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Original poster

CM Club: How do people react when you tell them you're a childminder?

28 replies

allieballie · 24/03/2006 12:54

I was out with my DH last night when we bumped into a friend of a friend of his. So we were chatting along quite friendly when she asks what it is that I do. Her reaction to me being a childminder was "oh", then she turned around and started talking to someone else, me obviously being a lower life form.

I know I wasn't being paranoid cos my husband noticed it too and he's not very observant in such things! I've calmed down now but she ever needs childcare...

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FeelingOld · 24/03/2006 13:26

I seem to get 2 kinds of reaction which are extreme opposites

  1. The 'oh that's nice you can earn a bit of money til you get a real job' kind of reaction, or
  2. The 'You need a medal, I couldn't do that, what a fanatastic job you do reaction,

lots of my friends started off with reaction number 1 when I told them that I was becoming a childminder but having seen all of the hard work I put in to it and have seen how much training etc I do they are now more of the number 2 opinion Smile.

WE ARE PROFESSIONALS AND IT'S ABOUT TIME PEOPLE REALISED THIS!!!!!

Sorry, but it's about time we all got more assertive and let people know this.

saltire · 24/03/2006 13:25

When i go home to visit, my friends are quite dismissive of my job. With the exception of one who is a dinner lady, the others are bank workers, PR consultants etc etc. Many a time i have been asked
"When are you going to get a proper job" However since i pointed out to them that if it wasn't for me, and all the other childminders across the UK, then people like them would not be able to go and do "proper" jobs. One of them often asks how work is, if i'm busy etc, but the others hardly mention it, never ask how it's going etc.
My MIL often mentions the fact that i don't have a proper job as well. She will call me during the day and i say to her that i'm working
"no you're not, you're just a home" is the reply.

Kidstrack2 · 24/03/2006 13:15

allieballie when i told my PIL that i was going to become a childminder she asked "when was i going to get a real job" i told dp what his mum had said and he gave her a mouthful of how dare you etc, me really chuffed that he stuck up for me aginst his mummy

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