To be shocked to see a childminder with 4 kids under 3

[Cornonthecob]

In Lidl over lunchtime doing a big shop! Basket full and did not look like food for the kids, 3 toddlers around 2/3 and 1 child in a buggy! Definitely not her children!

Is this normal or acceptable? I would really like to know! My judgy pants up to my armpits right now!! Thanks

There is no such thing as too many !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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My son has additional needs & is at a special needs school.
They frequently go to the shops as it teaches them life skills.

The last few Monday's, they've gone to Greggs.

How many of you have fainted clean away?

Have a lie down OP, it must be exhausting minding other people's business as well as your own.

Never mind Greggs, wirecat, the apostrophe did it for me.

Never used a CM in my life, I still consider a visit to the supermarket to be both fun and educational for DC's. NEXT!!!

If you really want to court controversy, you should discuss whether it is OK for the CM to shove the kids in front of CBeebies for an hour while they scrub the bathroom. I think no, a surprising amount of folk think yes....

Sorry ArgyMargy, my iPad is to blame.

The reason people become CMs is because it fits in with their own family life. A CM can still do her own dc school run, go to the supermarket etc. Obviously, she has a responsibility to keep your child safe and provide a balance of interesting activities, some will be entirely child focussed (like playing in the park) and others will be more like making a trip to lidl interesting to the child.

Because there is a mix of activities and the cm will be doing some things for her oen family, they tend to get paid less than a nanny or a nursery, where sole focus is on the child.

Many people value the home environment so choose a cm specifically for that reason. Others want a nanny.

What you can't do is hire a cm and then expect her to behave like a nanny.

She was in Lidl you say? Must be a smart woman then. Is that the crime I am not sure I understand our Cm used to take our children shopping very important life skill IMO only she went to Sainsburys could never understand that.