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View Full Version : What is wrong with people?!!!.



nikki thomson
27-12-2012, 11:36 PM
It never fails to amuse me she says through gritted teeth how people are quite happy to pay £10hr for a cleaner, £10hr for someone to do there ironing, pay someone to walk there dogs, take the car to be washed and valeted, pay to have there shopping delivered etc etc (you get my drift) but begrudge paying £3.75/£4.50 an hr for someone to care for there child, who gets to have new experiences, do arts and crafts, go to fun places which I pay for, and then heaven forbid they pick them up 30 mins early as we should be soooo grateful as there paying for that extra 30mins whooooopie doooo.
Is it me but I just don't understand it, I know I'm generalising as there's lots of parents who are not like this my mindees included but from chatting to other cm it seems to be a common theme, I know money is tight but we have to live too, I'm sure people think this is a hobby, gets right on my wick. Rant over . X

hectors house
28-12-2012, 08:55 AM
I feel the same as you but I suppose that when they employ a cleaner at £10 an hour it is probably only for 2 hours rather than the 9 hours for a whole day of childcare. I would love to have someone do my ironing or clean my house but can not justify spending out that kind of money for something I can actually do myself, but we did employ a painter and decorator to paint all the gloss doors in the hall and landing as my husband HATES doing gloss and it was money well spent.

bunyip
28-12-2012, 01:54 PM
I tend to agree and sympathise, OP.

Personally (and I hope I don't get flamed for expressing these views as a man) I think much of it is rooted in the historic and ingrained view that childcare is "woman's work" and therefore it is sorely undervalued. Sadly, a lot of women join the men in vigorously perpetuating this view. They see a "proper job" or career as lifting them out of drudgery, and give voice to demeaning images of not wishing to be "chained to the kitchen sink" or "up to their elbows in dirty nappies". It's as if they haven't really entered the workplace until they've taken on board that sort of testosterone-soaked prejudice. :mad:

In fact, I sometimes wonder whether even we are guilty of it. We're almost embarrassed to simply be fantastic with children and great for children :so happy: , unless we can justify it with diplomas, degrees, and calling ourselves "professionals" all the time.

OK a few of the bourgeois feminists and Guggi socialists on Woman's Hour will pay occasional lip-service to "the value of quality child care". But that always leaves me wondering whether their own overworked, underpaid and unappreciated nannies/au pairs/CMs are wetting their pants in laughter or sobbing in despair as they hear those particular hypocritical radio broadcasts. :huh:

I also think there are some parents who don't quite value their lo's like they might. Our society has become used to everything being instant and disposable: you can have your heart's desire then dispose of it just as quickly. Doesn't seem to matter whether it's a pair of shoes, last season's i-phone or a human relationship. Some people find out all too late that children carry certain inconvenient consequences and responsibilities; they have an awful habit of sticking around and can't be disposed of quite so readily as the latest gadget (or even the latest partner.) The next best thing is to deposit them at some low-cost mug of a CM or nursery so they don't actually get in the way of a beautiful, shiny career. I'm no great fan of the UK's education system, but I've considerable sympathy for those teachers with the insight to say they realise that even they provide little more than free babysitting a decade or so.

Every now and then I pick up the phone and a fresh voice says, "I need a childminder."
Just once, I'd like someone to say, "my child needs a childminder."
:(

mushpea
28-12-2012, 02:30 PM
then of course they forget to pay you too
my parent seems to have 'forgotten' to pay through the vouchers this month meaning that now my payment wont be in the bank by the 1st and I was relying on that money to treat my kids next week,,, I am not a happy childminder

funemnx
28-12-2012, 02:38 PM
I've been a tiny bit smug lately, thinking 'all my parents are lovely' - however lovely they are and they all tell me regularly how great a job they think I do, they are still taking their children to playschool as soon as they are 3 even though I am accredited and offer the free 15 hours..... :rolleyes:

AliceK
28-12-2012, 04:01 PM
I've been a tiny bit smug lately, thinking 'all my parents are lovely' - however lovely they are and they all tell me regularly how great a job they think I do, they are still taking their children to playschool as soon as they are 3 even though I am accredited and offer the free 15 hours..... :rolleyes:

Oh I know. One of mine has just turned 3, will be starting at the school nursery 15hrs pw next month, mum says "oh she's so ready for it". FFS. What the heck does that mean exactly :angry:

xxxx

Rick
28-12-2012, 05:58 PM
I've been a tiny bit smug lately, thinking 'all my parents are lovely' - however lovely they are and they all tell me regularly how great a job they think I do, they are still taking their children to playschool as soon as they are 3 even though I am accredited and offer the free 15 hours..... :rolleyes:

Similarly (kind of), mindee's mum said to me the other day "you're doing such a great job, my LO won't get to go to nursery anymore " and I thought, "and....". It's a bit of a kick in the teeth after all i have done for mindee. Mindee is clearly happier here, probably because she gets more attention, is happier in a home based setting, has a more bespoke environment, gets to go out and do activities and play groups etc. Why do a lot of parents believe nursery is the ultimate goal for their children; that childminders are just stop gaps?!
Anyway mum kind of realised what she said and made a garbled apology. Generally mum has been brilliant; I think it was just a slip of the tongue!

Allie
28-12-2012, 07:15 PM
I had that as well parent who said I've decided to send her to nursery for ten hours of her EYE as she needs proper education! poor little thing apparently she's going to learn a lot there despite crying every time for a whole term. Even worse the poor child told me she's finished going now as she thought that was it, when the term finished. I had to break it to her gently it was only the end of term


Allie

migimoo
28-12-2012, 09:46 PM
Same here...had "we all love you SO much...you're like a second mum to him.......but we were really lucky to get him into this nursery!"

Just wondered what exactly they thought he was going to be getting there that is better than someone who loves him as their own whilst having been graded outstanding in 5 areas relating to planning and general child's enjoyment in setting....hmmmm??:rolleyes:

Chimps Childminding
29-12-2012, 08:18 AM
Must be the time of year!! One of my mindees is also due to get her 15 hours funding in January. I am currently off work long term sick but they have approached the childminder who is filling in one of the days to ask if they will still have to pay her whilst lo is at nursery as they were hoping to save some money! She said she would look in to in and get back to them. She spoke to my neighbour who is filling in my other day to see what we do as she didn't want to agree to something different (we charge). Wouldnt mind but while lo was with me she used 2 out of 3 days and I only charged for the 2 she used. Since I have been off they have been needing upto 4 days kept open but still only paying each cm for 1 day (taking advantage I would say :angry:)

Hopefully all wrinkles will have been ironed out by the time I return to work - thanks ladies :D

Maza
29-12-2012, 02:07 PM
I had a phonecall from a mum who could only get her child in a nursery for two days and so needed a childminder for the other two days. She asked about my prices and when I told her she said "Oh my goodness, you're almost as expensive as a nursery! Is that negotiable?" I took great pride in telling her no, it wasn't negotiable and all the reasons why I can justify charging 'almost as much as a nursery'. I didn't take on her child.