Dont you just love it when...

[tigwig]

Parents clearly have no idea how we work lol. There's someone with a profile on childcare site and she is looking for a cm from summer. Shes in my area but states that she will pay £3 per hour, pay at the end of the week and wants less than 6 hours a day! I was very tempted to message her and fill her in that she doesn't get to tell a cm how to run a business but I've refrained :)

[bunnyjess]

Ha ha! Some parents to crack me up! I've had a few take the mick lately!

[shortstuff]

Ive seen an ad where the parent needs a cm for when the nursery sends lo home ill lol

[tulip0803]

Ive seen an ad where the parent needs a cm for when the nursery sends lo home ill lol

We have one of these in my area too!

Also one that wants early mornings, some evenings and weekends and (direct quote) "CRB's are a must as well as 3 references that come from a professional (eg. Someone works for the NHS, Government, Council, Emergency services or military.) British Nationals only as we saw a programme recently of human trafficking and how foreign nationals can easily smuggle kids out of the country. Passport and drivers licence needs to be presented and will be photocopied. THIS IS NO JOKE! "

And another that wants a childminder in a certain town to collect children from school in another town 17 miles away "as it makes it easier for us to collect them"

[bunyip]

Ive seen an ad where the parent needs a cm for when the nursery sends lo home ill lol

Sadly, I know a CM in the next town to me who'll do just that - and he advertises the fact. :angry:

I don't actually have a problem with parents spelling out exactly what they want, just so long as they realise they may need to compromise, take 'no' for an answer, or spend a long time looking - though this doesn't prevent the odd chuckle slipping out when I see some families' expectations.

One of my personal favourites was annoying, not cos of her expectations, but her failure to actually read my profile on the LA providers listing, and her excessive persistence in calling me back to try and twist my arm. I don't recall every detail now, but it went something like..............

She wanted me to drive (which it's clear from my LA profile that I don't) across to the other side of the city, to pick up her 3 children from 2 different schools (my LA profile is clear about which school I pick up from) and then care for them in her home (when it's clear that I'm a CM, not a nanny.) From talking with her on the phone it was obvious she also wanted the sort of intensive homework support and additional teaching that only a private tutor would be able to offer. When her husband got in from work, he would not be taking over the childcare duties, but the successful applicant would then be providing his dinner as well as the children's :panic:. Some additional light domestic duties would also be expected. For all this, she offered £6ph IIRC, not including travelling time. She also wanted a CM who would have no other clients, as she didn't want the CM to be "distracted".

I said firm "no" and attempted a polite explanation that she really needed a nanny/au pair, with all the cost and employment implications. She kept phoning time after time, until she eventually gave up.

[dawn100]

Some parents requests / expectations can make me chuckle but at least when they are very open from the start you know where you stand.
I saw one advert where they wanted care 2 days a week but these 2 days changed every week but they wanted a cm who wasnt going to rip them off by charging to retain the days, they were only prepared to pay for the days used and also said they would let the cm know what weeks the cm could take off as holiday!
Sometimes I would love to know if anyone replies to these adverts or what sort of childcare they end up with.
But at least they give us a chuckle!

[ja-lula-belli]

Lol some parents do really make you laugh!

Ja-Lula-Belli Childminding

[Mummits]

I have had somebody ask me to go to their house (other side of town), pick up grandma who doesn't drive, take her to nursery to pick up lo, drive both home and leave! He had worked out this would take me 40 minutes (yeah right) but he would generously pay me a whole hour (but no petrol)! I think I managed to remain polite whilst suggesting a taxi.

Another wanted me to pick up 5 year old from school, bring him here, feed him tea and give him a 1-1 French lesson, also happy to pay a whole hour. I gave him my friend's number, though warning she wouldn't offer school pick up or tea. She charged £25 a lesson then, I think it's £30 now.

[rickysmiths]

Ive seen an ad where the parent needs a cm for when the nursery sends lo home ill lol

I have seen that before and I have interviewed many parents over the years who are looking at childminders because they will have their children when they are sick because they are at home, but Nurseries won't. :laughing:

[LauraS]

I've had an awful lot of enquiries from parents who want wrap around care for the local day nurseries, and don't understand why they can't drop off their lo here at 7am and have me drop them off at the nursery at 8 when they open, then pick them up at 6pm when they shut and keep them til whenever parent finishes work, and have lo when nursery is shut for snow days etc or bank holidays...

Why on earth they think I would want to support the competition by facilitating their use, work the worst hours with children who are tired and hungry etc and all for 3.50/hour is beyond me.

One set of parents wanted their children to attend a day nursery but needed a 5am start. I said I was unable to drop off to day nurseries but could offer a place for the child all day, explained same eyfs as nursery etc. They flatly refused as they wanted 8month old to be taught and have a structured environment. They hired a 15 year old schoolgirl to do the 5am to 8am shift in their own home instead. Pahhhhhh.

[bunyip]

I've had an awful lot of enquiries from parents who want wrap around care for the local day nurseries, and don't understand why they can't drop off their lo here at 7am and have me drop them off at the nursery at 8 when they open, then pick them up at 6pm when they shut and keep them til whenever parent finishes work, and have lo when nursery is shut for snow days etc or bank holidays...

Why on earth they think I would want to support the competition by facilitating their use, work the worst hours with children who are tired and hungry etc and all for 3.50/hour is beyond me.

One set of parents wanted their children to attend a day nursery but needed a 5am start. I said I was unable to drop off to day nurseries but could offer a place for the child all day, explained same eyfs as nursery etc. They flatly refused as they wanted 8month old to be taught and have a structured environment. They hired a 15 year old schoolgirl to do the 5am to 8am shift in their own home instead. Pahhhhhh.

I'm getting a funny feeling about this.........

Were any of these families called "Truss" by any chance? :rolleyes:

Was the 15 year old French?

[blue bear]

I had a parent want me to walk down to the nursery (20 minute walk) to collect lo at six, hang around in the playground and hand lo over to mum at 6.10, she asked me to work out how much that would be as the hourly charge was £3.50 and she only needed 10 minutes :laughing:

[Snowwhite]

LauraS I totally agree.The wrap around care enquiries drive me mad!They really seem to be 'the in thing' now and as a result of certain CM's offering this service its affecting my business.Parents seem to think we are a taxi service as i've been asked if i can pick up from this nursery then drop to pre-school nursery then from there drop child back to the day nursery!!! grrr! When i say about using me for a fullday parent then says "well xxxx is settled in day nursery so i don't want to upset them by moving them/disturb routine. I really feel like saying "well 1 day the child will be in fulltime school anyway so what difference does it make moving them from one childcare setting to another?" I reckon a lot of the time its the just the parent that worries about the change from day nursery to Childminder and so used to the nursery setting.Kids adapt quickly to most things.Rant over!

[bunyip]

As mentioned, I don't have a problem with parents who know what they want. But...........

I tend to take the long view, and it appears many of these "demanding" parents don't.

I have to admit to indulging in a wicked pleasure in seeing how these enquiries develop. They tend to start out many months before they need childcare, with an enormous 'wish-list' of what their ideal CM will provide. They proceed at a leisurely pace, rejecting every one of us for being just ever-so-slightly imperfect, not quite up to their exacting standards and/or bargain-basement fee expectations. Then, as D-day approaches, they become increasingly desperate.

I've had several parents reject me, most commonly for being a man, who've phoned back in absolute desperation cos they can't find anyone else. This includes a couple who've been quite rude, and one who laughed at me at insisted on speaking to Mrs B cos "men don't do CMing" and she thought I was winding her up. I never take them on, once they've burned their boats in that way.

I mostly (not always - depends on how they are) do the same with parents who've turned me down to go to another CM, then come crawling back when they were disappointed for some reason.

[Rick]

As mentioned, I don't have a problem with parents who know what they want. But...........

I tend to take the long view, and it appears many of these "demanding" parents don't.

I have to admit to indulging in a wicked pleasure in seeing how these enquiries develop. They tend to start out many months before they need childcare, with an enormous 'wish-list' of what their ideal CM will provide. They proceed at a leisurely pace, rejecting every one of us for being just ever-so-slightly imperfect, not quite up to their exacting standards and/or bargain-basement fee expectations. Then, as D-day approaches, they become increasingly desperate.

I've had several parents reject me, most commonly for being a man, who've phoned back in absolute desperation cos they can't find anyone else. This includes a couple who've been quite rude, and one who laughed at me at insisted on speaking to Mrs B cos "men don't do CMing" and she thought I was winding her up. I never take them on, once they've burned their boats in that way.

I mostly (not always - depends on how they are) do the same with parents who've turned me down to go to another CM, then come crawling back when they were disappointed for some reason.

I must live in a very open-minded town, or maybe I've not come across these types of people. I'm sure I will one day :rolleyes:

[bunyip]

I must live in a very open-minded town, or maybe I've not come across these types of people. I'm sure I will one day :rolleyes:

Here's wishing you don't. :(

To be fair, the majority of people are fine with me. The biggest problem I get is from the local military base. The mums are fine, but then Macho Squaddie Dad then puts his nose in and says "no" when he can't even be bothered to come and meet me. :mad:

I've had a few previous enquirers come back to me after failing to get on with 1 or other of the local CMs. I'm happy to consider those which are reasonable, but I don't entertain renewed enquiries from those who've been rude, selfish, or ignored my advice the first time around. These include:-

parents who backed out of a contract with me before starting.
parents who took away forms to fill in or promised to "let me know" from whom I never heard again.
parents who thought they were getting a better deal* elsewhere and who ignored me when I spelled out how my fees compared and subsequently found out I was right all along.


(* This invariably relates to a local CM who promises to beat all other CMs on price, but has more hidden charges and small print that a dodgy time-share salesman.)

[Kiddleywinks]

(* This invariably relates to a local CM who promises to beat all other CMs on price, but has more hidden charges and small print that a dodgy time-share salesman.)

:laughing::clapping::laughing: