Am I missing something here - what are the children whom you are meant to be minding doing while you are on the Internet??

[fivecandles]

Because I would be livid if I was paying you to mind my child and you were Mumsnetting.

Oh marla you are really makin me giggle!!! Shhh I must be quiet dd is sleeping and I will desturb her!

FFs get over yourself five candles. Are we expected to sit and stare at a sleeping child????? As long as the children are checked regularly (SP) then there is no harm in using the computer. I happily admit to mumsnetting while mindees are asleep as the computer is at the far end of the room that they sleep in. NOW WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT A MINDER TO DO WHILST MINDEE IS SLEEPING?

Katy, I'm a minder (its tulip - i've recently changed my name! thought this one was more me!!)

I am PMSL at this thread!

DD goes to a childminder. During the day, DD does a wide range of activities. They do the school run, go to the park, go shopping, colour, paint, bake, eat, play, dance, sing, learn etc etc. Should the cm wish to spend some time on MN when DD is asleep, I wouldn't mind. I dont begrudge her reading a paper whilst DD was asleep.

Ooh marking my place to read properly later.

15.26 - still has finger up his nose but is farting as well now

can I just check - can parents mn while the kids are around?

If not, I'm fucked!

Or is it just if you are getting paid to be with a child that you have to be giving them your total attention at all times? If you're with them for free you can ignore them as required, right?

[hopeful]

well 5 candles is mnetting whilst her children are around (especially if sleeping makes no difference to the supervision requirements).

I'm sorry, but I agree with 5candles, to a point!
I also would not want my childminder to be on mumsnet during the day when she is supposed to be watching my dd. But that might be that when I use mumsnet I find it very addictive.
I wouldn't mumsnet at work and wouldn't have time to, to be honest!
Although, she is due breaks and if she chooses to do this during her breaks that is her choice.

Fivecandles - maybe, the childminders are only on here when they are having a designated 15/20 minute break and this is what you have seen on another thread when they go running off. Because they have had to have their break cut short due to a child needing them.

"maybe, the childminders are only on here when they are having a designated 15/20 minute break"

PMSL @ the thought of a childminder having a "designated 15/20 minutes break" - hello??????????? Welcome to the real world - unless you have robotic children there is no such thing as a "designated" break while loooking after children in a "home" setting.

Okay, Tryingtocookacurry...then you answer the question.

What do you expect the CM to do while the child is sleeping?

I think comments like these give all childminders a bad name.

I am a childminder and work hard to provide excellent care for the children I care.

The LO's I care for sleep for 2 hours - (in different rooms, so I couldnt watch them both without waking one of them)

I am currently trying to write 50 policies with no help and really appreciate this time to sit down at my laptop and do these.
I also have daily records to the parents to write, which I do when they are asleep, to avoid taking time away from them when they are awake. - surely this is the same as being on the internet?
I have a listener and can hear the children breathing through it!

Obviously if a minder was spending excessive amounts of the childs waking time on the computer, it isnt acceptable.

Childminders do take the care of the children very seriously, so please do not make this something that it isnt.
Thank you.

I don;t get why it would be wrong for a CM to use MN whn her mindee was asleep. What should they be doing - staring at sleeping child in case they wake

I was a teacher. I used Mn at school before. We were allowed to use the internet for personal use. I used it at lunch and break times, and in contact time.

I know work in a prison and I am allowed to use the Internet for personal use still, although what I can actually access is severely limited - no MN, which is probably a good thing lol.

My DD is in bed asleep right now - am I ok to be on here?

guyfawkes - sorry, didn't mean that they plan to have a break between 11 and half past, I do realise that they would have to take a break when and if. Designated was the wrong word! What I meant was, if the kids were happy playing or sleeping then the childminder should be able to take a break and in that break they should be able to do what they want.

But - I wouldn't be able to use mumsnet on my break if I was a childminder, as it is soooo addictive and this could lead to an hour or 2 hours on mumsnet. Which I think 5candles obvoiusly is concerned about which would be wrong!
I am not suggesting that childminders abuse this and do this at all so don't jump on me but I bet it happens!

Has anyone actually looked at the times that CM's use Mumsnet?

The Staff Room, is usually opened around 6/6.30 in the morning before kids arrive, and post will be sporadic throughout the day, NOBODY is n it for hours!

what a loopy thread

full moon southeastastra

Wow, someone got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning didn't they!

I have both mindees each day napping at the same time. I have my lunch and come on here to get advice about the kiddies, have a chat etc, parents know this. I don't get a lunch break as such so just grab the time I've got and eat. I clean and tidy up whilst they nap otherwise it wouldn't be hygienic for them etc. So I'm not ACTUALLY sitting and staring at them then but I'm doing stuff that is NEEDED for when they wake up.

Also, god forbid one mindee is napping but the other is awake. Should I refund money the asleep child as I'm not properly minding them at that point but playing with another one instead.

Honestly, you've made me PMSL, you really have. So thanks for cheering me up!!!

And I'd also love to know........what DO you expect us to do whilst mindees nap?????

Blimey. Well as a teacher of course I can't MN, sadly, because I teach children, I don't mind them. Whem I was at home with my own children I MNed a lot. A lot, a lot. And still managed to look after the children.

Whilst my mindee is asleep I tidy up, clean kitchen from lunch, grab a quick sarni and drink and whislt i eat it will pop on the net for a short while. Then I try and do a bit of cm paper work (always something that needs to be done) start daily diaries. Depending on what I am doing for dinner i might prep the veg, peel potatoes maybe. By this time mostly 2hrs have past and it's time to wake them up to go and collect from school. I always pack the laptop away so little ones can't touch and also so i won't be tempted to look at it again until the end of the day.

I am SHOCKED and HORRIFIED that not one CM here has suggested the use of that all in one body harness that Tom Cruise uses in Mission Impossible to SUSPEND themselves on the ceiling above the sleeping children they are ALLEGEDLY minding (and periodically but no less than once in every three minute period lowering themselves to within 2 cm of said sleeping child's face to check breathing CLOSE UP).

Fivecandles - do you need assistance removing your head from your a*se?

If there was an MN competition for Most Sanctimonious and Ridiculous Post, the OP would have my vote. Fantastic

Oh, honestly.

The reason I used CMs when dd was little was because I wanted her to spend time in a normal environment. And that meant the CM sitting down with a cuppa, doing laundry, etc etc (as opposed to hours of stimulating play, all monitored in a little book by a dedicated key worker).

10 minutes spend on mumsnet whilst the mindees are watching Peppa Pig is perfectly reasonable.

I feel like I am a bad mother now, DS is asleep, should i not be on Mumsnet???