To think this isn’t on (childminder and school events)

[PoutySprout]

I arrange a lot of events at DD’s school.

One of the mums from DD’s class registered as a childminder about 18 months ago. She has 2 children now at the school (year 3 and reception). She has the maximum number of minded children she’s allowed to have. Causes chaos in the morning when she blocks everyone else in in the car park with her minibus, then herds the children 4 abreast as the lay crawl towards the school entrance (across a road) and blocking everyone else who just wants to be able to travel at a reasonable pace.

Anyway, since she started this she brings her minded children to school events. Discos (the triple pushchair gets in the way and she regularly loses the older children either inside or outside the school because she just can’t keep control of all of them). She came to several Xmas shows, had the kids push to the front of the queue and then hog the front seats, changed nappies and left the bags under the seats for the whole performance, fed them snacks she brought with her (we sell snacks - that’s the point) and then ignored them whilst they tried to climb on stage, winged, ran off to pull a xmas tree apart because she was filming her kids on her iPad and blocking the view of the parents behind her (we sell a DVD for a few £s). Other parent helpers are whinging to me about it, but it’s hard to know what to do. The headteacher is aware but seemingly not bothered enough to do anything about it.

Surely the minded children’s parents don’t expect them to be cared for in this way?ive never used a child minder so don’t know what’s normal.

I don't see the issue with the kids attending school events. The point of childminders is to have a home like environment doing the things you would do. Not to replicate nursery.

THe staff don’t get involved because how parents get their children to school isn’t their concern.

I can't find any info quickly on over 8s.

You can look after as many over 8s as you like however you need to be able to demonstrate to Ofsted that caring for them doesn't compromise the care you're able to provide for the under 8s.

You don’t like her and you sound like a bit of a bitch who is making life harder for a) her b) the mindees c) the parents

I have very little to do with her. How the fuck am I making life harder for her?

It really sounds like you don't like her at all yet from your OP it doesn't sound like she's doing anything particularly wrong aside from being mildly annoying.

Perhaps you should just suck it up and accept that in life you're never going to like every single person you meet.

If shes allowed 6 including her own, shes only allowed 4 others, of which only 3 can be under 5. I presume some of the xmas shows have been in the day time as the minded children would otherwise be at home with their parents, so she can only have 3 with her (anyone over 5 would be at school). It's not therefore like she has a gaggle of children is it, and plenty of other parents will be 1 or 2 at least.

Definitely seems to suggest you have something against this woman.

I thought my OP was clear. OTHER PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING TO ME ABOUT THE THINGS SHE IS DOING.

I’ve never had any involvement with childminders so don’t know what is normal. That’s why I asked here.

Meh. Couldn't get worked up about any of that.

Just treat her the same as anyone else. If preschool children are allowed at school events then she has as much right to be there as anyone else.

I'm a childminder (and also chair of the pta at my daughter's school!)

It's good for the minded children to attend school events, they get used to a school setting and it minimises nerves when they start school. They get to know staff, the building etc.

You can try saying excuse me to get past her on a pavement!

Our school staff supervise disco's, we don't allow parents into the hall. Children attend then return to classrooms to be passed over to parents. While they are waiting the parents can purchase drinks and snacks for a reasonable price in a separate area! This usually doubles our income.

School performances are limited to 3 people per family per performance. This includes siblings / children. Whilst we sell hot drinks / soft drinks / snacks we don't complain about people bringing their own. The head doesn't allow unlidded cups so most people just buy a brew from us anyway. We sometimes offer a free raffle ticket with each drink to win a small donated prize, that really brings up sales.

And for 3 children (the max number of under 5s usually allowed, though exceptions can be made) I bill £13.50. I make about £5 per hour profit when all of my costs are taken into account. (Food, heating, activities, craft supplies, toys, books, general wear and tear on my home and clothing, transport, training, insurance, membership and required registrations... ...)

Maybe bring in a maximum number of children per parent who can come to events.

Also is parents attending school discos a thing now?

THe staff don’t get involved because how parents get their children to school isn’t their concern

Absolutely incorrect I would suggest for most schools. They are definitely concerned with safety of children on the way to and from school (which is why our school pays for a lollipop man), if parents' driving represents a danger to children crossing roads, whether the neighbours are affected (parking and routes in / out school are mentioned in pretty much every weekly newsletter as parents park over drives or cause gridlock) and they regularly have 'scoot/walk/cycle to school' initiatives to promote exercise.

I presume some of the xmas shows have been in the day time as the minded children would otherwise be at home with their parents, so she can only have 3 with her

There were six shows that she attended. One was in the evening. The others during the day. She had 3 toddlers with her aged between 1 and 2.5 at a guess (shopdten start school at 3 here). The littlest was on the seat next to her. The other 2 were up and down out of their seats (front and centre) and the triple pushchair was in the aisle to the side (we call it a fire escape).

I can't believe "they walk slowly" is a genuine complaint anyone would take seriously to be honest.

I can see why you're cross op.
You're putting your own time in for free to try to raise money for the school and all the children in it. (That's a really nice kind thing to do). This lady is basically using the events for free entertainment rather than their point, raising money, whilst financially benefiting herself.

Yep yabu. Get over it.

Meh
Annoying but such is life ?

I used a childminder when my little boy was small, not for long, she basically drove around all day with him the back of her car. He’d sleep all day long whilst she met friends for coffee, went shopping, socialised etc. When they were are home he was confined to a small room with some toys in, he wasn’t allowed in the rest of her unused house in case he made a mess.
That’s why she was out all day, if they weren’t at home they weren’t messing her home up.
I soon realised it wasn’t working, he stopped sleeping at night as he was getting about 5 hours during the day - he would fall asleep on any car journey.
Some child minders just do it for the money, not the love of the job.

This is the ONLY thing that matters...

The headteacher is aware but seemingly not bothered enough to do anything about it

I use a childminder who occasionally went to school events for her grandchildren with my children (at the school they now attend and she always asked me) so in principal I wouldn't mind that part but she sounds really inconsiderate of others!

(We are also allowed to film and take photos as long as we don't share on social media).

This lady is basically using the events for free entertainment rather than their point, raising money, whilst financially benefiting herself.

She's supporting the school that her DC attend, watching shows that her DC are in, and helping to prepare her mindees for school (which is part of the EYFS) by taking them in to a school environment at a school they will possibly one day be attending if they are local to it.

Also is parents attending school discos a thing now?

The parents stay for the infant disco, yes. We PTA volunteers aren’t in loco parentis.