Does this sound like an OK day for a nearly two year old?

[Ughfootballseason]

I'm just checking what other childminders would do all day with a nearly two year old because I'm just a bit worried about dd.

Breakfast, nursery drop off, supermarket shop (not sure what else), nursery pick up, lunch, nap or cuddle cm and watch soaps, school pick-up, play-doh and drawing while cm is on computer, playing with toys, home time.

Does this sound ok/ normal to you?

I really like then child minder but I'm concerned dd just has to fit in with everything else. I actually use a child minder and not nursery because I prefer a more relaxed home environment but I'm feeling that it might be ok to do this with your own child but maybe a bit more effort should be put in for a mindee. Thanks for any words of wisdom.

I wouldn't be at all happy with that, you are paying for her to use the EYF and care and develop your child, it seems that she gets hardly any attention.

When my nearly two year was at a childminder they usually went to a playgroup in the morning, or else park to feed the ducks, childminder's allotment, library. I would expect some free play with toys and playdoh/drawing at home, even a bit of Cbeebies, but not supermarket shop and watching soaps.

hmm - the drops off and pick up fairly normal - the CMs I have used would spend more time actually playing with the children and taking them to groups -so no food shop - although the odd errand but not everyday - and wouldn't go on the computer with the children were there

I am a CM. The way you said it sounds bad, but ...

Was the supermarket shop and quick pop in to choose some fruit for a snack, or a full weekly shop?
Watching soaps is not a great way of stimulating a child to learn (are you sure?).
How long was the CM on computer - 5 mins to upload photos of the day, or on Mumsnet chatting for half an hour?

Do you get a daily diary/note/handover?
Have you seen her learning journey?

The school/nursery runs are normal for many CMs.

My day today

• Build towers/morning naps
• Trip to outdoor play area (quick stop at the outdoor cafe for a cuppa, while the children played with water and ride on toys)
• Picnic lunch
• Afternoon naps/quiet activities
• Free play - building/colouring/reading/role play

Well the supermarkets a 15/20 minute drive away so definitely no a pop-in job.

Cm definitely watches the soaps because she told me she does every day. Other dd (3) says she reads book in this time. I can't be sure how long she was on computer for as dd1 told me.

Here's the killer... When dh and I arrived slightly early to pick up today the cm's 17 year old was with the children because cm had popped out for 10 mins (I assume) to pick up her other dd from work.

I actually don't want to change childminders but I'm feeling very unhappy.

Dd1 loves it there as there's loads going on and is in nursery in the mornings so I'm not worried about her getting enough stimulation. I'm worried dd2 is being forgotten about.

They both seem happy.

Is there anynway back from this?!

My DS is 15mo and with CM 3 days a week.
His day is usually:
school run
playgroup/ music group/ trip to park or city farm
lunch
nap
school run
free play inside or in garden

My CM does occasionally take him to shops with her but not on any regular basis. TV only very occasionally used. She will play with him (I know cos I can see through the window as I arrive) and she does make effort to tailor to his interests which are mainly cars, diggers, animals and getting messy!
I would want to be reassured she was putting effort in to get to know him and do things he enjoys.

we use a CM two days a week for my son who is 2.5yrs. Watching soaps would bother me (a lot), CM being on computer would also bother me.

Supermarket shop I would be OK with as long as this wasnt happening every time he was with her.

When I first started using CM I felt a bit bad for my DS being dragged on lots of school/nursery runs but actually it doesnt do him any harm and hopefully because he will have been there loads of times for drop off/pick up it wont be so brand new for him when he starts at nusery/school.

WHY don't you want to change childminders if you're absolutely sure this is what's going on? It sounds like you and your DD1 are happy because you don't know what else is out there. Take a look around, there could be a childminder with spaces available who you'll love even more. I have a 2 year old tomorrow (along with my own 2 year old) and our day will be: school drop off, lots of free play (with me on the floor playing with them, reading to them), decorating homemade biscuits, blackberrying, playing in the garden. Lunch will be homemade soup. TV is never on in the day in this house when mindees are here. I would only ever pop to the shop if it were one or 2 items I need.

If you have a good relationship on the whole you need to find a way to raise it eg say you're worried DD2 is bored.
Could you suggest any groups or activities locally that DD2 would enjoy (not your job really but if she's not doing it herself..) and see if she will agree to take her?

Drops offs and pick ups I think are actually quite fun so that's fine by me.

I know she does make effort with her because yesterday she had freshly made play dough from the hob that was still warm.

Im feeling guilty about leaving her anyway so this isn't helping. She's definitely done the park with her on other days too. So she isn't completely leaving her it's just now dd1 is back at nursery I dd2 to get proper attention.

Here's the killer... When dh and I arrived slightly early to pick up today the cm's 17 year old was with the children because cm had popped out for 10 mins (I assume) to pick up her other dd from work.

She's not allowed to do this - she is breaching the terms of her Ofsted regulation in doing so. She may only be out for 10mins but what if a child had an accident in the time she is away.

I'm a cm and the general day here is

Breakfast
School run
Toddler group/soft play/park/messy play at home/library
Lunch
Sleep
School run
Free play/garden play
Tea

The tv is rarely on unless I need 5 mins to put Lunch on. I never do a full shop with mindees. I plan specific activities to encourage their development in all areas of the EYFS. I am always with my mindees, occasionally a named person (parents have signed permission form for this) watches mindee If I need toilet etc but I am always in same building and never for longer than few minutes.
To leave mindees with anyone else without prior permission or full crb checks for that person is actually against ofsted guidance.

She left a child with her daughter?! No, not on!

I know. It's bad. :(.

I never realised that my CM watched TV a lot until I was no longer working FT and if I was channel-hopping, my DS would say 'that was one of X's favourite programmes'

I suspect she watched a lot of telly.

I don't think you can take one day in isolation - over a week though - do your DDs go out? To playgroups, to the park, etc? Is the food good?

Does she really take them to the supermarket every single day??

the fact that she left your DDs with her DD means you should end this arrangement.

A 'home enviornment' is only worth it if it's a good home environment - I don't know any SAHMs who watch soaps in the day with their own DCs, let alone the childminders who are being paid for their time. This doesn't sound like a woman who is treating caring for your children as a job. She's not doing you a favour keeping an eye on your kids, she's being paid to do a job, she's not doing it.

You need to either find another childminder or look at nurseries.

No not every day but we've only been there two weeks ( 2 days p/w) with two morning settling in sessions. They went to the supermarket on a settling in session too.

I don't think every day is like today. Her dd is sensible but it's made me feel very wobbly.

Watching soaps every day?! What kind of soap is your CM letting your DD watch? I feel guilty letting my 3yr old watching too much t.v after lunch while I catch up with jobs - but I'm catching up with cleaning the kitchen/dishes while I have it on in the background and he's watching Cbeebies.

She can't do a supermarket shop every morning - what else does she do in the mornings?

I know she did play-doh yesterday and they've been to the park at least twice.

Definitely shouldn't leave them with her daughter, even for 10 mins.

The rest of the schedule, it depends how it averages out over the week or two, as someone else said. I'd expect them to be coming home with lots of drawings, or sticky decorated biscuits etc, not a summary of the plot of Neighbours.

Maybe say that nursery are doing something on the EYF and you wondered how what she is doing with DD2 fits it?

If you are still in the first 4 weeks of your contract you may well have a get out clause ie no notice on either side and i would stringly duggest you use it. I don't watch soaps when looking after my own kids let alone when I'm being paid to care for someone else's and if she's doing all the things you say in the first few weeks this can only get worse. Get out now & if her daughter isn't an assistant with paediatric first aid then I would also report her to Ofsted.

Argh bloody phone that should be 'strongly suggest'

Thanks all for your comments. Food for thought and we'll arrange a meeting with her to start with. I'm going to request this is deleted now.

The daughter isn't old enough at 17 to be an assistant, they need to be 18 and have paediatric first aid and must have parental permission, a cm local to me was regularly leaving her 17 year old with 2 or 3 children while she went to school and she had a visit from ofsted not sure of the outcome.