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carolyn01
28-07-2012, 04:40 PM
Hello,

I have been ofsted reg for 12 years and never had a problem or complaint until I took on two children (6 yrs and 2 yrs old). Basically I had to give notice after 3 weeks as I found picking up 6 year old rom school didn't fit in with other children I had and too demanding. Parents were fine and I was working notice period when had a phone call from dad saying his son had said I had left them on own in car. I said the only time I had done that was paying for petrol when I was in and out in 2 minutes and didn't see the point in getting three children out of a locked car to pay. He said he would even if it had taken 5 more minutes? Am I wrong to leave them in the car (locked)? I have always done this over the past 12 years and thought it safer than dragging them across a forecourt into the shop. Also part of me thinks dad was looking for an excuse not to pay notice period as I apologised and let him off?
:panic:

Smiley
28-07-2012, 04:51 PM
Please change your practice immediately as its not acceptable to do this as a childminder. Yes it's a pain getting them in and out of the car and takes time, easier at petrol stations where you pay with card at the pump. Obviously the safest solution is to get fuel outside of minding hours

cathtee
28-07-2012, 04:56 PM
I wouldn't leave a child in a car for any reason, I would always get my fuel when I have no mindees with me. I would never forgive myself if something happened:panic:

FussyElmo
28-07-2012, 05:02 PM
Ok you have made a mistake now move on.

I would say even though the dad has now left treat it as a complaint reassess your Ra's and change them either ra and say how you will leave them in the car. (Not sure how you can safety so this) Or how you will now attempt to get petrol when you have no mindees or will take them with you, pay at the point etc.

Its one of those grey areas where its hard to determine which is the right way especially as a good percentage of people would leave their own children in the car.

~Grasshopper~
28-07-2012, 05:08 PM
as a childminder you should never ever leave a child alone.

as a parent i wouldnt do it either. i drive further away to tesco to pay at the pump or try to go when im alone.

anything could happen.

x

gegele
28-07-2012, 05:11 PM
well i have RA in place in which i state that in the event that i need to put petrol in car with minded children in car i would leave them in the car.

i think it's more dangerous to try to walk 3 to 6 children around cars, walking on spillage when they would be a lot safer in the car.

it's not a convenience choice, it's a safety choice. I don't get my own children out of the car as i find the car fume more dangerous, the vehicle pulling from behind and try to squeeze between lane, the loony who pull in too fast without thinking children could be there....

I park at the pump in front of windows even if it means queuing longer.

I do try to have petrol in car but we're human and not all Mary Poppins with super organisation skills which cover ALL eventuallity.

this week we did 4 outings, I did nearly 200miles i didn't plan on last outings and had to fill petrol pump.

I work until 7pm every night and do not always fancy popping out to pull petrol in knowing we will drive past in the morning.

the pay @pump garage is 8miles away!! I'm not driving 16miles for nonsense.


what is the big risk? car auto combusting? i'm sorry but it's far more likely that a car is going to lose control and climb curb and drive on children... i know of 4incident like this happening in 4years, once where my daughter was with her childminder and a baby died in the buggy YET I still walk on pavement.

sweets
28-07-2012, 05:17 PM
well i have RA in place in which i state that in the event that i need to put petrol in car with minded children in car i would leave them in the car.

i think it's more dangerous to try to walk 3 to 6 children around cars, walking on spillage when they would be a lot safer in the car.

it's not a convenience choice, it's a safety choice. I don't get my own children out of the car as i find the car fume more dangerous, the vehicle pulling from behind and try to squeeze between lane, the loony who pull in too fast without thinking children could be there....

I park at the pump in front of windows even if it means queuing longer.

I do try to have petrol in car but we're human and not all Mary Poppins with super organisation skills which cover ALL eventuallity.

this week we did 4 outings, I did nearly 200miles i didn't plan on last outings and had to fill petrol pump.

I work until 7pm every night and do not always fancy popping out to pull petrol in knowing we will drive past in the morning.

the pay @pump garage is 8miles away!! I'm not driving 16miles for nonsense.


what is the big risk? car auto combusting? i'm sorry but it's far more likely that a car is going to lose control and climb curb and drive on children... i know of 4incident like this happening in 4years, once where my daughter was with her childminder and a baby died in the buggy YET I still walk on pavement.

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

EmmaReed84
28-07-2012, 05:23 PM
I can count on one hand how many times I have had to get petrol with mindees in the car. I go to the same garage all the time and they know, I usually pay by card when on my own. I have to go with mindees I pop to the cash machine, which I can park outside it, literally open the car door and it is there. I then drive on to the station, park at the bay closest to the shop, run in and throw my money at them, shouting thank you as I leave... I am less than 5 seconds... but like I said I know them and they just laugh at me when I do it. :blush:

Mrs.L.C
28-07-2012, 05:39 PM
The rules are you must be able to see or hear the children at all times so if you could see the children in the car and they are all strapped in etc then I don't see the problem. If you could see them then if anything happens then you could be there within seconds, the same as when they are in the playroom for example and you are in the kitchen making lunch

I agree that taking the children out would be more of a danger unless you couldn't see them

sophia36
28-07-2012, 05:45 PM
The rules are you must be able to see or hear the children at all times so if you could see the children in the car and they are all strapped in etc then I don't see the problem. If you could see them then if anything happens then you could be there within seconds, the same as when they are in the playroom for example and you are in the kitchen making lunch

I agree that taking the children out would be more of a danger unless you couldn't see them

Well said, I usually use pay at pump but If I need petrol and its pay in shop only I put petrol in drive + park in front of shop, lock car and go in and pay. I always leave car where I have uninterrupted view the entire time I am in shop. I think it's far too dangerous to walk minded children accross a forecourt. You always get some impatient driver who tries too squeeeze through the parked cars.

carolyn01
28-07-2012, 05:48 PM
thank goodness there are some people out there who see things the way I do! Of course I can see them in the car, and it is safer to leave them than drag two 2 year olds and a 6 year old into the shop to pay! I won't be changing my practice and will continue to do this if I have to put petrol in with children in the car. Honestly, I think the world is slowly going mad - I have a ra in place and don't see any problem with doing this. :idea:

gegele
28-07-2012, 05:56 PM
just explain point your RA to further parent, esplain why you choose to not let children out of the car. explain that you will always try to have your car filled with petrol BUT you MAY at time require to go to the petrol station....

i do agree with your view on the world. surely there's more risk of a mad man coming and rob the shop than the car burning down. and in the event of an armed man coming in shop i'd rather not have children there!!;)

Mrs.L.C
28-07-2012, 06:08 PM
I dont actually think you are meant to let the children out of the car either due to the fumes?

LauraS
28-07-2012, 06:21 PM
We have genuinely never left the children in the car to go into the shop and pay, and never would, nor have we taken kids into the petrol station. Either we pay at pump, or fill up when there are no kids or when DH and I are both in the car. I'd be really unhappy if I were the parent to be honest.

I agree that it's unsafe to take the children across the forecourt, but then if the car is kept full and filled outside minding hours, it shouldn't be necessary to - unless you are doing more miles than a full tank of petrol allows for in a single day?

Wheelybug
28-07-2012, 06:47 PM
I can remember at my initial pre-reg childminding course we were told not to leave the children in the car when paying for petrol, which I could never quite understand as I agree with others that have said it is far more dangerous to negotiate a petrol forecourt with several children in tow. Personally I have always left my own children in the car when I pay for petrol. The doors and locked, they are strapped in their seats, not eating or drinking and I've always used the local station where I can see the car clearly whilst I pay.

Cathy
http://www.facebook.com/#!/CathysChildminding
www.pre-schoolplay.blogspot.com

Katiekoo
28-07-2012, 06:58 PM
It'a a personal choice and I can see that if you've risk assessed it and are happy to leave them, it's fair enough, I might ask parents permission when they start but it's probably not necessary.
There are some (older) children that I'd never trust to be left in the car, who knows what they'd get up to! :rolleyes:
I can honestly say I have never taken minded children to the petrol station, and I have only once left my own dd asleep in the car at a very tiny rural petrol station, where there were no other cars about, but I didn't feel right about it and decided I never would again.
I feel strongly that my dd should be with me, and if I had to take mindees to the petrol station I'd take them in with me too. I like to feel that if something happened at least they'd be with me, but there are risks either way. I really hate seeing children left unattended in car parks and I have been known to wait near them until an adult returns, to make sure they are ok.


Good for you though sticking to your way of doing things. :thumbsup: I think there's far too much 'you should do it this way or that way' in our job, and actually you sometimes have trust your own judgement.

smurfette
28-07-2012, 07:00 PM
Yep, I do leave them in a locked car where I can see them,I mind three under three, I can't take them all out safely and across the forecourt, and one could be asleep I am not going to wake them for what is a couple of minutes. Over here as I have often said we are less regulated, but I think it allows a more home from home environment in a way, we do things like we do as parents, and the mindees parents trust us to do this! some of my parents don't even ask what little ones have had to eat, i do a daily diary but the odd day I don't get time(here it is not necessary just something nice to do for parents) ... as long as child has been fed, entertained and happy when collected, surely this is our job?? I feel sorry for you having to second guess yourselves and question and ra everything you do, sometimes as pp said its gone mad, but of course this is the system you are working with and the comeback is so big if anything goes wrong for you. (So not criticising you, but thinking perhaps there is a happy medium between your system and ours!), rant over :)

rickysmiths
28-07-2012, 07:55 PM
We have genuinely never left the children in the car to go into the shop and pay, and never would, nor have we taken kids into the petrol station. Either we pay at pump, or fill up when there are no kids or when DH and I are both in the car. I'd be really unhappy if I were the parent to be honest.

I agree that it's unsafe to take the children across the forecourt, but then if the car is kept full and filled outside minding hours, it shouldn't be necessary to - unless you are doing more miles than a full tank of petrol allows for in a single day?

I agree. My RA says I always make sure the car has enough petrol before we leave. If for some reason I have to get petrol then the children all come out of the car with me no exceptions.

Why would I leave them when I paid for petrol any less than leaving them in the car to pop into a shop to pick up milk or bread? I would never do that either.

I'm afraid I do see the parents point and why they have have expressed a concern.

I would reflect and perhaps state in your car risk assessment that from now on you will only fill up with petrol out of minding hours. But if you have to you will take the children with you.

I know it is extreme but there was a woman not that long ago who pulled into her friends drive to deliver something, got out of the car and was talking, children in the car but in view and the car burst into flames. Cars have also been stolen on car fore courts and children have been abducted from cars and died in cars when parents have just 'popped' into a shop.

Mrs.L.C
28-07-2012, 08:28 PM
I think popping into a shop is very different and agree should not be done...you cant see them

We have no pay at pump around here or near by. I tend to fill up at weekends or when OH is with me but when I was a single mum I had no other choice but to leave my daughter in the car to pay for petrol as I would not expose her to the danger of other drivers or the fumes

Again I will point out that any child walking across the forecourt are inhaling petrol fumes

Maybe its another thing we need to get parents to sign. The worlds gone mad

nikki thomson
28-07-2012, 09:30 PM
I have to say I do leave the children in the car when I pay for petrol always have always will, I think there's very few people who do take there children out of the car. I know with mindee's it's slightly different and in an ideal world yes we would but we don't live in that world.
I've heard all the arguments before, cars blowing up, cars being stolen but there always in sight, car locked and modern cars can't be taken without keys, also yes again we could fill up weekends, finished work etc but let's be honest not always possible, we have pay at pump but not always working and I'm not dragging six children across a forecourt.
There will be people who disagree with this but you can't please all of the people all of the time, abit of common sense needed. X

Pipsqueak
28-07-2012, 09:34 PM
well i have RA in place in which i state that in the event that i need to put petrol in car with minded children in car i would leave them in the car.

i think it's more dangerous to try to walk 3 to 6 children around cars, walking on spillage when they would be a lot safer in the car.

it's not a convenience choice, it's a safety choice. I don't get my own children out of the car as i find the car fume more dangerous, the vehicle pulling from behind and try to squeeze between lane, the loony who pull in too fast without thinking children could be there....

I park at the pump in front of windows even if it means queuing longer.

I do try to have petrol in car but we're human and not all Mary Poppins with super organisation skills which cover ALL eventuallity.

this week we did 4 outings, I did nearly 200miles i didn't plan on last outings and had to fill petrol pump.

I work until 7pm every night and do not always fancy popping out to pull petrol in knowing we will drive past in the morning.

the pay @pump garage is 8miles away!! I'm not driving 16miles for nonsense.


what is the big risk? car auto combusting? i'm sorry but it's far more likely that a car is going to lose control and climb curb and drive on children... i know of 4incident like this happening in 4years, once where my daughter was with her childminder and a baby died in the buggy YET I still walk on pavement.



hear hear :thumbsup:

I do try NOT to have to fill up whilst I have kids in the car - even my own - I try and do it in the evenings/whilst I am not working however.

But i WHOLE heartedly agree -its MORE dangerous in a filling station to get them out of the car and march them across a busy forecourt

You CAN leave children alone - they have to be in sight OR sound.
Most filling stations you can see your vehicle - ergo the children.

rickysmiths
28-07-2012, 09:40 PM
Some how I don't think Ofsted would agree on this one. Or your insurance company if anything happened. Have you rung and asked them?

Pipsqueak
28-07-2012, 09:43 PM
Some how I don't think Ofsted would agree on this one. Or your insurance company if anything happened. Have you rung and asked them?

funnily enough -about 6 years ago I did ask them and they agreed that IF it was correctly assessed then my judgement as a professional childcarer was acceptable.
Perhaps its time to re-ask them

Colleague of mine (outstanding graded recently) leaves children in the car whilst she 'fills up' - ofsted praised her on her RA's!!!

Mind you - both me and another member asked the same insurers the same question relating to our large play equipment and got two different answers.:rolleyes:

Ripeberry
28-07-2012, 09:51 PM
If I have mindees in the car and they are asleep and I need to fill up then there is only one petrol station I can go to where I fill up then drive to the front of the shop where I am inches away from the children whilst I pay. Much safer than getting everyone out and waking up sleeping children who have been up since 5am.

rickysmiths
28-07-2012, 10:05 PM
funnily enough -about 6 years ago I did ask them and they agreed that IF it was correctly assessed then my judgement as a professional childcarer was acceptable.
Perhaps its time to re-ask them

Colleague of mine (outstanding graded recently) leaves children in the car whilst she 'fills up' - ofsted praised her on her RA's!!!

Mind you - both me and another member asked the same insurers the same question relating to our large play equipment and got two different answers.:rolleyes:

This is why I think it is safer to, if you have to fill up while minding, that you take any children with you then there can be no question or criticism from others.

The petrol station I go to I can't go to the pumps nearest to the shop because they only have the premium stuff that I don't use. To be honest I can't see the problem in filling up 'out of hours' then you don't have a problem. On a full tank I can do 500 miles so it lasts me a month anyway but I can easily top up over the weekend or pop out in the evening.

gegele
29-07-2012, 08:18 AM
my problem with the out of hours filling is that the out of hour is quite short in my day.

and I'm the kind of person who goes to shop to buy washing powder, spend £30 and come back home without. I've been known to repeat process 3times the same week!!!
Don't let me start about toilet rolls :laughing::laughing:

I DO try to fill my car on my way from sport or at week ends, I don't make it a mission to only fill when kids are in the car

BUT it happens no need to deny it.

Carol M
29-07-2012, 09:00 AM
I'm not comfortable with taking mindees to a petrol station. In my policies I state that I will always endeavour to fill up when mindees are not present, if there is an emergency and I need petrol i will use the pay at pump option or if I'm local our Tesco station the staff have told me to use the pump nearest the kiosk window and honk horn, they will come out to me :clapping:. In 12 years of minding I have never had to use a petrol station whilst minding.
Carol xx

Chatterbox Childcare
29-07-2012, 10:28 AM
We have genuinely never left the children in the car to go into the shop and pay, and never would, nor have we taken kids into the petrol station. Either we pay at pump, or fill up when there are no kids or when DH and I are both in the car. I'd be really unhappy if I were the parent to be honest.

I agree that it's unsafe to take the children across the forecourt, but then if the car is kept full and filled outside minding hours, it shouldn't be necessary to - unless you are doing more miles than a full tank of petrol allows for in a single day?

Sorry but you are in dream land - outside working hours ha ha My working hours last week were 6.30am to 8pm and I am certainly not filling up outside of these hours.

Where has common sense gone?? If you have to fill up then do it at pumps that either take cards or you have to drive to a window to pay (Asda for example) and then the children are right beside you.

For some who lock the car, what if there was a fire? who would get the children out as they would be incinerated by the time you got to them?

Safeguarding in my opinion is keeping children safe and we all have to RA what we consider that to be and then Ofsted will be the judge (well the inspector as they all have different opinions!) of whether what we consider safe is actually that.

LauraS
29-07-2012, 12:09 PM
[QUOTE=Chatterbox Childcare;1135731]Sorry but you are in dream land - outside working hours ha ha My working hours last week were 6.30am to 8pm and I am certainly not filling up outside of these hours.
[QUOTE]

:( Blimey how rude

marnieb
29-07-2012, 01:58 PM
[QUOTE=Chatterbox Childcare;1135731]Sorry but you are in dream land - outside working hours ha ha My working hours last week were 6.30am to 8pm and I am certainly not filling up outside of these hours.
[QUOTE]

:( Blimey how rude

I don't think that's rude - She's just trying to prove a point, that working such long hours who wants to go out in the car at 8pm or later JUST to get petrol, especially when you know you will be passing one in the next day or so on an outing??????

And I agree, I go with mindees, I dont see the problem - I think you'll find that most parents leave their kids in the car if you ask them.

mushpea
29-07-2012, 02:10 PM
before i started minding and mine were little I used to leave them in the car whilst I went and paid untill one day I pulled in to the petrol station and there were people in the shop paying and some people on the forecourt wanting to go and pay but the shop door had jammed shut so the people couldnt get out of the shop and others couldnt get in, I didnt waint around to find out the reason for this or to see how long it went on for but it made me realise that if that was me shut in the shop my kids would be in the car on their own and anything could have happend to them if there was a fire I couldnt have got to them or somone could have just taken them and it really upset me that I woldnt have been there for my kids so now I either pay at the pump or fill up when I am not working.
after seeing this, as a mum, I woldnt be happy for my young children to be left in the car on their own but I do understand what you say about you feel is safer and quicker to do this.

hectors house
29-07-2012, 08:52 PM
When I childminded before when my children were small, I didn't think twice about leaving my children and mindees in car while I went in to pay. I also used to leave the children in the car in off road car park at the playgroup I collected from - I could see the car at all times as playgroup staff brought kids to door at end of session.

However when I registered again 7 years ago, I was told on my ICP that we couldn't leave children in car while paying for petrol and whilst I agree that a car could be hit by another car and that petrol is a very flammable liquid, petrol forecourts are equally as dangerous especially when you have a couple of non walkers, would take me 10 mins to get out double buggy, put kids in and out, pay and get back in car - can't see the people waiting for a pump being very happy.

So during the last 7 years I have never left the kids in the car but only because I am lucky enough to have an Asda where I can pay by card at the pump. So I can sympathise with people who do not have this facility.

A friend of mine had a car burst into flames on her drive - imagine if she had left a sleeping child in the car - she had taken out the cigarette lighter to charge her phone and a penny had got stuck in the end of cigarette lighter, when she put it back in, it caused an electrical fire when the penny heated up!

MAWI
29-07-2012, 09:26 PM
I always ensure I have fuel in car before mindees get in.

Never leave them alone. You just don't know what they can do in a few seconds.

When my DD went to a childminder many years ago, she left her in the car at petrol station to pay. She claims she was only one minute. In that one minute My DD panicked because I never left her on her own in the car and she managed to open the car door and get across the forecourt to theshop without being knocked down. She was only 4 and panicked as she thought the childminder had left her!!! Needless to say, the ramifications of what could have happened didnt bear thinking about. My daughter was articulate enough to tell me what happened otherwise the childminder wasn't going to bother. As you can imagine, I withdrew my daughter from her care immediately.

rickysmiths
29-07-2012, 11:23 PM
Totally makes sense, I bet all those that say they never have left a child in a car - have!

What a stupid comment!


I HAVE NEVER LEFT A CHILDMINDED CHILD ALONE IN A CAR IN ALL THE 18 YEARS I HAVE BEEN A CHILDMINDER.

How dare you suggest that people on here lie. Maybe you do but don't judge others by yourself.

Do you know I have never said this about anyone on this Forum before but your posts really get up my nose. I wish you would quietly disappear and go push your wears elsewhere and stop making crass comments.

rickysmiths
29-07-2012, 11:33 PM
[QUOTE=LauraS;1135761][QUOTE=Chatterbox Childcare;1135731]Sorry but you are in dream land - outside working hours ha ha My working hours last week were 6.30am to 8pm and I am certainly not filling up outside of these hours.


I don't think that's rude - She's just trying to prove a point, that working such long hours who wants to go out in the car at 8pm or later JUST to get petrol, especially when you know you will be passing one in the next day or so on an outing??????

And I agree, I go with mindees, I dont see the problem - I think you'll find that most parents leave their kids in the car if you ask them.

What parents do with their children is up to them and can be very different to what we are allowed to do or consider good practice.

One of my parents forgot to bring a swim suit for a child last week and said she was happy for her son to go to the local park paddling pool and run around with no clothes on and that is what she has done in the past. There is no way I would let a child in my care run around naked in my back garden never mind a public park.

Just because a parent may consider it all right to leave their child in a car unattended doesn't make it good practice for a childminder to do it.

As I have stated before, I think however well you have RA it I think if someone reported you to Ofsted they would take a very dim view.

For what its worth I don't think there is ever a need to fill the car up with mindees in it. Most cars run a far distance on a full tank so what is the problem just doing it at the weekend or in the evening? I know early starts and late finishes are difficult but there are ways around it. Even if you only get 200 miles out of a tank that is 40 miles a day for a 5 day working week.

rickysmiths
29-07-2012, 11:35 PM
I always ensure I have fuel in car before mindees get in.

Never leave them alone. You just don't know what they can do in a few seconds.

When my DD went to a childminder many years ago, she left her in the car at petrol station to pay. She claims she was only one minute. In that one minute My DD panicked because I never left her on her own in the car and she managed to open the car door and get across the forecourt to theshop without being knocked down. She was only 4 and panicked as she thought the childminder had left her!!! Needless to say, the ramifications of what could have happened didnt bear thinking about. My daughter was articulate enough to tell me what happened otherwise the childminder wasn't going to bother. As you can imagine, I withdrew my daughter from her care immediately.


I agree. I have seen children left in shop car parks, outside school, getting out of their seats and bouncing around. If a child did that in a petrol station and maybe released a hand brake the till is a long way from the car to get back to them.

Carol M
30-07-2012, 06:22 AM
Totally makes sense, I bet all those that say they never have left a child in a car - have!

That's a rather sweeping statement :eek:
I find your comment offensive! Please think before you post.

Chatterbox Childcare
30-07-2012, 09:23 AM
[QUOTE=marnieb;1135788][QUOTE=LauraS;1135761]

What parents do with their children is up to them and can be very different to what we are allowed to do or consider good practice.

One of my parents forgot to bring a swim suit for a child last week and said she was happy for her son to go to the local park paddling pool and run around with no clothes on and that is what she has done in the past. There is no way I would let a child in my care run around naked in my back garden never mind a public park.

Just because a parent may consider it all right to leave their child in a car unattended doesn't make it good practice for a childminder to do it.

As I have stated before, I think however well you have RA it I think if someone reported you to Ofsted they would take a very dim view.

For what its worth I don't think there is ever a need to fill the car up with mindees in it. Most cars run a far distance on a full tank so what is the problem just doing it at the weekend or in the evening? I know early starts and late finishes are difficult but there are ways around it. Even if you only get 200 miles out of a tank that is 40 miles a day for a 5 day working week.

I work darn long days and I will judge whether I need petrol or not. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and working practice and that includes ME!

Ricky I have highlighted your post, not because of my opening paragraph but because I did nearly 200 miles with the children in one day last week. Yes I went on a trip that took me nearly 2 hours to get there and 2 hours to get back. I left with a full tank at 8am and dropped the last mindee off at 8pm. Are you suggesting that I then go and fill up? It is 5 miles for me as a round trip to the petrol station and I am not going to go after work when I can do it the next morning on the way out.

EmmaReed84
30-07-2012, 09:30 AM
I think this is going to be down to personal opinion. As long as YOU (the CM) are happy and parents are happy and it has been RA'd then it is up to the individual. Not everyone is going to agree and that is perfectly fine, each to their own.

It is like the "Shower or not to shower" debate :D

Chatterbox Childcare
30-07-2012, 09:32 AM
[QUOTE=Chatterbox Childcare;1135731]Sorry but you are in dream land - outside working hours ha ha My working hours last week were 6.30am to 8pm and I am certainly not filling up outside of these hours.
[QUOTE]

:( Blimey how rude

Laura why am I rude - I just stated that it is not always possible and to believe that it is isn't always correct

I see that you have been minding since June 2012, see how your practice runs in 20 years time when you are full to the rafters and working in excess of 12 hours days

rickysmiths
30-07-2012, 09:33 AM
[QUOTE=rickysmiths;1135946][QUOTE=marnieb;1135788]

I work darn long days and I will judge whether I need petrol or not. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and working practice and that includes ME!

Ricky I have highlighted your post, not because of my opening paragraph but because I did nearly 200 miles with the children in one day last week. Yes I went on a trip that took me nearly 2 hours to get there and 2 hours to get back. I left with a full tank at 8am and dropped the last mindee off at 8pm. Are you suggesting that I then go and fill up? It is 5 miles for me as a round trip to the petrol station and I am not going to go after work when I can do it the next morning on the way out.

It is up to you of course, but yes if I was going out again the next day I would go and fill up with petrol on the way home. To me an extra half hour if that, on a day out of that length wouldn't bother me and I would feel more comfortable doing that way.

Chatterbox Childcare
30-07-2012, 09:34 AM
I think this is going to be down to personal opinion. As long as YOU (the CM) are happy and parents are happy and it has been RA'd then it is up to the individual. Not everyone is going to agree and that is perfectly fine, each to their own.

It is like the "Shower or not to shower" debate :D

I agree and I stated this in an earlier thread but even though everyone has their own business practice and opinion doesn't mean that it is correct for everyone

LauraS
30-07-2012, 09:43 AM
[QUOTE=LauraS;1135761][QUOTE=Chatterbox Childcare;1135731]Sorry but you are in dream land - outside working hours ha ha My working hours last week were 6.30am to 8pm and I am certainly not filling up outside of these hours.


Laura why am I rude - I just stated that it is not always possible and to believe that it is isn't always correct

I see that you have been minding since June 2012, see how your practice runs in 20 years time when you are full to the rafters and working in excess of 12 hours days

The length of time I have been minding has nothing to do with it (and you have no idea what I did before I became a childminder). What I actually objected to was being told I was 'in dreamland' because I felt it was reasonable to fill up outside minding hours. To me that is a rude, almost belittling turn of phrase. It is also rude and belittling to suggest that I cannot form a valid opinion on what is/is not adequate supervision of children due to my inexperience, but hey ho.

As you put it, we are all entitled to our opinion and frankly, that should be true whether we have been minding for 20 years or 20 mins. If that opinion can be put across in a way which isn't offensive, all the better.

melco
30-07-2012, 07:27 PM
Well after reading through all this I am glad I don't drive :D

Chatterbox Childcare
30-07-2012, 07:37 PM
[QUOTE=Chatterbox Childcare;1136031][QUOTE=LauraS;1135761]

The length of time I have been minding has nothing to do with it (and you have no idea what I did before I became a childminder). What I actually objected to was being told I was 'in dreamland' because I felt it was reasonable to fill up outside minding hours. To me that is a rude, almost belittling turn of phrase. It is also rude and belittling to suggest that I cannot form a valid opinion on what is/is not adequate supervision of children due to my inexperience, but hey ho.

As you put it, we are all entitled to our opinion and frankly, that should be true whether we have been minding for 20 years or 20 mins. If that opinion can be put across in a way which isn't offensive, all the better.

I quite agree with your comments in the last paragraph and I wasn't suggesting that you are not capable or experienced enough to do the job and I apologise if it came across like that. What I was trying to say is that after 20 years I am really really busy and don't have the time to fill up outside of working hours as these are really long and as much as "dreamland" may have been a bad phrase of wording it was just meant to be "are you kidding".

No more comments from me on this as I don't think that this is helping the person who posted the original question.

Mrs Scrubbit
30-07-2012, 10:40 PM
I'm glad that I don't drive too!!!!

ORKSIE
31-07-2012, 07:53 AM
I get my DH to fill the car up for me :thumbsup:

On occasions where I have had to fill up I take mindee to pay with me.

Im wondering if you could actually honk your horn and get someone to come and take your cash from the car??? :idea:

Pipsqueak
31-07-2012, 09:31 AM
[QUOTE=ORKSIE;1136533]I get my DH to fill the car up for me :thumbsup:

QUOTE]

yeah but that is only coz they won't let you near the pumps coz of your teef and scaring other customers away init!!!

Kiddleywinks
31-07-2012, 09:42 AM
I get my DH to fill the car up for me :thumbsup:


I did that once (when I had an OH that is lol)

The numpty filled the car with diesel!

Diesel in tank: £30
Relay to local garage: £80 (should have been £120!!)
Draining of tank: £50
Refilling with fuel £45

Lesson: If you want something doing, do it yourself :laughing:

ORKSIE
31-07-2012, 10:30 AM
[
QUOTE]

yeah but that is only coz they won't let you near the pumps coz of your teef and scaring other customers away init!!!



Sooooo rude init :p :D

Vickster
31-07-2012, 12:31 PM
I have left my own (in view all the time), but not minded children.

carolyn01
01-08-2012, 03:57 PM
Wow thank you everyone for all your replies - we all have a different opinion on this. I have checked my ra and will continue to fill up my car with minded children and tell the parents in advance.

They will be strapped in the car and door will be locked and I will park where I can see them. I understand people saying 'what if there was a fire' in the two minutes I am inside paying, but equally what if they got knocked over walking into the shop with me, or a petrol pump blew up as we walked past it, or a mad car driver just missed them in their hurry to exit - i know many people don't agree with me but it's my decision at the end of the day.

Thank you all again for your opinions. ;)

zippy
01-08-2012, 04:09 PM
My first instinct was to say no way, I can see both sides to arguement, I don't drie so wouldn't ba a problem for me, would I be happy if hubby left my kids in car, no, however hearing the arguements for leaving ten in the car maybe I am being a bit paranoid, they are in more danger from being hit by a car than a car jacking horror story we hear about. I think if you are going to do this you need permissions and risk assesment and a policy explaining your reasons in place. If I had all this presented to me maybe I would understand your point of view as a parent if you were my childminder but I do think it's an area that needs clarifying when a mindee starts. Even now I've said all that still don't think I'd be very happy with hubby of he did it even though my logical side is trying to tell myself it's ok.

zippy
01-08-2012, 04:21 PM
Nah can't get my head to agree, despite me trying to convince myself I really think you have to fill up outside hours or pay at pump, as people have said a forecourt is no place for children and leaving them is not acceptable to me either so it has to be pay at pump or do it out of hours. My kids have never been left alone in car, easy done for me I expect as I don't drive so there is usually two of us. I couldn't forgive myself if anything happened.

Jods
01-08-2012, 04:24 PM
just seen this -

I worked at a Tescos PFS for 7 years

PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT ever lock your car, if you do leave YOUR own children (never others) if there is an incident then they can not be helped - I have seen the health and safety video footage and its not plesant. Remember even if they are old enough to get out can they with child locks on!!

Always leave your car unlocked and remove children, take your valuables with you and just to scare you all the blast radius of a petrol station going up is 5 miles, especially if the flames get into the under storage tanks.

I do not go to get petrol with my mindees - and thats that

zippy
01-08-2012, 04:52 PM
I agree. I have seen children left in shop car parks, outside school, getting out of their seats and bouncing around. If a child did that in a petrol station and maybe released a hand brake the till is a long way from the car to get back to them.

Very good point too. This could so easily happen.