new parents help!

[mushpea]

whats the best approach when new parents come to see you.
at the moment when they arrive i invite them in tl the living room , offer them a cuppa and if they say yes to a cuppa then i give them my photo album and folder which contains my policys and refernces to look through then I ask them if they have any questions, but i wonder if i am shoving to much on them at once with the album and folder and wonder what the best way to go about showing them my stuff.
also do you ask for a cuddle with the baby or get down and play with them or do you let the child/baby get on with it uless they ask you somthing whilst you talk to parents?

I am great at the 'playing and looking after the child' part but not the interview bit and am sure i end up looking quite unproffesional somtimes:blush:

[margimum]

If I were looking for a CM i would want one who gets on the floor and plays with my lo!
I am sure that is more important than reams of paper, especially at first interview!
A "professional" childminder has weetabix in her hair and a big smile...... not a business suit and a portfolio!!:laughing:
Once the parents know you can bond with their lo they will come back to look at paperwork, I'm sure.

[singlewiththree]

I would do the same as you, I tend to sit on the floor anyway so I just park my bum near the child if I feel they may want me near them. Sounds like you are doing what I do.

[auntym]

I had one parent tell me the reason they came to me was that i got down and played with their little one, and most others just wanted to talk about money??? So i guess attention to the baby wins xxxx

[Jelly Baby]

Hi i hate the parent meeting bit! feel i let myself down big style at times as i just tend to lose it and panic. I always sit down on the floor with the LO though which has always been ok.
Just wondered how many of you when you have your parents round for the first time have them while mindees are there or without? how do you decide?

Thanks

[caz3007]

I prefer the first visit to be without other children here, just so parents and I can talk, but if the parent specifically requested a visit with other LO's here, I would oblige

[TheBTeam]

Same here I let them in, offer them a drink and either make a drink or sit on the floor straight away, i make sure that i have some age appropriate toys to hand and will give my parents my one folder with the information in like info about us, our setting, certificates, references and photos. While they are looking at this i will gauge how much to interact with the child and then ask if they have any questions/ask any i would like to know.

If i can i try to get even the smallest of babies to engage, even if it takes offering to hold when they come in/out to put their shoes on etc, I try to make sure that i connect with the child and that if poss they will come and play or at least come towards me.

[AliceK]

Same here I let them in, offer them a drink and either make a drink or sit on the floor straight away, i make sure that i have some age appropriate toys to hand and will give my parents my one folder with the information in like info about us, our setting, certificates, references and photos. While they are looking at this i will gauge how much to interact with the child and then ask if they have any questions/ask any i would like to know.

If i can i try to get even the smallest of babies to engage, even if it takes offering to hold when they come in/out to put their shoes on etc, I try to make sure that i connect with the child and that if poss they will come and play or at least come towards me.

Exactly the same here :)

I also try and get parents to come during the day when I've got mindees but only because when I've finished work after 10 long hours I want to spend time with my own children and honestly couldn't be bothered to be "interviewed".

xxxxxxx

[caz3007]

Exactly the same here :)

I also try and get parents to come during the day when I've got mindees but only because when I've finished work after 10 long hours I want to spend time with my own children and honestly couldn't be bothered to be "interviewed".

xxxxxxx

I dont work all day every day so try to arrange my appointments when I dont have children here. Only one was done in the early evening, but we sat out in the garden and the children played (were after schoolies)

I always think of it as though the interviewing goes both ways, that I am also interviewing them

[button68]

I always think of it as though the interviewing goes both ways, that I am also interviewing them

:thumbsup: Agreed! And I hold this thought in my head to keep myself calm :D

[mushpea]

Thanks for your answes, previously i have also done more or less the same as you guys however when i give them my folder with all the policys , references etc in they never seem to look through it, I also have a folder with photos of the children doing acitvities which i give them to look through but just wonder if all of this is too much so this time i was thinking of giving them the photos to look through and puttin my references in a different folder and just handing them that then give them a copy of everything else to take home and look at, do you think this is ok?
I know a lot of you say about a first and second visit but I only seem to ever have one visit from a parent and they either walk away or sighn there and then! its seems if they walk away they dont come back,,,I must be scary somtimes:laughing: