What do you love/hate about your childminder?

[Eggcellent29]

Hi all!

I am really excited to say that I will be opening up my own childminding business in the New Year!

I was hoping that some of you lovely ladies who already use childminders would be able to help me out :)

Aside from the required professional qualifications (extras welcome of course!), what is the most important thing to you when it comes to picking your childminder?

I would also be interested to hear any particularly positive experiences you’ve had, be they one offs your childminder did to go the extra mile, or something they always do.

Also any negatives/things to avoid! Obviously there will be contractual things that parents would rather not have but that may be necessary 😂

I really want my home to be a safe, nurturing and exciting place for children to learn and grow. I have a wealth of experience in private nurseries and social care, but this is a new venture and I want to do everything I can to help parents and children to feel happy!

Thanks for reading!

I don’t hate anything about my childminder or I wouldn’t use her!

I love how caring she is, stays calm in chaos and is just a lovely lovely person. She takes my toddler out on loads of walks and splashes in muddy puddles.

Most of all I know they’re safe and cared for as I’ve had to go back to work full time.

Good luck!

That’s a good point! 😂

I love that your childminder takes your child for lots of walks! We live over the road to a nature reserve and spend at least 30 mins a day there (COVID made it daily rather than weekendly 😂)

I loved that my old childminder offered to cook meals for a fairly small fee (about £2.50 per day). I don’t like that my new childminder requires me to send packed lunches/teas. However this wasn’t the most important thing to me so I use her anyway! I love that she seems caring and has a huge outdoor space for the children to use.

My DD has a new before/after school childminder and I love her - she is sooo much better than the previous childminder we used

• she provides breakfast and home cooked evening meals - invaluable as a working parent as used to feel awful that wasn't feeding DD until 630pm and that breakfasts were rushed

• she provides regular updates on WhatsApp - always organising fun things

• she doesn't just plonk them infront of the TV - they do lots of crafts and play

• she's term time only so no resentment that paying for holidays

Previous childminder who DD was with from 6 months bad points

• no meals provided - we would send a lunchbox but often seemed like DD would be fed pretty late in the day
• no activities at all - seemed like other than doing the school run there was no other activities other than the TV. Clearly wasn't following EYFS even though was being paid as part of the 30 hours
• didn't offer term time only which meant paying for all bank holidays and holidays which caused resentment
• wasn't ever given updates on DD
• didn't really support potty training - clearly it was inconvenient for her - DD was out of nappies at home age 3 but would often pick DD up to find childminder had put her in nappies to do the school run
• refused to sign up to tax free childcare account as didn't want HMRC "knowing her business" 🤔
• last minute notifications that she was going on holiday/had an appointment/her kids had appointments
• found out from daughter afterwards about all the visitors that would pop round in the day that wouldn't have been DBS checked.

She is unflappable, kind and loving to her mindees and as a PP has already said, always has a good range of arts/crafts/outdoor experiences for the kids.

Has over 20 years experience looking after small children and it shows. She is very well known in the community which was reassuring for me. My DC are 'known' in so many child settings as she took them to activities in lots of different venues etc when she had them FT. I frequently meet parents with now grown children who fondly recall her looking after their DC way back when.

There isn't anything I dislike but she is a straight talker who says things as she sees them when it comes to her mindees behaviour which some parents may find disconcerting. I know that when I was a first time mum I thought she was criticising me when she made comments about DD which, looking back on, I realise were just common sense suggestions (eg not dressing her up in white, expensive clothes when she is going to messy play) but said in a very matter of fact way.

DS recently told me he loves her as much as me which didn't upset me at all, I think I've been very lucky. I know a lot of the good in both of my children has come from her.

As a childminder it's so lovely to read positive comments from parents on here. Good luck with your new venture. It can be tough some days but it's a really rewarding career. And I say career, don't let any one tell you otherwise. If you are good you will do very well for yourself xx

Have used many childminders over the years. Have loved most of them.

Things I liked.

• homely environment made settling in easier for my DC

-only one provided all meals for no charge thought that was lovely. -other provided snacks.

• exciting walks , including lots of games or middy puddles, painting and drawing outside, picnics etc
• helps with potty training

-easy to to talk to feels like a member of the family.

Things I haven't liked

• not providing any snacks or extras
• constant walks or never transporting children in car ( one childminder walked everywhere and on so many occasions my son would be soaking and miserable when I went to collect them)

• going to toddler groups and ignoring the children in their care .

• being so stuck to a contract and not willing to accommodate changes.

Overall I really love most of the childminders I've used .

Good luck with your new career.

Love: almost everything! She is kind, unflappable, brilliant with behaviour management (better than me), does loads of things with them. I could go on for ever. The main thing though is that she genuinely cares for the children. I couldn’t ask for a better person to look after them (they are older now and in school but she does wraparound and holiday care for us). They have another adult who looks out for them and cares for them and is always a familiar face at the school gates. I’m trying to think of when she goes the extra mile but I can’t because she always does . That’s just her. She is flexible too if I need extra days which is very helpful.

Don’t love (but it really is a tiny thing in comparison so I have never complained although have asked her to try to manage it): she doesn’t always ensure they eat at the end of the day as they are often having too much fun playing (a cooked meal is meant to be included in the price) so when I pick them up they are ravenous. It is only one or two days a week this is an issue and I just prepare with a quick tea at home. If it was every day I would say something.

I had to check Eastie77 didn't have my childminder but mine currently doesn't have any young boys.

Also, my childminder has pets including cats so DD knows how to behave with animals.

I honestly couldn't be without my childminder now! My daughter started at 11 months when I went back to work. By this point I was pregnant wirh DD2 who was born in October 2020 during lockdown 2. I decided to keep DD1 there as had scheduled c section while I recovered but still haven't stopped! I want both daughters to go in Sep 21 when I return to work and know I'll lose the space in an instant if I take her out. Plus DD1 loves it sooooo much and it gives me headspace in this awful covid nightmare. Best things....regular WhatsApp updates photos and vids. Fun activities all day including educational. Flexible, genuinely cares for the children. Meals provided. No bad points, she's like an extension of the family and she's even stepped in to help on her days off when I've been drowning with two under 1.5. I'd be lost without her especially having no support from family due to covid.

Thank you all for your lovely replies - it has been so wonderful to read all the things you love about your childminders and it has really given me a boost/reminder about why I want to do this (applying during COVID is a nightmare!), so thank you all

I am planning to provide meals and that is something most of you mentioned, so that’s good (let’s just hope my cooking is too!)

I love the fact that so many of you said about them being like a member of the family and the home environment being beneficial. Having worked in nurseries, I felt they could be too ‘clinical’ so it’s good to hear that home care is so well loved!

Do any of you use a childminder for school pick up/drop off? What are your experiences of this? I live over the road from a primary school so am considering some sort of term based pick up/dinner/homework style contract for parents who just need that extra couple of hours to get home.

Any advice gratefully received!