Other local childminders

[sprinkles]

Do you had much to do with other local minders?

We have a group one Facebook where anyone who has vacancies they can't fill can post them and if any of us have space they pass on our details.

There was one put on at the weekend so I replied, I'm not registered yet but told her if it's not urgent then she could pass my details on. Noone else commented on it until today when another minder has posted to say said child is going to see her next week. I know I'm not registered yet but can't help feeling like she's trying to prove a point as she obviously knew I had given my details to be passed over and knew I clearly hadn't been contacted by the parents.

I know you're running a business and there's competition but she could have kept it to herself that child was going to see her when she knew others had provided details.

Are all minders like this?

[TNT]

Some are I guess, I only talk to 2 other minders in my area, they are lovely and we swap ideas for planning and pass on details of vacancies/possible business to each other. There is no competition at all.
However a new minder has started at my local preschool and she put her A4 advert over my smaller one on the pinboard. Cheeky mare.

[carol cameron]

Sorry if I have mis understood your post but if the parent is requesting childminder details now then I don't know how helpful it would have been for you or the parent to pass your details on as your registration is not completed yet.

I know quite a few minders and we do pass details on between us and always encourage parents to go and see several potential minders to try and get the best match for the family.
i don't really see it as competition as we are all so different.
I do hope your registration completes soon and that you get lots of work. good luck with it.

[LauraS]

I know a few, but barely - the local cms have been friends for ages and don't seem to want to make friends with the nobby-no-mates, and I can't really blame them. They're friendly etc, but that's it.

I had a huge fit of childminder-friend envy over the summer. We were at the park and there were two cms sat on the grass nearby with their lo's, chatting to each other and playing in the sunshine. I really miss adult company :s

[SYLVIA]

I know probably four minders in my area, one is my close friend and we do planning, trips and training together. I talk to the others and maybe pass the time of day but that's about it. If vacancies come along that can't be filled we do pass on details because one minder may know more that I don't so it gets passed to a wider area.

[helengreen13]

We have three local cm's in the local area and I have tried to be friendly by both have snubbed me. I in turn think that they are lazy and use the tv too much and don't try too hard. So we are civil to each other and that's it. I went to the local toddler group last week and the cm came in with a new baby. She was obviously trying to get my attention by shouting and edging towards me lots of baby talk while holding new baby. I turned round cooed over baby, saw the smug look n her face and then said "snap" as I had a new lo too who was 3m old but she had been asleep by my feet in the phil and ted cocoon. Wish I had a picture for her face. she ten spent the rest of the session trying to get others who I know to find out about my mindee and her hours and days. Haven't done play ground behaviour since school. X

[TooEarlyForGin?]

Some are I guess, I only talk to 2 other minders in my area, they are lovely and we swap ideas for planning and pass on details of vacancies/possible business to each other. There is no competition at all.
However a new minder has started at my local preschool and she put her A4 advert over my smaller one on the pinboard. Cheeky mare.

Make a bigger one, see what happens.

[chezzagriff]

I know a few and they are all very nice. I only started Monday but they have taken my number and told me that they will pass it on to parents if they dont have space. The nice thing was I was asked for my number so I thought it must be genuine otherwise they wouldnt have bothered. I have spoke to a few people though who said that in some areas the network is very clicky and unless your part of that 'click' your basically not welcome. I havent experienced this though so time will tell.
Thats cheeky about the person putting a bigger poster over yours, you should definitely make a bigger one. ha ha

[Mice and Toad]

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry Laura S I feel like you I can get really hurt by it, but now I try to distances myself from them.

[sprinkles]

Sorry if I have mis understood your post but if the parent is requesting childminder details now then I don't know how helpful it would have been for you or the parent to pass your details on as your registration is not completed yet.

I know quite a few minders and we do pass details on between us and always encourage parents to go and see several potential minders to try and get the best match for the family.
i don't really see it as competition as we are all so different.
I do hope your registration completes soon and that you get lots of work. good luck with it.

The child is currently in nursery but not settling hence why I said if it's not urgent then she could pass my details over. It will hopefully only be another couple of weeks before I'm registered.

I just thought it seemed like she was trying to prove a point - like "ha, they're coming to see me and not you" kind of thing.

Other childminders round here are a lot older than me (majority probably over ten years older) so I feel I more than likely wouldn't be welcome by most of them. The oldest one has been really helpful and given me loads of info etc which is nice.

Not sure how much often I will see them when I'm registered though.

[RuthJ]

I know a few, but barely - the local cms have been friends for ages and don't seem to want to make friends with the nobby-no-mates, and I can't really blame them. They're friendly etc, but that's it.

I had a huge fit of childminder-friend envy over the summer. We were at the park and there were two cms sat on the grass nearby with their lo's, chatting to each other and playing in the sunshine. I really miss adult company :s

Aw, I could have written that!

[blue bear]

Here, we have a vacancy co ordinator (childminder) who takes all our numbers and vacancies and matches parents up to possible childminders. Some childminders choose not to give their numbers.
The co ordinator, shows no preference and gives out childminders numbers to parents and let parents choose what might suit them best.
When I first started minding all the childminders used to meet at some point along the week at toddlers etc but of recent years many new minders don't really mix

[Tazmin68]

We have family information services who we update with our vacancies. Plus a network coordinator who also knows our vacancies. At one group I go to we have exchanged numbers which we alo give out. One group which is in fact the closed one too me is also very clicky so I don't really have much to do with them,

[Rick]

I know a fair few childminders from the childminding group. We also all seem to end up at the local soft play on Tuesdays as well as there's nothing else on. Unfortunately my childminder friend who I used to see most days is moving away so I need to try and find one of the others to hang about with.

We all get on really well, pass on enquiries that are no good to others and we all do our bit at the group as well. It seems to work pretty well.

[cathtee]

In my area there are 10 cm's that get on really well together, we all pass on parents numbers if we can't help, we go to childminder
playgroup and tuesday toddlers run by one of our group, it's so great to have a circle of us that can help each other out and chat
about other issues, we also regulary go out for meals we were out on monday having such a laugh it really help us unwind. If any of you
ladies or gents see a group of childminders at spacehoppers west brom on monday do say hello it will probably be me and a few others.

[carol cameron]

The child is currently in nursery but not settling hence why I said if it's not urgent then she could pass my details over. It will hopefully only be another couple of weeks before I'm registered.

I just thought it seemed like she was trying to prove a point - like "ha, they're coming to see me and not you" kind of thing.

Other childminders round here are a lot older than me (majority probably over ten years older) so I feel I more than likely wouldn't be welcome by most of them. The oldest one has been really helpful and given me loads of info etc which is nice.

Not sure how much often I will see them when I'm registered though.

Sorry I hadn't read the not urgent bit
I really hope she wasn't gloating about it. not nice if so.

Is there a local childminders group you could go to ? I know I couldn't do this job if I didn't have contact with other childminders and I have made some amazing friends through attending as well as learning lots about childminding issues.

If the oldest childminder is nice hopefully she could introduce you to other nice childminders ? It makes your working life so much more pleasant if you know you have some adult company sometimes.

[LauraS]

In my area there are 10 cm's that get on really well together, we all pass on parents numbers if we can't help, we go to childminder
playgroup and tuesday toddlers run by one of our group, it's so great to have a circle of us that can help each other out and chat
about other issues, we also regulary go out for meals we were out on monday having such a laugh it really help us unwind. If any of you
ladies or gents see a group of childminders at spacehoppers west brom on monday do say hello it will probably be me and a few others.

May give you a wave

[cathtee]

May give you a wave

Please do we don't bite

[lynncjt]

I go to the local childminding group twice a week. It's been great talking to other childminders 'face to face' as well as on here! I have to travel 7 miles to get to it but it's well worth it. I love the company and the kids enjoy have space to run around.

[lubeam]

I'm really worried about being 'snubbed' too , I like u are a good 10 years younger than the others in my area, I really want to go to the network meetings but I'm scared ! wat if there mean ?! It's like bein the new kid at school ! Hate it, I work alone now so no how good it can feel to just blow steam off with someone that does the same job so they know exactly what you mean ! Might just become a forum addict lol