Childminding and Pubs

[Pedagog]

A question for you all.

1) Do you think it is acceptable for a childminder to take children to a pub so that they can use the soft play area?

2) Do you think it is okay for her to sit in the Bar area rather than the play area?

3) Do you think its acceptable for her to rely on the CCTV screens to monitor children (despite them only showing one view of play area, and not who is going in and out of children's toilets)?

4) Do you think it is acceptable for her to take children several times a week?

By the way this is not me.

Answers below please as I am interested in if others have a similar opinion to me.

[TheBTeam]

I would say no to all!

[madasahatter]

I've no problem with childminders using soft play areas located inside (but usually seperate to) pubs. However the scenarios you describe would be totally unacceptable. The children should be in sight or hearing of the childminder (cctv cannot possibly be enough for the reasons you describe). I would hate to think that the reason she is in the bar is because she's drinking alcohol...another big no no when working.

[Pipsqueak]

No is the simple answer

According to the EYFS children should not be around alcohol, (can't remember exactly where it says it) but I know it put the kibosh on taking the kids to the soft play in the local pub.

As to sitting in the bar while minding I am horrified that someone thinks this would be acceptable. (I do understand that this is not you)

[Chanelle]

Absolutelly not !! :eek:

NO TO ALL !!

[Deb]

Yes to going to soft play in a pub, but no to the rest. I have read the EYFS back to front and havent seen anything that I would interpret as described and not being able to go. Besides, negligble alcohol is served at 11.30am!

[Pedagog]

So glad you all feel the same as me.

I know Alcohol is a no-no, hence the reason any we have in the house is locked in garage.

I will say in her defence, she is not drinking Alcohol. But does leave the table to go to the bar to order her drinks (Hot Choc) and does take children to the bar with her if the happen to be in the pub when she goes, but if they are in play area she just leaves them.

[TheBTeam]

I think that there are so many other places to go and dedicated soft play areas around, that we really don't need to go to a pub and potentially leave us open to all sorts of allegations.

I guess if it is your only access to soft play and the parents are fully informed of how you carry out the trip and they are happy then this maybe the only option for some people, so don't want to offend any of the responsible childminders for whom this is about the soft play experience and not a cheat to get to a pub.

[LOOPYLISA]

No :thumbsup:

[Pedagog]

In this case there are other indoor soft play areas (not attached to pubs) actually closer to her home. But the pub one is free, the others charge approx. £2 a child.

She goes several times a week, and spends the full day (4-5 hours :eek: ) there sometimes.

I agree if there are no other options, then I might consider it as a treat now and again.

[rickysmiths]

I would not leave the children unattended, for that reason I would only to go to a place like this with another adult as well.

Mind you the last time I went to such a place was with my own children when they were much smaller Now 16 & 14) and going to a friends birthday party. I have never taken minded children to a soft area by a pub, I wouldn't even know where there was one in this area.:blush:

The one thing this forum seems to highlight is that there are Childminders who are very good and they are in the majority, and there are a few truely awful ones. Same as parents really.

Sometimes it is worth having a word with them, it may never occured to her that she can't see the entrance to the toilets, are the children she is with using the toilets without her being present?

Like the parents we encounter the childminers we encounter are a diverse bunch.

Locking the alcohol in the garage is a bit over the top isn't it?
Ours is in a glass fronted cupboard in the sitting room that sits on the top of a chest of drawers and is locked. We also have a wine rack ontop of the freezer in the kitchen.

[nokidshere]

Blimy!

Locking alcohol in the garage is a bit excessive isn't it?? :laughing:

[tinkerbelle]

i actually take my mindees to a play area that is attached to a pub two of the best play areas local to me are attached to a pub and have toddler playgroups these are a damn site better than my local toddler group so yes we use them
however one of them you have to go through a different set of doors to the bar the play area has its own drinks facilities so we never go near the bar
the one that goes through the bar we use in a morning before alcohol is served and its also seperate to the bar
i would never dream of leaving the kids in the play area while i went for a hot drink

[Pedagog]

I would not leave the children unattended, for that reason I would only to go to a place like this with another adult as well.

The one thing this forum seems to highlight is that there are Childminders who are very good and they are in the majority, and there are a few truely awful ones. Same as parents really.

Sometimes it is worth having a word with them, it may never occured to her that she can't see the entrance to the toilets, are the children she is with using the toilets without her being present?

Like the parents we encounter the childminers we encounter are a diverse bunch.

I did talk to her about it, as she took me there with my little boy 9, her son 4 and her mindees 2. Her son uses the toilet independently, mindees don't, but do like toilets as they like taps!, they are little monkeys (I love them to bits, but they are constantly into something they shouldn't). She could not see a problem, even after I explained.

[Pedagog]

Blimy!

Locking alcohol in the garage is a bit excessive isn't it?? :laughing:

Its only because I brew my own, and that's where its brewed!:)
And of course Garage is locked anyway.

But ofsted were impressed when I said its locked in garage.:laughing:

[nokidshere]

LOL I bet they were!

We don't keep any alcohol in the house. We just buy wine and drink it - there is never any left LOL

[Pedagog]

LOL I bet they were!

We don't keep any alcohol in the house. We just buy wine and drink it - there is never any left LOL

Its a good excuse to drink whole bottle.

[Pudding Girl]

Not read past the first post so here are my thoughts:

1) Do you think it is acceptable for a childminder to take children to a pub so that they can use the soft play area? YES

2) Do you think it is okay for her to sit in the Bar area rather than the play area? NO unless no seats left but should be within sight and hearing of children

3) Do you think its acceptable for her to rely on the CCTV screens to monitor children (despite them only showing one view of play area, and not who is going in and out of children's toilets)?not as a rule no, but if she is grabbing a quick drink or doing something for another child at the time then yes, better than nothing

4) Do you think it is acceptable for her to take children several times a week?in winter maybe when it's very cold, it's good exercise - or if it's different mindees and not always same ones

[huggableshelly]

A question for you all.

1) Do you think it is acceptable for a childminder to take children to a pub so that they can use the soft play area?

2) Do you think it is okay for her to sit in the Bar area rather than the play area?

3) Do you think its acceptable for her to rely on the CCTV screens to monitor children (despite them only showing one view of play area, and not who is going in and out of children's toilets)?

4) Do you think it is acceptable for her to take children several times a week?

By the way this is not me.

Answers below please as I am interested in if others have a similar opinion to me.

1 i would have done back in Solihull as the ballpit was seperate to the pub, no alcholol and no smoking allowed in the area and parents/carers were not allowed to leave the area.

2 absolutly noway ever ... though as a nanny I did have the children in the eating area as they had their play then lunch there but never in the main bar.

3 noway she should supervise at all times ... how fast would a cm get to a child who is having aproblem on thecctv? not fast enough in my opinion.

4 once a week is more than enough for the child's beneift not hers.

[samgeordie]

personally i wouldn;t take mindees to a softplay in a pub, would do it with my own kids but it just doesn't seem right taking mindees to a pub. Maybe if it was the only softplay in the area then you could ask the parents and get permission forms from them and see if they had objections.

I am presuming this woman sticks to soft drinks when she is there with mindees.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

A question for you all.

1) Do you think it is acceptable for a childminder to take children to a pub so that they can use the soft play area?

Yes I do this

2) Do you think it is okay for her to sit in the Bar area rather than the play area?

No

3) Do you think its acceptable for her to rely on the CCTV screens to monitor children (despite them only showing one view of play area, and not who is going in and out of children's toilets)?

No this is not allowed under our regulations anyway

4) Do you think it is acceptable for her to take children several times a week?

No

By the way this is not me.

Answers below please as I am interested in if others have a similar opinion to me.

Wow does the child do anything else during the week?

[mummyroysof3]

as with all soft play areas you should be able to see/hear the children at all times, which in most ones ive been to means choosing where to sit carefully and walking round regulaly, not sure id be comfertable a minder taking kids to one at a pub but it comes down to the fact that if she sat in a seperate area thats not supervising them very well imo

charlotte x

[estrelas]

no, no and no

We went to a pub one this week, for a few hours while in rained, we all sat in the play area with the kids

never would i sit in the bar, we get paid to look after children end of!

[Daftbat]

I have been to a soft play area within a pub but only with another childminder which allows us to get a drink, take a child to the toilet etc whilst still making sure any other children are safe.

All the other bits are a definite no. I will always rely on my own eyes and ears rather than CCTV of any sort.

Once a week/fortnight is definitely enough and only then in winter/bad weather

I only really go the one near me as its one of the few places round here where you can go in for free on some afternoons and one little boy i mind gets to meet with the kids he used to see at toddler group before he started nursery.

[Alibali]

I don't see a problem with taking the kids to the pub with soft play, I agree you should stay with them at all times, but as childminders we are trying to create a home from home not a nursery, I have taken mine for a pub lunch on a few occassions and it's a special treat ( no alcohol obviously) We go to Frankie and Bennys or the likes which although not a pub they do sell alcohol

In fact at my inspection the year before last when asked what he liked doing best when at mine my little mindee aged 2 told her 'going to the pub'!!! The inspector never had a problem with that nor do the parents, infact they love the fact that we do this type of thing occassionally.

[haribo]

there arnt any pubs with soft play area near me, however i have occasionally taken mindees to a pub for lunch as a treat in the holidays as my daughter serves the food when she isnt at college :laughing:( obviously no alchohol ) and the mindees love to see her at work. i just cant see how that other childminder can fit anything else in in the week and is there an outside area so they get some fresh air ???

[tulip0803]

I used to take my mindees occaisionally to the soft play at a pub/restaurant near where I used to live. It was down stairs and did not serve alchol at the bar there as it was the children's area. I always stayed with the children and we would only go for an hour or so.

Definately wouldn't sit in the bar even if it was really busy - I would rather stand and watch them.

None near here attatched to pubs so have no choice now anyway.

[Pipsqueak]

Yes to going to soft play in a pub, but no to the rest. I have read the EYFS back to front and havent seen anything that I would interpret as described and not being able to go. Besides, negligble alcohol is served at 11.30am!

I stand corrected if I am wrong - perhaps it was in the original version and my brain just hasn't caught up today! I do seem to recall some hoohaa about alcohol etc etc.

[Pedagog]

To Clarify, to get to the play area you have to walk through bar, then through set of double doors. She sits in Bar facing away from doors so she can see TV screen.

Pub in question is in the middle of an industrial estate and during the cay is full off factory and warehouse workers on lunch breaks etc.

To get a drink she has to walk to separate part of the bar well out of site of both play area and CCTV screens.

[Blackhorse]

could you take the kids to the pub for lunch?

I sometimes meet a friend of mine in town with her lo and me and dd go all together to have lunch there.

it is a weatherspoon I think

so far I didn't think that there was anything wrong with that - we sit in the family area and nobody is drinking alcohol...

just wondered

[Lady Haha]

I take the kids to two softplay areas that are in pubs. But they are seperate to the pub itself and they have their own drinks service area. The toilets are righ outside too. I always stay in the softplay area with the children and if one need the toilet I take them. We go there every couple of months if that really as I like to take the kids to lots of different softplays for variety, plus they are cheap!

To spend so long in them is a bit worrying too! It's good they are getting exercise, but it's almost as if she is trying to get out of looking after them! I can appreciate it's a nice break for us, taking the kids to softplay as they pretty much run off and do their own thing, but an hour or two at the most should be enough really! She should be spending a bit more time on other stuff! Also, it might be free to take them in, but how much is she spending on their drinks and her 'hot choc'?