Childminders

[Flame]

Are any of you childminders? or have a childminder?

I have had to sack mine in a fashion today. For a couple of weeks she has been a bit funny with me, Today i left Leif and she wouldnt let me past the safety gate into her living room, She sent her husband to the door and told me that they had had a meeting with Offstead about parents and dropping off and fetching children, saying that Offstead had decided that parents are not allowed into the living area where the children are as there are other children around and we are not registered with offstead or CAB checked so we are not allowed around the other children. I like to stay with Leif for a few minutes cause he gets himself into a complete state when i leave him but now i am not allowed to do that i have to leave him screaming apparently. Well i left him and thought i will ring offstead when i get to work cause i cant see how that can be true when nurseries let you stay with your child for a while till they are settled and they have more children around.

I got to work in a complete state thinking i shouldnt have left him and rang offstead who said that this isnt a rule so i completely panicked thinking why are they lying?! what are they hiding?! and a work colleague gave me a lift to fetch him home. I said that i had called Offstead and they told me that what they said to me wasnt true, which they responded by saying thats what they told us and got Leif who had clearly been crying for a while, past him to me and then gave me the pushchair, minus his Nuby cup and shut the door.

I dont know how to get my money or Leif's cup and dummy back and i have informed Offstead about her having the dog in the front room with the little children which there were not aware of and also about her having my son who is just 1 and 10 month old along with her own daughter who is about 18 months old as i am sure she is not supposed to have that many of that young an age along with a couple of older ones as well.

So any one else been told they are not allowed to pass into where the children stay when you are not there?

I'm fuming cause i have been struggling for months now trying to get childcare on Tuesday afternoons and when i thought i had it sorted this happens.

 

[Mrs_Jay]

Sorry i have no advice, but that really doesnt seem right and sounds like you done the right thing

 

[Becky]

I have no experience of childminders (Lucy goes to a nursery) but it sounds really strange to me. I always wait about for a minute or two when dropping Lucy off, even now.

I'd have a funny feeling too just like you if that was said to me!

 

[Bexie]

It's stressful enough leaving your child with someone else without that sort of treatment.

I really feel for you, you have done the right thing by sacking her and reporting her to Offsted.

 

[mrs_tommo22]

Christ Flame they sounded dodgy, maybe its because they have all them kids that they wouldnt let you through the door! Im sorry youve lost a child minder but one that weird, good thing you found out sooner rather then later.

 

[Flame]

I have been told now by a couple of childminders that that rule isnt a rule of Ofsted so i shall be making a formal complaint and knocking on her door to collect Leif's things just once i have calmed down.

 

[fran_23]

God sake she sounds like a stupid cow- good job you've got Leif out of there when you did! she
must have had something to hide!

can i just say as a note to all mums that use childminders..if anything seems even a little bit odd
esp them not letting you in the living room don't be afraid to say something or take your child out of there care!
I know all of you would do that anyway but i just say that because when me and my sister were young we had a childminder that picked us up from school and we went to her house till 7 when mum finished work. She was an evil cow she made us sit on the floor and watch tv (we were not allowed to sit n the sofa or play with any toys etc) we had to sit there for hours we had to ask to go to the toilet and we were not allowed to play in the garden or out with other kids, she hit my sister for looking at a toy she had on the table..also her older son used to take all his clothes off and ask us to touch him! once her dog bit a little boy she looked after and she threatened us that if we told anyone we would be very sorry (she actually pinched my back really hard whilst saying this to me) we were too frightened to tell our mum as we were too young to understand we had not done anything wrong, when my mum came she put on a big happy act and made out we had been having a great time etc..I swear i am still scarred from this experience..we went there for 2 years and eventually i got old enough to know this was not normal and got the guts to tell my mum the truth and she took us away straight away!
Sorry to go on a long rant but this really affected me for years and i even saw her once and started shaking ( i was about 20 by then) i wouldn't want any other kids to go through that..this was a registered childminder who should not have been looking after kids at all!!

 

[Flame]

Thats part of what i am worried about, they only seem to have girls there and seemed very happy when a boy was coming to stay so part of me keeps wondering what if they were doing things to him :S but i guess i might be over reacting cause i am so angry.