Childminder ignoring baby

[Loonaandalf]

Does anyone have or know of a child about 13-14 months called Mabel who has a nanny or childminder who was in a Greenwich soft play today? I saw awful neglect from her minder, as soon as she entered the soft play cafe, she plonked the baby down in a soft play area on her own, when other children were running around. There was beads and other toys that weren’t necessarily age appropriate in the soft play. She didn’t even look around to make sure it was safe or even to see if the child was ok with being left. The childminder sat outside the soft play area with her friend chatting with her back turned, there was no interaction (apart from one time when it was time for the girl to eat) the whole time we were there (30 mins) and the baby was just left there. I told the woman that there was beads in the soft play that looked like they’d fallen off a necklace but she just said ‘oh yeah, thanks’ she didn’t come in and supervise the child even after that. She then plonked the baby in a high chair with no straps on, it just all seemed very neglectful and I can’t stop thinking about it. I hope someone who knows Mabel sees this thread and tells the parents.

How do you know she wasn't her mother/ aunt/ grandma/ sister / friend? Why are we assuming she is a childminder?

(And why didn't you pick up the broken necklace?)

I could hear them talking about childminding . I did pick up the beads.

My dc at that age would have been perfectly happy on their own in there. You haven't said she was upset, i think you're over reacting.

It wasn’t safe to leave a baby of that age there which is why I’m worried, if it was then i wouldn’t have batted an eyelid would I? The baby was falling all over the place and getting knocked down by bigger children, all other parents were in there with their small kids who also had to steer the baby out of the way of getting hurt by their own children and there were signs saying children should be supervised by adults, this child wasn’t being supervised. Also, the beads were a choking hazard.

I wouldn't have a left a baby with a choking hazzard in reach personally, but when you're paying someone to look after your child, assuming they will actually interact and look after that child is completely normal.

OP - There is no way that someone will find your thread based on it's title. You're better off posting on a local group or asking around.

If you felt you couldn’t confront the adult, then you should have notified the staff - especially regarding the beads.

Yeah I figured, I probably should have used a better title. Such a shame, I feel sorry for this kid.

I did

I would post this in a local Facebook page group

Yeah I have done!

But you said nanny that's not childminding....if they have only 1 child very unlikely to be a childminder.
Why didn't you report the beads to staff or pick them up?

Could be a nanny or childminder, does it matter? As I said above, I did pick up the beads but what’s that got to do with a childminder not doing her job?

It's not unusual based on my experience taking dcs to soft play and toddler classes. It's an easy break for them - the child is too young to say anything and as long as they come back fed and changed the parent will be none the wiser.
I doubt you'll manage to track down the parents on such a big site but agree with trying more local groups.

It matters to those of us doing these jobs to be wrongly lumped in with a post like this.

I've read enough 'all childminders are bad' posts to realise that some people make assumptions and don't care how they affect people's reputations.

Because if she's a nanny your bad mouthing a proffession unjustly. It would be very unlikely that a childminder has one child to care for even more unlikely that two childminders have only 2 child each...basically they would be paying more to get into soft play than they are earning per hour.

An easy break for them.....who nanny's, parents chatting about childminding, grans....in reality I take mine to soft play and have to fend off feral kids eating, pushing, biting etc whilst mummy is on her phone it's bloody hard work

Hi OP, I wanted to come on here and thank you for looking out for that little girl. Unfortunately, as with every job, there are people who are good at what they do and people who aren’t. You are doing the right thing trying to find her family 💐.

It’s impossible for me to know whether she was a childminder or a nanny though isn’t it so that’s why i said nanny or childminder. Plenty of childminders just have one child some days, I’ve went to view some and they all had one child or some had none that day. They weren’t paying into soft play, it was a cafe with a soft play.

Thank you.

It makes a big difference because if you had a serious safeguarding concern about a child who was being cared for by a childminder, you could complain to Ofsted.

But not what you titled your thread. Also even though talking about childminding they may be their own children and considering it so discussing it.
Im still amazed you knew beadd were there but hadnt acted on it until after child went in and you told them about the beads.

Where has @Loonaandalf bad mouthed a profession? She’s highlighted one instance where she’s worried about a child and is trying to do something about it.

I think as childminders, it can be hurtful to use the title as 'catch all' for naming care givers/ babysitters/ anyone who isnt mum... even when people aren't (or when they are!) sure what the profession is.

We already face a lot of blanket judgements against the profession and this can further stereotype the image that people wouldn't trust a cm, and reading the thread title without clicking on it leads to further proof to some that we are no good. Many many thousands of childminders take their role extremely seriously and professionally and to have it used as a throw away comment in a damaging title can feel hurtful when it isnt even a registered childminder committing the act.

She called her thread childminder ignores .....not baby being ignored, not teacher, parent, nanny....then admits she doesn't know and justification is they were talking about childminding.....just like she is in thevthread and loads of people do without being one. In my experience its typically parents ignoring their kids maybe i should start a thread everytime ive been at the top of soft play and had to rescue an unattended toddler or when ive had to tell older children to leave the baby area.

Yeah I’d be able to do that if I knew the person’s name but i don’t. Hence why I’m here posting as there’s not much else I can do about it is there?