Advice on childminder situation

[Alicia870]

Basically have a 15 month old who's been going to childminder 3 days a week for about 6 months. Felt like things were going well and dd happy to go in etc.
There have just been a couple of things that have niggled me and I don't know if I'm being unrealistic about expectations. When I signed up with her she told me she tried to do activities with them, like painting, drawing, picnics in summer etc. To my knowledge none of that happened. Dd spends most of the day in and out of the car on various school pick ups and nursery drop offs etc. Which I understand is part of the deal with a childminder. In the other parts of the day I'm pretty sure there's a lot of screen time as any time she send a video she's watching tv or iPad. When I go in to collect her she's usually in high chair like a zombie glued to the screen and kicks at me when I go to pick her up.
Few weeks ago I walked in and childminder didn't hear me entering the house. It's quite a big space but there is a play room at the front which I walked into and my then 14 month old was in a corner sucking her dummy and pacing around while about 4 boys ranging from 3-8 ish were jumping around from sofa to sofa roughly and really could toppled her at any time.
Childminder then heard me and came in and said oh I was just in the kitchen for a second- but I could hear pots and pans on assuming it was her cooking dinner. Granted it was an exception as it was the day she had a Christmas get together but it just unsettled me.
Then she text me the day before returning after Christmas break and asked how are her nap times now which I said she usually sleeps from 11.30 til 1 and nothing has changed. She didn't mention anything else but then when I went to pick her up yesterday evening she told me she had a new pre schooler start and because of his drop off at 1, dd never got down to a nap until half 1 and then she had to wake her at 3. I just felt like she should have mentioned that to me before or at least told me she was taking a new child on and that it would disrupt my daughters routine and naps.

I don't know- am I expecting too much? This is my first child and I really don't know what should be appropriate. It just feels difficult when you're dropping off the most precious person in your life to someone who maybe hasn't been as fully upfront as she should have been with me, which then impacts the trust.

Well I don't think a CM can watch the children every second of the day. Leaving a 14 month old in a room with some other toddlers when you're in the next room is fine in my opinion but the lack of crafts and outdoor playing is BAD.

Could you ask her? I'd say "Will they be doing any craft activities soon?" See how she takes that.

This is terrible. Why is a 15 month old watching ipad and screen at the childminder. I will be very unhappy about it. Look into changing childcare.

@BillHadersNewWife totally agree she can't watch her every second but they weren't toddlers they were aged from 3-8 ish and they were playing quite roughly. I know I wouldn't leave her unattended being only 14 months in a room with her cousins for example who were playing that way. But yes, The crafts etc I'm pretty sure is non existent. I could possible mention that- I find it hard to be assertive but I can work on that

I would be ok with a little Cbeebies on occasion at the end of a very busy day. But thats it.
The ferrying about picking up other kids is part of being with a childminder but as long as it is around other activities thats ok.
I would personally be looking to change in your situation, she will potentially be with this carer until she starts school so you should get it right.

I wouldn't be happy with the screen time. My childminders (2 ladies working together) don't have tv in the playroom and only use iPad for nursery rhymes at set time in the day.

What is your child learning if they aren't doing any crafts or outdoor play?

There are two years between dd and ds and I know that when ds was 15 months I would not have trusted to leave dd unsupervised with him and she wasn't a boisterous child at all.

I would look for a new childminder. My twins went to a husband/wife couple who only looked after children until school age. They didn’t do any school runs, so the only time they were in the car was for playgroups or outings. They did loads of crafts and had lots of time playing outside. Once they stopped napping they occasionally watched television for a bit of time to relax, but it certainly wasn’t regular. I wouldn’t be happy in your situation and would try to find someone who focuses more on younger children.

With the crafts you'd tend to take them home with you at pick up time. If you aren't given cards, models, paintings, things covered in glitter and feathers on a fairly regular basis then Id say they aren't doing crafts unless your childminder is slinging them straight in the bin.

I don't think you are expecting to much.

I'd be looking round for another childminder or nursery setting - with a nursery you haven't got the extra hassle of drop offs and pick ups being factored in to the day.

The only issue I found with using nursery for mine was that once they started school I had to start finding before/after school provision - which is when a childminder comes into their own . Or if lucky the school has wrap round provision.

I would not be happy with the screen time at that age. And since she's taking a picture of it the child minder obviously thinks it's fine.

Is your childminder OFSTED registered, because she has to be. I say this because they are inspected and have to demonstrate your child is doing different activities etc. When my son went to his childminder she had a book where she filled in what he had done that day. There should be limited ipad etc in my opinion. Although the school drop offs etc are to be expected, mine would do a bit of shopping etc too. Didn't mind that because he would come home with crafts pictures etc they had a structured day

I know when my nieces and nephews were at this stage they used to take home pictures and all kinds of rubbish every day which meant that they had been doing some manner of arts and crafts. Is there anything hanging on the wall on display with her name on it to show that she has made or painted something. That would bother me tbh.

I’ve used a CM for 7years because they are out and about every day, with crafts etc too. Very limited TV time unless it’s after school pick up hours. I would be looking for a different setting if I was you that better fits your expectations and your childs needs.

That's one of the reasons we stopped using a childminder, DS was being carted off to lots of school/nursery pick ups and not getting a proper nap or much attention. The holiday pay/time off didn't work for us either as she couldn't give us enough notice.

You can get childminders though that only have little ones, or that don't do nursery pick up, so the babies get more time in between school pick ups. There is significantly more variety in childminder options that nurseries.

I found a nursery and nanny better for my situation. Have a look around.

Regardless of anything else I'd be looking for alternative childcare simply because you were able to enter the building without the childminder knowing you were there. You could have been anyone! Massive safeguarding issue.

Most of the CM I spoke to only did school drop offs for 1 school - one did multiple schools and I felt my daughter would be in the car all day. The one I went for only has her own kids at school, plus under 5s, and the school is about 100m from her house so I don’t feel it’s a big chunk of her day.

Not great that she’s just watching tv or on an iPad all day 🙁 as PP said, ofsted wouldn’t be impressed by this! Has she been inspected recently?

This is why I use a nursery. I don't think it's acceptable really, the school drop offs alone would put me off.

You’re not expecting too much! This isn’t ok!

The biggest thing is entering the premises....you could have been anyone or the 8 year olds going out....needs complaint under safeguarding...
Child unattended in high chair....big no ....safeguarding....
Children must be in sight or hearing at all times and normally both so not an outright no but I'd bd discussing safety and internal complaint. Maybe depending on answer escalate.
Craft/ activities....I'd be asking for a breakdown of activities....children dont have to do a craft...as in you offer but they may not want to do it or may just dribble glue or sprinkle without glue so no result....or may be interested in other things...practicing walking tipping transporting etc....I'd ask what next steps shes working on and what shes providing to meet them.
School runs....not necessarily bad they can be a great learning opportunity....number shape colour hunts familiarisation with concept of school, chance to be physically active...we play stop,go stand on one leg, find something red etc as part of a road safety game the playground is great as enclosed so allows more distance. They dont have to be a sit in buggy mad dash on the way were looking at environment taking photos of things...birds, road works, shapes whatever interests them to use in messy play as puzzles under sand and develop our interest.
Typically children arrive 7 to 8.30 am. School run 8.40 to 9, then groups, outings or play in setting 11.15 maybe a nursery run to 11.45 then lunch ...or no run....then 2.45 to 3.30 with park children leave at 6.....so 2 of 3 outings of 1 to 2 hours out of 11 a day...not all day doing nothing educational becouse it is educational and theres still 9 to 10 hours elsewhere.
Overall I'd be unhappy but not necessarily over lack of craft or school runs. I'd ask about these and talk it through and say id rather tv and ipad not offered, tv maybe on after school but child shouldn't be forced to watch it..

@CottonSock....I sit in sessions in a lot of nurseries as an assessor....would you rather 60 minutes a day on school runs getting air, exercise and discussing environment or 8 hours inside with garden doors shut children looking out and the tv on while staff clean, set up lunch etc.....becouse manh nurseries do this....although they take loads of photos in the garden if they pop out for 10 minutes.

Some of these are big issues, some aren't.

Unsecured premises and you just being able to wander in is a huge problem and Ofsted would probably shut her down for that!

Screen time all day/being strapped in to a highchair in front of the TV would be an issue for me. I'm not anti-TV at all and usually have it on for 20-30 minutes after breakfast/before school run, 20 minutes before lunch and half an hour after tea. Some children watch it and some don't.
But, we're out at groups and classes every day and have lots of activities at home.

Childminder popping in and out of the kitchen with children in the next room isn't really an issue.

Your child's naps having to work on the childminder's schedule is a total non-issue.

How many children are there? It sounds like hoardes?

I thought CMs had to follow the Early Years foundation stuff the same as nurseries do? Where's the evidence of what she's been doing towards that?

You're not expecting too much. I wouldn't be happy with any of that.

What is she telling you she has done through the day...

What toys are around when you walk in..My house tends to look a tip because..Depending on age I don't get time to wash dishes, It becomes pointless to tidy up till they have gone...

I don't do pre school for the reason it tends to interrupt nap times..

I would be horrified at this. I would look for CM with similar aged children

Just another one to say that this isn't what our childminder is like at all, and so it isn't normal or ok. I know our childminder puts the TV on when she makes lunch and dinner, which I think is fine - all day is not, and if she's sending you a picture of her with a screen then I guess it is what they're doing all day, as why wouldn't she pick something that looks 'better' for a picture?

Similarly, I think doing school drop-off and pick up is fine - I think that's a normal part of the 'home from home' environment and I like that the childminder takes DS to school, the supermarket, even her appointments (though I do always think that her GP must hate her when she turns up with her three under 5s!) as I think that's good and nice 'normal life'. However, spending 'all day' in and out of the car isn't the same thing at all, and isn't nice.