AIBU to report this childminder??

[mylifemykids]

There's a childminder who's house backs onto mine. I was just up in the bedroom when I heard one of the children crying in the childminder's garden. I didn't take much notice because there's usually one or other of them crying. Then I heard the childminder say 'X that was really naughty I saw you hit him then, I am very cross with you' and then I heard a slap!!! I looked out the window to see one of the minded children stood there screaming and holding her leg where I assume she was slapped. She was then dragged by the arm inside and told she was going to 'the bedroom' to calm down.

If I'd left my children with a childminder I'd hate to think they were being treated like that.

Do I assume it was just a one off and ignore it? Or should I report her (not sure who to?!)

look any misgivings i had about any CM or nursery i would report

whether i had an intutive bad feeling
or an observed action
if i had a bad vibe a feeling id report it

all this trying to digress by differentiating real danger genuine risk.these are decisions for the professionals to make,not a pc based activity. hence need for referral and face to face investigation

we all clearly have views that are unlikely to shift upon

on basis of what op reports yes i would have reported it to ss

Fair enough Scottishmummy, I am prepared to agree to disagree. I just hope you are not walking past my house when I am shouting at the dog for making DD cry (briefly) by barking loudly at the postman, and all you hear is me shouting and DD crying, and you have misgivings about it... Yes, the trauma of being investigated by 'the professionals' when I've done nothing wrong would be a breeze and would definitely have no lasting effect on me or my family...

All anyone is saying here is that your misgivings have to have a basis of truth - not just a bad feeling - before you go jumping to conclusions and disrupting lives (and those lives include the children of the CM as well as those in her care).

Anyway - I'm off to discuss ironing on another thread. Had enough negativity for one day

coming late to this, and have only skimmed thread BUT aside from the slap, the behaviour MLMK did see was also unacceptable in my view and would be reportable.

she DID see the child being dragged into the house by the arm whilst very upset.

that is not acceptable in my view. and the way she spoke to the chiold wasn't particularly nice either.

bobbleB this isnt about any of us our our capabilities as mums

it is about what op and her dilemma

so no need to assume that anyone (least of all me) walking past yur house as dog barks,baby cries that they are phoning sw

i am saying based on the op i would call ss with no hesitation

You know, Scottishmummy, I agree with you. Thinking about that poor little child being dragged into the house crying, I do think it should be reported. I would hate to think of my DD being treated like that and hate to think of any other children having to go through that and not being able to speak up for themselves.

I just wanted to make the point that the OP needs to be sure that it was unacceptable behaviour that she saw (not just assumed) before she jumped in.

I guess we have exhausted the point, but bringing it back round to the OP's situation and the children in question, I agree it should be reported if the OP felt the activity she saw was wrong (and it sounds like it was).

So - I think we are in "violent agreement"! (as my old boss used to say)

my lo attends nursery FT and it is a huge leap of faith to leave with staff but i do unequivocally trust my instinct,do pop in unannounced.however any working parent would be haunted if they thought their lo was getting hit or shouted at

added to that so many posts on MN along limes of nurseries are cruel boot camps. the i know a woman who knows a woman who meet a nursery nurse on the 44 and she said they beat dem kids...

lol at "violent agreement". yes i like it

scottishmummy, I don't agree with everything you say, but God I love your posts, you are the new Xenia, you've got an opinion on everything and they are mostly (I said mostly) spot on & funny

anyway has the op reported this cm yet?

haha dont give nme a big heid you know i hate all that MN gushing

not the new anyone just lil ole me

for the purpose of healthy balance someone started a thread saying they hate me
someone else did a scottishmummy-is-a-big-fucking-cunt name change on a thread we were arguing discussing on (thought that was funny actually)

and dont know how this resolved,whether she reported or not

Can I just say - with regard to the CM I reported, and nothing was done apart from the parents removing their kiddies.

She has new children now, and as far as I'm aware, they don't know she was reported.

She actually said it was like starting afresh.
I can only presume the new parents havent read her OFSTED report which does state she has had a complaint against her.

Her career was NOT ruined at all.
The children who were removed are much happier with their new minders.

Watch and wait!!!!! i don't believe what i am reading, no wonder why so many children are being abused it is people like you that say, hold on i will sit back and see what happens. I say report it, it is better for her to loose a job then a child potentially loosing their life, you never know how far some people will take slapping a child

Would any of the posters who say 'do not report/wait and see' think the same if the OP had witnessed this behaviour from a teacher in the playground?

folks, this thread is from JUNE, not now!

or if it was their kid being slapped

RIGHT.

Who re-animated the zombie thread?

playfullllll

How on earth do people know the parent hadn't given permission for the childminer to smack the chil ? They are well within the law to do so, it is only illegal for a teacher or staff member in a nursery setting to smack a child, even with the parents permission. Staff privately employed by parents, such as a childminder or nanny can be given permission to smack a child by the parent.

I do not smack my children, I am perfectly able to discipline them without smacking. However, if parents chose to use smacking as a method punishment, and are doing so within the law, that's really none of my business.

This child minder may not have even smacked the child, and what one person classes as 'dragging' the child in by her arm, another may not. Even if the minder did slap the child's leg, I wouldnt' necessarily class that as abuse, nor would I say it means the child is at risk.

I think people need to keep some perspective on this and not allow their personal views on smacking to cloud their judgement. The fact is, reporting could ruin this persons career, and whilst that is not more important than a child's welfare, it is surely a factor? The woman could be totally innocent of any wrongdoing!

Personally, I would keep an eye/ear out, I am sure parents would notice if there was something really wrong with their own child.

I think your information, much like this thread, is out-of-date, midori.

Childminders have been banned from smacking their charges since 2003.

is this out of date then?

www.childrenslegalcentre.com/Resources/CLC/Documents/PDF%20N-Z/Smacking%20Leaflet.pdf

No, that's bang up to date. It says that the only people who can smack a child are parents, carers or "a person [who] is
employed privately by a parent, such as a babysitter or
nanny, the parent may give permission for that person to
smack their child as long as it is reasonable and does not
amount to an offence."

Childminders are not permitted to smack their charges. They are not 'privately employed by the parents/carers' Your link agrees with this.

Please check facts.