What do you look for at a childminders?

[JesusDontWantMeForASunbeam]

Help! I have my first prospective parent visiting tomorrow. Currently tidying and making the house look presentable (full time job term time at present so it's a bit messy). My paperwork is sorted, I have tea and coffee. Should I buy biscuits? Set up activities for the DCs?

I'm a bit flustered so apologies for the stupid questions!

I'm a childcarer myself so not a parent view but I would be looking for a welcoming atmosphere, somewhere lived in not a show house.

Good luck, be yourself.

How did it go?

One parent signed up on the spot. The other I haven't heard back from. I'm a socially inept twat when I first meet people. Managed not to offer drinks (so I now look inhospitable) and I just babbled nonsensically to her for 15 minutes)

Wow you got a mindee right away! I'm new to childminding and just completed the course last week, so very interested!

Follow up the viewing with a phone call within 24 hours
I manage a nursery and I always follow up viewings
I just ask if they need any more info and have they made a decision about their childcare
Sometimes they give good feedback even if try don't sign up. E.g. They need an earlier start time

It's the interaction between the children and the minder for me. I chose our minder before I'd even seen her house - she called down to visit us as she was passing and we'd just moved in. She charmed DD2 into actually having a conversation with her within minutes (DD2 takes ages to be comfortable with people), and quite clearly had the measure of DD1.

The house visit was more of a confirmation for me that she was the right person - I didn't even bring the DC.

I'd rejected a couple of other options as I didn't think they'd work (one thought livewire DD1 was too boisterous for a girl, another didn't make any effort at all with DD2)