xvi I N T R O D U C DOUBLE TION TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET professionalism and how to operate your own individual child care business so that it gives you freedom and independence as your own boss. However, every business is governed by regulations and laws. Child care is regulated by many state, federal, health and safety, fire, and environmental statutes and ordinances that must be obeyed. As a provider operating your own business, you might find yourself in conflict when your clients want you to overlook some regulations. For example, suppose your child care regulations state that a baby must be on the same floor level as you at all times. Yet you have a mother who wants you to put her baby down to sleep in an upstairs bedroom because she feels the baby will sleep longer in a quiet room. Your job as a licensed child care pro- vider is to enforce and uphold all regulations, even if you believe the parent has a valid point. The tools in this manual will help you to interact with your clients in a positive manner while upholding the regulations. Besides the regulatory aspects of visits, communications during a visit can be challenging. Visiting monitors coming into your home might not have good skills in this area. Some can be demanding and even aggressive in the way they carry out their duties. Others might be opinionated and want you to do things their way. When and how do you speak up? Where does their authority begin and end? Our goal is to assist you in developing skills that will lead you to interact with others productively and successfully so you can benefit the most from your visits. How to Use This Manual This manual is a reference guide. Each chapter discusses the skills you need so you can handle specific situations when someone is visiting your home. Each chapter is designed to stand alone. This allows you to refer to the chapter that addresses a particular situation. Each chapter begins with a COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL