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Original poster

CM CLUB:Do any of you get anything 'done' through the day?

39 replies

StrawberrySnowflakes · 19/12/2006 08:47

lots of other cm's at the groups we go to say theyve just been to b&q, got the hoovering done, etc etc etc.i dont get any of this done and despite telling one mindees mum i would take her shopping(food) if i had the car, which she was fine with, it only happend once, her dd cried all the way round, so never botherd and go battle my way through after a ten hour shift on a firday!
Am i the odd one out?..i do put washing out/on radiators, but thats about it?!

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ThePrisoner · 20/12/2006 02:46

Sorry Strawberry - I wasn't suggesting you'd said anything wrong! But I think your dp has - I disagree that it is a "perk" of the job. I suppose I'm different in that I don't have small children of my own at home but, as far as I am concerned, you are a "working" mum. Other working parents do their household chores outside their working hours. And so should we.

I blitz my house either during the evening or the next morning - cleaning loo, kitchen floor, vacuuming etc. I clear up anything we use for mealtimes. Anything on the floor tends to be eaten by the cats (food) or left until I clear up properly in the evening (craft stuff, toys etc.) I usually try to get the children help put toys away near hometime.

If all the children are asleep (yeh right), then I think you can do what you want!

shosha · 19/12/2006 20:57

Message withdrawn

MerryChristmasPANDAGHappyNewYe · 19/12/2006 19:17

I will load dishwasher, wash up, sweep kitchen floor/hoover lounge - because it is clearing up after activities done with mindees. We often go for a walk and call in at a local shop for for milk/bread, or for mindees to choose their fruit for snack or lunchtime, but that is about it. I would go to the Post office with a mindee, but that is because they are only open when i am working. I agree that doing other household tasks is just taking the mickey.

Original poster
StrawberrySnowflakes · 19/12/2006 19:11

sorry, i was just refering to the cm's ive spoken to at groups, not anyone on here.

as im new i still feel, being at home working i should perhaps still be doing stuff(obv not jobs like painting like me and dd used to attempt to do together), but smaller/quicker things.
i get to stack dishwasher, hoover if we've been messy(lunch/snack time, glittering/gluing/painting or salt doh'ing like we have been just lately), hang washing out...but tbh i still feel guilty doing this but dp keps saying thats the perk of working from home, as long as your not ignoring the children(which im not)

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ThePrisoner · 19/12/2006 18:59

Strawberry - no, I don't think they are being Supermum, I think they are being bad childminders!!

Clearing up after the mindees is fine (washing-up, vacuuming if necessary etc), and walking to the shops for a pint of milk is fine. Doing all your house cleaning, weekly washing/ironing and household shopping is not. I know childminders who "work" like this, and they are the sort of childminders who get "professional" childminders a bad name.

I think doing any of these on odd occasions is OK, if necessary (I ironed a shirt once, but it was for an evening childminders' meeting!!) - but not as part of a normal, working day.

(Hope I haven't upset too many people ... but I get fed-up with people assuming that this is what I do all day!)

Original poster
StrawberrySnowflakes · 19/12/2006 15:40

should say, apart from playroom were i hoover at laest twice a day then at home time(we glue/glitter/stick/paint/bake /make all in playroom, so if i didnt id have to rip the carpet up!

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Original poster
StrawberrySnowflakes · 19/12/2006 15:39

okay then, so these others are like superwoman then or something!
last mindee jst gone had really rubbish day and am trying to get full house dusted and hooverd as it looks like we have an inch thick of grey snow everywhere!

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santasaltire · 19/12/2006 14:27

Are you kidding? I have an almost 2 year old who follows me around sucking his thumb and holding onto my leg, screeching if he can't see me. So if i'm very lucky i get the dishes washed, or the lunch made, whilst trying not to trip over him

FeelingOld · 19/12/2006 14:27

Similar to others
Load dishwasher after breakfast/lunch, wipe table, dustbust under table etc.
In nice weather hang washing out if mindees in the garden.
Occasionally nip to shop for milk or bread but never do a big shop during working hours.

santasweetdreamer · 19/12/2006 14:09

I do dishes as I go along, hoover up if needed, maybe hang up a wash. I take the kids shopping very very occassionally.

can't see how you'd be able to do anymore!!

LoveMyGirls · 19/12/2006 13:29

i do what i can i try to make sure my house is immaculate everynight ready for the next day so i tyr to keep on top of it as i go along - if the house is spotless when they arrive it should be spotless when they go home imo, doesnt always work out like that though!

I don't do my washing or shopping though i do shopping online and washing on sundays.

usually ill do a through clean clean at the weekend which takes me about 2 hrs but dp usually takes the kids out while i crack on with it.

ayla99 · 19/12/2006 13:23

Uh No. Childminding is my excuse for not doing housework! Parents are paying me to provide activities for their child not to clean my own house.

Its as much as I can do to clean up as we go; washing up & hoovering after meals & preparing meals. I have to put washing out during the day and the bathroom sometimes needs my attention after certain mindies have been in there! Other than that everything waits til evenings/weekends. From time to time I've nipped to a shop for milk or other essential but I wouldn't do my weekly shop while minding. One parent complained to me that her previous childminder used to do that; she was really put out about it.

dmo · 19/12/2006 13:15

i dont do any house work
treat childminding as a job and i think to myself these jobs wouldnt get done if i worked out of the house

expect like Cymbranchildminder i load dishwasher, cook and tidy what mess the children make

Cwmbranchildminder · 19/12/2006 09:36

I do put the hoover around but thats for the childrens sake as I sometimes have the dog in the room with them so hoover up once hes bk in bed.
i always wash the dishes as i go
obviously cook meals
sometimes hang washing on the line
thats it tho!