Every day we face difficult decisions affecting both the children in our care and the staff who look after them. Making these decisions is, after all, what sets our role apart from that of the nursery practitioner. In fact, one of the qualities most used to describe the attributes of a good manager is the ability to make decisions and stand by them.
While our kind-hearted nature wants desperately to meet the needs of every individual, this is not always practical or indeed business-minded.
Take, for example, the parent who wants to bend your policies just that little bit further ... each one setting a precedent for the next to quote. We want to be as accommodating as we can, but the policies have been written for a reason. I have always been served by the guiding principle of 'firm but fair'. All kinds of sticky situations can be entered in to when you try to bend the rules for individuals; a late payment here, an early drop-off there. The phrase 'But you did it for ...' is one you only want to hear once!
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