Childminder smoking issue

[kirsty3282]

My ds (18mo) started with a cm a few weeks ago, she is really good with him and we were looking forward to starting with her. Recently I noticed a slight smell of smoke on his clothes after coming back from the cm, and after asking I found out someone the cm lives with is a smoker, although not inside the house, they do come into contact with the kids after smoking. I am really against smoking and had I of known I would of never chosen the cm, I feel annoyed that it wasn't disclosed prior to starting. Has anyone else had a similar issue, what do other cm's do in this situation?

Sorry, not a CM or using one, but I'm a bit intrigued by this. Do you mean the CM lives with someone who smokes outside but then has contact with the CM who has contact with your DC? Or do you mean the person who smokes has direct contact with your DC?

If it's the former, that seems a bit unreasonable. You can't dictate who your CM lives with. If it's the latter, why do they have contact with your DC if they're not the CM?

It's really none of your business what other people in her household do outside of the setting. You can't possibly police it. What are you going to do when your child starts school?

did you not ask the cm if her partner smokes, assume if they spend time /in close contact if smell of smoke with the mindees that they are registered

I agree with OddFodd.

Monitoring every single person/smell that comes into contact with your child will be exhausting.

There are 950 kids in my DC's school and I wouldn't even attempt a guess at how many staff there are, who may/may not smoke.

Throw in family/friends and then the family/friends of people your child will make friends with and you've got yourself a ridiculous situation that you're never going to be able to monitor.

Relax, you can't keep your child in a bubble.

i agree with op, you dont want your child to be in close enough contact that clothes smell of smoke in a childcare setting, they must smoke a lot, or literally be that close contact with child - i wouldnt be happy with that either

I wouldn't be happy if I could smell smoke on my child's clothes either.

I don't really think this is a situation where people can tell you that what your feeling is reasonable or not.
If you aren't happy then change CM.

I doubt the CM would decide to do anything differently even if you did object.

Other people in a CMs house quite often have close contact with the children. They will have a DBS check and the children get to know them well. My DH used to come in from work and the children would immediately be begging him for a story, game of football, or whatever. Same goes if my mum arrives early for a night out. It is a business premises and if her garden is included in the registration there should be no smoking in the house or garden. I wouldn't like it, but if it's something that's important to you, you should have asked if anyone in the household smokes.

If you went to see a nursery I doubt they would have handed you a list of each staff member who smokes so I don't think it unreasonable that the childminder didn't mention that a member of her household smokes, especially if you didn't ask. Obviously this person would not be allowed to smoke anywhere on the premises or near the children. Saying that, I can understand why you would be annoyed, as I wouldn't want my children smelling of smoke. If you feel very strongly about it then find another childminder, as I doubt it is something she can do much about.

guess you have to find out in smoker smokes in garden or not and if premises including garden are non Smoking

When using a cm I specifically asked if her or anyone in family smoked or regular visitors to home when children were there n wouldn't have chosen one where there was. Equally we used nursery some of the time n didn't entertain one's that didn't have a robust staff smoking policy. Second hand smoke remains a risk for 20mins n someone smoking outside n coming straight back in even if change their top doesn't reduce that risk.