Am I missing something here - what are the children whom you are meant to be minding doing while you are on the Internet??

is it any wonder that i as a cm feel like giving it all up after 14+ years in childcare when this is the attitude we are met with ??

i assume that i must be a very poor cm because i do not stand over my mindies and never have. i allow them the space to explore and become independent both in my home and when we are out at play centres etc. yes i even sit at a table in the local soft play centre and allow the children to explore, play and make friends unlike 99% of parents who follow their children the whole time they are there watching their every move not allowing them even to trip.

all of this i do having undertaken risk assessments and using my professional judgement as to the childrens abilities. all my parents comment regularly on how their children are thriving in my care and how they are.

so if i spend 10 mins on the internet while my mindies are playing in the same room as me, someone best report me to ofsted because i'm not standing over them i am only watching from across the room.

i have a camera monitor

seriously - where i am MN mum is a bit nervous and got worried when first child used to wake and cry,but FLIP if she went intoroom so she got a camera to see what child is doing in cot

so now using it on no 2

and

baby is fast asleep and should be till 7am - apart from dream feed at 11

candles did re appear and give her view here

but she still hasnt answered the question of what we are meant to do when childrenwe care and look after are asleep

Good point, looneytune! I shouldn't really go to bed tonight, should I? Seeing as my 7 year old charge wiull be asleep in his room and my room is on a different floor, with a couple of doors in between us. And I definitely shouldn't be on here, despite the fact he's been off for an hour!

I wonder how well I'd function every week without 2 nights of sleep. I think he'd be fed up of spending 50+ hours with me chained to his side to be honest. And as for household chores, forget it!

Also means my boss can't e-mail me instructions either, which given that we frequently have time zone issues is a bit of a problem...

good point luny tune

when i proxyparented for 2 weeks was i allowed to sleep during the night then? (I did btw)

i am doing it again in a few weekends time too and i will be going to sleep at night then too.... but im not bothered, my bosses dont mind... hey have even provided me with a bed to sleep in (as they do computer for internet access, and ensuite for a bath etc)

and before i settle down to sleep i am going to go on the internet and have a bath myself and watch some TV and play on the Wii... all while being paid to care for the children

If she EVER comes back, I've got one for her..........am I allowed to sleep when my mindee stays overnight? Or should I sit next to her cot for the night, staring at her???!!!

The saga continues on chat here

I said my peice and tried to put her right about something I said on the thread here, so....

I have a theory, fivecandles is a sacked teacher who wants to take out her frustrations on CMs. She is secretly jealous of us.
Come over to the dark side fivecandles, enjoy the thrill of having 10 mins to yourself!

I suppose CM's are self employed so how they manage their time is up to them. I think while children are asleep is fine as long as the children aren't oversleeping. CMs I have used in the past have done that, then they don't sleep at night!

Surely any decent CM wouldn't use the internet at all when mindees are awake, unless for purposes of minding, e.g. to look up medical info, to find out playgroup/soft play times, etc.

I can hear trip, trap....it's fivecandles!
So if you have a mindee who is having a nap then you are NOT allowed to look on the internet or do anything in your OWN home.
Next you'll be telling us that we can't do some washing or sort some clothes because we are at work.
Lots of people surf the net when they work in offices, if it does not affect their actual work and they are not looking at dodgy sites, then who are they harming?

I've just updated my accounts, to think I've finshed go to my 'drawer' and find more receipts!!! Looks like I'll be doing that again tonight

Oh an another thing fivecandles, why oh why are you skulking lurking around on here. This is for Childminders/Au-Pairs and Nannies. You have tooooooo much time on your hands.

Har I spent blardy ages writing up me obs/printing photos/linking all together last night. Urghhh.

no time to mumsnet as toooo busy doing eyfs lol

I would like to add my tuppennys worth please. From a childminders point of view whose mindee has a teacher for a mum. This mum, when asked to read and sign all policies and procedures, just said 'im sure its all fine', just signed and gave them back . Every day when I hand her the daily diary to read and sign, she just signs and hands back . What is the point.

So, OP, you see not all teachers are perfect. Oh and by the day I have finished childminding for the day .

And just for the record, I do not actually MN when I am at work, like 99% of all good childminders. So the fact that you think you have the god given right to slag off, and not recommend childminders makes you a supercilious, egotistical, superfluous maniac and In MY opinion, not fit to teach the human race. TALK ABOUT SOMEONE BEING PREJUDICE FFS.

Oh and please excuse any typing errors (my teacher was crap also..

Hello everyone Im finished childminding for the day. Am I allowed to MN please or do I need written permission from my mum (even though she is dead!)

I assume that five candles has only been online whilst the hubby finishes his shift of nightly child watching. I expect they do 4 hour shifts like sailors.

i am still waiting for 5 candles to tell us what we should do when children are asleep

but assume she is BUSY teaching at the moment

btw i am not at work at the moment so i can read/type to my hearts content

The op dissappered last night onto the chat forum and opened the same discussion on there, it got to 9 pages!!

I am not working today, but my mindees parents know that I use the internet as they regularly email me. Booh I love your post - well said.

I completely agree that it is easy to be sucked into mumsnet and waste a lot of time.

However, if you are a childminder, surely large parts of mumsnet are work related? Its not like 'mumsnetting' if you are an accountant.

Good post Booh
Presumably as she emails you she already knows!
I stand by the fact that parents have the right to insist that a CM watches the children (assuming she doesn't have too many) all the time, but if they do it's then ip to them to ensure a system is in place to give the CM regular breaks.
Lets see how many would take that opportunity!

I am a childminder, it is 09.11am and I am on the internet.

Both my DS and mindee fell asleep on the way home from the school run, they are asleep in my hall. I am on the internet, in my kitchen, I can see both children asleep.

I am on the internet, as the parent of said mindee e-mails me a brief message every morning as we have no time for a handover (she gets here at 7am) so I have already been working for over two hours, am I not due 5mins to breath??

I pop on here every few days to catch up, ask advice etc. My mindees will be asleep, I can see them as I use web cams connected to my tv..........so I can check on them.

Am I not allowed to clear and clean away lunch while they are asleep?

Or would you prefer your child to eat from a dirty highchair?

Am I not allowed to prep dinner, peel veg etc for the evening me?

Or would you prefer me to do it while your tired and hungry child cries for me at the kitchen door?

Am I not allowed to write up your childs records of the day? Complete everything that Ofsted expects of me?

Or would your prefer it Ofsted took away my registration, as I didn't do what they asked of me..........and lefr you without a childminder

And for what it is worth, I am going to ask my parents what they think, I bet they couldn't care less TBH!

Thanks, everyone, for giving me and Pat a really good chuckle late last night, especially fivecandles who sadly seemed to disappear when you started asking her who was minding her own sleeping children while she was mumsnetting.

To all the wonderful childminders out there - keep up the good work. Without you all , alot of parents would struggle. Childminding is such a hard job and takes a special person to do it!

OP - Childminders NEED a break and children sleep, entertain themselves for short periods etc. It is views like your that are driving people out of childminding.

Hysterical! Hey - where are all the childminders now? You all have mindees now right? Surely you should be ignoring them and posting here?!