End of day pick ups

[mumofone]

Grr...need to have a moan and ask advice. Pick ups are starting to really wind me up. 2 different sets of parents are picking up at the end of the day and now its summer stand the other side of my doorstep so in the garden talking to me, meanwhile their child is racing around the garden, picking things up, running over and touching my husbands car etc, inevitably they fall over through excitement and sillyness etc, cue drawn out checking if child is alright etc etc. It really PEES me off! Sorry i know i don't sound like a very nice childminder here! But at this stage they've had all day to play and run around and be silly, parent is now running in to my unpaid time, if they are first to pick up then it eats in to time i may need to be sorting another child out ready for home time etc. My child ends up getting involved and i end up referreing them. I find it difficult because obviously all day its my rules and child abides by them but then we end up having this me saying something, parent saying something, no one listening etc etc. GRRR! Anyone else have this? I was thinking of telling parents that from now on when they pick up they are to come in with door closed behind them if they wish to chat and that when they are done they take their child and once over the doorstep i shut the door and they are parents responsibility but how on earth do i phrase this nicely??!!

[bunyip]

You have my sympathy Mo1.

This is just one reason why I let parents into my house to collect, rather than do doorstep collections (they are, after all, children - not empty milk bottles.)

You're absolutely right, this is the time of day when accident risk rises because lo is playing up/ showing off, mum and CM are distracted, and the responsibility/chain of command becomes blurred. Children are cunning little bu88ers and will naturally exploit it to the full, as a god-given opportunity to damage stuff and self-harm in a variety of new and exciting ways. It is worth highlighting this in your policies. Parents need to know the following applies: your child = your responsibility, but my home deserves your respect!

In terms of it all occurring on your unpaid time, I think we just have to give a little on this point. On the one hand, make sure it's an efficient handover (practice phrases like, "you'll be wanting to get home now".....) and don't let your home be used as a free coffee shop with stress counselling thrown in for good measure. On the other hand, just think those few minutes are far less than having to commute home from work.

[BallyH]

Big hugs. We've all had this to some degree or other. It usually starts in some form from day one as we try to make an impression to parents that we are friendly/approachable etc and are willing to talk about their child's day there and then (even if we fill out very detailed diaries listing the exact same contents). And as Bunyip and yourself have said the lo's perform to the audience (you & parent) both of whom seem to be not listening or watching them and it's very hard to nip it the bud. I've tried various strategies over the years from saying 'sorry I can't chat tonight I've got a doctors appointment (even gotten in my car before with my own kids) all the info is in her diary, to speaking to the child the next day about their behaviour, or clapping my hands (in a silly sing-song way - that even the child stopped to look strangely at me) and handing them their coat, with a big smile. Try to change the behaviour slowly, about 20 seconds shorter every evening and invite them in but then open the door to let them out with a huge smile so that's the last thing they remember as you close the door and not 'hang on I think I've been thrown out'.
Oh I've also been known to set my oven timer for xx minutes and refuse to switch it off till they are out the door saying something like 'oh that's Xxx's tea he's off to cubs tonight sorry I have to rush'. But don't feel guilty.

[snortlet]

Big hugs. We've all had this to some degree or other. It usually starts in some form from day one as we try to make an impression to parents that we are friendly/approachable etc and are willing to talk about their child's day there and then (even if we fill out very detailed diaries listing the exact same contents). And as Bunyip and yourself have said the lo's perform to the audience (you & parent) both of whom seem to be not listening or watching them and it's very hard to nip it the bud. I've tried various strategies over the years from saying 'sorry I can't chat tonight I've got a doctors appointment (even gotten in my car before with my own kids) all the info is in her diary, to speaking to the child the next day about their behaviour, or clapping my hands (in a silly sing-song way - that even the child stopped to look strangely at me) and handing them their coat, with a big smile. Try to change the behaviour slowly, about 20 seconds shorter every evening and invite them in but then open the door to let them out with a huge smile so that's the last thing they remember as you close the door and not 'hang on I think I've been thrown out'.
Oh I've also been known to set my oven timer for xx minutes and refuse to switch it off till they are out the door saying something like 'oh that's Xxx's tea he's off to cubs tonight sorry I have to rush'. But don't feel guilty.

Fantastic advice which we will try here too as starting to have this creeping in again! Will reduce the chat a little each day and resort to the oven timer if needed! So glad it happens to others too x

[mumofone]

thanks everyone, d'you think i should just start ti implement it rather than specifically say anything either in person or on email?