is this parent asking to much? or am i getting it wrong?

[MaryPoppinsMagic]

I'm a new childminder; I have just taken on a 15 month old little boy, the first few days have been awful, he has screamed the whole time and won't stop unless I walk round cuddling him at all times this is difficult as I have a dd of my own who gets upset by the screaming.

The parent has put some restrictions on me which I'm struggling with a little

• I said I was taking the children to play group and having a coffee with a friend and her children whilst there

the parent said I could go to play group but cannot have a coffee with my friend as she wants me to follow her ds at all times

• the parent gave me a book for a sure start centre and highlighted all the groups, times and days and told me I must go to these groups.

the centre is quite out of my way, and I don't always have enough time to do the school run if I do as she has asked

• I explained to the parent I cannot take the child when ill. This morning he came and had really bad diarrhoea

i called parent to pick him up, when she collected she got quite off with me saying I should still look after him, when I explained again I couldn't do this she seemed really annoyed

• I said this morning (before the poops) that we would be going for a walk to the shop this morning as I had run out of milk and butter

she said I am not to take her son to the shops as she is not happy with me going there with her son

So, am I going wrong here? I spoke to another childminder and she says its very unreasonable the requests she is putting on me, I have a dd of my own aswell and I want to do things that suit both ages, I honestly don't see nipping to the shop as a problem as children like the adventure!

What can I do??? Please help!

Aren't you glad you got rid! I left nannying cos of mad parents. Shame, I lived the kids and job

You're well out of that! What a nightmare!

She gets worse. She seems to think you are her slave or something. Bizarre!!

what makes me sad is she'll get some young girl and bully her into doing everything she wants

as a former nanny and childminder, I've often thought we should be able to get references from the parents, we must supply references, childminders are ofsteded up to their eyeballs, but parents come to us and we have no idea of their background.

its pitiful sometimes

bloody hell! get rid now

What a loon for so so many reasons.

On the most basic level, I've never used a cm but even I can work out that, generally, my child would fit into the activities of the group as a whole and that, if necessary, that would include every day odds and sods that the cm needs to do.

Sounds like she needs a nanny, not a CM.

SSD indeed - tho through the nanny grapevine - certain parents are blacklisted ..........................

I'm a new childminder too, and still incredibly anxious to please. I have taken on two children whose parents work crazy, unpredictable shifts, sometimes starting at 6am! However, both families seem very lovely and the children are great. I feel sure that I can work with them.

OP, even though I find it hard to turn down work, I really would not dream of continuing to work with a mum as scary, bizzarre and unpredictable as your new client sounds. She would drive me to a nervous breakdown! Hope you find some lovely children with more reasonable parents very soon. Good luck with your business.

OMG greenbananas! 6 am starts????!!!! That means you must be up at 5 am when they do that. Hope you charge them anti-social hours wages to go with it.

Marypoppinsmagic - I would explain that you take the other children to playgroup and their parents are ok with it and you cannot possibly go to the other places as they are not in the area and it disrupts your routine. They forget we cms need adult company, it can be a really lonely job if you don't get out to tots groups. I came up here to Manchester from the Midlands 21 years ago, didn't know anyone and had to make friends at tots groups otherwise I would have gone stir crazy at the MIL's. Most of my friends are cms apart from at church and at my ds's football club.