on my website and my ads on craigslist (why?? seems stalking to me) and that she knew one of my parents and they send her people all the time. Well why isnt the parent with you??? LOL

Anyways, I did not respond and I just deleted her further emails wwithout even reading them...I am too busy for childish high school games..

Did I make a mistake by contacting in the first place? Normally, I just ignore things like that but I felt it was rude. I would NEVER do such a thing...seems she was too lazy to create her own ad and is leaching off of me...I think it is ok to do babysitting but it burns me up when someone is illegal at it and does not pay taxes and so forth and then tries to reap tthe benefits from a legal provider...anyways I feel kind of bad because I did not want to hurt her feelings and I tried to be nice...any comments?

[Kimskiddos]

You did what you felt you needed to do. Often it's better to take the high road and just ignore rude behavior, but I understand. I'd want to address it too.

I probably would have just blocked her and then deleted the post. I don't like getting into a "war of words" through email/posts and texts, waste of time and unneeded stress.

[Shell]

Agree that I would have deleted the post and blocked her. But, what's done is done, and it's good you are not engaging in a back and forth with her. That's awfully brazen of her to advertise under your post- I would never do something like that!

[blueskiesbutterflies]

I agree

You did what you felt you needed to do. Often it's better to take the high road and just ignore rude behavior, but I understand. I'd want to address it too.

I probably would have just blocked her and then deleted the post. I don't like getting into a "war of words" through email/posts and texts, waste of time and unneeded stress.

I agree..

[preschoolteacher]

I personally think you did the right thing. She sounds immature and unprofessional. I think any decent parent would see her post (on your post--who has the nerve to do that!!!) and think the same thing. If someone is going to her because she's cheaper, well, you don't want them anyways.

I would stop any communication from her going forward since she seems like she will just be dramatic.

*Edited to say--yes, just deleting her post and blocking her would work and is a great idea. But I'd want to let a person know that their behavior was unacceptable and call them out on it (in a professional way). That's just me!

[blueskiesbutterflies]

confused

I personally think you did the right thing. She sounds immature and unprofessional. I think any decent parent would see her post (on your post--who has the nerve to do that!!!) and think the same thing. If someone is going to her because she's cheaper, well, you don't want them anyways.

I would stop any communication from her going forward since she seems like she will just be dramatic.

I agree...confused why someone would do such a thing?

[daycare]

don't feel bad about what you did. We all do things sometimes we wish we didn't. Right or wrong.

I would just block her and stay away from her, including communication of any kind.

I live in a small city so if that happened to me, the chances are that we would run into each other. I have had a few things like that happen and I just fake nice, take the higher road.

I don't see anyone as competition, we all offer something different and parents are going to go where they want to go no matter what.

hugs to you, I am sure this will blow over in time

[Leigh]

I would have deleted her post and blocked her, too, without contacting her. If she were just unlicensed, I'd have left it at that. If she were ILLEGAL, I would have taken a screen shot and reported her.

You didn't do anything wrong, I just wouldn't have bothered with her.

[melilley]

I would have done the same thing. That was very rude of her. Who does that? In my state, you have to be licensed to take care of any unrelated children so I would have mentioned that too.
I once had a provider copy a paragraph out of my cl ad and put it on hers! I did email her about it, I couldn't help it.

[AmyKidsCo]

I would've deleted her post too. It's rude to advertise yourself on someone else's ad.

[midaycare]

I probably would have emailed because honestly I wouldn't have been able to control it. I work too hard for someone to do that to me.

Realistically, once off the ledge, I would realize no one good would want her services anyway. What a tool.

[NightOwl]

I wouldn't have been able to NOT email her. How incredibly rude! You put a lot of time and effort into your ads and it's very leech - like of her to try to ride on your coattails. And it sounds like you were as pleasant as the situation allowed you to be. The blocking and deleting of her posts is also something I would do.

[Thriftylady]

And I revert to my favorite phrase, "WTH is wrong with people?".

[daycarediva]

I had a local provider copy and past my entire website into hers. Of COURSE I called her out on it. She got defensive and tried to deny it, too. Anyone who is GUILTY gets angry and defensive. I probably would have done the same.

[LysesKids]

I had a local provider copy and past my entire website into hers. Of COURSE I called her out on it. She got defensive and tried to deny it, too. Anyone who is GUILTY gets angry and defensive. I probably would have done the same.

I have had that happen... nobody has the same exact policies (I have a few quirky ones including being fragrance free and why), days off and education that I do (I can prove when and where I did my postpartum certs, can she? )

I have had it happen with my CL ads too