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Paid childcare

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

As a parent, would you find this too bossy?

212 replies

Snap8TheCat · 14/06/2017 21:54

I'm a well established childminder and when a new family starts with me I provide them with a pack of my policies and procedures and all the forms I need completing.

I'm thinking of adding a page to iron out little niggles that invariably crop up. Things like, please name clothing, don't drop off early without prior arrangement, i prefer nappies instead of pull ups, no lace up shoes etc etc

It's all worded very friendly but firmly. I feel it's better to air these things before they become a problem and I have to find a way of bringing it up.

However I'm dithering over whether to include it or not. Parents, what do you think?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
zzzzz · 21/06/2017 14:20

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Floggingmolly · 21/06/2017 14:10

Doesn't know how to "embed learning and intimacy into a child's life"??? You are truly barking, zzzz. You really can't do that without making every shitty nappy a Magical Moment?
Life must be quite shit in your house, pardon the pun. Dancing round the room with a nappy on your head, celebrating every turd that's produced. It all sounds so tediously worthy. To everyone else it's just shit; to be dealt with efficiently and no particular fanfare.

zzzzz · 21/06/2017 14:03

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Loopytiles · 21/06/2017 13:30

Grin at the earnest poster regarding nappy changing as a valuable opportunity for education!

Loopytiles · 21/06/2017 13:28

I would be fine with info on your preferences / "niggles".

zzzzz · 21/06/2017 13:26

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jannier · 21/06/2017 13:09

zzzzzz......most homes may have free access to toys and may have a water table etc outside. Generally most will not have paint sand water drawing home corner gloop music and normal free flow toys all set up inside and out all day long with free flow between house and garden.
My areas today....water and ice play inside, water wall outside, music outside, reading den inside and out, painting on my conseratory doors so inside and out, mark making in salt tray, threading, construction, glue/scissors/craft table as well as home corner and normal toys. The children access all freely but must be supervised so to nappy change I need to bring the children into where I can see them all this restricts their play If im changing 3 to 4 nappies per child that's a lot of time the others are not accessing their play....

A parent may well do all these activities at one time ( although I struggle to persuade both my clients and parents at toddler group to do more than a bit of drawing and outdoor wet play) but they do not have to meet the requirements of Ofsted whilst they are di it and in general most do not have 3 between the age of 8 months and 2 to then support in learning change nappies whilst getting to the school on time two to 4 times a day.

jannier · 21/06/2017 12:38

catkind.....I see your use f nappy pants to pull ups but that is not the way nappy pants are marketed or that most parents use them. The suggested use is instead of a nappy with no attempt at potty training....as current advise is that children need to have reached a certain developmental stage and understanding before they can control their bladder generally at 2 and a half to 3 years ...yes it is accepted some are earlier and some are latter and yes you can train an automatic reaction they used to do it by feeding on potties and putting them in a cold store bottom touches baby wees ( not suggesting you did this) the baby then wees exactly like a dog would salivate if they hear a bowl but they still wee in the nappy in between.

Potty training should be child led not adult shes 2 im doing it so I get the not the gentle thing it should be.

I also am happy to use training pull ups the problem is if veryone isn't on board Ive had parents turn around and say you've got a pull up on wee in it.

My question is if you are using the nappy pants as marketed how hten do you buy a pull up and say its different?

catkind · 20/06/2017 08:11

OP was objecting to pull ups for babies, though also missed if she said fine for PT. We used pull ups for a baby because we did potty training as a gradual build up from baby age not a cold turkey arrangement at 2 or 3. It's only one possible reason. I was actually answering the PP's question which I quoted not OP though.

SoupDragon · 20/06/2017 07:38

DD was in pullups so she could easily use the potty

And the OP said pull ups for potty use were perfectly acceptable.

catkind · 20/06/2017 02:24

although how a child used to nappy pants is suddenly supposed to be able to understand that they are now in big pants and can no longer wet them is still unanswered

I thought I answered that - you're not encouraging them to pee in the pullup, it's there as a safety net. So there is no big change. There wasn't for DD anyway, pullups were dry for days on end, we stopped using them. Non-event.

But as I also said before, the point isn't whether you prefer or don't prefer that method. The point is there are different methods as in various things in parenting, and some people prefer one thing or the other, for all sorts of reasons. A CM who thinks their way is the only correct way to do things would actually worry me quite a lot, because if something unforseen comes up where you don't agree with their way, you'd at the very least feel judged, if not actually have to change provider if it was a deal-breaker on both sides. A CM who understands some people prefer pull-ups but lets it be known that they want to use nappies, great, then everyone can make an informed choice.

zzzzz · 20/06/2017 01:10

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jannier · 20/06/2017 00:56

Nappy changing is a great time to chat count tickle sing all very hard to do if your Lo is standing up and playing run away from mummy. You get eye contact and cooperation by being interesting and fun the whole selling point put forward by nappy pants is that the parent cant keep eye contact with their Lo.
A 30 second nappy change is if your about to do a school run, your out in a park, a car etc. when you don't want to be taking time as its your duty of care to get everyone t school on time to keep them safe out of nappy bins etc or just back to playing not watching you dress a baby.

Nappy pants are not the same as pull ups in their intended market, pull ups are for potty training, nappy pants are not ( although how a child used to nappy pants is suddenly supposed to be able to understand that they are now in big pants and can no longer wet them is still unanswered).

If a child has a genuine reason for any type of treatment that is not normal of course they are accommodated, for example I have a 2 year old who has outgrown all nappies and although not potty training has to wear PJ pants designed to fit up to about 8 years. It dose mean his changes take longer and if their were 3 of them it would mean every change would take 20 mins. Don't forget we are also supposed to be educating the others not making them sit and wait so that's 20 mins when they are not getting stuck into painting gloop sticking or out in the garden. Most homes are not free flow and do not have to allow free access to outside or messy play, not to mention drinking water. Which is not in a lidded cup in my home as another part of independence and transition to school.

zzzzz · 19/06/2017 22:47

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HSMMaCM · 19/06/2017 20:48

OP has already said she's used washable nappies when asked and that medical reasons are fine.

Goingtobeawesome · 19/06/2017 20:27

You'd have refused me then. Used washable nappies and dc2 had problems with her feet so had to have laced boots from under two.

Smallangryplanet · 19/06/2017 20:20

I'd happily abide by your rules and would rather you set them out. My dc's nursery had a no Converse rule. They only had laced shoes for school once they could do them without help.

CM doesn't mean one to one care. If the suggestions are a problem and you can't work around them, you aren't the right match for achieving other.

I'm surprised how prolific pull ups are for babies.

HSMMaCM · 19/06/2017 19:54

Mctat I find it easier to chat to a child while they're lying down having a nappy changed than when changing trousers, but that just goes to show that we're all different and do things in different ways I think.

Floggingmolly · 19/06/2017 19:53

Personally, I've always viewed nappy changing as something to get over and done as quickly as possible...
I could name you umpteen ways to have a caring moment with your child that doesn't involve bonding over the shit.

mctat · 19/06/2017 19:43

'How so mctat?'

Dubious - pretty much as zzzzz said, it's a time for interaction. If you're giving warm care to a child, it's a care-giving moment, something to involve the child in what is happening to their body, not something to get over and done with in the least amount of time possible.

I do appreciate that a group care situation has to be different to changing nappies at home, but this just sounds all a bit clinical, I think that's what some pps are sensing. It's all about getting the job done asap, rather than it forming part of any relationship with the child.

Also, really don't agree with whoever said that pull ups are easier for the child to take off than tabbed nappies, I've found the opposite.

catkind · 19/06/2017 18:49

this one doesn't mean extra expense doesn't mean the parent needs to do anything different other than provide for the cm a pack of normal nappies child can come in nappy pants cm will on changing replace with nappy for the day parent on changing can revert to nappy pants...price the same why is this so unreasonable?

It affects the child, not just the associated adults. DD was in pullups so she could easily use the potty. (And the fact she was keen on doing so from baby age was super convenient to us, so I hope to CM too. None of those mid school run poos in the car seat!)

It was also cheaper to have DD in pullups as she'd only need 1 or 2 a day, whereas nappies you'd get through far more.

DS was in pullups at one stage because after several warnings his nursery staff were still putting nappies on so tight he came out with sore marks round his tummy; and at another stage because he was picking at nappies until they fell of any time you turned your back for a minute.

All sorts of reasons parents may prefer one or the other for their child. If it's just for the parents then I'm sure they wouldn't mind doing as you say.

SoupDragon · 19/06/2017 16:53

I'd have an issue with the OP in that she seems to just completely dislike and resent parents TBH. No willingness to work with them

Nonsense. She clearly states that she is happy to work with parents and has accommodated washable nappies.

InDubiousBattle · 19/06/2017 15:59

How so mctat?

zzzzz · 19/06/2017 14:37

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mctat · 19/06/2017 14:14

I'd be okay with the rest, but no pull ups is far too prescriptive. You have no idea why someone might be using them for their child and it's their decision. Don't really like the sound of 30 second nappy changes either, doesn't sound very caring.