what do i do?

[TRACEY1969]

mindee is due to start nursery in sept but the problem is he is still in nappies and the parents haven't started to train him yet. He also needs to go to speach theropy once a week in sept and the time falls in my times of child care for him. The parents want me to take him but i have other mindees in my setting and the times are between 2-3pm. I dont do school runs due to all my mindees are under 3 but i could do because my phone is always ringing and i only have part time mindees at the mo. The parents don't know if they are sending mindee to nursery in sept but i really do need to know because i am turning away business. They are thinking about keeping him with me and then using the 15hrs at another minders but they said they will let me know early Sept. I have told told them that he not entitled to the 15hrs till Januray, but the issue is i need to know where i stand because of business so what do i say to them.

[sarah707]

You could use August as your review month and write to parents explaining you are reviewing - contracts, permissions, fees etc.

As part of this you need parents to sign new contracts etc ready for September so you can forward plan your business.

Sit down with each family - so one doesn't feel picked on - and talk through exactly what they want.

It is not your responsibility to take a child to speech therapy. if it fits in then ok but otherwise no, it's the parents job.

Hth :D

[TRACEY1969]

You could use August as your review month and write to parents explaining you are reviewing - contracts, permissions, fees etc.

As part of this you need parents to sign new contracts etc ready for September so you can forward plan your business.

Sit down with each family - so one doesn't feel picked on - and talk through exactly what they want.

It is not your responsibility to take a child to speech therapy. if it fits in then ok but otherwise no, it's the parents job.

Hth :D

i have already done a review and and the parents said they were taking him to nursery but had a text a few days ago because i booked 2 weeks off from them due to hols and they say they were considering not sending him and can i still have him like i am doing now. A new contract was done and they insisted on paying for all day, the nursery would except a child in nappies but only wet and someone would have to go and change him. i did decline as i felt this wasn't fare on the other mindees i look after if i had to leave a play group to go to nursery to change mindee. The parents did say they were doing it but have decided not to due to work committments.

[BuggsieMoo]

i have already done a review and and the parents said they were taking him to nursery but had a text a few days ago because i booked 2 weeks off from them due to hols and they say they were considering not sending him and can i still have him like i am doing now. A new contract was done and they insisted on paying for all day, the nursery would except a child in nappies but only wet and someone would have to go and change him. i did decline as i felt this wasn't fare on the other mindees i look after if i had to leave a play group to go to nursery to change mindee. The parents did say they were doing it but have decided not to due to work committments.

I was surprised about the nursery comment. My own daughter went to nursery in nappies and he is only young still. Personally, I wouldnt want to send my child to a nursery that felt they could not meet the lo's personal needs. As for your setting - I agree with Sarah, you need a review asap particularly if you are getting calls. No one can afford to turn away business. As for the speech therapy - as a parent I would want to go with my child and surely they should be the one to take child. If it fits into your plans and you're happy to do it then great but if not then the parents will need to take the responsibility of their child. Good luck x

[TRACEY1969]

I was surprised about the nursery comment. My own daughter went to nursery in nappies and he is only young still. Personally, I wouldnt want to send my child to a nursery that felt they could not meet the lo's personal needs. As for your setting - I agree with Sarah, you need a review asap particularly if you are getting calls. No one can afford to turn away business. As for the speech therapy - as a parent I would want to go with my child and surely they should be the one to take child. If it fits into your plans and you're happy to do it then great but if not then the parents will need to take the responsibility of their child. Good luck x

the nursery wont change him because there is only 1 teacher and 1 assistant and at mindees age just over 3 years old they think he should be out out nappies

[rickysmiths]

the nursery wont change him because there is only 1 teacher and 1 assistant and at mindees age just over 3 years old they think he should be out out nappies

That is not acceptable. Even a school nursery (I assume this is where he is going?) has to accommodate this because they go in a year earlier than they did in my childrens day. They want the money, they have to care for the children.

When my dd when to Pre-School (it was called Playgroup then) 15yrs ago the guide was not to go until the child was at least 2yrs 9mths or until they were potty trained.

Now Nurseries take them as young as 2yrs and have to have changing facilities. I think Ofsted might be interested in this one because they are clearly excluding a child and they are not meeting the childs needs.

As for you taking the child to the Speach Thearpist. No, No, No! This is the parents job. It may not be convienient for them, but when are children ever convienient? They will have to work that one out between them and I would expect the Speach Thearpist would be expecting to see the parent.

You can't take another child with you because there because you will probabaly be needed to help with the child who has gone for the thearpy and what do you do with the other mindee then? Maybe if it was a one off but this will be regular appointments over a period of time.

I think the parents are being unfair in stringing you along until Sept. It would seem they want to keep their options open. They are being unrealistict in what they are expecting you to do. It would seem they want their full free hours, but want home based care, so are looking at Accredited Childminders, though if he is now over 3 which is what you say in the post he will get funding from Sept not Jan?

Maybe with the changing needs the time has come to say bye bye to this family and take on a new one especially as you have had enquiries. I would be interviewing with a view to be giving this family notice asap.

[TRACEY1969]

That is not acceptable.

When my dd when to Pre-School (it was called Playgroup then) 15yrs ago the guide was not to go until the child was at least 2yrs 9mths or until they were potty trained.

Now Nurseries take them as young as 2yrs and have to have changing facilities. I think Ofsted might be interested in this one because they are clearly excluding a child and they are not meeting the childs needs.

As for you taking the child to the Speach Thearpist. No, No, No! This is the parents job. It may not be convienient for them, but when are children ever convienient? They will have to work that one out between them and I would expect the Speach Thearpist would be expecting to see the parent.

You can't take another child with you because there because you will probabaly be needed to help with the child who has gone for the thearpy and what do you do with the other mindee then? Maybe if it was a one off but this will be regular appointments over a period of time.

I think the parents are being unfair in stringing you along until Sept. It would seem they want to keep their options open. They are being unrealistict in what they are expecting you to do. It would seem they want their full free hours, but want home based care, so are looking at Accredited Childminders.

Maybe with the changing needs the time has come to say bye bye to this family and take on a new one especially as you have had enquiries. I would be interviewing with a view to be giving this family notice asap.

the school have no changing facilities so why they have asked the parents to change him and to bring there own changing mat etc.

I am an accredited childminder but the parents want to pay me in full and use the 15hrs elsewhere so that means he will be full time Mon-Friday 9am - 6pm mom only works 3 days thats when i have him. I think i will have a parents meeting and get everything out in the open and written down and i think if they still haven't made there minds up i will tell them that i have other schools runs and are going to take them on as this is my business and i think i need to take control of it.

[rickysmiths]

the school have no changing facilities so why they have asked the parents to change him and to bring there own changing mat etc.

I am an accredited childminder but the parents want to pay me in full and use the 15hrs elsewhere so that means he will be full time Mon-Friday 9am - 6pm mom only works 3 days thats when i have him. I think i will have a parents meeting and get everything out in the open and written down and i think if they still haven't made there minds up i will tell them that i have other schools runs and are going to take them on as this is my business and i think i need to take control of it.

Fine that they ask for a changing bag and mat for the child but they have to make arrangements to change him. It it is Discrimination if they don't and they are not meeting the childs needs under the Welfare Requirements of EYFS which as a 3yr old he still comes under.

[The Juggler]

to be honest hon, if you are getting lots of calls, I'd see a few of the enquiries and if something suits I'd give this family notice.

[FussyElmo]

I dont think that a school nursery is being unreasonable to expect the children to be toilet trained and lets me truthful you have to be 3 by the 31st August to be accepted into the nursery (well you do around here). Our school expects the children to be trained and refuse them unless there is a medical problem. They will change a child if they have an accident but sometimes there is only 2/3 members of staff and they have freeflow so is it fair to the other children to expect a member of staff to be responsible for nappy changing.

There is a mum that is at our toddler group whose dd is starting school in sept, the child turned three last jan and because the school has said it doesnt matter if they are out of nappies she has refused to toilet train her :panic:

Re: the speech that is really the parents responsibility I might offer to help as a one off but not every week or only if they were my only mindee :)

[AliceK]

Firstly nursery cannot exclude just because a child is not toilet trained. My DD started at pre-school when she was 3 in pull-ups, they were more than happy with that and helped her and changed her if she had an accident.
My DD also goes to SALT. There is no way you can do this for a parent. The parent MUST be there to see the exercises they would be expected to practise with their child. I take mindees with me to DD's SALT appts as I usually only have 1 other with me and she is happy to play alongside us with the toys but I have been known to take 3 older ones with me as well in school hols and the S&L therapist organised a little table and pens and paper for them all to draw with in the room we were in. My S&L therapist knows I'm a childminder so she knows I will be bringing other children with me. I would not agree to do this for a parent and to be honest I don't think the S&L therapist would be impressed if a childs childminder took them, they expect to have a parent there to discuss things with and to practice with.

xxx

[teacake2]

I have two children who need speech therapy and the SALT comes to my house for sessions, same with physio, this works fine for us and means that the children get the help they need otherwise they would not get the sessions as often as they require.
Teacake2

[TRACEY1969]

parents have just rung me to say mindee has got into a private nursery and they are not sending him to pre school, they have asked me to pick him up every day but i told them we need to have a meeting because if they sent him to school it was 5 mins walk and now i have to drive and the times are different. They also said that the speach therapist will visit the private nursery so the parents don't have to have time off work. I told the parents i start in 2 weeks with a baby and finish at 1 every day with him and they want me to pick there mindee up at 12.15/12.30 when i ususally do lunch what can i do, i have told parents im not happy and we need a meeting to discuss the options.

[Goatgirl]

Hi :),

The main thing is that you think about the possibilities and decide what you want to do. If you don't want to fit in with their plans and can replace the mindee, I would be tempted to do that. Thay do sound as though they expect you to fit round them and not have grasped that you have other mindees and commitments which you need to juggle, as well as earn a living!

Can the parents put child in the nursery for different (whole) days which would suit you better?
Do the private nursery have a stay for lunch option so that you could collect after the baby has gone?
Could you do lunch at 11.30/11.45 for other mindees and still collect their little one?
Are you happy to use the car? What would the arrangements have to be if the car broke down or the weather made driving conditions too dangerous?
etc etc...

I think you have done right to tell them you need to meet and discuss all the options. Good luck :thumbsup:

best wishes,
wendy :)