to consider a childminder with an 'outstanding' ofsted report but who smokes?

[WhoahThere]

Needless to say DH and I are non smokers and obviously wouldn't dream of exposing dd to smoke. But, if the cm smokes very little/only outside, would you consider it?

I haven't made contact yet, just been through her profile which looks good except for this. What do you reckon?

Outstanding doesn't equal perfect - as you have said yourself, the smoking element is putting you off so she's already falling short of the criteria you have for your children's care, never mind Ofsted's criteria.

I have seen a lot of nurseries and childminders over the years and although these ratings are helpful, I can think of one outstanding setting which left me totally cold. Yup all the right toys and a lovely tidy modern setting but about three foot square and no outside space. With small energetic boys that would never ever have worked.

The only way to know for sure is to go and have a look, although it sounds like the smoking is ruling her out for you anyway.

yes if i liked her (or him) on meeting them and felt that they would be a good cm. of course i would ask them do they smoke outside which i am sure they would , how often etc

many of my family smoke, both nana and granny smoke and some the nursery staff may smoke (not in the nursery grounds) so i can not really stop ds coming in to contact with smokers (and even the odd whiff of smoke)

not a big deal to me

It wouldn't bother me in the least but it depends what your priorities are. If as you imagine she only smokes outside etc then I'd consider that way down on my list of things to stress about.

The only way to find out is to meet her - it's got to be worth doing that before you write her off, hasn't it?

Good luck in your search. :)

My DH and I are non smokers so it is important to us.

Our current CM smokes, but DD only goes to her after school and it's clear she doesn't smoke in the house, but she smells of smoke.

When DD was at a CM F/T it would have been a deal breaker for us, whether she smoked in the house or not.

When DD was born we were advised that if family members smoked we shouldn't allow them to hold DD for an hour after smoking (residual chemicals in breath) and that we should insist on them changing their clothes (residual chemicals on clothes). Family/friends don't smoke either so wasn't an issue.

FWIW, we made our decision on our F/T CM on gut instincts. She gave us a copy of her Ofsted report so we knew she was registered but the grade she got wasn't as important and the way we felt about her.

She was amazing and we were all very sad when our DD had to leave. If the smoking is an issue for you, think very carefully. It does bother me that our current CM smokes, I just have to try and put my feelings to one side. I couldn't do that for more than a few nights a week though.

I wouldn't even bother to contact her if it was me as I would not want my baby to have physical contact with a smoker but that's my personal choice.

The only thing that would bother me would be wondering when she's having cigarettes. Guessing she'd need to smoke during the time she's childminding, is she leaving the children on their own inside while she pops out, or does she take them out with her to watch her smoke?

Outstanding doesn't mean they're right for everyone.

I wouldn't make contact. She may not smoke in the house whilst children are there, but I'm guessing she does when they're not. For me, the lingering smell of smoke would put me off, and if she's good apart from this one thing, then it's a real shame she smokes.

Childminders in England and Wales have to have a no-smoking policy See NCMA website, I assume this means that a childminder would not be permitted to smoke inside with children but how it would stand with the smoker going outside I don't know. I'm told Smokers exhale smoke for some time after they put the cigarette out (I found a source that says three minutes), maybe someone can confirm this, anyway I couldn't bear a smoking childminder, I'm an ex-smoker and I can't stand the smell anymore.

Thanks for the replies - I think its high enough in our priorities that I won't bother contacting her, and I didn't know about the residual chemicals thing so thanks for that.

The whole thing's so bloody tricky - I can't imagine finding anyone I'll be happy leaving dd with tbh, so this could be a lengthy process!

i wouldnt

Good Luck WhoahThere. When we met our F/T CM we just knew and I'm sure that'll happen for you too.

We saw her advert, we liked what she said about healthy home cooked food, we went to meet her and her children and we just knew she was right for us and our daughter.

It would be a deal breaker for me. My dcs find the smell of cigarette smoke on clothes etc pretty horrible. I am pleased about this and hope that will put them off ever smoking. I would not like them to see smoking as acceptable as to me, it is not.

My friend is a CM and a smoker. I would use her in a heartbeat if I needed childcare.

She smokes outdoors, and never when her charges are there or due to arrive.

I would if she only smoked outdoors and not when children were there. If she was great in all the other ways.

Dealbreaker.

I wouldn't use a smoker myself no. It's down to personal choice though.

It wouldn't bother me. She's hardly going to smoke in their faces. But I think this not letting your children so much as be around the t shirt of a smoker is ludicrous. I drive an old car and live near a main road.

I think if the house smelled of smoke then definitely not. If she smoked outside then fine. I went to visit one potential CM and was put off by the house smelling of smoke, even though she said she smoked outside. Also by the dishonesty. My husband smokes BTW but smokes outside - self imposed and did so before we had kids too.

By the way I wouldn't think the Ofsted report is a be all and end all. IMO Ofsted don't know their arse from their elbow when it comes to childminding, and they shouldn't be the ones regulating them.

My CM only gets a "good" because (she knows this herself) she doesn't go on all the training courses they are meant to go on so the assessor can't tick all the boxes. But to me, 20 years + experience as a parent of 4 and childminder counts for far more, plus the fact my kids love going there and AFAIC she is bloody outstanding in every respect!

With all childcare you have to weigh up the pros and cons. Smoking outside the house would not be a dealbreaker for me, but I'd probably want to check out other childminders first.

I agree with the people who say OFSTED isn't all that. Our childminder only scores a "good" too, but she has been childminding for 20 years, is also a foster carer, clearly adores young children, and most importantly of all is adored by DD.

No no no my mates mum is a childminder and smokes also is outstanding and she is really lovely but .... The children spend most of their time out side even when its freezing so she can have a fag also because she smokes she also allows her guests to smoke not in the house but still it's really awful to see all the kids running round Freezing in clouds of smoke.

Also I think its a bit unseemly to be walking around with kids smoking down the road and no matter what any one says their highly unlikely to stop smoking for 10 hours every day.

I would let someone who smoke watch my baby some fag ash lil looking over your pram
Walking to the park

And to all those who say on
Y of she smoked away from the kids WTF cm have to supervise the children so unless advocating leaving the children alone while going off for a fag then I am nt sure what is ment has most people have one garden and even if you stand at the far corner your still stinking of fags and potentially cuddling a new born with the silk cut smelling jumper on yuk