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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

childminder question need parents veiws

51 replies

dmo · 09/09/2010 16:41

our network co-ordiator has decided we childminders should not attend toddler groups anymore as we only go for ourselves and not the children [shock. she thinks that the children would gain more from 100% attension in our own homes on foucused activites she has also said all the stay and play sessions at surestart have been cancelled (dont mind cause didint go to them)

i go to 4 toddler groups per week, my children love them, if they didnt i wouldnt go.
i have the main children for 10hr days so 2hrs out of the day is spent at a toddler group, 2hrs a day on eating, so the children still have 6hrs a week of just me and them time (and btw also the 2hrs at toddler group)

ofsted have said they would like to see 80% child lead activites and 20% focused activites (so in my mind toddler groups are child lead)

what do you think? would you as parents like your cm to go out and about with your child or have your child stay at the cm home for focused activities??
all answers are correct i just want to know what the genral feel about this is
thanks

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Shoshe · 09/09/2010 20:56

I dont go to any toddler groups (hate em) ........... but I go out everyday, along with 4/5 other CM's we go to soft play, each others houses, (yes we do drink coffee there, as well as art activities etc, so much easier with more adults, walks, swimming and such.

My parents would be livid if I stopped doing all this, they like thye fact that the children form a larger group for some activities, that they all know all the childminders, so that if one is ill, often another can care for their child, that the children get to see and experience the world outside my house.

So even if she banned toddler groups informal ones like ours will spring up.

The woman is a loon.

JuJusDad · 09/09/2010 20:58

If my DD wasn't going to playgroups with her CM, then I'd wonder what she was doing all day and whether to keep using her...

As it is, although she only goes to a few playgroups each week, she gets other opportunities for group play and socialisation because my CM goes to other CM's houses and vice versa. So best of both as per Longtall

JuJusDad · 09/09/2010 20:59

what thebody and Shoshe said, too.

colditz · 09/09/2010 20:59

Toddler groups, please. If I send my child to a child minder, I expect him to have a HOME life, and a HOME life includes toddler groups when you are a toddler!

If I want a childminder, I want a Mummy, not a mini nursery!

BellasFormerFriend · 09/09/2010 21:01

I honestly would not use a CM who did not take my dc out and about. As has already been said, it is supposed to be "home from home"(ish). That includes baby/toddler groups, music groups and so on. I would not be impressed with a CM who said they did not attend any of these sorts of things, sorry!

stomp · 09/09/2010 21:48

I thought we ran our own business I also thought that childminder drop-ins were part of the ?core offer? of the sure start CC. And I thought that networks were supposed to work with childminders to raise standards, not tell childminders what they could or couldn?t do. I think i would be having words

lollipopmother · 10/09/2010 08:52

I go to the Children's Centre 2-3 times a week, there are a couple around here and I mix it up so we're going to different places. Sometimes I get to drink a (cold) coffee but most of the time I don't get the chance! I like going because then I get to speak to some adults and it keeps my sanity and my brain at least ticking over, and the kids love it because they get to play with others, get lots of different resources to play with and can do much larger scale art projects.

The EYFS says you need to have access to lots of resources, they don't have to all be your own though. How does this woman think you're going to fund all the activities exactly - are you extremely wealthy with ooodles of storage space with a limitless range of activity ideas just sprouting out of your ear-holes??!

Shoshe · 10/09/2010 09:07

dmo have been thinking about this, I would put in a complaint to the network, it is a totally stupid thing to suggest!

Who is her boss, SureStart ? Ask to see their policy on this (they want enough policies out of us) The Network must have something in writing about this, or is she saying it just off her own back?

If she is then someone needs to tell her just how ridiculous it is and how many of the EYFS Standards you could not adhere to without going out!

azazello · 10/09/2010 09:15

I agree completely and absolutely with Colditz. I use a cm because it seems to me to be the closest thing to them being at home with me, errands, school pick ups and all. I go to toddler groups and when I'm with the children I have to get out of the house for my own sanity. I expect exactly the same applies to a cm.

StarExpat · 10/09/2010 09:44

I would be so upset if my cm wasn't allowed to or didn't bring my ds to playgroups at least once per week if not more. It's only for an hour or two per day and it gives him the opportunity to play with other toddlers and often a singing session or circle time of some sort. What's wrong with it?

LesbianMummy1 · 10/09/2010 12:18

Be thankful you don't live where I am. We have just been told we can only go to the childrens centre they designate us based on our voting ward not closeness or where children we care for live, and only to the groups that particular childrens centre has decided childminders are entitled to go to. We are allowed to go to toy library once a week but at my local childrens centre that is upstairs with small lift and no cots etc to put sleeping children in and no pushchairs allowed in building even if child asleep and I look after 3 under 14 months old the other group is come and sing which we can go to twice a year. This means we can no longer attend any groups and they will not send out lists of other groups anymore as they are only allowed to promote childrens centres. I thought the needs of the child were meant to be paramount.

HRHPrincessReality · 10/09/2010 12:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LesbianMummy1 · 10/09/2010 12:23

the childrens centre won't allow us to use their facilities.

spiritmum · 10/09/2010 12:26

I'm not a CM but as a SAHM I would always take my dc to toddler groups even though I hated them with a passion, because young children need to learn to socialise. How will they get on at pre-school/school if they only mix with their siblings and fellow mindees?

And totally agree with cat.

RosieGirl · 10/09/2010 12:38

Agree with all of the above, this is why I resigned from the NCMA because they didn't seem to support us just accepted everything the government and LA's throw at us.

I especially agree with HRH and Stomp, bit by bit we are being told exactly how we should run our businesses, even if its against parents wishes. Considering we are self-employed its mad.

I would make a complaint.

I have to admit though our local children's centre has got a new manager and she is really proactive, encouraging childminders to use all the groups and services, not just the drop in, as she feels its for the benefit of the children, which is spot on, just because children are with a childminder, shouldn't mean they should bee excluded from other activities.

Mind you hot drinks have been banned on a health and safety basis, although we have a gated kitchen within the playroom [hmn] so we definitely don't sit drinking coffee

carries · 10/09/2010 12:39

I agree spiritmum, as a sahm I took my kids to toddler group. But why are some cm expect to do what sahm don't do, and that's spend the whole day interacting. With the toddlers. I would go mad! They need to play with other kids, get out and run about. I wouldn't except a cm (if I used one) to stay at home and interact soley with kids 100% of the time.

Hope this makes sense and is relevant.

Should add, that I look after my nephew and niece one day a week. One half of day spent playing in my house, second half spent with cm friend at park, soft play or each others house.

thebody · 10/09/2010 12:59

also another thought, each centre will have to show that enough people use them.. be they cms or others, or lets face it with all the cuts proposed local authorities will close them down..

I suspect a lot of network coordinators, play leaders and eyfs 'coordinators' will loose their jobs as well.

I dont want this to happen as hate to think of anyone loosing their job.. but lets face it the cuts will come everywhere and they may find difficulty justifying their jobs..

you may thinbk of telling that coordinator why she needs childminders...

nannynick · 10/09/2010 15:17

Can I ask what local authority areas people are in, where you are being told that you can no longer attend groups run at SureStart Children's Centres.

Having had a look at the September timetables for centres local to me, there are still specific Childminder groups plus also more general toddler / stay-n-play groups. So this isn't affecting my part of West Surrey as yet.

funnylady · 10/09/2010 15:58

Parents think the childrens centres are wonderful and love me taking their children out to them. No hot drinks allowed at ours so no sitting around drinking coffee! and we do run focused as well as child led activities. Terrible suggestion by network co-ord.

LesbianMummy1 · 10/09/2010 16:08

we are in Portsmouth nannynick.

arses · 10/09/2010 17:21

I'm sorry, going to buck the trend here, but I do think 4 mornings at toddler group is a bit much for the very teeny tots.

I went once or twice to a toddler group with my ds when he was 6 months or so and there were about 60 kids and a load of childminders who sat at one end of the room while the kids ran riot. Great, amazing fun for the 2.5's and up.. not so fantastic for the teenies. I didn't go myself again because I thought it was a very stressful environment for a small child, it was just so NOISY and chaotic..

I totally appreciate how CM's need to get out and about and I love the idea of ds going to the park, the shops, the library and a toddler group during the week etc.

However, I don't like it when I have been talking to the CM's and they say 'oh we are out all the time, we're out more than we're in!' because I think little ones need some structure and down-time too.. I wouldn't want my kids out and about all day if it were just me at home so I don't want them out and about all day at a CM's either.

HSMM · 10/09/2010 17:44

If we're talking about Children's Centres, then yes, ours has a designated CMs session on a Tuesday morning, that no-one else is allowed at and then ALL the other sessions are barred for CMs. I wouldn't want to go to the same place every day anyway. I use other toddler groups in the area, according to the ages and preferences of the children I have each day.

(arses - I don't go to the ones where the children are allowed to run riot - not a good idea at all)

nannynick · 10/09/2010 18:33

Incidents at the toddler group I sometimes go to have to-date involved children who are under control of their parents, not a childminder or nanny.
Such as the 3year old who trampled a 5 month old baby. A 4 year old who climbed on top of a LittleTykes CityCoupe and fell off, hitting help, going unconscious.

Sure these things can happen to anyone - but so far it's happened to mums, not childminders.

Also tends to be the childminder who clear up, while a lot of the mums clear off!

Different groups, different experiences. End of the day the children need to learn to play with others and adults need to not feel isolated stuck at home with a baby/toddler.

babbi · 10/09/2010 19:59

The woman is bonkers . Of course the kids should be at groups - its where they have the most fun and let off steam.
I wouldn't be happy at DD being kept at home all day but much more importantly neither would she.

CarGirl · 10/09/2010 20:09

As a mum who used a fantastic CM for her own children I have to admit I have seen both kinds of CMs at 3 different toddler groups.

It's probably a 50/50 split - I have witnessed really bad CMs who do use toddler groups to sit and drink and chat and pretty much ignore the children. I've also witnessed excellent CMs too.

However I also expect a CM to offer a "home" environment which definately includes playing with other children at a toddler group or similar.

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