CMs - anyone had potential parents come round...

[nervatious]

...for only 20 minutes and then later sign up?

I really liked the family and they seemed happy enough but after about 20mins said, 'oh well we should really get out of your hair'

We don't have any mindees this week and our ds was asleep so it's not like we were busy at all!

Am hoping they will get back to us but should i be? Does it sound like a no-hoper?

I went to dd's childminder for less than 20 mins and signed her up but that is only for the school run once a week.

Though i signed ds up at nursery after a short meeting, i knew as soon as i walked through the door that it was fab (and was right! its still great)

I can top that - I'm sure the one I have in mind was 5 mins!!! Yes, she simply held her toddler in her arms, walked round downstairs and said 'put me down for any spaces you have left' which was 2 afternoons a week, that was it. I was shocked and when she left I was worried about whether or not to go ahead but the meeting seemed fine. She didn't want to go through my handbook and said she'd seen enough from my website and meeting me was just a quick formality!! LOL

I've had people wanting me to mail them contracts without even coming to the house! I do get them to visit, but normally it's just so they can sign the forms!

Other people take much longer and bring 50 different relatives to visit and then still don't come.

Actually yes, I've had that once before too but yes, I insisted they came round as I wanted to make sure they were ok!

Thanks guys, maybe there is some hope then. SO far I have had the other kind, who stay forever and then have a second visit with auntie etc and still say no. Will keep fingers crossed!

At least she brought her dc with her. I had one mum who came for an hour long visit, then sent her husband round to meet me and they both looked surprised when I asked them to let me meet their dc. They wanted to employ me - I said no thanks!

Works both way - I ALWAYS know it if's going to work from my point of view, tend to know as soon as they sit down for that initial cup of coffee!!

The ones who 'linger' tend to be the ones that have 'done the rounds' and have messed other cms around!

We always tell parents to go with gut feeling - the same applies for us cms!

I think I was at our CM's house for less than half an hour - I knew within a few minutes that she would be fab, actually as soon as her lovely well-behaved son came to the door!

Gut feeling is very important.

Well this family said they would get back to us on monday cos they had another place to look at. Also, refused a cup of tea! V friendly though.

The mum had just had an operation, maybe that's why they didn't hang around? Oh I will just have to wait I can't stand it!

good luck.. its a bit like selling your house.. have had real gushers round saying its just what they want etc and never heard a word..

eventually sold to bloke that seemed as miserable as sin and hardly bothered to look around.. he put in an offer that afternoon.. spooky..

When I was a childminder my quickest 'booking' was a Mum who said yes after ten minutes (and we had a great team for two years following) and the longest was a Mum who came round to meet up with her newborn, Mum fell asleep (!!) on the sofa for 90 minutes, I looked after baby, Mum then got up, left and I never heard from her again! It was very funny and a bit odd.

I'd say its gut reaction on both sides, and that is usually quite an instant feeling.