interviewing childminders

I do show parents around the house. I don't show them the family bedrooms unless they insist (they are registered , but rarely used).

My little ones sleep in a cot in a quiet room. The older ones can go on the bed in there if they like, but they seem to prefer to make themselves a snuggly place to snooze in the play room, so they can just get up and get on with it when they wake.

My setting is quiet at 'quiet time' currently just one mindee and my DS.
If a parent if a child asked for a cot for a child of that age, I would endeavour to provide

I lift the child out of his pushchair if he's fallen asleep on way to afternoon school run and lay him on a sofa in my living room. (because it's busier then)
But usually he'd wake on me doing that.

I do not have a spare room upstairs, and I refuse to use one of my DC's as quite frankly they share enough.

I would wanted a cot/ bed/ somewhere quiet for a child to sleep tbh, so would want to see the arrangements. Almost 3 year old here hasn't been in a buggy for a year so unlikely to just nap in it every day.

Try another one!

Parents see my house because the playroom is at the back. And you have to walk through the hall to the kitchen / diner to get to it.
Most just look through the window at the garden.
They don't always look in my living (although I do host in there sometimes) and nobody has looked at the bathroom upstairs.

Where did you conduct your 'interview'? Surely you went into the house. Most parents just take you on face value and think well if the playroom and kitchen are ok the rest must be.

The 3 year old I look after naps in his pushchair on way to school or may fall asleep on the sofa during quiet time. Not sure what the issue is there, as most 3 yo don't need to be put down like babies they just fall asleep if they need to.

I would, however, put a smaller toddler/ baby to nap in my living room, in a travel cot.

As a CM I am well aware I am being interviewed as much as a parent is... in as much as we are both trying to find out as much as we can about each other irt meeting the child in question's care needs... behaviour management/health and nutrition et al.

I give prospective parents a house tour, show them plenty of documents (statutory docs, children's art work and creative activities, as well as my own policies/menus etc.) and have a good natter and question time... which can go on for a while...

It seems to do the trick - I'd say at least 80%-90% of the parents come back to me asking for a place (Bearing in mind I only arrange an interview with those who I feel will be a likely match - via their initial email/s).

She sounds like she has allready decided she didn't want to take your children.

Cms interview parents as they are self employed.

I wouldn't have acted like this as a cm as its rude but I definatly made up my mind I couldn't work with certain parents at the first contact.

She doesn't sound very keen, but remember you are not really interviewing her any more than she is interviewing you. Is it possible something you said made her think your family/dc wasn't going to be a good match for her vacancy so she was just going through the motions?

I saw one childminder who was like this - didn't show me around, didn't really offer any information about her setting/meals etc Needless to say I didn't go with her! I saw others who had all their policies to hand, could show me menus, example routines, copies of their Ofsted report.

It would have been nice if she had shown you around however it's important to remember you don't interview a childminder. A first meeting is for both sides to see whether a potential working relationship can be formed. Childminders are self employed so are free to make these choices and are not being employed by the parent. Did you ask her to show you her setting? How did she seem in general? You need to go with how you felt she would be with your child, and often that is a gut instinct.

I would expect to be shown around fully, with details of daily activities including naptimes.