Childminders Club: Advice about strange phone call and supposed meeting tomorrow........

[Fifi1976]

Hello, need some advice please.

Had a phonecall on Tuesday and it's been worrying me a little. It was a giggly sounding young girl who basically said "are you the childminder?" I said yes and she said "can you look after my baby please" which I thought was an odd way to say it - it was her voice too - but I said well it depends on days and how old etc. She said baby is 1 and she wanted me this Saturday. I told her I couldn't as don't usually work weekends plus I'm out for my birthday that day. She said ok how about Friday and I said it's my week off so then she said Monday! I said I could but what hours did she want. She wanted 7AM til 9AM on Monday morning. I said ok then she asked if I'd take their son who is 5. I said ok. I then asked if she would like to meet me and she said ok then. So we arranged for 2pm tomorrow.

STUPID me forgot to take a number and I did 1471 straight after and number was witheld. It was just a really odd conversation full of giggles and her SHOUTING "oh xxx (babies name) get lost" and stuff like that. Something tells me this was a hoax as kids are off school but now what? Also, what a very strange time to want childcare - don't you think?

I want to take ds to the Dr's and the time they could fit him in tomorrow was half hour after they are due.

Will be annoyed if we miss that and they don't turn up.

What would you do??

It's HellyBelly by the way, I'm always doing this with my names!!! The other name is my advertising name lol!

that is VERY bizarre!!!

erm not sure what I would do

If I was fairly sure it was kids messing on I would go about my business as usual and go out if you want to

That's sort of what I was thinking as it's my week off and I'd be annoyed if I'd stayed in for nothing. I just wish I'd taken a bloody phone number - it's just that it was so strange I didn't say the stuff I normally would iyswim.

Definitely a hoax call. I once worked in an office (yes, seriously) where two of the staff used to do this kind of thing - ring up and arrange meetings with people (though usually other businesses). Totally pathetic.

And if you were a kid, daring another kid to play this kind of prank, "would you look after my baby please" strikes me as a typical opener, as does the baby being "one" and being called the name of someone who just happens to be messing around in the background.

IIWY hellybelly, I would forget all about it. If someone does call and you are not there, they will most probably call you at which point you apologise profusely, say you had to go out in an emergency and had no contact number for them.

Thanks for that. Exactly what I wanted to do - just take my ds to Dr's and not bother staying in. Tbh, I don't want to do it anyway! Maybe I should leave a note on the door (just in case) saying had to take ds to Dr's and sorry but can't do Monday, would have phoned but had no number and did try 1471 as soon as she hung up. At least this way I don't have to worry about someone turning up at 7am on Monday morning when I'm not needed for first mindee til 8.30am! What do you think?

Bumping for evening lot

Does sound a little strange. At first I thought it could be young mother with a baby, but then you mention a 5 year old.

She just wants 2 hours on one morning... sounds odd. Would the 5 year old not be going to school, an inset day perhaps.

If you need to go to the Dr's... then you need to go to the Dr's, your family must come first. Just put a note on the door, asking her to leave her phone number.

Out of interest, did she ask how much it would cost? If not, then def a hoax... I've never known anyone not to ask how much childcare will cost!

I thought it was just a young mum at first which is no problem for me. I just now feel it's a hoax.

She didn't ask about cost so nearer the end I made it clear how much and when she mentioned 5 year old I said that would be extra £3 per hour so £7.50 per hour and she didn't seem at all bothered about cost, just laughed and said 'oh, no problem at all' in a sort of odd way (hard to explain). Yeah, funny she didn't ask about cost at any point! Just went straight to booking me.

I did tell her that she MUST pay upfront otherwise they'd be turned away and she was fine but as I say, I think she would have been fine with everything.

One thing I did wonder after is maybe some of local kids (some know us round here and give abuse as we're decent people are they are skum - sorry but they are!) saw a poster and wondered if it was me so rang and then asked where we lived to confirm their thoughts???

Just feel odd about the whole thing (and stupid for being flustered on phone and forgetting to get their number )

Also odd that they only wanted one off couple of hours but the day didn't matter and the time is strange imo!

This does sound very much like a hoax, if I were you I would go out for the appointment but wouldn't leave a note on your door (you never know who is about).

If they did turn up they might phone again anyway, then you can apologise. however it doesn't sound from your postings that you would be happy to have them anyway.

i wouldnt leave a note on the door and very def invite to get burgled which you dont ever need.

ds must come first.

See you soon

Right then, I agree about the note, wasn't thinking properly when thought of that! Was just hoping that I could either get their phone number or say not to come.

It's not that I didn't want them on Monday, what I didn't want is to not see them beforehand and then be up, dressed and ready for work at 7am and then they don't turn up. I've been off this week (well, worked Tues) and I do quite like a later Monday morning (current mindee due at 8.30am but tends to turn up nearer 10am! ) and would just be annoyed if I'd rushed and got ready early for nothing iyswim!

Thanks for the advice, we've decided that dh will stay at home in case they turn up. I could have sent him to Dr's with ds but he wouldn't get the history of problem right knowing him and I know I'm the best one to take ds!

Well they didn't turn up by 2.15pm according to dh so he went outside and did some sawing. Looks like it was a hoax then! Glad I didn't waste my time cleaning the house (it's normally cleaned every evening/morning but I'm on my week off so haven't bothered ).

On a more positive note, had another call today and she's coming on Tuesday. I think this is a 'proper' enquiry this time (although I'm now paranoid now! ). She's basically confirmed that she wants me based on what's on my website but just wants to meet me and see my setting. I presume she'll be wanting a quick start as it's to give her a break as she's stressed and been advised by HV to get some casual care organised. Will be for 6 months so will help us out a bit whilst dh continues to try and find a job!

Anyway, thanks for the advice guys

I put an add up in the local shops advertising myself when I first started, and I had THREE calls from people wanting to work as babysitters... two children and a nice sounding foreign lady.

I don't know how it was misinterpreted (childminder available, full time part time etc??) but I took it down none the less.

People are strange!

Lunavix - I advertised 2P/T spaces and got a dinner lady who wanted extra work......It's not rocket science is it?

I used to put "childminder vacancies" in adverts, but I had one person wanted a place for their child but wasn't sure if I meant a job vacancy for a childcarer.