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Original poster

childminders who don't drive ....

57 replies

nappyaddict · 03/05/2008 22:54

i am looking at a childminder for ds but she doesn't drive. i don't have a problem with that but she will have a 5 year old, a 2 year old, a 14 month old and a newborn and am worried it might be a bit stressful for her getting on buses and stuff. does anyone else not drive and have 3 of similar ages?

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Original poster
nappyaddict · 05/05/2008 23:25

the cm did mention she might get a friend to come with her which would mean she could take them every week. would her friend be CRB checked? i understood anyone who had contact with the mindees had to be checked but i could have that wrong?

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WhatDidIComeUpHereFor · 05/05/2008 13:26

I take mine swimming (it's 2-1 here) but I have a friend who has 1 child who comes with us, so I can take all three mindees, we go every week.

I do drive now, although didnt till three yeasr ago, and I used to take them on the bus then, for most it was the 1st time they had ever been on one!

vInTaGeVioLeT · 05/05/2008 13:09

i don't drive i often have 3 under 5 - we walk mostly - occasionaly we use the bus - if i don't trust a childs roadsense i use reins until i've trained 'em - i don't earn enough to afford to run a car anyway and i think it's good for kids to get out in the fresh air we do loads of walking and hopefully i send them home well exercised and tired ready for bed!

Mum2Luke · 04/05/2008 17:22

I wouldn't take alot of children swimming even if we were able. In our area it is a 1:1 ratio of adult to under 8's and as I have 3 under 8 who are non-swimmers I cannot take them.

I am glad I can drive, we live in greater Manchester and things are not a bus drive away, they are 3 or 4 each way! I have tried using the bus with the children and it cost me more to go on one bus from my house to Ashton (2 miles one day) than go in the car and that was one day. Over 5's pay half fare (70p) and I pay £3 day saver.

In the case of an emergency, I would ring for an ambulance and would not drive to the hospital.

southernbelle77 · 04/05/2008 12:14

Ah fair enough then.

I would ask her how she would deal with all your concerns and take it from there.

Good luck

MrsWeasley · 04/05/2008 12:07

I am a non driver and didn't have any problems taking my DC anywhere (including mindees)

You need to chat to the CM she may not be intending on taking children to the playcentre or swimming when she has all of them together.
My soft play centre is a bus ride away but I have never taken mindees to it. We have more than enough to do in my house and my neighbourhood. (park, toddler groups etc)
I leave parents to take to soft play centre if they fancy it

Original poster
nappyaddict · 04/05/2008 11:59

tbh i'm not too worried about routine. ds doesn't have a routine i just let him sleep when he wants but realise this could be a problem for a cm.

from speaking to her on the phone she takes them to toddler group twice a week which is walking distance, story time at the library (bus journey away), a play session at the local leisure centre with trampolines, bouncy castle etc (another bus journey) and to a dance session at the play centre (another bus journey) - so at least 3 bus journeys a week, 4 if she takes them swimming but she says that's more of a treat.

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pointydog · 04/05/2008 11:51

ah right, ok.

Then I'd think of questions to ask her re nap routines, getting out and about, where they will go etc. If she hasn't thought this through and can't answer them confidently, then you might want to look around for other options.

Original poster
nappyaddict · 04/05/2008 11:48

Ds would be her first mindee - she finished the course in january i think. well technically her second cos she looks after her niece too. this is why i have obvious concerns, but i don't want to rule her out just because she's new to this. everyone's new at some point aren't they!

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pointydog · 04/05/2008 11:42

Ask the cm how she gets around. If it's not a problem for her, then why rule her out.

How long has she been cminding? In my experience, they have very good routines re getting children to synchronise naps.

Original poster
nappyaddict · 04/05/2008 11:32

he also still sleeps 4 hours in the day time.

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Original poster
nappyaddict · 04/05/2008 11:31

he only started walking a few weeks ago so he can only walk short distances atm - he still falls and trips over a lot.

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SofiaAmes · 04/05/2008 07:04

The childminder that cared for my children didn't drive. She was absolutely lovely and frankly I was happy that the kids walked places instead of always getting in a car. Not to mention that ds got terrible car sickness and couldn't go 5 minutes in a car without vomiting. We were in West London and everything was in walking distance. She generally only looked after younger kids so that the school/nursery run was not an issue. Ds would have quite happily gone in a buggy until he was 5 or 6 if we had let him....so just as well it wasn't an option for him when dd came along (ds was 22 mo), he had to stand on the back of the buggy.

shoshe · 04/05/2008 06:22

I very rarely have a two year old in a buggy, in fact the present two year old would refuse point blank to get in one.

southernbelle77 · 04/05/2008 06:13

What is wrong with your dc not going in a buggy? Both the almost 2 year olds that I mind much prefer walking if possible.

Original poster
nappyaddict · 04/05/2008 01:17

gosh i hadn't even thought that ds wouldn't be able to go in a buggy. can i insist she uses a sling ... don't suppose i can really! argh back to the drawing board. she was the only one who had an immediate space aswell ... typical!!

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MaureenMLove · 04/05/2008 00:38

She probably realises. TBH, one more 2 year old won't make a whole lot of difference to her. The 5 year old will be at school most of the day, don't forget, so most of the time it will be 2 in a buggy and yours on a buggy board or walking. Easy. A walk in the park, as they say on Top Gun!

Original poster
nappyaddict · 04/05/2008 00:06

mine's the 2 year old.

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MaureenMLove · 03/05/2008 23:48

Which one of the 4 she'll have is your lo, Nappy?

FromGirders · 03/05/2008 23:46

I'm sure she'll have thought of it if she's planning to use the buses. You'll feel much better once you've met her properly and had a good chat. And read her policies of course .

Original poster
nappyaddict · 03/05/2008 23:41

i have only spoken to her on the phone as of yet but we have a meeting next week so i will ask her then. if she hasn't thought about it would that be a bad sign?

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MaureenMLove · 03/05/2008 23:40

2 in the double buggy under 3 years and 2 pre-school walkers. We have the little hopper buses and generally saw the same people on it week in, week out, so there was always a friendly face to help out if need be. Generally though, I found that mindees are much better behaved with their minders, than with their parents!

FromGirders · 03/05/2008 23:37

We're CM's - of course our minds are great!

Ellbell · 03/05/2008 23:37

Soz! I stand (sit, actually ) corrected! Must've just had a stringent pool when my 2 were little.

How often would she take all 4 of them on the bus? My cm does take her mindees out on the bus sometimes, but very rarely (e.g. during half-term, when not rushing back for school pick-up).

Do you like the cm otherwise, nappyaddict? If so, I'd just ask her straight how she thinks she'll cope on public transport, and see how you feel about her answer....

FromGirders · 03/05/2008 23:36

Or even imitation

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