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I had a mom and her 2 girls (2 and 4) come by yesterday for an interview. Mom seemed to be decent. The kids were acting pretty bad. Into everything, going into rooms I do not allow. The 4 yr old is sassy. Ugh. I want to decline before I even start.
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Yes, I have passed on some who acted terribly at the interview.
I also begrudgingly took in one girl who was a bloody terror at the interview but ended up being my favorite dck ever.
As long as the parents don't throw red flags, I can work with (most) of the rest. Kids act much different with their parents than with us.
I lay down the law and they believe me. -
Not that I can recall but I have turned down someone who never even made it to an interview.
We had an interview scheduled, she was a no-show so I texted her. Strange because I never follow up if they don't show up. But I did this one. The 1st time we spoke on the phone we(rather she) talked for probably 45 minutes. A lot of nonsense stuff, jibberish about ds might have an issue he was getting tested for. Next time we spoke(after the no-show), she starts in again, on and on and on, another 30 minutes of jibberish and I'd finally had it, burst into her conversation and said "I don't think I'm a good fit for your needs" and she agreed. :confused:
If you already have a 'feeling' about this dcf, I'd pass.
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Yes, I have passed on quite a few, based on red flags. The worst child experience during an interview was a kid who put his hand inside my fish tank in my office and was trying to catch the fish, and the mom did nothing, I eventually told the child to stop, and the parent was irritated that I corrected his behavior.:
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Unreal! Parents do not parent anymore.Yes, I have passed on quite a few, based on red flags. The worst child experience during an interview was a kid who put his hand inside my fish tank in my office and was trying to catch the fish, and the mom did nothing, I eventually told the child to stop, and the parent was irritated that I corrected his behavior.::Comment
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Always trust your first instinct.Comment
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Yes, I’ve known within the first 5 minutes that I wasn’t going to offer a spot to somebody. I’m pretty blunt with parents. Let them know that I’m looking for the best possible fit and I interview until the spot is filled. It’s not always easy to call and let a parent know they didn’t make the cut. But it’s better than struggling with a child that won’t fit. When you have an interview and there are red flags, listen to your gut.Comment
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Absolutely! I meet with the families three times before committing to anything. I have a client coming at 3 today for her third visit and if all goes well, we will complete the paperwork at this visit. This process does not alleviate all problems but it does help! The last two I have taken have not had good outcomes so I am overly cautious this time. I feel families have learned to say/do what they need to in order to be enrolled, but then the attitude changes. It is a game and it has become a challenge to weed through for the client that is genuinely sincere in what they say/do.Comment
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Depends. I don't base my overall decision on one meeting though. Instead I have a trial period where I get an opportunity to learn more about the child and the family.
I have long time kids in care now that are super well behaved for me but turn into some sort of possessed demon the minute their parent shows up so I know behavior with a parent can be 100% different for me.
This situation is the entire point of a trial period.Comment
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I have a four week trial period as well but where I used to mess up is by telling the parent all was fine because I didn't want to say they cried all day. During this time, I felt it looked bad on me if things didn't work out. BUT now, I am totally honest and actually do something about it if it isn't working. Took me way too long to learn that lesson!
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Yup! That's what the interviews are for. I agree it absolutely does depend on the child! Every child I have/had, was different without their parents. However, I had one Interview where the child took a SHARPIE from moms purse and walked down the entire hall drawing a line! I ended with, "I will let you know what I decide." They were a no from me.Comment
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Yes. It's not a be all end all but poor interview behavior from parents or kids is a factor.Comment
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