World's Biggest Flake, or Serial Killer?

[Pestle]

Potential DCM responds to Craigslist ad (I know, I know) with a small amount of info. I respond in kind, with a small amount of info and a request for more info. Eventually I give her my phone number. She calls, says she needs care immediately. I say she needs to come over, see the place, sign a contract. She says, 10:00 Tuesday.

10:00 comes and goes. At 12:30 she calls, says she overslept, can she come by at 2:00. Lots of children screaming in the background. Asks some more questions, says she needs care to start Wednesday.

At 2:45 she calls, says she'll be here by 4:00 if I still want to meet beforehand. I say she definitely needs to come today if she wants care tomorrow.

At 3:50 she calls, more kids yelling in the background, says she's heading out now (from half an hour away). Asks me to text my address because she left it in her email.

So it's 5:15 now, and I want nothing to do with this woman, but my biggest concern is whether this is some kind of Craigslist fraud or murder scam I haven't heard of. :: If so, I can't figure out how it's supposed to work.

I don't get the continual "I swear I'm on my way," though; it's not like I'm leaving a free couch on the curb. :confused: If she shows up tomorrow thinking she can drop her kids off, I'm posting the kids as freebies on Craigslist.

[Thriftylady]

I don't understand people who want care the next day. I understand even less the ones who are willing to leave their kids with a stranger. But I know they are out there, I have talked to them.

[Josiegirl]

Did she ever show up at all?

[Pestle]

Nope! In the middle of this process, I was checking the white pages and Facebook to verify that she's a real human being with genuine children and a past that actually happened. It seems she is.

I just don't know why she'd bother trying to string me along all day. Unless she's been sitting outside the house all day, trying to get me to say, "Sorry, you can't come now; I'm leaving all my extremely valuable possessions unattended while I go shopping." You know. Those extremely valuable possessions that day care providers definitely can afford to own.

[Thriftylady]

Nope! In the middle of this process, I was checking the white pages and Facebook to verify that she's a real human being with genuine children and a past that actually happened. It seems she is.

I just don't know why she'd bother trying to string me along all day. Unless she's been sitting outside the house all day, trying to get me to say, "Sorry, you can't come now; I'm leaving all my extremely valuable possessions unattended while I go shopping." You know. Those extremely valuable possessions that day care providers definitely can afford to own.

So the children? She was waiting for you to leave her more children!

[NillaWafers]

I had a lady like this. Now I don't reschedule after the 2nd time.

It's crazy someone can call you and TELL YOU they're leaving and just not show up, somehow. Like, did you get lost on the way and just decide not to show up?

I had a lady once come to look at a piece of furniture I was selling. She texted me she was on the street but I was busy and didn't see it. She never came to the door and just left, wasting her gas. like why?!

[Pestle]

So the children? She was waiting for you to leave her more children!

::

She definitely needs more of those, yes.

[Josiegirl]

Maybe some people just need to feel all self important that they keep everybody waiting for them. Like their life is so much more important than anybody else's.

Haha I'd sure like to know which valuable possessions dcproviders can afford to own?? Are you talking about the Mercedes that's disguised as a 2007 Hyundai that, if I'm lucky, will make it til next spring and then fail inspection due to the rust underneath?
Or my valuable silverware that could be antique but the garage sale person sold it to me for $1.00 so he obviously didn't know?
Or it must be the RV that's sitting in my driveway. Oh wait, that's the neighbor's driveway.
I never made tons of money from this job, that's for sure, but I got to be home for my kids while they were growing up(most of the time that was a good thing). And now I get to be home with my dog-kids.

Your next potential dcf will turn out to be the real deal!! Not the world's biggest flake or a serial killer.

[Pestle]

I never made tons of money from this job, that's for sure, but I got to be home for my kids while they were growing up(most of the time that was a good thing).

Your next potential dcf will turn out to be the real deal!!

Thanks for the encouragement! I know things will get better, but I'm a control freak and need the emotional security that comes from knowing the status of the present and the future.

[Alwaysgreener]

could it be possible that it was another provider checking you out?
Try callIng her back on another line asking for day care.

[Thriftylady]

Thanks for the encouragement! I know things will get better, but I'm a control freak and need the emotional security that comes from knowing the status of the present and the future.

I am the same way with financial stuff. It causes me so much stress.

[Baby Beluga]

could it be possible that it was another provider checking you out?
Try callIng her back on another line asking for day care.

I had the same thought. Especially since she gave you vague information in the email and you heard a bunch a children in the background.

[Mike]

could it be possible that it was another provider checking you out?
Try callIng her back on another line asking for day care.

[Pestle]

If she was trying to check me out, she really bungled it--the questions weren't general enough. She wasn't interested in finding out anything about the day care or how much I was charging per child; just if it was less than the $90/day per child the last person quoted her and how fast I could take them, and why I mentioned that she needed immunization records. (The last person must have been smarter than me. I should start quoting $90/day per child when it's someone I want to get rid of!) And she had my address but then called at the end of the day to ask for it again. Very strange.

So I just checked her Facebook page again to see if she was talking about starting a DC, but she was posting pics of her kids at the park at the other end of town yesterday, bragging about how great it's going to be working day shift now (at a major crappy minimum-wage employer here in town). I will never know why she gave me the runaround all day, but I'll take Nilla's advice and only ever reschedule once.

Fuggetabout it, and good luck to whoever ended up with her kids!

[hgonzalez]

I had a family that rescheduled three times. I was desperate to enroll kids, so I ended up going along with it and enrolling them. The parent was the worst parent I have ever had. She insisted on attempting (note that I say attempting) to control everything, even things that did not affect her children's actual care.
I will never, ever enroll anyone again that sends off that many red flags. She was a nightmare and he 'rescheduling' indicated a lack of respect for me and my time.