Can anyone come up with a more proffesional name than...

[ROSEgarden]

Childminder...i think it sounds so, nondescript and unimportant.."oh yes i mind chlidren"...i never say i have/run my own succesful business when i say im a childminder you can see people thinking.."hmm, childminder..oh she means babysitter"!..i even 'let' someone refer to me as a 'Nanny' the otehrr week as i though that sounded more important/proffesional...i think we need to launch a RENAME CAMPAIGN!!!

hate telling people i'm a childminder too sounds so uniportant

dont think people are aware thet ofsted come into our home one on one and look at everything we do

babysitters do do eveing and weekend classes to learn how to look after the children properly

I know what you mean ROSEgarden, alot of people think we are glorious babysitters who do nothing but drink coffee all day and on the other hand OFSTED want us to have all these qualifications such as NVQ Level 3 without extra pay.

I sometimes wonder if doing all these courses to better ourselves is worth it as some parents don't even know what they are anyway. I am starting a baby and his brother tomorrow and the Mum had not even heard of the EYFS.

Also I am finding getting the time to do courses difficult as my son does football training on the same night as the courses, his father is not home in time from work to take him and I've no family who live locally to help. Our families should come first but most of the time I find I have to go out doing first aid/EYFS training and they suffer, especially the youngest as I cannot read to him before bed as I am out.

Do any others agree that our family life is rushed - teatimes especially and being there for putting our own kids to bed at a reasonable time?

southernbelle77 - deffo complain to your local early years team (or surestart, whatever yours are called) as any childminders who didn't book onto the briefing in our area got a phone call to say they had to attend. They had a legal obligation to make sure we attend a briefing. Even someone who was on part one of our course last week hadn't been on the briefing so even though going backwards, she has been told she HAS to attend one as she has a legal obligation to do so. Bit strange you weren't told about it, definitely ask them.

Rose - what's this about exempt? Childminders in my area are being encouraged to attend a Food Hygiene course and I'm now booked on one

Mum2Luke - I agree about the rush. Plus in our area, a lot of courses start at 6.30pm somewhere which is about 20 mins away. I don't finish til 6.30pm most nights so it's been a right pita!

SB, we haven't been told when our courses are, in fact Think London11 phone about when ours was to be told something along the lines that they dont know because there arnt enough numbers!

When we had the briefing there wasn't enough places, and ITS COMPUSORY, so of course there would be enough number to do it.