Burnout......from PARENTS

[ck1997]

Hi everyone,
Just wondering how you deal with burnout not due to the children, but due to their parents! I am feeling like I have a really bad group of parents right now - they can be disrespectful of my private time, ask me for advice and then not use it, and just general pains......I am very much a people person, I smile a lot, and I give them lots of extras when it is fair. I just get taken advantage of a lot (even more lately) and I'm sick of it - any advice??????

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Last year I termed nearly every family. I was tired of dealing with their constant garbage.

The best way to avoid feeling taken advantage of is to stop letting them take advantage of you. Sometimes it is much harder to actually do that at first but as time goes by it does seem to get a smidge easier with most families.

[Cat Herder]

Q. any advice?

Stop participating in it.

You are responsible for 50% of any relationship, change your response to their unreasonable requests.

Say NO.

Enforce your policies consistently.

Turn off your phone after closing.

Answer emails during business hours only.

Take the control of your home, family and business back. YOU are the one giving it away and you CAN take it back.

[blandino]

Don't let their problems become your problems.

Handle situations very matter of factly, and use your backbone.

Do what is best for you and your family and your business. Even if it means making people upset. In the end they would do what was best for their family in a heartbeat, and you need to do the same.

[KIDZRMYBIZ]

Almost the same here

I came on here to let loose some steam right along this train of thought!

I had the day off yesterday. It was one of 5 contracted, unpaid dates I take per year. No surprise since it is in my contract and handbook, plus being posted, plus 2 reminder emails, plus 1 verbal reminder last Friday. I close for my DS bday, which was actually Sunday, so I closed Monday (to have lunch with him at school, do drop-off and school pick-ups, go somewhere special after school, things I don't normally ever get to do).

Yep, you know what's coming next...despite all that, I had one attempted drop-off (I wasn't home thankfully) followed by a snippy text asking if this was the only day I'm closed or if I am tomorrow, too. I'm sure it is in reference to St. Pat's Day. No, I am not on a drinking binge. So sorry my son had the audacity to be born so close to the holiday. I replied politely (although I didn't want to), so then she asks me to send her a list of all my days off, like, now, so she can put them on her calendar. I did not reply.

Then, while celebrating at the nearest ultra-expensive-video-game-fun-o-rama with family and friends, I got a text at 6:30 from a different family requesting a 30-minute early drop-off for this morning. I didn't even read the text. I saw who it was from and knew what it would be for, so I pretended to not even see it (which technically I didn't since I didn't open it).

I did not let it spoil my day, but it sure irritated me. I know DCP don't see it from my perspective, and would probably be horrified to know how much we providers can actually HATE our clients, but REALLY?!?! Leave me the he!! alone! IT'S MY DAY OFF!!!!!!!!!

[Magic]

Saddly I say I have had burnt from parents
much disrespect ignoring the contract and policies and late and no communication ex....and money isssues
so when my numbers where down I handed in my license
then
I ended up doing some " babysitting " over the summer
and relicensed in the fall
now I have a great group of parents
I do have to set boundries every so often and have a few things to still sort out with some ....but I feel refreshed and my attitude is different and I am full and having fun
parents often treat day care as " baby sitting " and not a real business ...sigh
and the funny thing .....is most say they could never do what I am doing ...
Good luck

[cheerfuldom]

I came on here to let loose some steam right along this train of thought!

I had the day off yesterday. It was one of 5 contracted, unpaid dates I take per year. No surprise since it is in my contract and handbook, plus being posted, plus 2 reminder emails, plus 1 verbal reminder last Friday. I close for my DS bday, which was actually Sunday, so I closed Monday (to have lunch with him at school, do drop-off and school pick-ups, go somewhere special after school, things I don't normally ever get to do).

Yep, you know what's coming next...despite all that, I had one attempted drop-off (I wasn't home thankfully) followed by a snippy text asking if this was the only day I'm closed or if I am tomorrow, too. I'm sure it is in reference to St. Pat's Day. No, I am not on a drinking binge. So sorry my son had the audacity to be born so close to the holiday. I replied politely (although I didn't want to), so then she asks me to send her a list of all my days off, like, now, so she can put them on her calendar. I did not reply.

Then, while celebrating at the nearest ultra-expensive-video-game-fun-o-rama with family and friends, I got a text at 6:30 from a different family requesting a 30-minute early drop-off for this morning. I didn't even read the text. I saw who it was from and knew what it would be for, so I pretended to not even see it (which technically I didn't since I didn't open it).

I did not let it spoil my day, but it sure irritated me. I know DCP don't see it from my perspective, and would probably be horrified to know how much we providers can actually HATE our clients, but REALLY?!?! Leave me the he!! alone! IT'S MY DAY OFF!!!!!!!!!

ha. too true.