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.

Some child minders just do it for the money, not the love of the job.

Yeah, I think all childminders do their jobs for money, no one is volunteering to spend all day with three unrelated babies/toddlers for love.

My amazing childminder always took my kids if she was going to see an older one in a school.play etc. What bitchy comments about her blocking the way etc. Childminders do an important job and you just sound snide and judgemental

Where do you think she should park?

In a space in the car park, not across the entrance or exit to the car park? There’s a bloody coach space she could park in!

Why not ask her to park in that space then

People shouldn’t be complaining to you. You have no remit over this childminder nor any other parent.

Some child minders just do it for the money, not the love of the job

What do people work for if not money? Love of the job is all well and good but it doesn't buy food or pay the gas bill.

I am a childminder, I wouldn't have my minded kids running wild at a school event and wouldn't leave rubbish all over the place. As for the walking slowly or whatever, and the complaint about the triple buggy, tuff shit, the woman is earning a living and you are all bitching about her being in your way. You wouldn't be saying that if she was the children's mother, you would be saying god how does she manage with 3 kids under 3 and it must be a killer pushing that triple buggy around.

You sound very angry OP. Agree with a pp, get over it.

You know not everyone gives a crap about PTA fundraising don't you? That seems to be your real annoyance. I no longer donate to my kids' school's PTA for good reason. YABU and frankly you need to find more important thinks to concern yourself with.

She's supporting the school that her DC attend, watching shows that her DC are in

Yes. We couldn’t do without that £2.50. (The school had to buy a new tree after the 3rd show because the kids had practically destroyed it.)

Most parents come, but a brew and a mince pie, don’t complain about the child sized seats and generally behave. This woman and her entourage are like a typhoon.

*buy

I don't remember my mum coming to discos in primary school, that's going to be a real drag

Why not ask her to park in that space then

Gosh. That hasn’t occurred to me.

Of course I fucking have.

What would you expect her to do if they were her own DCs? Because the fact she is a childminder is irrelevant really. She's entitled to take DCs to the concert and to walk as slowly as she likes.
If you think she should park in a different space (and you're guaranteeing that space is a) always empty and b) an appropriate distance to expect smaller DCs to walk ) then just pop a little note on her car saying 'Can you please use the coach space? thanks from the PTA'.

Christ OP, you're confirming every PTA stereotype I've ever encountered.

I don’t want to offend anyone but money is important. If I didn’t work I would go crazy. Having said that you should find another job if you truly detest it. I love having a conversation with adults about a variety of subjects not just special needs topics.

Some child minders just do it for the money, not the love of the job.

😂 Yup, your spot on we are all raking it in!

She sounds like a pain in the arse to be fair.

At our school no siblings/non student children are allowed in for events - maybe suggest this?

You know not everyone gives a crap about PTA fundraising don't you? That seems to be your real annoyance. I no longer donate to my kids' school's PTA for good reason. YABU and frankly you need to find more important thinks to concern yourself with.

We’re about to build a massive climbing frame/outdoor gym in the completely bare playground. We’ve fundraised bloody hard and it will be brilliant for children for years to come. The school couldn’t have provided it in a decade with their falling budget.

I hope you don’t expect your children to use facilities you haven’t contributed to. Or should everyone else pay for your kids?

Yes. We couldn’t do without that £2.50

Doesn't matter whether you think you could have done without her money or not, she has a right to come and watch her DC and to participate in school events. She's not breaking any of the rules as they currently stand and doesn't appear to be in breach of any Ofsted registration conditions so wah-fucking-wah, get over yourself.

Let it go. If it's a tiny village school, they can't be holding everyone up that much.

I am a childminder. I doubt she's trying to piss anyone off, but by all means suggest to her ways that she could help. Some children are compliant & some aren't. I blame the parents

This lady sounds quite inconsiderate and is therefore irritating a lot of people. Once this happens, everything she does will be examined.

Take a deep breath and focus on the things which impact on you and which you can control. If there is any clear rule breaking, which has a clear negative impact on others ask her to be more considerate. Let the smaller things go.

I am sure the parents have a fair idea how she cares for their children, but it’s not your concern. If her wards behave so badly at school plays hat the disrupt the show, then the school should (and may well already have) have a word.

If her parking clocks other in, speak to her.

But don’t turn it into a witch hunt because you clearly don’t like her.

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
Not quite true. Childminders insurance policies will dictate how many over 8s a childminder can look after in total.

It doesn’t technically sound as if she is doing anything wrong tbh. Are the children are unsafe with her or is she just causing an inconvenience to cars as they have to wait for her to cross.

You maybe need to put a limit on taking children to school events. (Our school says that any small child making a disturbance needs to be taken out of plays/assemblies so they don’t distract the school children and I have seen a teacher ask someone to leave (the vast majority of us thought the teacher was completely correct, but obviously there is always a group who feel hard done to about having to stifle their toddlers desire to shriek all the way through).
Maybe put a blanket ban on that productions can not be photographed but you will be selling a dvd afterwards in aid of school fund.

Some of her behaviour does sound a bit rude (pushing in,letting the children run riot) but any communication should probably come from the head rather than you.

You are mistaking others bitching to you with them making formal complaints. It is absolutely none of your business. You sound like the type of volunteer organisations tend to prefer to manage without i.e the type that think they're the same as staff.

I no longer donate to my kids' school's PTA for good reason

Same here because all the events they organised, for all they were advertised as open to all pupils, seemed to be considered by the PTA to be their own private events and how dare anyone else join in but "please don't forget to donate".

You sound like hardwork, OP. This woman has done nothing discernibly wrong and you clearly hate her for it.

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

Sorry financially benefiting herself, how's that then?