do childminders get respect

i agree about the bit when at social gatherings. i always intend to say i run my own sucesful childcare business but chicken out and say im a childminder, we need a diferent name.

i think that my parents respect me. they are all great and i love their kids dearly.

i do get far far too much paperwork though.

No I must say since starting childminding this year it is not a respected job. Infact someone said to me yesterday ' well hows it going, better than working?' I felt like saying look Im a bl**dy nurse and it makes nursing in the NHS seem like a day at the spa and Im not kidding. I have to say that when my child is at school I dont think I'll keep it going but I like being around the kids but last week I did feel undervalued as parents arrived late, I didnt get paid on time etc. To be honest Im not sure I give a stuff what other adults think as long as the kids are ok.

I'd like to be respected but i dont think i am in all honesty, i work hard from 7am to 6pm everyday and the other day my pil (who are in a bit of a tricky spot at the mo with cars and health) said can't you help us out more as you're at home all day i help when i can but it is hard at the moment as i have kids coming and going so can't be too far from home, plus i have a very lively one who needs to be at nursery really so i have to make sure he gets chance to have a good run around, plays with other children etc everyday.

I'm really trying to make this business work but without any media singing our praises i doubt the public will ever think of us as anything other than babysitters.

I respect my ds's childminder enormously. She's a professional, has established a firm attachment with my ds and he gains so much from the time he spends with her. She's helping me to raise him and her influence is fantastic. How can anyone not respect someone they trust to do that?

my friend whos dd i mind is fab, wants it all above board and wants to do it anyway i set out..other mindees mum talks to me like she knows more about what im doing than i do and is treating me with about as much respect as a doormat of late

Respect, you must be joking!! Try mentioning what you do at any social gathering, where the other guests are professionals, and see what response you get.

Parents are either 'couldn't care less' or 'nit-pickers'.

And the money is dreadful, I'm thinking of packing up shop after Christmas.

I respect my childminder and her professionalism utterly.
She is fantastic-energetic,creative,charming and loving.
So much so that my dd never seems very happy to see me!

She is an absolute gem and we are very lucky (but I think she has too much paperwork.)

took my mum out for some nice christmas shopping last night and she said "how's the babysitting going"!!!

I don't think childminders get any respect at all. I often get comments about "babysitting" and geting a "proper job". I like what i do, i get time off, i choose my holidays, i choose my hours, but at the other end of the scale, i get messed about by parents, i (sometimes) get messed around with paymetns, etc.
I am taking tomorrow of to spend the day christmas shopping with Dh, going for lunch, friend picking my sons up, and generally having a nice day wioth DH. I told all parents 6 weeks ago. Mindee 3's mum has expected me to run around asking all the other CM's if they would have mindee for the day, and getting annoyed when they couldn't. I have parents phone me up at 10 pm and say mindee not coming tomorrow, and then moaning when i charge them full price.
Can you tell i've had a bad day!?

I think that, generally, childminders don't get a lot of respect (the "glorified babysitter" type of idea).

However, I feel very lucky with most of the families I have worked with over the years - they tend to appreciate what I do, but think I'm totally mental to want to do it.

I'm still in touch with my old childminder (I'm 32 btw), and she came to my wedding . . . She is lovely!

I respect mine to bits - as do my kids!!! (And pay her £5/hr + food fees - think you lot sound increadibly good value!!)

kay,if i found a child in my care had head lice i would ring the parents to collect them. this is what nurseries/schools do and if i ever had to i would send them home immeditaly.

I was told by my network co-ordinator to have a head lice policy - I thought it was a bit OTT but now reading this i am so glad i have!

Basically it says I cannot exclude a child i discover has head lice but would inform the parents on pick up and expect it to be treated before the child returns for their next scheduled childcare date.

Although this does depend on the parents

god im itching now!..................who mentioned head lice?!!!!!!

i def would not take a child that had head lice untill they were 100% clear. head lice are a horrible uncomfortable thing to have and i feel for the little kiddies that get them repeatedly,its not their fault its the parents who cant be bothered to condition comb the hair every night. i had a friend whos all 3 children had head lice permenantly from the age of 4 to 14,she justified it by saying the treatments dont work!! lazy cow couldnt be bothered to comb the hair through every night! ewwwwwww!

here here crochety!

i'm in that situation too smeenit, my mindees are aged 6-14 so less earning potential compared to littlies, thats why I work unsociable hours 6am -- 8.30pm)as I have no kids in school time.

I feel sorry for kids with head lice when their parents don't bother getting rid

My childminder gets my respect - I don't know how she does it - children in from about 7.40am and she doesn't see the last ones off till about 6pm. I've had two CMs and they have both been great and I go on about how childminders are a good choice in childcare at every opportunity. I think the press like to portray them as somehow not as good as nursery, but I wanted the home atmosphere, flexibility and small group attention. And while I'm at it I wish Ofsted wasn't so pointlessly rigid with their assessment system. Anyway I say childminders do a great job.

im with strawb on this im afraid, at the mo i dont feel cms get any/enough respect ive been crapped on from a great height one too many times right now!
i do agree that reputation earns respect but i do also believe its alot to do with who you know! i have older children and although i have a good repuation and am not new to this game i do occsionally still struggle to find new mindees because im not getting the buisness from people i know through young kiddies like a alot of cms do.

£800! You poor thing!

I wish I had more parents like bambi06 has! You are soo lucky

no, I don't think they do, sorry

The going rate is what I charge, there are four minders who do the local primary shcool and our rates are £2.50, £2.50, £2.60, and £3 p.h.

The two with the higher rates have the most vacancies. Coincidence - I think not.

Childcare practitioners across the board need more respect, we are caring for the next generation, a parents most precious possession and the government should allocate more campaigns to raise awareness of what we all do and what a high quality service we all provide.