Would you use a childminder who couldn't speak English?

I have to add that I got the highest mark in my 11 plus exams too, I got better marks than native english speaking children...

I'd be very suprised if it was purely down to the Au Pair having poor English TBH......

I wouldn't worry about your dd's english to be honest. Your dd will learn to speak english from you and most likely Gujarati from the CM, however as the cm has children they will probably speak in english to eachother and to your dd.

I was only able to speak Urdu as a child, according to my mother I couldn't speak a word of english when I started nursery (all my relatives at home would speak in urdu amongst themselves). However by primary school level, I spoke(still do in fact) flawless english, had managed to read the entire infants library worth of books (so teachers would bring in books for me to read), and I was top of the clas in maths too (no idea if the latter had anything to do with anything, just pointing out that I was not disadvantaged for speaking a language other than english during my babyhood), I was utterly crap at PE though (nothing to do with the languafges I spoke though).

If you like her I would go for a trial period, see how dd settles in and how you find her as a cm.

I wouldn't like the idea as I would worry about it from my child's point of view. It is enough of a worry when you leave your toddler with someone who does speak English, wondering if your child with their limited language, incorrect pronunciation, and special words for certain things will make themselves understood. But you are adding another barrier by leaving her with someone whose English is itself imperfect.

I am sure it could work well, but I wouldn't want to be putting up extra hurdles for my 1 yo.

I think if you had no other choice, as in a Maid who spoke only her native tongue then that's fine but a child who spends most of her life (lets face it) with a person whom speaks poor english will be slow in speech development!

I'll shut up now as it's a real hot point for me after coming across so many pre-schoolers with poor speech due to the au-pair speaking poor english!

and of course in this country your CM would be taking your DD out to local groups with English speaking children and adults - so wouldn't only be surrounded by Gujurati. I'd go for it for a trial period.

in Zim it's not at all uncommon for the maid to look after the children of English speaking families during the day - often the only language the maid speaks is her native tongue - which they speak to the child in almost exclusively. It doesn't stop the children growing up speaking perfectly good English as well!

Sorry but I think you'd be mad to leave your child with a Minder 5/7 days who speaks very poor english...it's a very important time in her language development.

I really can't see why you don't seem that worried about it to be honest? (confused emoticon)

How many hours a week will your Baby be spending with the Childminder?

No way.

What happens if there is a danger and she can't warn your daughter - like don't touch that, don't go near the road etc. Or if she is upset and she can't comfort her verbally.

I would find someone else and maybe go back to her in 6 months time to see if her english has improved enough

Oh go for it! My DD had a Romanian speaking nanny for the first three years of her life so Romanian was essentially her first language. She started kindergarten speaking very little English but soon came on leaps and bounds. She's now in an English Primary School, age 8 (Year 3) and her teacher told me she has a reading age of 15. The Romanian also helped her with other languages - her French teacher could tell that shehad learned another language fromt eh way she approached French. It really hasn't held her back.

NCMA-approved quality-assured network is good.

(Being a member of the NCMA isn't anything "special", all registered childminders are allowed to - it's just a case of paying your money!!)

Is the network this minder belongs to just a local "group" or a professional quality-assured network?

Quality-assured network childminders have to do a certain guaranteed number of hours training per year, and usually have good support. They have had to prove that they are very capable.

If language is the only barrier to choosing this lady, I don't think you should choose someone else without giving it a go. Could you do a few more social visits, and then dd by herself for a short while if you feel happy? Ask the minder how she would feel about it, without committing to a long-term agreement? Would you be able to discuss your concerns with her (would she understand?!)

I really understand the comments made by others, but I have managed to communicate successfully with non-English-speaking children and parents, and have also learned Makaton signing in order to care successfully for a child with special needs.

Never!

A childs first years are very important language wise.

Too many children around these days with delayed language due to Au-Pairs who speak very poor english.

The only way I'd leave a child with someone who spoke another language would be so they could teach them a 2nd language.

I wouldn't worry too much about strictness, ime the children's behaviour is down to cultural differences in expectations of behaviour. Whenever we've spent time with his family, or taken the kids to places where there are lots of asians, they've always been really friendly and lovely towards them. The differences are quite complicated and its hard to say really how much of that you would even encounter with a childminder, but if you want to email me on [email protected] or msn I'd be happy to chat with you further.

I'd go for it! I'd see it as a great oppurtunity for your dd to learn gujarati and she will still pick up plenty of english from you at home and from other children when she goes to mother and toddler groups and later on preschool. I think the communication problems will be overcome, it is something that you get used to. And I would go with the suggestion that important things are written down to be sure.

I wouldn't count on finding gujarati speakers in emergancies, gujarati family of mine have to take interpreters, but I am sure that she could manage if she speaks good enough english to complete a course.

I think the only concern I might have is that my gujarati family do have different ideas about child rearing and there are noticeable cultural differences in some of the things that they do with my dts.

The other thing you might find odd is if your dd starts speaking gujarati to you. My dts are learnign gujarati from their dad's side of the family and I don't speak it! So I'm learning bits alongside them, but I don't always understand everything that they say. If you do go for it, it might be worth asking the cm to write down any gujarati words that your dd uses.

With such a young child and other children in the house I think I would just tell her to talk to your dd in her own language, which your daughter will then learn alongside English. You do seem to really like her.

It sounds as if you really like her dotcotton. I'd be prepared to give it a go and see how it works out. I know that with any new CM you can agree a trial period at the end of which either of you can cancel the arrangement (at least this was the case with mine) so if you feel that it's not working you can always pull out.

I think it's unlikely that your dd's own language skills will be impaired by being with this cm. I have known several children of Italian parents who've grown up in this country speaking only Italian at home and who have learnt flawless, unaccented English from school/nursery/cm/whatever...

It's also possible that she was nervous about meeting you and that impaired her English a bit. She may be a lot more relaxed when she's on her own with your dd and once she gets to know you.

I think that the emergency thing is a bit of a spurious problem. She has four children of her own and has presumably managed to communicate with doctors etc about them. In a REAL emergency she'd get the essentials across (child, fall, hurt, head..). The people who approved her as a cm must have felt that she could communicate effectively enough for this, at least.

I'd say give it a go. You are not committing yourself for the rest of your dd's life... but it sounds as if she's the best you've seen and it's got to be worth a try if she's lovely in every other way. Good luck.

oh and she spoke only Spanish to DS1 which I encouraged.