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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Time Wasters?
MsLisa 07:48 AM 01-03-2017
How do you deal with flaky parents?
How do you not take it personally?

As a Nanny, I take every inquiry very seriously because it's a freaking circus in my area. I have had quite a slow yet great start so far, but it's the flake parents, not the steady parents

Particularly, I have one family that has found me in November and wants to use me for After-school care (4 days a week; 2-7pm) for 3 awesome boys. The parents were just starting their training for their new job so I was not set to start until January. Fine. I filled some time with date nights & on-calls. Now it's 2017 and so far the start date went from a mystery... to Jan 11th....and now it's Jan 26th! Another month basically. I've waited 2 months for this family already, turning down a few families with full-time schedule needs who need me like yesterday. I'm growing aggravated (& we could really use the money). I'm really anxious that it's going to drag on and then BOOM they suddenly don't need me, like all the other damn flakes here.

So what do I do? Do I say something?
What's your protocol for flake parents?
When do you put them on the "time wasting" list?

(PS.I know a daycare would just roll their eyes and fill in that spot the moment the parents show any sign of uncertainty.... but I don't get many inquiries, so I try to make the best out of the ones I do get. But now I feel like I'm being dumb.)
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Leigh 08:06 AM 01-03-2017
I would take one of those full time offers.

"I'm sorry, but I have to support myself, and I can not wait any longer for a start date. I had to accept an offer from someone who can let me work NOW.".
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laundrymom 09:36 AM 01-03-2017
Interview and accept first family who needs you. If it's a good fit of course. When flaky family finally calls let them know they can either be put on your waitlist or you will refund deposit and shred their personal information.
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daycarediva 11:21 AM 01-04-2017
Originally Posted by laundrymom:
Interview and accept first family who needs you. If it's a good fit of course. When flaky family finally calls let them know they can either be put on your waitlist or you will refund deposit and shred their personal information.


and don't let a family BE flaky. Agree on a start date and time, and if they decide to push it back, tell them that you will wait the X amount of time for full pay.
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mommyneedsadayoff 11:46 AM 01-04-2017
That job seems fishy to me. After school care, yet tey keep pushing the date back? You would think they would want that as soon as Christmas break ends. I would take any job offer that feels like a good fit. NEVER wait around on a family that is not PAYING you to wait around on them. I devalued myself as a nanny when I first started and I will never make that mistake again. A great nanny can be hard to find (they are usually booked up with families), so if they find one, they need to secure it that person with real money, not the promise of real money.
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MsLisa 03:01 PM 01-04-2017
Originally Posted by mommyneedsadayoff:
That job seems fishy to me. After school care, yet tey keep pushing the date back? You would think they would want that as soon as Christmas break ends. I would take any job offer that feels like a good fit. NEVER wait around on a family that is not PAYING you to wait around on them. I devalued myself as a nanny when I first started and I will never make that mistake again. A great nanny can be hard to find (they are usually booked up with families), so if they find one, they need to secure it that person with real money, not the promise of real money.
They blame their work place for "lack of communication" on when their "later hours" start. Something to do with their training. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here twiddling my thumbs and growing anxious and ready to walk away. A month wait was fine, now it's just getting stupid, especially now that you all pointed out that they should be at least paying me something to hold me there.

I had another parent that did something similar too. Met me immediately and everything was perfect. The start date was a week later, on-call to start since she was just getting back into her job again as a Realtor. Then she flaked that start day with an excuse. Contacted me again, letting me know she may need me again soon. Never heard from her again after that.: confused:

I'm also super guilty of trying to be super flexible and everything because inquires are so few. Probably biting myself in the arse.
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