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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

Want poncey organic childminder-your thoughts?

117 replies

Fillyjonk · 26/01/2007 08:52

I want some childcare. Am looking at various options.

A childminder really appeals. But also, am fussy, as you will see below.

I want:

fresh, vegetarian food. No frigging angel delight. No trans fats. Home baking with butter not marg is great. Am not fussy re sugar.

And I don't want anyone telling my kids to "finish whats on their plate" or "try everything".

Daily walking. And not to some huge soft play place where the CM sits with a coffee and chats to other CM and ignores the kids (this is what happens at the local soft play and it is really putting me off using any local CMs, tbh).

No dogs or smoking

Lots of reading and no tv

No overt attempt to teach reading or anything

Oh and I only want maybe 3 mornings a week, but have a lot of flexibiliyt as to which. A weekend day would also be fine.

Ok basically I am a ponce and a yummy mummy. But I am prepared to pay for this. I need some childcare right now and Cardiff has bllx all choice, all the nurseries are pretty much the same.

I kind of just want to know if CMs like this exist. Basially I want someone else to be a yummy mummy to my kids. I will pay for this. Is this possible? Are any of you guys such CMs? (this will give me hope)

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morningpaper · 27/01/2007 20:25

Fillyjonk: Have you explored Montessori????

lunavix · 27/01/2007 19:39

Okay filly I'd say I'd fit your criteria then. Although I'm near Newbury so not local!

I don't think in principle those requests are unreasonable at all.

nannynick · 27/01/2007 19:33

Query regarding 'daily walks'. What would you determine to be suitable? Separate thread started for your convenience
How Far Is A Walk?

Original poster
Fillyjonk · 27/01/2007 19:30

yes no 6 that is indeed my plan

but only on monday, wednesday and friday between 9-12

OP posts:
Original poster
Fillyjonk · 27/01/2007 19:28

I don't want someone who is a replica of me

I want someone a lot better tempered for a start

I want fresh food (not even organic, not even lentils), daily walks, no tv (for the 3 or 4 hours they are there, and bear in mind that this is flexible) and some reading.

no dogs or smoking (due to allergies btw)

that is it really.

Am not actually asking for wooden toys, trips out, home baking or edifying reads.

I think CMs are generally great, but really I also think that these are quite basic requests.

Oh there is one thing, dunno if it makes a difference, but my kids are 3 and 18 months.

OP posts:
ssd · 27/01/2007 19:25

oh, I've had that plan for a while now too!

maybe we should all go together!

ThePrisoner · 27/01/2007 19:23

Does your cunning plan involve leaving the country without leaving any contact details??

ssd · 27/01/2007 19:20

I know, but it's really hard to leave your kids with someone who you want to be a replica of you.

you'll never find this, thats why i'm saying it might be easier to stay at home

Original poster
Fillyjonk · 27/01/2007 19:19

and if nothing else, I am developing a cunning plan from it

OP posts:
Original poster
Fillyjonk · 27/01/2007 19:18

for a very large amount of long long reasons ssd

OP posts:
ThePrisoner · 27/01/2007 19:09

I don't think I would charge more because I offer organic food (albeit only snacks/drinks) and, to be honest, I don't think that all my parents would pay more for it. I do it (and keep it vegetarian as well) because those are my values, and certainly not necessarily those of my minding parents.

I do charge a relatively high rate for my area, but I include all outings/trips and, I think, offer a better service than other minders I know .

Despite what any of us MNing minders are saying, there don't seem to be any of us who 100% offer exactly what you want (except booh??)

ssd · 27/01/2007 19:08

filly as you only want someone for 3 mornings a week and you've got a list of wants as long as your arm, why don't you just look after your kids yourself?

surely that would be easier until they are at school

lunavix · 27/01/2007 17:56

I'm a CM and I'd fit some criteria but not all...

We do lots of walks, my previous mindees were doing around 4 miles a day from under 2. (Not all in one go!)
I do all home cooked food, and a lot of it is organic (from local box schemes etc)

I don't 'teach' reading or writing, but I do encourage it if the child is interested (that's a very Steiner/Montessori request isn't it?)

We don't smoke or have pets. We read tons and listen to music.

Very flexible on hours.

However - the children I look after now are all over 5. They have a limit on how much they are allowed to watch tv (usually 20min each) and that includes games consoles etc.
We go to soft play approx once a fortnight in the holidays. But we go down the local woodlands at least three times a week too. Usually twice a week after school.

They are allowed two biscuits after school, which aren't home made. This is something I want to change - I want all our biscuits and cakes to be homemade but at the moment I'm struggling with time, with a newborn, a two year old and other things on the go.

THe junky snacks (my ds doesn't have biscuits anymore - he had them for about 4 months ) and the tv is actually at the request of the parents. To be fair I'm not 100% against the odd bit of junk or tv, but I personally would rather have something else, but the parents wanted me to fit in with what they do. (this is a whole other thread.) I generally manage to distract away from the tv, but if they're tired or ill they do watch it. We generally do crafts once a week and cooking once a week.

So I don't know if I'd be good enough for you! To be fair, this is all for the over 5s. When I just had my ds and mindees under 5, their only snacks were humzingers (which my ds considers a real treat) dried fruits and fresh fruit and veg. No TV, until their parents asked they watch 45min of TV a day instead of napping. I argued this for a while but gave in as my ds was in bed at that time. Like I said, they walked up for 4 miles most days.

bambi06 · 27/01/2007 17:46

im what youre looking for but im in london..soreee!! and im sure there are others like that..i wnt this for my kids and as im a childminder this is what i expect...

ScummyMummy · 27/01/2007 17:26

Because it doesn't sound like much fun feeding lentils to kids even for £5 an hour or £8 or whatever, maybe? Or perhaps it's because most lentil weavers use nurseries or nannies so there's not perceived to be a great demand? I think it would be worth chatting to individual child minders in your area and seeing what they can offer. I think most will try and please parents as far as they can without compromising the way they work completely if it's very different from what the parent might do.

shosha · 27/01/2007 17:18

Message withdrawn

shosha · 27/01/2007 17:18

Message withdrawn

whatkatydidntdo · 27/01/2007 17:16

I am a cm and as you only want morning thats not a bad list of requirements.

Food - ok no problems but perhaps you could supply LO's food if you are worried.

Daily walking - again no problem do it anyway

No TV - again no problem, as a cm the tv only goes on occasionally and then its at the request of mindees never my idea! we use it as a treat and watch a particular programme *which I often record and skim through first to try to tie it into someting we are doing.

Lots of reading - my fave

No dog/smoking- again no problems

Cardiff - no sorry I am not in cardiff.
But it is possible to find a childminder who will accomodate you. Happy searching

Original poster
Fillyjonk · 27/01/2007 17:15

and scummy, thats my feeling BUT

if lentilly ones are prepared to pay more...why is no one offering the service?
lentil weavers do use nurseries you know. Me, for example, til fairly recently.

OP posts:
Original poster
Fillyjonk · 27/01/2007 17:14

lol

the communal table has to be wood hewn, possibly by the kids

no I absolutely agree that fantastic childcare can occur without good food but...

I'm perhaps in a good situation. I need only a few hours a week so can afford to chose, really between various types of care.

I do want a childminder but really don't want to compromise on food. So I won't

actually communal food is massively massively important to me , tbh.

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ScummyMummy · 27/01/2007 17:13

"I am really genuinely puzzled as to why there are so few lentilly CM."

It's because child minders are usually paid v badly for working v hard so it doesn't attract many lentil weavers. They wouldn't be able to afford the best puy lentils washed down with freshly squeezed orange juice for increased iron absorbtion if they were getting £2.50 an hour.

ThePrisoner · 27/01/2007 17:10

Communal table ??? You mean eating with the children as well!!! I think you are asking tooooo much now!

motherinferior · 27/01/2007 16:59

FJ, I just wanted to say that my CM meets some but not all of these criteria - notably the food ones, and they do have some TV - but I have despite myself realised that she's delivered a really, really good standard of childcare.

I'm not saying you have to compromise, but I am saying that it's been quite an education - and a salutory one - for me.

Original poster
Fillyjonk · 27/01/2007 16:57

yeah, see I can't be doing with sending in my own stuff

my vision is of a great communal meal table, chidren and adults alike eating the food of their labours.

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ThePrisoner · 27/01/2007 16:55

I had organic lentils and vegetables for my dinner last night. And I am drinking organic peppermint tea as I type, and my coffee is always organic too (except when I go to soft play - but I do play with the children there!!) I also go out for walks in all weather. But not in Cardiff, although my dd is at uni nearby (not sure that this counts really).

My mindees bring their own food anyway - sending your own would ensure that your child only has what you want them to have.