Caring for Children of Friends and Relatives
©1999 Cyndi Beauchemin
Quite often, dealing with friends and family in a business sense can be frustrating. You definitely need to be strong and make sure that your personal relationship can endure the working one. I suggest that before agreeing to care for the children of family or friends, they understand the following:
1) The working relationship cannot affect your personal one, i.e. no favoritism and no hurt feelings should issues arise between you.
2) The rules, policies and pay dates for your daycare, apply to everyone-friend, family or otherwise and that they too must sign a contract agreeing to abide by these rules and policies established for your daycare.
3) Their children must also abide by your rules and be disciplined in the same manner as the other children.
4) If they cannot agree to the above, then you will not be able to provide care for their children. In a situation where you are already working with the friend or relative, I suggest that you provide them with a written contract and ask them to sign it. Although late, it's better than not having one and this allows you time to cover your policies and possibly correct any misunderstandings regarding your daycare policies that person may have. If you have a signed contract with your friends or family members, enforce those rules just as if they were any other daycare family.
On the first day of care for any child, regardless of who they belong too, make the rules of your home daycare perfectly clear. If the children do not listen, or follow the rules then apply the appropriate discipline. It is imperative that you be consistent and follow through after every warning.
Providing quality childcare is a team effort, one that involves everyone, encourage teamwork from the beginning of care, no matter whose children you are caring for. |
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