How do you deal with the master manipulator mom's? Do you ever want to just call them out? How have they tried to manipulate you?
I've put myself in these positions so many times I've wondered if I would ever learn. It starts out as an innocent request or question and ends up being a whole big pile of....you know what.
Experience is a wonderful teacher though:eyebrows: I've had bios request to call their children and a few sentences later sum it up, "Yeah, so, I can't wait for you to call me so I can talk with the kids." I politely remind them that our original agreement (2 sentences ago) was for them to call ME.
I once had parents go on a school field trip with their child only to show up and "forget" to bring lunch money. I didn't realize that lunch was provided. Instead of returning the money, they bought their child a trinket at the gift shop (I'm sure it was done with all the grandeur they could muster). Could have been worse I guess, they could have just kept it.
I've had bios ask me for money, in front of their children, b/c they "haven't eaten all day". When I declined, the kids started crying and that night at dinner they just kept saying how unfair it was that they were eating and their parents weren't.
I have provided whole bday parties like this before. I would rather prop the parents up in small ways than deal with children's sorrow when they realize that they're parents really don't care.