Due to start my boy (10 months) at childminder's shortly. Thought I had found quite a good one, but was getting a bit angsty as transition was supposed to start next week and she hadn't contacted me in a few weeks though I had left it with her to draw up contracts etc.
So decided to pop by, unannounced, just to see where things were at. As I walked up to the house, I saw her husband's work van pull up into the drive, followed by hers. In the husband's van, there were two, maybe three children. An older girl of about 10 or 11 in the front with a seatbelt on and a younger girl, maybe 7 or 8, standing up between the headrests. This was at the entrance to the estate, coming off the main road.
I was a bit taken aback, as to me, children standing up in a moving vehicle is a no no anyway, let alone when in the care of someone else.
The CM got out of her car and launched into this big spiel about how she'd been thinking of me this week and thinking she should get in touch which seemed, well, a bit OTT.. all hands flailing and "I was thinking of you today, and your mummy, yes I WAS!" to my ds. Her husband was introduced to me then - he is co-registered - and my boy smiled at him, but he didn't smile back and kind of just stood there staring him out until ds looked away. Then she said: "oh you don't much like him do you, neither do I!" and he responded a bit cattily to her, not at all jovial-like: "well you'd think you'd be used to me after twenty years" before muttering about whether he was allowed into the house or not.
I don't know. It all felt really strange and icky. Is this just because I don't like the idea of leaving my pfb with people I don't know or does this sound off? I genuinely don't know.
My instincts say no about a few things e.g. they often go on very lengthy "day trips" to the coast about 2 hours by car away from here and other little things she mentioned.. but I have been telling myself to get over myself.. but maybe I should trust my gut? She seemed lovely and I liked her approach to childminding when we spoke.. but it all seemed so different today and it occurred to me it might be very good sales patter.