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[Shoshable]

Dare I say it, but I have blue skies, some white fluffy clouds, but that is all, after the 5 hour storm yesterday (did anyone else get the hail) it is positively summer here

I took on someone like that, my first mindee actually - she was all over the place, and ended up leaving me high and dry after Christmas break. I still see her and she pretends like all is ok, even comes over to see how my daughter is. ugh

And I just found out the baby is joining up in September is p/t, Tues/Weds/Thurs not full time which was what was mentioned! We hadn't signed contracts as she is on leave and I didn't want to sign her up until she knows she is going back for sure (LMG, like you I am tired of time wasters!).

Oh well, it's a space I had open but how ever am I going to fill in the Mon/Fri and not only that but I've been asked to continue to my mindee Tues & Thurs only after preschool until end of school day. I will have to try for a variation I guess. Double darn

Hi LMG. It sounds like financially you don't have a choice. If nothing else is in the pipeline, you'll have to go for it. I would suggest that you ask for payment in advance of any minding you do for her and also a retainer if she isn't gong to need you for a while. You could also tell her that if she is really interested, you have to meet with her quickly, as you have others interested - it might give her the push she needs. Admittedly, its easy on paper, but I know only too well that saying these things isn't easy! Good luck.

I'll have to keep on top of housework and get her round asap if she does phone and she can take me as she finds me. I always take payment in advance anyway and any messing with money and she will find she has no childcare (and as she is going to be running her own business she will find she will be losing a days pay just like me so hopefully wont do that many times) I really am not putting up with any crap from now on, one person messed about with money and i won't have it again. No more Miss nice childminder when it comes to the business side.

I really want it to work out if i'm honest just because we have so much in common and she seems so lovely but now the trust has gone and it's kinda the foundation thats why i'm worried if it wasn't for that i'd be on cloud 9!!!

I must admit, I had a really bad start with one family, prior to signing contracts. BUT they turned out to be wonderful and although the kids are now 14 & 5 and no longer come to me, we are still good friends. In fact, I have just, this very minute, invited the 14 year old to watch dd's end of term production with me tonight!

Its so tempting at the end of the chat (or at the start) look if you are just here wasting my time can you please admit it now and leave me to get on with my life cus all i'm trying to do is earn an honest living and can do without having my time wasted.

It's the complete lack of respect that annoys me, as if i'd be at home anyway and im just earning a few extra quid on the side of being a sahm which isn't the case at all so they can treat me how they like and waste my time when they fancy. I would love to do this job forever if it wasn't for this and the paperwork

Shosha and TP (and anyone who has been doing this for a long time) what makes you stick with it and how do you weed out the ones who are a pita? Please tell me that after a while the time wasters will stick out like a sore thumb or that my rep will be so good i'll be inundated with a choice of clients and i wont have to put up with this?

Thanks MML - a success story that's what i need, a few of those to give me some confidence there are people out there who are normal but have hectic lives and sometimes make mistakes but really they are honest good people!!

The one that started and finished this week is the one who has really knocked my confidence in my own judgement - she seemed so lovely and genuine yet after 1 day decided it was ok to not come back, didnt even try to stick her job out not even for a week to give me a little bit of notice, i know she doesnt have to but really out of common decency i would have. Didn't even phone to let me know, let me wait for her to come and i honestly thought she was a decent person

How long have you been doing it? In the 11 years I've been doing it I've only had one really bad one - she thought that since she was going to South Africa for a month over Christmas, she wouldn't have to pay me!!! Soon sorted that one. She was constantly late too and checked with my books, every month and questioned every single hour I worked! That contract was terminated after 6 months!!
I've had a few that have started to take the mick, but it didn't last long. On the whole, I have had very, very good families.
It takes time, but you will build up a reputation that goes before you. Remember, my Ofsted office only gave me satisfactory, partly because my paper work could have been better and partly because when she came, I didn't have any children here! BUT everyone of my families have come to me, by recommendation and I have been full enough for 10 years! That's outstanding to me!

LMG yes I can usually pk out the time wasters and you do get a gut feeling, do you rememebr the one that buggered me about a couple of months ago, I gave to the space to the second people on the list although it meant taking retainer for two months instead of full pay if the first ones had taken the space, well glad I did as the CM who took the original one has had to go to court cos the mother worked the 1st month, then the grandmother came to live with them so didn't need CM, no notice nothing and didn't pay her over 600.00.

It was a gut feeling that made me not take them, plus they still hadn't brought back the contracts after 10 days, (wasted the handbook and contracts).

By the way the 1st mother went to the Drs and was complaining to the Nurse that I was unprofessional and a really bad CM as I had given the place to somebody else, got a bit of a shock when the nurse said that I was the exact opposite and that her dd had been with me 4 years from a baby