Parents are NUTS.

Seriously.  Some parents are total psychos.  Ask any teacher.

The kid I sit for requires a lot of structure to hold himself together and he does not handle transitions or unexpected occurrences very well (especially ones he deems undesirable). We've been using a positive behavior support system to reward things he does well or times he is especially nice, polite, shares well, etc.  It's worked wonders.  He earns two minutes of screen time (tv, phone games, tablet games, wii, etc) at a time to cash in at the end of the day to equal up to 20 minutes.  Well, he's not allowed screen time anymore.  AT ALL.  He's also not really allowed to have junk foods and I don't really condone the use of edible rewards.  So now he's not working toward anything and he's a nightmare.  He's 5.  He's incapable of being good for the sake of being good.  Developmentally, he's not there yet.  And he darn well shouldn't be.

He has, however, learned to wipe his own butt, use manners consistently without being prompted, clear his plate without being asked to, get out lunch materials independently, pick up his toys without a fuss and he reads me a book every day, even if he doesn't feel like reading.  All in the 2 1/2 weeks I've been there.

I'm not going to argue with him all day to get him to do the things he has to do with no purpose.  I've had job offers elsewhere that I'm more than happy to take.  I'm a degree holding educator who's working as a nanny for pete's sake.   I'm a hot commodity!  I admit that I do value myself more than I probably should, but come on.  I won't sit back and fight with a kid when I've got research and training that tells me to do otherwise. 

Soooo tomorrow I'm going to present the parents with my research documents and ask for acceptable, motivating rewards.  If that doesn't work out, they're on their own.  SHEESH!

And my wedding planning quote of the day goes to: A Practical Wedding "F*** em if they don't like the chairs"