potential CM's house smelling of cigarette smoke-deal-breaker?

I also misread. I thought your post said that you tell parents it is a smoke free environment. I've just reread and see you said it was not a smoke free environment. Sorry about that.

Hi StarExpat, i don't think you sound unkind and i so appreciate not being shot down in flames. I am 100% honest with parents and one of the things i tell them is that if their child is asthamtic or for any reason they need a completely smoke free environment then my setting is not for them. I have had one potential parent tell me that as my home is not smoke free then they can't consider me for their child, which i completely understand and i appreciated their honesty.

I do know where the posters on this thread are coming from I just wanted to add a little bit from the otherside iyswim

PO do you tell parents that dh smokes in kitchen and bedroom but not while mindees present? Even if this were the case, I'd want to know that there is someone who smokes in the kitchen sometimes or a smoker residing in the house - even if it's not done while mindees are there. That is not a "smoke free" environment to me... And I would be very upset if cm did not tell me this. Mostly because of ds' asthma. Doesn't matter if not done while he's there if it's in the house at other times. Sorry. I'm sure you are lovely so I don't mean to sound unkind.

nannyl, I do agree with you and the other posters on here. I just wanted to point out that it is not necessary to demonise a cm because there is a smoker in the home.

"don't agree that a completely smokefree cm is necessarily going to be the best...."

agree with that to an extent... there are some really rubbish CM's out there (and equally terrible nannies / nurseries / au pairs / mummies before we have that arguement ) and it may be better for a child to be cared for by one of the super super CM's in a house where someone smokes sometimes, than by one of the few and far between bad CM's.

However a super super CM in a non smoking is (IMO) far far far far better still, and regardless of how fab a CM she (or he) is, I personaly would still never send my own children to a CM where smoking happens in the home (or by the door outside)

I am going to go against the general concenus here and I know I will be shot down in flames but....here goes....

I am a registered cm, v.new only 4 months in and waiting my ofsted inspection, but hear me out...

My dh does smoke, not in the main living area of our home, not in the areas the children play or sleep, only in our bedroom (because that is where his playstation is and that is his retreat) and in our kitchen. There is no smoking in our home while minded children are present. I tell all of my parents that this is not a smoke free environment, of course they can tell that when the enter my home.

I have filled all of my spaces and have a waiting list and it is not for lack of cms in our area.

The op said that the setting she visited smelt very strongly of smoke which I completely disagree with and I have had a cm myself whose home smelt strongly of smoke and I did discontinue using her service for many reasons but this was one of them.

my mindees range from 8mo to 8yo and it has not been an issue for my parents, I ensure that my home is well ventillated and so far it has not been an issue.

I feel that I can't say anything else because as soon as smoking and children are brought up, all hell breaks loose (figuratively speaking) and i do agree with most of it. But we all make compromises when it comes to childcare and while smoking and children are like water and oil i don't agree that a completely smokefree cm is necessarily going to be the best....

i am awaiting the fury ..........

Snap, deal breaker here. I'm a CM (also ex smoker) and my dh does smoke but it's done outside and of course the children don't ever see him. I don't even allow any stinky coats hanging up downstairs, YUCK!!

An ex-smoker and a childminder here: it would definitely be a deal breaker. No two ways about it.

definatly not for me... am cm and its not acceptable to have house smelling of smoke.. it doesnt matter if husband smokes outside either , doesnt make a jot of difference.. look elsewhere...

And can't stand the smell [hypocritical ex-smoker]

Deal breaker for me - asthmatic child

I would NEVER let any child of mine/in my care be in a smoke environment. Simply disgusting. Plus all the health issues.

dh gets shoved outside and back door closed - he seems to smoke more in summer and less in winter - cant think why

so cat what are you going to do?

can you live with a smoking environment for your dc?

dealbreaker for me too

Iwish: I don't mean I object to someone walking past my house with a lit fag, but I'd object to someone standing by my back door smoking a whole cig: a lot of smoke can get into the house that way.

My DH has severe emphysema,and is very sensitive to smoke so I know just how much smoke can get into a house from outside from when we've had parties/mates who smoke round who smoke in the garden.

And ime houses don't smell strongly of smoke unless someone is smoking a lot inside them, so this suggests that someone in the CM's family has the smoking habit strongly, and this person might well smoke near the house even while the children were being looked after. Clearly it's not as bad smoking outside the house as inside it, but it's still not great, and would be a complete dealbreaker for me looking for someone to care for my children.

As a parent complete deal breaker. that being said, i don't mind if someone smokes as long as they do it outside. my sister smokes, but never in her house around her kids.

this is an interesting link news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8503870.stm about third hand smoke. it's really the residue of what smoke leaves behind on furnishings.

I guess it depends on the house.

6 steps from our windows and they'd be smoking on my drive or garden - then I might have something to say about it

never seen the 6 steps campaign? if you smoke outside the house you should take 6 steps away to stop smoke coming into the house

superdragonmama - do you really worry about people smoking near your house? What do you do if a smoker with a lit cigarette walks past and you have a window open . Some things can be taken too far imo

it is horrid, isn't it, Star

Yuck. I can't believe a cm could be registered and accredited or whatever it's called... And not have a completely smoke free environment. Horrible.
I guess that's why it's up to parents to visit and make sure before signing up.

Complete dealbreaker for me.

Poor children would have to sit in smelly smoky chairs, and have naps on smelly smoky beds - yuk

Plus I'd worry about anyone smoking near the house; smoke can drift in from outside.

Private dwellings are exempted from the Smoke-free regulations except in very limited circumstances.

So childminders assistants and nannies are not in general protected by law :(

Not least because the first thing I would have to do when I got the DC home every evening would be to bath them and wash their hair.

I can't even stand the smell of scent on DD3- she just doesn't smell "right" to me unless she smells of herself and it bothers me hugely.

what i meant was, would they be given outstanding if they smoked?

sorry didnt explain it very well