Please or to access all these features

Paid childcare

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

Advice on childminder situation

32 replies

Alicia870 · 07/01/2020 10:29

Basically have a 15 month old who's been going to childminder 3 days a week for about 6 months. Felt like things were going well and dd happy to go in etc.
There have just been a couple of things that have niggled me and I don't know if I'm being unrealistic about expectations. When I signed up with her she told me she tried to do activities with them, like painting, drawing, picnics in summer etc. To my knowledge none of that happened. Dd spends most of the day in and out of the car on various school pick ups and nursery drop offs etc. Which I understand is part of the deal with a childminder. In the other parts of the day I'm pretty sure there's a lot of screen time as any time she send a video she's watching tv or iPad. When I go in to collect her she's usually in high chair like a zombie glued to the screen and kicks at me when I go to pick her up.
Few weeks ago I walked in and childminder didn't hear me entering the house. It's quite a big space but there is a play room at the front which I walked into and my then 14 month old was in a corner sucking her dummy and pacing around while about 4 boys ranging from 3-8 ish were jumping around from sofa to sofa roughly and really could toppled her at any time.
Childminder then heard me and came in and said oh I was just in the kitchen for a second- but I could hear pots and pans on assuming it was her cooking dinner. Granted it was an exception as it was the day she had a Christmas get together but it just unsettled me.
Then she text me the day before returning after Christmas break and asked how are her nap times now which I said she usually sleeps from 11.30 til 1 and nothing has changed. She didn't mention anything else but then when I went to pick her up yesterday evening she told me she had a new pre schooler start and because of his drop off at 1, dd never got down to a nap until half 1 and then she had to wake her at 3. I just felt like she should have mentioned that to me before or at least told me she was taking a new child on and that it would disrupt my daughters routine and naps.

I don't know- am I expecting too much? This is my first child and I really don't know what should be appropriate. It just feels difficult when you're dropping off the most precious person in your life to someone who maybe hasn't been as fully upfront as she should have been with me, which then impacts the trust.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Foldinthecheese · 07/01/2020 10:45

I would look for a new childminder. My twins went to a husband/wife couple who only looked after children until school age. They didn’t do any school runs, so the only time they were in the car was for playgroups or outings. They did loads of crafts and had lots of time playing outside. Once they stopped napping they occasionally watched television for a bit of time to relax, but it certainly wasn’t regular. I wouldn’t be happy in your situation and would try to find someone who focuses more on younger children.

Comefromaway · 07/01/2020 10:44

There are two years between dd and ds and I know that when ds was 15 months I would not have trusted to leave dd unsupervised with him and she wasn't a boisterous child at all.

waspfig · 07/01/2020 10:44

I wouldn't be happy with the screen time. My childminders (2 ladies working together) don't have tv in the playroom and only use iPad for nursery rhymes at set time in the day.

What is your child learning if they aren't doing any crafts or outdoor play?

curiouscatgotkilled · 07/01/2020 10:39

I would be ok with a little Cbeebies on occasion at the end of a very busy day. But thats it.
The ferrying about picking up other kids is part of being with a childminder but as long as it is around other activities thats ok.
I would personally be looking to change in your situation, she will potentially be with this carer until she starts school so you should get it right.

Alicia870 · 07/01/2020 10:37

@BillHadersNewWife totally agree she can't watch her every second but they weren't toddlers they were aged from 3-8 ish and they were playing quite roughly. I know I wouldn't leave her unattended being only 14 months in a room with her cousins for example who were playing that way. But yes, The crafts etc I'm pretty sure is non existent. I could possible mention that- I find it hard to be assertive but I can work on that

OP posts:
gerrardcross · 07/01/2020 10:34

This is terrible. Why is a 15 month old watching ipad and screen at the childminder. I will be very unhappy about it. Look into changing childcare.

BillHadersNewWife · 07/01/2020 10:32

Well I don't think a CM can watch the children every second of the day. Leaving a 14 month old in a room with some other toddlers when you're in the next room is fine in my opinion but the lack of crafts and outdoor playing is BAD.

Could you ask her? I'd say "Will they be doing any craft activities soon?" See how she takes that.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.