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.

Put some cones out the front, so she starts parking in the car park correctly. It's very odd that she does this. I don't know any CMs this inconsiderate.

Your only issue is her bad parking, if you have the contract for the car park.
So either you have to go down there and tell her she can't park there, or else cancel the contract.

Everything else, tell parents to stop bitching to you.

Put some cones out the front, so she starts parking in the car park correctly. It's very odd that she does this. I don't know any CMs this inconsiderate.

I’m not there and it’s not my car park! If she carries in I suspect it will be nails in her tyres, not cones on the path!

If you are the one organising/paying for the car park and providing it to parents, then I think you do have some responsibility to ensure it is used properly.

Why can't you simply tell the whinging parents that whilst the behaviour of this woman is annoying, it's not your problem - because it's not. People may whinge to you, but you don't need to do anything about it, and you don't need to listen. Direct them to the school admin, who can enforce any school rules she may be breaking.

If you are the one organising/paying for the car park and providing it to parents, then I think you do have some responsibility to ensure it is used properly.

Ah. I’ll give up work and sit in the car park instead.

Or perhaps she could be a considerate adult and park where she has been asked several times to park?!

Why can't you simply tell the whinging parents that whilst the behaviour of this woman is annoying, it's not your problem - because it's not. People may whinge to you, but you don't need to do anything about it, and you don't need to listen.

It’s an approach, I agree.

Direct them to the school admin, who can enforce any school rules she may be breaking.

That’s the issue. They say they aren’t responsible for the parents’ behaviour in the car park because they don’t supply it.

No bar. The barrier is about 3ft tall. They get full size coaches in there on match days.

To my knowledge the coach spaces aren’t used by the car driving parents.

OP, you've said you can spend up to 20 hours a week on PTA business. I think you should do yourself a favour and get a paid job for those hours instead. Many parents consider PTA a PITA! Do yourself a favour and use your time more productively.

Badly written. Apologies.

The parking is the main issue? She is a bit of s slob who ‘brings down the tone’ at school every events with her inconsiderate behaviour and out of control brood. But it’s the parking that people are complaining about.

It’s a PTA organisaed car park. Issue a note to all parents asking that no one parks overhanging the entrance or exit becias is is causing inconvenience to those block in the car park and creating a huge headache for those organising this car park.

If this is truly causing traffic chaos and it continues, issue a second letter (assuming the PTA AGREES) saying hat the behaviour of one driver is resulting in dozens of complaints. If this behaviour continues the PTA will have to stop facilitating the extra parking as the volume of complaints has become too much for the volunteers to handle.

Peer pressure might change her behaviour. If not the car park is gone. Change your mobil number!!!!

Parents have been texted about parking 3 tines since Xmas to remind them of the rules imposed by the contract by the club. The club posted publically that they were considering ending the arrangement and this was copied to parents. Lots had discussion about it and it wa me clear that it was her parking that was causing the biggest issues. It improved for a few days, then there was a lot of rain and then ice and it’s slipped back again (judging by the messages).

My number isn’t public. The messages come via messenger and twitter (PTA accounts).

I don’t need to earn more for myself. Those 20 hours a week over December raises most of the annual income.

I think the PTA. Has done everything they can to salvage the situation.

If th car park goes then it goes. If you were friendly with this lady you might quietly give her a heads up that she will be blamed and vilified when there is no petered to park at the school. But you aren’t so just let the chips fall

Don’t waste any more energy on the situation.

She will park illegally outsider the school gates and everyone else will mumbled about her as the trudge passed after a long walk.

I have wasted a lot of time plotting revenge fantasies which involve the unreasonable person realising their many flaws while getting their commupence. It never works out that way and I am the one left obbsessing and angry while the CF sails on oblivious.

Let it go.

If the head has washed his or her hands of the car park issue and is saying it’s yours to deal with then I’d just say calmly that you unfortunately are not paid so don’t have time to deal with it so regretfully you’ll have to end the contract.

Then watch as every pickup is chaos and the head starts getting grief from the neighbours and the parents. It’ll soon sort itself out.

I think you’re right.

I think you need to organise a PTA meeting to discuss the parking issue and ask the Head to attend. The Head may not think it's their problem, but if the parking gets shut down then there will be chaos and it definitely will be their problem.

Some schools have no PTA. Parking is not your peoblem.

Problem

I wasn’t responsible for the child but I had to firefight bloody horrible posts all over social media for several weeks.

Does this not just stoke the problem, though?

If you're not responsible, point them towards whoever is and then disengage (if you feel you need to respond at all).

Someone needs to be responsible for door safety at s school event with toddlers, though, even if there are parents about.

By the looks of it she isn't actually using the car park, she's parking in the road/pavement in front of the car park? If so a threat to end the contract probably hasn't registered with her because she probably doesn't think it will affect her. A complaint to the council about routine blocking of the car park ingress and egress by (registration number) would probably be the official way to deal that sort of violation, but I doubt it will be effective. Particularly annoyed parents being prepared to park in that space such that the entrance and exit are not blocked and CF can't park there might work. Alternatively, someone could public shaming of her in the village paper - "Local Childminder endangers school parking with inconsiderate behaviour! Shock! Horror!" if you have a local rag like that.

But it's a lot of faff when you're a volunteer. She does sound very obnoxious but you have no authority and it's not on you to sort it all out for everyone.

I didn’t engage. They got a stock response maybe 10 times that the parents/carers are responsible for their children at infant discos, not the PTA. But he was relentless. Posting public posts all over the place, which I then had to delete.

By the looks of it she isn't actually using the car park, she's parking in the road/pavement in front of the car park? If so a threat to end the contract probably hasn't registered with her because she probably doesn't think it will affect her. A complaint to the council about routine blocking of the car park ingress and egress by (registration number) would probably be the official way to deal that sort of violation, but I doubt it will be effective. Particularly annoyed parents being prepared to park in that space such that the entrance and exit are not blocked and CF can't park there might work. Alternatively, someone could public shaming of her in the village paper - "Local Childminder endangers school parking with inconsiderate behaviour! Shock! Horror!" if you have a local rag like that.

It’s all part of the car park, unfortunately. The council will enforce repeat offenders on the zig zags periodically, but not the other side as it belongs to the club. But it’s a good point about others parking there before she can.

That might be the way forward then. Find the noisiest complainers andtellthem to organise themselves so that they park there first if they want to keep the parking open. Push back a bit.

Next year 'Due to in case of emergency or evacuations adult to child ratio is now 1:3.'