A pity some parents don't think.

[Cottonsocks]

I've been the Childminder for one of my families for the last 7 years. 3 boys, one age 7, one 5 and the other 3. Two of them are in school and not once has the Mum ever taken them to school or picked them up. I look after them from 7:30am - 5:00pm Monday to Friday. They live about a mile away from the school & yet if she doesn't have to be in work until late or is home early she hasn't thought about collecting them or dropping them off. I really feel for the children, who would LOVE for Mum to be at the school but I couldn't possible suggest it as it'd be a bit cheeky to say she could take them, but would still need to pay me! She's not in work today as she has a bit of a cough, so turned up here at 7:30 and then drove past the school on her way home. I can't help think that one day, when the children have grown up, she'll realise she's missed a huge part of their life that she'll never get back. That's so sad :-( Anyway, that's enough of my ranting! Just needed to get that off my chest.

[eddie]

It's a shame isn't it. It's one of the things I love about this job - the fact I have been there every day to pick up and drop off my kids from school. I love hearing about their day before they have forgotten or are too tired to tell me.

I know parents have to work but if I were off I would take them to school especially as she has made a journey to drop them with you and gone past the school??

[jackie 7]

I had this as a nanny. The mum had 1 day a week to drop and collect and she was too busy to do it and had the secretary do it! Oh yes by the way she didn't work!! They are out there and we pick up the pieces.

[nipper]

And these children will become the next generation of parents themselves...:panic:

[Tunja]

She's not in work today as she has a bit of a cough, so turned up here at 7:30 and then drove past the school on her way home. I can't help think that one day, when the children have grown up, she'll realise she's missed a huge part of their life that she'll never get back. That's so sad :-( Anyway, that's enough of my ranting! Just needed to get that off my chest.

Some adults develop a phobia of school due to bad experiences from their childhood and will go out of their way to avoid school or meeting a teacher.

Tunja

[Ripeberry]

That's very sad. What about parent's evenings and Christmas plays. She can't avoid those? I sometimes get fed up of dropping off and collecting from school for my own children. But at least my husband helps with drop offs. But in over 5yrs he has never picked up, even if he had a day off or working from home and I suggested that he could collect the girls :(

[Cottonsocks]

Some adults develop a phobia of school due to bad experiences from their childhood and will go out of their way to avoid school or meeting a teacher.

Tunja

And she works in one!

She attends parent / teacher meeting & goes to Christmas play.
I know the children would love it & hope that they don't resent her for it when they're older.

[VeggieSausage]

what a shame....

[RuthJ]

Yes, it is sad. I have similar with one of my minders and wonder how mum will feel when child is older.

[CathyAmy]

Sad really - I love seeing little happy faces when they come out of school / pre-school when they see the person picking them up. Just as well they have you picking them up:)

[Cottonsocks]

Just as well they have you picking them up:)

And I feel well and truley privileged to have that role every single day. I enjoy my hugs when I haven't seen them all day :jump for joy:

[acorns]

I do find it hard to understand why a parent wouldn't want pick up occasionally. It's the main reason I do this job.

[ivy]

That is why i started childminding because i wanted to look after my own children and be there for them . Said i would CM for a few years until son was a bit older to understand , he is doing his GCSE, s next year and i'm still going .

[Cottonsocks]

Haha! Me too Ivy. Now my eldest has GCSEs next year & youngest finishes Primary this year. My husband's a CM now too - there's no end in sight!

[jillplum]

Me too lol. My oldest is doing a degree now. Youngest taking GCSE next year.:D

[Mrs Scrubbit]

And me! our eldest is 28yrs old and the baby of our family is 24 x

[migimoo]

I have an LO who I drop off and pick up and she was the only child left in nursery as ALL of the other parents had taken them home after their nativity play...her parents went home and left me to collect,she looked so sad sitting on the carpet all alone:(, After chatting to other parents at nursery door turns out they all thought I was her mum!also when we had all the snow I txt mum to ask where LO's wellies were as she'd got soaked on the way home and was wrapped in a blanket whilst her clothes dried and was told that as she'd been sent home from work she could struggle through the snow to drop them round to me....2 hours before she was due to collect anyway....as a mum of 4 u'd think she'd welcome some 1 to 1 time.

I think by not getting involved with the school it makes things like play dates near impossible and the LO's suffer-i've offered to have one of her friends back here for tea one day but not sure how that would work with CMing.

[Cottonsocks]

I think some parents have LOs because that's what's expected of them next, not because they necessarily want them.

[lubeam]

I agree cathrawlings , my dh aunty admits she only had her son to save her marriage , he's 14 shes been divorced 13 years hummmmm .... ?

[chezzagriff]

Its so sad and its the poor child who suffers the most. I had my 2nd little boy last year and decided to start minding after my maternity leave as I worked in a nursery so thought to myself rather than look after other peoples children all day and only get 1 hour with my own why not continue my job as a childminder and get to spend the full day with my own aswell. That way I will be involved in their school life too etc. Best decision I have ever made as I dont miss out on all the first things in their lives either eg. crawling, walking, talking etc. I really cant understand why some people decide to have children, at the end of the day its a life that needs nurturing not an object you can just throw around. Sorry rant over but it really gets to me and is so sad to see these children upset.