Childminders: Do you have your charges pretty much ready to go home when they are due to b picked up?

[silentnightplease]

I don't want to sound like some crazed, the world revolves around me, manic mother but...

I pick my 2 DCs up from the CM 3 times a week, at the same time, every week. I am rarely late and never early.

They are never anywhere near ready to leave. Their shoes and coats are scattered aound the house, one of them is usually in the middle of an activity that they can't just abandon and then she asks them to help put things away before they leave.

Now, I have no problem with any of this, of course they should be putting stuff away and helping to tidy up, except couldn't it all be done a bit before I am due? They are the only mindees and she has 1 teenager of her own who is normally in her room when I get there.

I am left standing there, often help put things away as I feel it's rude not to when my DCs got things out. It's already 5 when I get there and I often don't get them out of the door much befor about 20 past.

Please tell me if I am being totally unrealistic and demanding - I don't mean/want to be but I am a bit frustrated. I don't expect them to be all lined up with their coats and shoes on, just almost ready to go.

Hides behind couch in case of flamming!!!! (Please be nice - she is a lovely CM and I am very grateful that she takes such wondeful care of my kids - honest!)

Well I have used two CM's and usually the kiddies are ready to go, with shoes and coats on, or close by, and bag in the hall ready to pick up. A baby that was there was usually in her car seat as her mum did a quick dash and stop to pick her up before picking up the other kids from ater school club.

Maybe you should have a gentle word about how late it is when you get home, and then tea is late, which means bedtime is late, and then child is tired and crabby, so would it be possible for your child to be ready to go. Maybe she has not given it much thought, and likes to chat to you while sorting them and the toys out?!

I would have a word with her suggesting it

I would never have a child ready unless a parent asked me too - too many times (due to traffic) I have had children sat waiting (in coat & shoes) for 20-30 minutes for mum to arrive

As you are always on time suggestthat they have tidied up & are ready to do shoes & coat as soon as you get there - so she can 'get on with her evening'

Ah, see I'm almost in the opposite boat!

It's not as if the CM has their shoes and coats on when we arrive, but I get the picture when I collect that she would rather get tham out of the door pronto, rather than have a brief chat.

I don't want a run down of the whole day, she has her evening to be getting on with, but as I don't get the chance to drop off/collect very often it would be nice when I do to hear how she thinks they're doing. But then I feel the same about dd1's nursery- we just have to wait outside, and all the children are sat in their coats, so they come and join their parent/carer and off we go- no time for chit chat!

Maybe I am unrealsitic, but I have only been able to collect dd1 from nursery 3 times since September, and never had the chance to chat to staff

But I can imagine that if you collect every day, and you are forced to wait 20 mins every day- that would be very annoying!

Hmmm. Tricky one. I get the children to tidy up when parents are soon due. We fill any extra time with singing and dancing, or stories. Their coats and shoes are all waiting by the front door, but I don't get them ready to go in case a parent is late. I do sometimes feel like I am rushing them out of the door when parents arrive, but I try and make it clear to parents that if they want to discuss their child's progress, they can book some time with me. If a parent particularly wants to chat about something without notice, then they arrive early, have a chat and leave at their normal time. I make it clear that this is because my own DD has activities to go to after the children leave and would be late if I was chatting. Just have a chat with your CM and I'm sure she will accommodate you.

Yip, my minded kids are always ready for mum/dad! Too often parents are late though and the kids get upset, knowing it's home time and wondering where their folks are. I agree though that tidy-up time should be BEFORE parents arrive and kids should be ready.

I am a CM. I always all their stuff ready by the door,like bags, shoes and coats etc. We are never in the middle of an activity, as we do that earlier, then have tea, tidy up and then it's story time.

Sometimes the parent comes in the middle of the story, but we don't sit back down and finish it. I just get the kids coats on while I chat to the mum.

I do sometimes have them ready with their shoes on, but not coats as I don't want the mum to think they are hot and stuffy. My kids are always out within 5-10 minutes.

It does work, every day parents text me to say I'll be there in 10 minutes,so i get enough time to get them ready.

My mindee's parents are due to collect at 6pm and are like you, never early & rarely late (and if then, just a few minutes).

At 5.45pm hats, shoes, coats and bags are put next to the front door and we start putting things away.

There is no way I would leave a parent hanging around for 20 minutes. You've been at work all day and want to go home. It's poor organisation on her part and I would have a gentle word.

I am sure the minder in question is as keen as you to have the children leave pronto. Maybe she is afraid of giving the impression that she wants them to leave. I am always more than happy to have children ready for parents who I know will arrive on time. However, more often than not the littlies run back in and have to be persuaded out again. Its difficult as has been mentioned before, you may miss the interaction with the childminder if everytime you arrive the littlies are on the doorstep ready to go and you may feel in a panic if ever you are delayed.

The parents usually let me know how long theyre going to be so I can time now how long it takes to get them ready.

I think its a bit off to have them shoved out the door as soon as parents arrive (unless parents want it that is). I usually have snack at 4.30 after having done a planned activity (if they want to do one)and they have free play for 45 mins.

The only difficulty I have is getting them to get ready. One of the brothers (6 yrs) sits and does something and has to be told a dozen times before he gets ready to go.

I don't have shoes in the lounge, I have an indoor shoe policy, I have asked parents to bring slippers but they forget.

ima cm and from experience now, i have mindees ready a few mins before parents due with at least coats on..if parent is known for being late we leaves their shoes off and they play in play room with us until parent arives and then they come to door with me and i open door and help mindee put shoes on..we chat as doing this but ive found mindees create havoc at pick up times and this is the simplest way of reducing that 8-)