mobile phone

[julie w]

One of my mindees age 8 always brings her mobile phone with her. She's very attached to it and takes it everywhere. However if there's any little fallout with the children she's immediately texting her mum or dad. At the park a few weeks ago one of the boys chased her with a worm. She was really upset, but after I told the boy not to do it and he apologised to her I thought it was forgotten. Ten minutes later mum and dad turn up at the park to meet her and walk her home. She had text them to get her and said the boys were picking on her. I explained to the parents that I thought the situation had been dealt with and she was ok.The other week dad had a word and said she had called him from my bathroom to say another child was strangling her. Another exageration that was settled in a few minutes. Yesterday at the park the children were chasing each other. One of the boys laughingly picked up the girls bag and ran off so she would chase him. She laughed and it seemed all of it was in good humour. Next thing she's ringing home sobbing down the phone how everyone is picking on her. Ten mins later they were all laughing and playing together. Now I've told the parents that it's all every day children stuff, not a bit of bullying going on whatsoever. But they insist she has the phone for emergencies and I can hardly say to her not to tell her mum and dad things. It would make it look even worse. Not quite sure what to do. xx

[Helen79]

I've never had to deal with this before as I only look after littlies. I wouldn't let an 8 year old have a mobile at my house so I would make a new policy about electrical items, phones, ds etc and say that they will be put away in a drawer when they get to your house and given back for say half an hour at several points during the day.
I can understand them wanting her to have a mobile for emergencys if she's off out playing on her own but surely that's why they're paying and trusting you to look after her so she shouldn't need one.

[mushpea]

I would tell her that you will put it somwhere safe untill she stops telling tales every 5mins, I would i imagine shes ringiing parents each time somthing happens in the hope they will come and pick her up which does seem to be hapening,, you also need to be careful because having a child like this that tells tales could also get you in to trouble,, her parent could eventyaly complain to ofsted about the so called bullying or she could exagerate somthing you have done and get you personaly in to trouble.
If it were me I would either ban the mobile phone while shes at yours or give notice before her exagerating phone calls get out of hand.

[marnieb]

An 8 yr old with a mobile phone??!!!!! My ds is 8 this year, and it will a cold day in hell if he gets a mobile!!!!

I can understand it being for emergancies, but I'd have a word with parents and tell them that the phone will be put somewhere safe until mindee gets collected, as she doesnt need to use when at yours.

[karen m]

I have never heard of anything so daft,if they can suddenly just turn up when she calls do they need a minder,i had 1 boy of 7 who had a phone mum asked if i would allow him to have it between 12&12.15 ,her lunch time she would give him a call to make sure he was behaving then phone went away till collection,the girl in question i would be concerned about what other spiteful things she may say ,like previous person says her parents may even report to ofsted be careful if you could do without the money i would be giving notice or telling parents no phone you will call them if you need to although this would be in emergency only

[rickysmiths]

What does she do at school, ring from the classroom complaining about the teacher? Does the parent then instantly turn up at school??

I would write a new Policy about phones, ipads, ds, etc etc sayin that you do not want them brought to the setting. If a child has to have a phone for independent travel to you fair enough,

I had a 12yr old who did, but the phone was put in a safe place when she arrived here and given back on departure. I just explained to the parents that if this didn't happen it would not be covered by my insurance and I could not be sure that a younger child might not get hold of it and hurt themselves and I couldn't take the risk. Simple.

I would also consider giving notice, the parents obviously believe the child and don't trust you and I couldn't work with parents like that.

dh a Teacher in a Primary school says at his school they have to have written parental consent for a child to bring a phone in. When they get to school they have to go to the school office where it is locked away until 3pm when school finishes. Any child found with a phone during the school day would be sent straight to the school office with it.

[fluffysocks]

this situation doesnt sit easy with me at all. As the others have said why does she "need" a mobile phone at yours? You are there to care for her, and she wouldnt ned to call anyone in an emergency as thats your job!
my son is 7 and he doesnt even have a ds!

I would definately ban the mobile, maybe say that "special" things should stay home to prevent jealousy issues with other children.

Although i do think I would be looking to end contract, i would be too worried about potential stories being misunderstood and things getting out of hand

good luck
x

[sarah707]

I would be concerned about the level of trust from the parents... I'm not sure I could work like that.

Hugs x

[glitzygal]

I would write a policy explaining that any mobiles will be put away for safety if they are brought into this house.
this is a saftey issue due to being out and about and the possible loss or damage or even being stolen,
also for emergencies MY mobile phone is with me every where we go, and if on any occasion an emergency did happen I would follow my emergency policy.
also any issues of playing behaviour in my setting is delt with immediately, by myself.


hope some thing like that helps.............
i wouldnt like that, feeling she keeps phoning for anything

me personaly dont have mobiles, they are put away in there bags, some as hand held games..................good luck

[The Juggler]

schools take them at the office during the day and give them back at the end. I think I would do the same. I've not had this but have a 10 year old with one who is so obsessed with it, he'll spend all day looking at it and not doing anything else (to the point of telling me what the newsreader on the radio is saying and what time the news will be on next).

So, I may be following my own advice soon.

[appleblossom]

There could also be a data protection concern here. The child may take photographs in your setting of the other children. I wouldn't allow here to have the phone whist she was in my care.

[Alexandra18]

I strongly do not appreciate what that parents did. As a parents we all think and care about our children but we also have to know on which point we have to knocked our child to doing wrong and give him or her right direction of their life. For safety mobile phones are good but if child misused it in such younger edge then imagine what the bad result we have to face if we cant stop them.

[ChocolateChip]

There could also be a data protection concern here. The child may take photographs in your setting of the other children. I wouldn't allow here to have the phone whist she was in my care.

This is exactly why I won't allow them here.
Unbeknown to me an 8yr old had one on him (which mum hadn't thought to mention ), he was an older sibling that I only had a few days in the hols. Anyway they went out play basketball while I was clearing up after lunch, all of a sudden it went quiet and it turned out he was texting and getting jokes from his mates, and had taken picture of two of the mindees
Needless to say I had it off him straightaway and had words with his mother at pickup, although she couldn't see what my concerns were and didn't see a problem with it

The only ones I let have a phone is an older one if they are walking to and from the school bus or home, but they know they are not allowed to use it at mine.

Tbh this is a real bugbear of mine, there are several children round here who are let out with phones as young as 6 or 7, my ds hasn't got one yet and he is 11. It annoys me that I feel pressured into getting him one for when he goes to secondary school in September just so he won't get the mickey taken

Would be happy to send you my policy hun, if you pm me your email

[alwaysright]

some parents are just unbelievable....incase of emergency......the child is 8 years old and is always with an adult!! i wouldnt allow her to have it, like theothers have said it would have to be stored somewere safe until hometime

[catminder]

It seems a bit strange to me that the parents are able to arrive so quickly after she contacts them, or maybe they just work locally. Possibly the child doesn't want to be minded and the parents have given her the phone because of this so she knows she can contact them but it sounds like she is over re-acting to situations, maybe to get her parents attention.

Hope the situation resolves for you and I agree you should be alert for the possibility of a complaint. Personally I would not be prepared to mind a child under these circumstances, good luck

[wendywu]

I do agree that she should not have the phone at your house. Put it on a high shelf until she goes home.

However she does seem the sensitive sort and maybe the boys realise this and that they can wind her up very easily.

So i would be having a quiet word with them to stop doing silly things like chasing her with worms, running off with her bag and playing at strangling her. At 8 they are old enough to know better.

As we were told at a recent workshop, bullying is in the eye of the beholder and if it upsets them and the perpetrator refuses to stop, then it is in fact bullying.

Childhood is never easy

[Ripeberry]

Sorry but parents sound like total control freaks! There is no way that a child of 8 needs a mobile phone unless they are walking to and from school on their own.

Suppose it has a camera on it as well?

I would keep it in a safe place at your house and give it back at home time.
I'm amazed that the parents would come out just because little precious is being 'bullied'.

See what they say. I feel like a new policy is required regarding personal items.
If they don't agree then adios!