Childminder leaving kids in car

[bobstersmum]

There is a childminder who drops her own child off in the morning at my ds school and leaves the rest of the kids in her car parked on the road, in this car can be children of varying ages but also includes her own very young baby. I understand it is very very rushed and stressful doing the school run as I do it myself with my other two in tow, but I would not even think of leaving my two in the car while I drop ds off. The child she drops off is in ds's class.
I have seen her doing this most mornings for a while now, not just a one off. Is this considered OK to do? I know I would not be happy my child being left in a car on the road out of sight even for a few mins.
Aibu to think this is not right?

I wouldn't be happy with this. I used to leave my kids in the car if i popped in a shop but only when I could see the car from inside the shop and only for a few minutes at most.
This seems totally inappropriate and would complain to ofsted. She shouldn't be taking on the extra children if she can't manage them in addition to her own children.

Oh dear. Mine are now teenagers and beyond, so part of me thinks that they will be absolutely fine - but when mine were little, I used to cart them all into the petrol station with me, just to pay for petrol, because there was NO WAY I was leaving any of them in an unattended car, even for 35 seconds. After all, the petrol pump might have spontaneously combusted. So I am sorry to say YANBU.

I am sure the children are alone in the car because I can see in and it's just kids. My overactive mind thinks that as she seems to do it every day someone other than me (with not very nice motives) could have noticed this and take the opportunity to do whatever they wished while she's away. In a way I feel sorry for her because I don't know her situation, I know she's very recently had a baby (within last two months) and doesn't seem to have had any maternity leave, she must really need the money to have carried on working, but then the other part of me reminds me how furious I'd be if she were leaving my child unattended, even if only for a few minutes!
I don't really know what to do though, I think speaking to her myself is probably best firstly. But then she will know its come from me if she doesn't stop and I have to report her. And our kids are in same class...

After all, the petrol pump might have spontaneously combusted. So I am sorry to say
Spontaneously combusting car?!? Far bigger risk they get run over on the petrol station forecourt!

No way. Huge risk. Cant understand anyone who do this. Yes maybe if in sight but car out of sight, no idea how long it take. Report op. Massive risks and childminder shouldnt be in charge of children.

So has she just been doing this since having the baby? In which case it would be a kindness if someone else walked her child in, short term.

We had at least one parent in the school leaving younger siblings in the car for a very quick drop for a while- someone obviously had a word with the school and they sent a very well worded message out to all parents about not doing this- after that it stopped and I see her with her younger DC at the door every day. Perhaps something gentle like this from the school would be of use as a first action?

Coconutella, I am laughing at your post. It used to be a toss-up for me: is it more likely that the car and petrol pump will explode, or is it more likely that we will get run over while I am carrying/dragging the children to pay for petrol (which is, of course, so exciting that it's worth waking them up for when they've been nicely asleep post-soft-play). FML.

FIW, I always adopted the "cart all the children to pay for petrol" option. I realise this makes me mad in MN world.

What do people think is going to happen to the kids?
I think it depends on their ages (whether they might unlock the door), and how long she is actually gone for. I see people leave their babies in cars for quick drop offs, out of sight.

Ring ofsted. Ring children's services at Council.

Right there’s a huge difference between paying for petrol on a normal supermarket forecourt where you can see the kids and it’s super quick a school drop off where you can’t and it takes longer.

Again a huge difference between a mum making decisions for her own kids and a Cm making decisions for mindees where she had a responsibility to adhere to ofsted standatds, her policies and parents expectations.

Can’t see why posters find this difficult to comprehend

Look, it’s not great, and I wouldn’t be too pleased if I was the parent, but anyone would think they’d been left in a drug den with used heroin needles the way some react. The risk of anything happening in the few minutes you pop in to drop off your child are infinitesimal.... they’re statistically probably more at risk from being driven to the school in the first place... it’s typical MN catastrophising nonsense.

Children should be within sight and hearing distance of a childminder at all times, she absolutely should not be doing this. What she does with her own children is her prerogative but she cannot do this with children she minds.

Again a huge difference between a mum making decisions for her own kids and a Cm making decisions for mindees where she had a responsibility to adhere to ofsted standatds, her policies and parents expectations.

I agree... that’s why I’d be annoyed, even though I might do it myself. I’d never do it with someone else’s children.

And it’s not even about whether you or she think it’s ok or not, there’s a legal statutory framework that childminders have to adhere to and she’s breaking the rules

sparky well as an ex Cm snd a mum of 5 myself I never felt it necessary to leave any baby or toddler mine or mindee in a car out of sight.

It’s not good parenting. And no I don’t think the car would explode or a stranger would kidnap them but kids do extrodinary and dangerous things. That’s why they are kids

cocunut but you clearly arnt a Cm are you?

The whole point of the post isn’t that it’s a mum
Leaving her kids it’s a registered Cm not adhering to the standards she should do.

By your logic anyone could act in any way they see fit in any job regardless of their contract just because hey it’s ok!!!! Your posts are nonsense sorry

I would report it. If leaving the children she minds unsupervised is something she does on the school run with plenty of people to see, it might not be the only poor decision she is making with other people's children.

Oh bloody hell cocunut sorry x posted your last post and yes that’s the whole issue here. I do apologise we agree

If you think the pump might spontaneously combust surely you should deposit them in the shop before filling up?! Otherwise there's no increased risk from leaving them in a car you can clearly see.

OP, YANBU. I'd just phone Ofsted, because who knows what other dodgy practices she might be following. They won't suspend her registration, they just might give her a crap result.

There was a program about a girl who had been left in the car in the drive as a child. Her sister played with the cigarette lighter and set the inside of the car on fire. She was horribly burnt.

Isn’t it illegal to leave children unattended in a car?
I’d take the registration number and report her to the police and social services.

I was once asked by a woman I'd met once to take her mindee to school (bumped into her on way to school). I was concerned she thought that was ok!

And I had a childminder who did the same to my child. We used a nursery after that episode.

Interesting as there’s no statutory minimum age to leave a child at home is there? But there are cases of police intervening at kids in cars unattended?

Maybe the law needs sorting