Want poncey organic childminder-your thoughts?

[Fillyjonk]

I want some childcare. Am looking at various options.

A childminder really appeals. But also, am fussy, as you will see below.

I want:

fresh, vegetarian food. No frigging angel delight. No trans fats. Home baking with butter not marg is great. Am not fussy re sugar.

And I don't want anyone telling my kids to "finish whats on their plate" or "try everything".

Daily walking. And not to some huge soft play place where the CM sits with a coffee and chats to other CM and ignores the kids (this is what happens at the local soft play and it is really putting me off using any local CMs, tbh).

No dogs or smoking

Lots of reading and no tv

No overt attempt to teach reading or anything

Oh and I only want maybe 3 mornings a week, but have a lot of flexibiliyt as to which. A weekend day would also be fine.

Ok basically I am a ponce and a yummy mummy. But I am prepared to pay for this. I need some childcare right now and Cardiff has bllx all choice, all the nurseries are pretty much the same.

I kind of just want to know if CMs like this exist. Basially I want someone else to be a yummy mummy to my kids. I will pay for this. Is this possible? Are any of you guys such CMs? (this will give me hope)

Ermmmmm..........I am EXACTLY that kind of chilminder!

I decided that I would go for the type of mummies that I am.......

Where are you and are you still looking?

Opps - only half posted!

I offer all organic veggie food, no junk, no rubbish, food is given to the children at the table, if they eat it fine, if they don't fine!

Lots of activities, these are never forced upon a child and in all weathers we use my large garden!

Children are sent home, happy, dirty, and well fed!

There are childminders like that out there - just keep looking!

Oh but they will be a bit more expensive than most

Where are you Booh?

East / West Sussex and very near the Surrey boarder!

Don't want to put the exact place as there are lots of nutter about!

Close to the A24 / A23!!

Don't get hopeful because I don't live in Cardiff, but I'm very veggie and mostly organic, no dogs and no smoking, do lots of reading. I'm also very nice to children and love being with them.

Unfortunately, I do go to various groups during the week. Going to soft play usually does involve me having a coffee (in-between rolling across netting and negotiating balance beams with the children) because it is a way of re-charging my batteries! If I talk to other CMs, this will be my only adult conversation in a very long day!!

I think that parents may often have to compromise their wishes when hunting out childcare, because there will probably always be something that you are not too keen on.

Shame you're not in Nottingham!

Nope sorry! And I do have a little waiting list - like a mum who is 9weeks pregnant coming to see me on Monday for when she goes back to work as I will have a space as my LO will be going to school!!!

if you are going to eat a childminder surely it doesn't really matter if it's organic

sorry when I glanced at the title It just sounded like that to me

Message withdrawn

Ah, see I was thinking this the other day. I live in poncey, organic Stoke Newington and thought how good 'attachment' childminders would be... ie sleep on me no probs, won't force baby into a routine/cot etc, BLW, no leaving to cry, babywearing etc - exactly how I am bringing up my baby.

Anyway, I am a SAHM now and just want my baby to look after at the mo but I reckon I might look into doing it when she is at school. But then I charge up to £30 an hour for tutoring/supply teaching, doubt I could earn anywhere near that for even sole baby care...

Re: fresh, vegetarian food.

• Suggest you provide your own meals, each day, that way you have full control over the meal contents. Also applies to all snacks.

Re: Daily walking.

• Most childcarers do a lot of walking in my view. However, would you want your child walking regardless of the weather? Recent snow springs to mind.

Re: Soft Play

• Yep, don't like those much myself either, though the children do! Thus it's a rare treat for them, and I do keep an eye on them - and get squashed between the rollers, suck in the tunnel etc.

Re: No overt attempt to teach reading or anything

• Problem... government is promoting Birth to Three Matters and Foundation Stage Curriculum. How can that be got around, can parents specify that they won't want their child to participate?

If you stick to all your requirements, your choice of carer will be very restricted. If you were able to relax on one or two requirements, then that could open up more choice in provider.

Group providers (such as nurseries and childminders) have to think of all the children in their group, thus meeting all their needs - and it will be hard to prevent a child doing something the other children are doing.

The biggest issue I think there could be will be with regard to 'teaching', as it covers too big an area at present. You would need to compromise and make it specific things that you didn't want done - such as learning to write their own name.

Well - apart from my pit bull type dog and mushy meat meals and the odd video or scheduled Lazy Town/Balamory break so that I can prepare organic feasts and speed-plunge my hands in butter and flour without being distracted by noses to wipe or bottoms to change, and a mum(who keeps a grandmotherly stash of lemonade and choccie biccies) who lives along the route of our regular ?down the lane, around and under the tress and up through the field by the viaduct? toddle ? I?m reasonably poncey. I?m not so sure about the yummy bit though. Do yummy mummies wear big pants, hoodies and granddad slippers?

try posting a job here or on any of the internet sites specialising in nannies/childcarers/babysitters. That way you say what you want. Nannyshares can be great but you do need to be able to both agree what you want from the nanny /which days/ where based etc so need someone very like minded (your NCT branch maybe?). Good luck!

Trinityrhino
glad there's someone else who read it that way too!

Thanks for all responses, even the sarky ones. Because tbh those sarky ones really are a very honest insight into the situation. (except possibly trin's...)

ok so it looks like I do probably need a nanny or similar after all.

This is a shame really. There are a lot of reasons why, IMO, childminders are a good bet for kids. There is the consistancy, the fact that they are rooted in their communities, the fact that they are usually, IMO, quite confident and very experienced with kids. Also there are a few, but not loads, of other kids there, and the care is delivered in a home, but not their home. It is really a great thing.

BUT like I said I am fussy. I make no secret on MN of my hardcore lentil weaving credentials. I am a yummy mummy and want equivalent childcare.

I have actually already compromised here. But fresh food, delivered without neuroses or hang ups-that is not a matter on which I can compromise.

Oh and walks...listen, I am a yummy mummy. There-is-no-such-thing-as-bad-weather-only-bad-clothing. You bloody bet we are out there in the snow...

I am really genuinely puzzled as to why there are so few lentilly CM. I am considering possibly doing some CMing in the future and would be doing all this stuff with my mindees, definately, so don't get why there are so few CMs offering similar really. My 3 yo is not in nursery so I am very familiar with the foundation year targets and so on-IMO cooking (and gardening) is a really good way of delivering them.

And aside from that, I just want them to play, really, at this age.

soft play-dunno. I don't mind soft play at all. I think there are SOME CMs at my local soft play not offering adequate supervision. I mean, tbh, its a moot point, there are CMs locally who I would not employ cos I have seen their behaviour at soft play. Am not saying I wouldn't want anyone to take my kids to soft play. I do, however, think that certainly our local soft play is an area where more, not less, supervision is required.

overrun-ta. I am mulling over that agency but the issue for me is going to be consistancy of carer, which they cannot guarentee.

The bottom line is that I am prepared to pay extra for this standard of care. Dunno how much extra. I need childcare atm and it would more be a case of seeing how much I could afford.

oh and grumpy that all the lentilly CMs live in poncey areas not cardiff

filly, am i being a bit dense..............i thought a yummy mummy was a fab looking mum that turns heads when out with the kiddies?! am i wrong?
because if not then i dont see what being a yummy mummy has to do with childcare?
also please explain to me what all this "poncey" talk is on mn just lately? im lost!!!!
i think im getting old!!

oh crap

am not yummy then. don't turn any heads except when wearing clashing stripes.

am poncey cos I don't drink instant coffee

keep up will ya?

hahahaha!!

im trying to keep up....................honest!

i drink instant coffee! love the stuff!
suppose im not a ponce then!

nannynick - why would you not take a child out in the snow?

Message withdrawn

lol

am not hippy mummy though

i don't fondle crystals

hmm smeeint i am sure we can find something to make you a ponce...how about commuting from dorset to london for haircuts? surely you do that?

if you want a childminder you would probably have to compromise .. but you could get most of what you want

eg I childminded for a short while and was probably right up your street except I use Olivio not butter and I'm not completely anti-tv

I think fillyjonk whoever you get to look after your child that the next couple of years are going to be quite difficult for you if you want that kind of control because quite honestly that's the kind of control you have to start to give up as they get older and go to pre-school / school (unless you're planning on home schooling)

there are areas where you have to look at the bigger picture which might not be what you'd choose for your child but will be satisfactory

good luck in your search though

oh and I was expensive relatively

I rather think Filly is planning on home schooling

ok

am ROFL at this one really

I cannot believe that I am alone in wanting a poncey childminder. Really?

Ah well I shall content myself with planning my lentil weavereque CM empire.

No telly, lots of reading, lots of outdoor time, and no crappy food.

Doesn't seem too outrageous to me.