To immediately remove my child from childminder

[Ohriley]

My child has been going to a childminder for 2 years - with 2 days a week at a preschool and the remainder with her. I don't like her at all, she's becoming more and more unhinged in how she deals with me - however I've kept them with her because they enjoy their time there and have nothing negative to say.

This week, my child has told me that they're sometimes left alone in the car while the childminder goes to the shop. They're not one for making up stories.

They start school in September so only 6 weeks to go and I can scrabble together alternative care until then.

Would you upset your child's routine for your own sanity / the safety issue or would you stick it out for a further 6 weeks?

Don't know who said it was illegal to leave kids in car unsupervised but that is a load of tosh, there is No such UK law

I wasn’t aware it is illegal to leave children in a car alone - unwise and unsafe certainly but not actually against the law. I guess times have changed since my children were young, I can’t believe my son is 40 tomorrow, I’m much too young to have a child that old!

It’s not illegal.

Nit all nurseries are wonderful and some childminders are excellent.
I regularly see children.from a local nursery being taken to the park and the staff look bored and not particularly engaged with the children.

Wow. Was that really necessary?

I’d pull my kids out without a second thought and report her to the local council or whoever childminders need reporting to

definitely remove your child and report. No excuse for leaving a child alone in a car especially if you’re looking after someone else’s child !

This. But it sounds like you don't like the woman. So why is your child there? Surely you would only leave your child with people you personally like and respect?

I wouldnt be happy.
Some under 5s cant be trusted alone in the car (mine especially). Childminder might not have child-locked the door (or the windows, imagine kids opening and closing them whilst leaning/waving out if keys left in). A lot of modern cars alarms get set off when door is locked and person moving inside, so if they havent disabled it they may just leave it unlocked. And it gets hot in cars in the summer, not nice if she gets distracted chatting in shop and not nice if kid is desperate for a wee and all alone. I could think of loads more cons if I had the time

Have you had a chat with the childminder at all? I once had a child tell their parent I had left them in the car at the petrol station. What had actually happened was I was putting air in my tyres. Yes, the child was in the car however I was just outside of it. I couldn’t help having to put air in, we wouldn’t have got to our destination otherwise. Thankfully, when the parent spoke to me I could explain and all was right.

I’ve also had occasions where I’ve dropped a child at home, I pull up onto the drive, leave the others in the car and walk child to their front door. I’m less than 10 feet away and can see and hear the children. If a young child described it though it may sound vastly different.

I’m not saying that what you’ve heard is wrong, more to just get the full story

It’s not illegal, in the this country anyway. Where majority are from 🤷🏻‍♀️

sounds awful @Ohriley I am sorry this happened to you, it gives other childcare workers a bad reputation and it’s so unfair. I’ve been a nanny ten years and would never treat children or parents this way!

Where are you based? I am
looking for a summer nanny role (I don’t start my permanent role until late September). Message if you would lbw interested or just need to vent, I know a lot of great nannies.

No it doesn’t depend how long at all… a child should NEVER be left in a car.
someone in our town ‘popped’ in a shop and while in their collapsed … she woke in ambulance and said she’d left kids in her car… police went looking and found the kids dead in the car…. Other people have ‘popped’ in somewhere and an electrical fire in the cars killed the kids.
m up to parents if they want to risk their kids but no way a paid childminder should risk other peoples children

No it doesn't depend how long they are left. Ever heard of car fires, kidnap, kids playing with handbrake, ignition?

Hmm… think we’ve found the childminder 😅

Besides being a horrible thing to say, what the hell has that got to do with anything? OP hasn't said she can't afford childcare and she can afford to take the financial hit of removing them from their current childminder, who quite frankly, sounds as unhinged as you do.

Sounds like you've found a good workable solution.

Yanbu

It’s totally irresponsible that she leaves small children alone in her car.
I would sack her off for that reason alone.

@T1Dmama yeah. Your situation sounds unlikely.

Beth is a sexist nasty woman. Thinks women who have children should stay at home clearly! Sexism at its best