Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU - Childminders comment

189 replies

StudentMum92 · 15/03/2017 14:01

Name changed just incase.

I've been to pick DD up from her Childminder. DD is 7 months old and is going from crawling to sofa surfing. CM told me that DD had fallen back and bumped her head. But what threw was that she said she was there behind her and she let her fall. She's got to learn not to do it again.

I was quite abrupt and said that sofa surfing is a normal developmental stage and said that if you're there next time, pull her down don't just let her fall.

Yes I know babies fall, it's natural but to deliberately let a 7 month old fall back and bump her head doesn't sit right with me.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Quelquefois · 16/03/2017 17:32

Hmmmm - ypu might need to consider if she really knocked her head in the situation she described - your LO cant exactly tell you herself can she?

Lovelymess · 16/03/2017 17:32

YANBU I would be quite angry about that! 😡

apringle · 16/03/2017 17:33

That's terrible! 7 months is so young - find a new minder!

Tracyjane64 · 16/03/2017 17:35

I think I would have reported her, the next parent may not be so lucky and a child could be seriously injured or worse, she sounds unhinged!!

QueenofPentacles · 16/03/2017 17:35

I would never trust her again with my baby. She is arrogant and stupid.

user1482229113 · 16/03/2017 17:38

I'm a nanny with over thirty years experience and I've never heard of that. Firstly it's instinct that we'd dive in and try to stop her little head hitting the ground and secondly I can't believe she had time to even think "I'll let her fall as she needs to learn" My guess she wasn't watching at all. Poor bubba. Shame that childminder has let the side down because on the whole we're a decent lot who care deeply for all the children we care for.

Superwomaninmysparetime · 16/03/2017 17:38

WTF?????? that's child neglect in my book! ofsted complaint springs to mind.. I agree with all that highinthesky said... I would also be losing it. My DD would not be going there ever again!

Katie0705 · 16/03/2017 17:41

You are definitely not being unreasonable! Children do not start to conceptualize until around 5 years, so your DD would not be learning not to fall yet. I would be looking else where for a childminder that actually understands developmental milestones. I am also concerned about the safety aspects of her care, as babies are very susceptible to brain injury and fractured bones.

Faith7777 · 16/03/2017 17:41

Please find a new childminder and report her to ofsted. She'll do it to another child if she's not set straight!!! 😡😡😡

HappyFlappy · 16/03/2017 17:45

As Sky says head injuries can be very serious - and what if your child, unknown to anyone, was one of those individuals with an "eggshell" skull? She could have badly damaged her still soft baby skull.

Your CM wants her backside kicking. (Plus re: "learning experience" - babies don't deliberately fall over out of bloody-mindedness - they fall over because they have lost their balance and have no option!)

Katakus · 16/03/2017 17:49

Heartless or lazy more like. Couldn't leave my baby with someone like that.

takethattastic · 16/03/2017 17:49

Omg that's awful!!! My DD fell back like this over a balloon at a party when she was 3, ended up with concussion and a skull X-ray! So so dangerous! I would trust this childminder with my car keys never mind a 7 mth old!

Mustang27 · 16/03/2017 17:52

Disgrace!!! Get a new childminder

Miranda15110 · 16/03/2017 17:56

Don't go back and report her. Does your child have a bump or bruise x

ittakes2 · 16/03/2017 17:58

That's nuts! She's practising getting her balance - she doesn't have it yet! Besides, babies and toddlers are programmed to fall naturally on their bottoms - if she has hit her head I'm wondering if there is more to the story. I'd find a new child minder right away!

trelawney59 · 16/03/2017 17:59

Report her to the council she's registered with this is totally out of order. What if something worse happened to your child or someone else's child? In a school this would probably be an issue of capability or gross professional misconduct and as such this child minder has failed in her duties.

Mumof51971 · 16/03/2017 18:07

It would be unreasonable and irresponsible to send her back to that CM in my opinion. No way would my 7 month old be going back there.

Chartreuse45 · 16/03/2017 18:12

I would bring your child to a doctor for a check as soon as you can. To be frank you have an injury that you really don't "know" how exactly the sequence of events unfolded. You cannot trust that childminder, not at all. Hopefully you have emergency cover until you find someone worthy of the title.

madjakel · 16/03/2017 18:24

i am a child minder and this is unacceptable, you need to report her to ofstead and remove your child asap. Don't just ignore the next child might not be so lucky......

clarehhh · 16/03/2017 18:32

Very wrong on all levels she was obviously not in the room.Don't use her any more.

Angelreid14 · 16/03/2017 18:43

You are clearly a more restrained person than me. I would have whacked her on the back of the head!

BusyMummy55 · 16/03/2017 18:46

Going against the flow here and I am not a childminder and have never used childminders for my DC, but I think YABU based just on the information you have provided.

I am sure you have done checks on the childminder before you hired her and I assume you have been happy with her up to now, so if you are concerned I would ask her more about this.

I am sure she cares about the children and if the child is sofa surfing in a carpeted room, it is pretty much impossible for the child to injure herself, when falling from that position, because she would probably be landing on the bottom first and then swinging backwards, which is hardly a fall. If anything when you hear the circumstances, the childminder was probably overzealous mentioning it to you, but if you are concerned I would just a have a chat with her and get all the information.
My children have fallen out of a cot onto carpet and even out of a pram onto shop floor head first, when I wasn't able to catch them, and while I will never forget my terror, they are just fine. They are much more resilient than most parents think.

Angelina7 · 16/03/2017 18:51

1 word safeguarding ... Childminders job is to safeguard ...Yes children need to learn but not at 7 months there is plenty of time for that when they are toddling and u absolutely can't get there in time to cushion the fall! Take this as a sign and find another childminder there r much better out there

Meekonsandwich · 16/03/2017 18:51

What the actual. She's a fruit cake if she thinks a BABY that young will learn like that. She could have lost her balance. I don't know who the heck you could report her to if she's self employed, but definitely fire her and tell her why.

Quelquefois · 16/03/2017 18:52

So she filled out an accident report i hope - detailing exactly what happened, what time, etc?

If she didnt, then i would be questioning why not