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How long have you been doing it? In the 11 years I've been doing it I've only had one really bad one - she thought that since she was going to South Africa for a month over Christmas, she wouldn't have to pay me!!! Soon sorted that one. She was constantly late too and checked with my books, every month and questioned every single hour I worked! That contract was terminated after 6 months!!
I've had a few that have started to take the mick, but it didn't last long. On the whole, I have had very, very good families.
It takes time, but you will build up a reputation that goes before you. Remember, my Ofsted office only gave me satisfactory, partly because my paper work could have been better and partly because when she came, I didn't have any children here! BUT everyone of my families have come to me, by recommendation and I have been full enough for 10 years! That's outstanding to me!

Thanks MML - a success story that's what i need, a few of those to give me some confidence there are people out there who are normal but have hectic lives and sometimes make mistakes but really they are honest good people!!

The one that started and finished this week is the one who has really knocked my confidence in my own judgement - she seemed so lovely and genuine yet after 1 day decided it was ok to not come back, didnt even try to stick her job out not even for a week to give me a little bit of notice, i know she doesnt have to but really out of common decency i would have. Didn't even phone to let me know, let me wait for her to come and i honestly thought she was a decent person

Its so tempting at the end of the chat (or at the start) look if you are just here wasting my time can you please admit it now and leave me to get on with my life cus all i'm trying to do is earn an honest living and can do without having my time wasted.

It's the complete lack of respect that annoys me, as if i'd be at home anyway and im just earning a few extra quid on the side of being a sahm which isn't the case at all so they can treat me how they like and waste my time when they fancy. I would love to do this job forever if it wasn't for this and the paperwork

Shosha and TP (and anyone who has been doing this for a long time) what makes you stick with it and how do you weed out the ones who are a pita? Please tell me that after a while the time wasters will stick out like a sore thumb or that my rep will be so good i'll be inundated with a choice of clients and i wont have to put up with this?

I must admit, I had a really bad start with one family, prior to signing contracts. BUT they turned out to be wonderful and although the kids are now 14 & 5 and no longer come to me, we are still good friends. In fact, I have just, this very minute, invited the 14 year old to watch dd's end of term production with me tonight!

I'll have to keep on top of housework and get her round asap if she does phone and she can take me as she finds me. I always take payment in advance anyway and any messing with money and she will find she has no childcare (and as she is going to be running her own business she will find she will be losing a days pay just like me so hopefully wont do that many times) I really am not putting up with any crap from now on, one person messed about with money and i won't have it again. No more Miss nice childminder when it comes to the business side.

I really want it to work out if i'm honest just because we have so much in common and she seems so lovely but now the trust has gone and it's kinda the foundation thats why i'm worried if it wasn't for that i'd be on cloud 9!!!

Hi LMG. It sounds like financially you don't have a choice. If nothing else is in the pipeline, you'll have to go for it. I would suggest that you ask for payment in advance of any minding you do for her and also a retainer if she isn't gong to need you for a while. You could also tell her that if she is really interested, you have to meet with her quickly, as you have others interested - it might give her the push she needs. Admittedly, its easy on paper, but I know only too well that saying these things isn't easy! Good luck.

I took on someone like that, my first mindee actually - she was all over the place, and ended up leaving me high and dry after Christmas break. I still see her and she pretends like all is ok, even comes over to see how my daughter is. ugh

And I just found out the baby is joining up in September is p/t, Tues/Weds/Thurs not full time which was what was mentioned! We hadn't signed contracts as she is on leave and I didn't want to sign her up until she knows she is going back for sure (LMG, like you I am tired of time wasters!).

Oh well, it's a space I had open but how ever am I going to fill in the Mon/Fri and not only that but I've been asked to continue to my mindee Tues & Thurs only after preschool until end of school day. I will have to try for a variation I guess. Double darn

Hi girls (sorry this is long)

Had a weird day today (yes still in pain) we havent done much really, went to toddlers then both napped, mindee went home at 1.30 then dd didnt wake til 3pm so i could have hoovered but i couldn't be arsed i was feeling a bit sorry for myself tbh fed up of people signing up then buggering off costing me more in paperwork than im earning grrrr

Anyway nipped out to do school run and bumped into a lady who was supposed to come and meet me before i moved (remember?) anyway she let me down 3 times (the first 2 i gave her the benefit of the doubt) the 3rd and the last i heard until i bumped into her today was that it was 10am and she hadn't arrived after speaking to her husband who mentioned he thought she had gone to town and would call me back asap and didnt, i thought thats the end of the road with that then and thinking i'd had a lucky escape because frankly i don't want to work with people who can be so rude as to not even phone when i have spent until 12am cleaning my house the night before (i was in the midst of the move and the hall carpet had only gone down that day!)

Soooooooooo i bumped into her and she apologised said she had been being very sick on that day and had no idea her hubby hadn't called me back to let me know etc and that now she had lost my number as her dh's phone had broken Anyway so i've given her both of my numbers and she certainly seemed genuine enough and why bother talking to me if she isn't genuinely interested (she started the conversation, i was happy to smile and walk past) so if, IF she does call me (bear in mind i am desperate btw) do i bother to arrange another meeting? If so would i be mad to take her on?

(she seems lovely btw, we are similar in age and both our dd's are similar ages too so would be good and she wants pt leading to ft and i know she has been in ill health inc hosp stays hence the letting me down - but at the back of my mind is a wondering thought that this could be a blag?)

i really can't be doing with anymore time waster's because frankly i can't afford the paperwork or the headache otoh can i afford to turn away someone who may just have been having a spot of bad luck a few weeks ago and now i'm tarring her with a dirty brush so to speak?

I get the idea that people will think i'm mad to take her on, times like this i wish i had a crystal ball.

Sorry to go on and on. Any wise words would be fab!! TIA

Nutter! Seeya!

(door opens........)

hi! oops forgot my brolly!

bye!

xx

Right ladies..............i bid you farewell!

final school run until Sept, final free afternoon until Sept. Oh gosh...........

Wont be in for a while.....

here i go................

going..............
going...............

bye!

(Fi waves from the door...the poof! in a cloud of smoke she is gone!)

Yeah, the rain has started here too. Just finished washing the paint out of my hair too!

shosh.....hows the weather your end now?

it was lovely and sunny here.and now.ta-da! its school run time almost and its p**ing it down!

Ah bless you..........

thanks mo for your kind words xx

its all up and down and roundabout at the mo! am looking forward to being occupied all day all week with the Bananas!

just seen the hols one.......and replied!!!!

just checking the ttc one now..............

I've left a message for you on your days out thread and also on your tcc - glaston luck one!

we're off to see the wizard.the wonderful wizard of oz.......ah! School productions-dont you just love em'? I cry I do, I cant help it, and the boys arent even mine!

well, am into my last hour of freedom. am looking foreard to a long happy busy summer, and hopefully by the end of it, I might be on my way to motherhood myself (wink wink all you staff room ladies!)

Will do! I'm done with painting. I'm all sparkly clean again. Got particularly white and spotty today! Can't believe where the times gone already! Just time for a lunch hour I think, before school and mindees.
Got dd's End of Year production tonight. They're doing Wiz of Oz. Think it will hit home then, that she's moving on to secondary school.

Hello again! Have started a thread for the holidays for ideas on what to do where to go etc............. want to add to it ladies?

oh mo thats sad

happy painiting!

im enjoying my last day of freedome, but really looking forward to the hols!Yippy!

Thanks for advice xx

Hi girls. Can't hang around for long, I've got bardy painting to do!!!! Fifi, defo a month. I remember testing at the begining of August one year and BFN, but I most certainly was about 12 weeks pg by November. (Sadly, I know this, as the pg turned out to be ectopic, but thats another story for another day!)

Morning!

sorry i rushed off yesterday, it was Banana1's swimming gala! I have no voice today through shouting his name (he said i was by far the loudest- but it was cool. Bless.)

anyawy he got 3rd place in the front crawl..yay! the mums and dads were giving me bad looks, posh boring lot they are....its a race you div bags.......shout!!!! shout!!!!!

besides, i had to shout for the whole family as i was the only one who could make it!

Still no AF ladies, still no BFP. Mo- really interesting stuff- you saynothing for a month? Wow. am not sure whats going on really. am hoping for the best, but not going to get my hopes up as it might make me land with a bump and hurt my bum!

hope youre all well, rain is soooooo depressing. First das of holidays tomo, and if it doesnt brighten up soon I'll be mad!

Got so much outdoor stuff planned!

Have the baby here today - he really is quite a lot of work, LT he cries for sleep too, think I will be picking your brains very shortly when he joins up - but I think some degree of helping him to fall asleep by himself will be in order.

See y'all after 4!