CMs - logistics of arranging new parents visits... help please

[leeloo1]

Hi everyone,

I'm starting to get lots of enquiries for January, which is fantastic, but I'm finding it hard to arrange meetings with parents - between my DS's/current mindee's routine (AM sleep and going out in the afternoon) and whatever committments the new parents have there doesn't seem to be much time left to meet up.

Also, is it ok to have prospective parents visit when you have mindees in the house? I'm not sure there is much choice, but obv they wouldn't be CRB checked...

Any thoughts or ideas on how other people handle this would be much appreciated.

thanks ;)

Yes you can have them while you are minding - fill in a visitors book & make sure you have an address/phone number

Evening work for me (only upto about 7) & I have on occasions had parents round at weekends but at my convenience not theirs

Wouldn't sleep time be good?

mmmm, yes, thanks Katymac sleep times are when I'm suggesting to them but its only once a day and parents seem to have other committments then (yoga etc!) - I've been asked to do lunchtimes - which I feel would be too hectic - and I would need more highchairs/table space for them and their children?! Evenings would be ok but only after DS's bedtime, so couldn't reliably be before 8, so their little ones would be in bed too! I've suggested weekends, but so far not been taken up on that one...

Thanks for the idea of visitors book - I probably should have had 1 anyway... do you have an official one, or just a notebook?

I use an exercise book with lines drawn in

can you not have an afternoon at home - instead of going out?

Could you not go out in the morning and the children sleep in the afternoon as thats possibly what parents may expect for their own children, you can then show how flexible you are!!
All toddler groups are on in the morning round here so we have a short nap on the way there, home for lunch and then sleep for 2 hours in the afternoon.