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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Had to stick mindee in the shower - what would you have done?!!

47 replies

chel86 · 18/09/2007 20:07

4 yr old mindee (girl btw) had explosive diahorrea today. She was so upset and embarrassed because she didn't get to the toilet. So I stripped her and no amount of tissues or baby wipes could have cleaned her. So I stuck her in the shower. She obviously washed herself but I had to wash her back where she couldn't reach. Mum picked her up an hour after i called and seemed appalled at the fact that I put her daughter in the shower! I'm sorry, but what would you have done? Did I do something wrong here? Was I supposed to do the best I could with tissue/baby wipes and let her sit around with the remains stuck to her?

OP posts:

PinkChick · 18/09/2007 20:29

your only other alterntive would have been (and poss should have beendue to passing bug around?) ring mum to come and collect accompanied by the poor child un showerd..bet shed thank you for not doing that!

tweetyfish · 18/09/2007 20:33

Maybe she was more shocked that her daughter consented to a shower? Would have done the same as you btw

DirtyGertiefromnumber30 · 18/09/2007 20:36

when you say 'seemed appalled' did she actually say anything to you? maybe you misconstrued her expression.
She may have been shocked that her dd had been ill etc.
imo showering her would be no different to wiping her after using the toilet etc in terms of personal contact so i cant see why she would be at all annoyed with you!

DaphneHarvey · 18/09/2007 20:45

If my mindee had taken care of my son in this way (and washed him in all his important places too) I would have been completely and utterly grateful and thought she had gone beyond the call of duty and bought her a present of chocs or flowers to say thank you.

You did absolutely the right thing.

DaphneHarvey · 18/09/2007 20:45

Minder, not mindee, lol.

maisym · 18/09/2007 20:47

You did the best thing - the little one was all nice and clean - bet she felt much better.

TellusMater · 18/09/2007 21:10

Oh yes. I might have looked appalled too - at the thought of you having to do it. I would have been mortified. Really. Perhaps that's all it was...

Original poster

chel86 · 18/09/2007 22:08

Thanks all, at least I know I did the right thing. And I think now I will add an extra policy just to say that I will clean the mindees if they get messy, for health and hygiene reasons.

I wont be taking mindee on tomorrow btw.

It was more her tone than anything which shocked me. Maybe I read a bit much in to it because it wasn't what I expected, but when I told her she said "You gave her a shower? Why did you give her a shower?". Hard to explain the tone she said it in, but it wasn't an approving tone anyway!

I know I did the right thing and I would wanted any minder to do the same for my child if he was in their care.

OP posts:

twentypence · 19/09/2007 07:07

She obviously did not understand the explosive awfulness of it.

"Why did you give her a shower?" - Lucky woman if she doesn't know. She'll understand by the time she brings her back if the diahorrea continues!

KaySamuels · 19/09/2007 07:50

I have done this in the past with a mindee too, mum was grateful but embarassed I think that I had had to. You did right, I bet mum was either mortified, or didn't understand how bad it was!

ayla99 · 19/09/2007 08:02

On one of my childminding courses we were told it is totally inappropriate for a cm to give a bath unless part of overnight care routine (showers weren't mentioned but I would lump them together as the implications are the same). We were all in agreement that, in practice, we'd ignore that and stick a mindee in the bath if they got mucky.

I've done it before & would do it again too.

saltire · 19/09/2007 08:03

I would have - and indeed have done - the same as you.
I put it into my policies and procedures book. I must admit though , old mindee 1 (some of you may remember him- he of the odd choices of lucnh and never turning up on time)often needed showering, but his dopey mother never sent a change of clothes, so he would end up in some of mine which it took ages for her bring back - if at all!
He used to scream blue murder, but I think part of it was that he thought he was going to bed, as they had showers at home before bedtime

mawbroon · 19/09/2007 08:31

I have done similar but after the incident amended my permission slip to include bathing or showering of mindee should exceptional circumstances require this.

I wonder if the mother knew full well that her dd had diarrhoea and had just chanced taking her there in the hopes that she would be ok? Presumably you have an exclusion until 24 hrs after last bout of d or v?

bozza · 19/09/2007 08:46

I think you did the right thing but wonder if you have maybe misinterpreted the Mum's questioning in some way.

dmo · 19/09/2007 09:26

when we do our big painting day all the children strip off to nappys or pants and pant away using hands, feet etc then they all go into the bath
i see nothing wrong with this

blessingchild · 19/09/2007 09:39

Well done for doing the right thing. I would have done exactly the same thing you did and I would be wary of any parent who thinks otherwise. I have it in one of my policies that I would treat all my mindees(when I eventually get one) as mine without taking the place of the mum/dad. I think the mum should be pleased with you. Don't loose any sleep over her, some parents are very hard to please. You have done the rigth thing that any mum/cm with common sense would do

Mum2Luke · 20/09/2007 22:07

I would probably have done the same thing too, Mum obviously leaves the poor child covered in pooh!

I probably would have text her or his dad to tell them maybe, but knowing his parents they would not have minded.

Good on you for doing the right thing, I'm off to write a policy on bathing/showering children whilst in my care!!!

Helen

milliways · 20/09/2007 22:14

As a crawling babe, my DS exploded all up his back whilst crawling past his CM as she was talking to a propective new Mum on the phone!.

She had to call the phone conversation to a halt and put him in the bath to peel his clothes off - then shower him off & re-dress etc.

That was at 10am & she only told me when I picked him up at tea-time. (Bit different with babe & exploding nappies though to 4yr olds I admit).

Think you did right. Was the Mum ok in the end?

kidsrus · 20/09/2007 22:23

yes totally agree would do the same.
Alarm bells would ring for me on why she wouldn't want me to see her child undressed.
i would put her reaction down in the book too.
I will also add a policy to my portfolio stating how i would deal with the situation.
Thanks for making me aware there are parents out there that feel that way.

tori32 · 20/09/2007 22:27

I had a similar experience with my mindee but it was an explosive nappy which leaked. She got put in the bath and strip washed down. Her parents had expected her to be still covered but were pleased that she had been washed when I told them.

Shoshable · 20/09/2007 22:28

did exactly the same today, but it was sick not poo,(all over her cot just after lunch) had phoned dad to pick sick child up, when he arried I had Lo in the bath, Dad just said 'Oh dear was it that bad, so sorry would you like me to take the cots stuff home and wash it. DH had already stripped cot and took linen and clotoes to machine, but what a lovely Dad.

bigshopper · 21/09/2007 11:46

Is she British? Where I live people think that if you make a sick child wet then they will immediately die of pneumonia or something.

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