Some info on Childminders

[Katymac]

I kinda get annoyed by some assumptions made by parents about childminders

We are not employees - we provide a service

You can't just assume that you can change your hours at a moments notice - we have other children to consider, routines and occasionally our lives to take into account

We are not "doing it for pocket money" at least I'm not this is our family's income

The money paid to us by parents is not our wage/take home pay - there are expenses/tax/NI etc to be taken off before our "take home" can be calculated

We don't hoover/iron/clean/watch daytime TV/sit on our bums all day while we are minding - we spend time on the floor with your children giving them quality time

It is not an easy option - OFSTED require planning/paperwork and significant documentation

We are not babysitting - we are trained professionals operating successful businesses

Not all of these apply to all childminders - but often they do, you wouldn't treat any other professional with no respect - remember to consider our feelings

Sorry to go on about it but assumptions are often made

agree totally and am getting annoyed about all the 'money grabbing' and 'no one else gets this that and the others posts', this job pays rubbish wages, mindees are like gold dust, we deal with them when theyre ill most of time as parents dont 'think' to tell you the child threw up everywhere 5 minutes before they came and turn up early, late, not at all or not when expected....it seems that its going back to lets slate the cm's

just me and you then?

I once had another mum laugh in my face at a toddler group, when I said I was doing a college course to childminding practice, she said what do thry teach you?, how to change a babies nappy and feed them a bottle, surely you know that already?
She was very surprised when I told her (through gritted teeth) what the job actually entails.
Working as a childminder is hard work, with alot of responability, and poorly paid. But it is fun and very rewarding, I just wish we were respected for what we do!!

I respect good cm's. I've had good and bad cms look after ds, and they are worlds apart.

I think both cms and parents need to work as a partnership, just like I try to do with mums at school (I'm a teacher).

Sometimes things happen at school that mean I can't pick ds up on time, or vice versa. But I always let my wonderful cm know, and would like to think we will be friends as well as have a professional relationship.

Unfortunately, in my experience, some cm do, do it for the money, stick the tv on and let their mindees run wild around the house. But I now have a wonderful cm who bakes with ds, sticks, glues, builds snowmen with, paints etc etc. She has routines, and a set of planned activities. She is fantastic, and I really value her.

Maybe it comes down to the individual at the end of the day.

I am lucky that my family as very supportive of me and never call it babysitting and recognise it for the profession it is. Though they all work for themselves, so they know how hard it is.

I find the money grabbing/greedy comments hurtful as well.. and counter productive. Its a lot of work, for not a lot of money, and a lot of planning/cleaning/typing up paperwork so there has been no downtime for me as yet.

That being said, there are so many positives to it all - so just ignore the meanies

went to ELC the other day for the jungle chatter matter and picked up one of their free mags. has anybody seen it?
front cover how to find suitable childcare!

open the mag up that night to read it (far to busy to read it in the day) and it talks about childminders in a poss way so i was pleased but then read about day nurserys and it said "unlike childminders who have to fit their chores in" how was i
think we should all write to ELC to complain as i deff do not do chores while working i work 12hr shifts then clean and mop and shop just like Katymac said

i may be one of our local ELC best customers all the staff know me by first name as do i know them so i am double

here here katy!
im going to copy nad paste that and hang it in my hallway!!! ........................seriously i am!

dmo ed at elc?? fit chores in??? hahhahahahahahahahahahahah!!!! wtf is all that about. that is disgracefull. elc will be getting a call from me monday!

wish i had the mag, id email them too!..who wrote the artical???..is there an email addy?

I agree with all fo you , i take cm very seriously and spend a good few weekends doing course in this and that ,also fitting in paper work .Chores get down when mindees and usually my dd and ds are in bed !!! But there are a few cm who give us good ones a bad name !!!!!!!!!!!!

I have 2 d's of my own, a 9mnth mindee and 2 mindees on a Sat (1 yr and 3). I go to college on Wed nite to do NVQ3 and Quality first course once a month. I hoover while H is bathing my d's at nite so I can mop when they r asleep.
We go to C/M drop ins or tod groups every morn and do constructive play for birth to 3 evidence every afternoon.
The most I do in the way of chores with the mindees is to get them to pass me pegs in summer to count and learn colours.
They clear their plates into the kitchen but even that is supervised.
I know Ofsted say it's 'allowed' for us to get mindees to help with chores as a learning process because the 'home environment' is what sets us apart from Nurseries but you can only do so much before the mindee gets bored.
As far as I am concerned I am being paid to develop the mindee and I can't do this if the mindee is stuck in front of CBeebies while I clean.

read it and gave mag to mindees mum
but the more i thought about it i became so thought i would get back up from you lot
hope lots of letters go ELC way from you lot we need to gang up together

i have sent a complaint email..yep have nothing better to do this evening until LOST starts

I get annoyed about the housework thing especially.

I stoooopidly was open about having been a nanny before childminding.

Someone asked me if I would mind doing their dc's ironing - she had it in the car just in case I lost my mind and said yes.

Cheek!

i've just been on ELC website and sent an e-mail
also nothing better to do this evening strawberry

WanderingTrolley the cheek!

DMO - nice one..should we email again saying their comments have been circulated amongst the biggest parenting sites talk topics

did mention that i have told a few childminders who were also upset with the quote
forgot to say how many a few was

ooohhh just about the whole Cm community as they will all definatly pop onto MN at some time or another!...what dya think they'll do?

my dd was hit on head with a tower of globes which were stacked too high in mbro shop last year...i heard nothing back from them..she actually wrote 'accident report' onn piece of till roll!

wellllllllllllllllllllll
big bunch of flowers/ wine/ chocs
£50 voucher every week till i stop childminding
and maybe a holiday away to get over the trumer of what i read

just emailed elc too.
the cheeky bugars!

The Trumer must be too much to bear for you..good one Smeeinit..maybe they'll respond if a few of us email them, cheeky gits!