Do you get fed up with.............

**Monkey1** · 21-05-2009, 06:42 AM

.......................other minders pinching your ideas?????

I only have one minder round here as we share lots of things and work together on craft mornings for the children together. i know i can trust her but it really makes me mad when others steel ideas. Development officers are the worst culprits for telling everyone what you have got and what you have done. One minder came up to me yesterday and told me what i was putting in for on the Capital grant!

I even gave up being a support minder as one of my supports was mirroring everything i was doing!

**Mollymop** · 21-05-2009, 06:55 AM

Bless ya. I don't have that problem, we all seem to share ideas really well. But then I only a have a few childminding friends, I don't go to the groups at the minute. I speak to most of them, but I am only close to a few.
Development officers really shouldn't behave like that, should they? No wonder you are mad! My first DO told me things about other minders, but not their names, my second DO is really good and seems very professional.

Hope you are ok, don't let it beat you up too much hunni x

**haribo** · 21-05-2009, 06:58 AM

well they do say imitation is the highest form of flattery lol you must have all the best ideas! seriously though i can understand u getting fed up, i hate when people do that to me! isnt it just what we do on here though , share ideas and what we do ? its bad though that another minder knew what u put in for on the capital grant its like you have no privacy . i just keep certain things to myself which ive learned to do the hard way, i hate people knowing everything about me , its bad enough we share our homes with people every single day who sometimes dont respect our privacy

just be selective what you tell people in future (and only share your best ideas with us haha) x

Pipsqueak · 21-05-2009, 07:00 AM

Nope, I don't have that problem, the difference with me is that I actually do stuff with my mindees at home, whereas the most of the minders round here are on the toddler/soft play merry go round because 'shock horror' we don't do stuff with the kids at home

(and the good Lord forbid if its messy play

- the hair/nails/clothes/house might get ruined - true quotes!!!). Besides they are too fick (no detriment meant to anything dense

) to actually plan, organise and do something constructive or even remotely like childminding with the children. These minders are the ones who only do something to jump through a hoop or if they are getting a visit - to make sure they look like they are actually doing what they are being paid to do!

There are a few minders who I am good friends with that we share ideas and it works great and some of my supports are fab - I have picked up some great ideas from the supports - I think its because they are coming at it with a fresh pair of eyes.

**ORKSIE** · 21-05-2009, 07:11 AM

I know what you mean monkey, on here we share ideas, what you mean is people nickin em!
In my CM circle of friends we share, have not met anyone who nicks...yet

But if people are nickin your ideas they must be good ones

**Blaze** · 21-05-2009, 07:58 AM

I'm considering leaving my network because our co-ordinator (lovely as she is) tells all & sundry my persoanl business & every litle detail about my business...ideas included...it really irritates me...it should be my choice about what I choose to share with people!

**Mouse** · 21-05-2009, 09:40 AM

I really don't mind sharing ideas and often take ideas from this forum to our weekly group to share with others!

BUT, there are certain little things that I do that the Ofsted Inspector was really impressed with - I keep those to myself as I don't want others copying me. I wouldn't be so special if others were doing the same

I would however be very annoyed if my development officer was talking about me without my knowledge. That's really not on.

**angeldelight** · 21-05-2009, 09:44 AM

I keep myself to myself and do not go to these groups

I am always happy to share my ideas though

Like pip said half of them do nothing at home and prefer the mess to be somewhere else anyway

Sorry you have this problem Monkey is that why you are not in a good mood today ?

Angel xx

**georgie456** · 21-05-2009, 09:47 AM

I also have this problem

I spend most days with 2 other minders and we 'share' bits all the time. However, recently I am starting to feel like it always me that is actually working to produce stuff while the others get to use it.

We had a training session at my house recently and I showed the development officer some stuff I had done (but hadn't shown the others - not intentional) She loved it, but after she left I was accused of being a swot

They kept going on about how we are suppose to share and I felt so blimmin used!!

Now I generally keep things to myself - I am safe in the knowledge that I work hard to make my business the best it can be and they clearly sit back and wait for handouts.

**The Juggler** · 21-05-2009, 11:21 AM

[QUOTE=Pipsqueak;428593]Nope, I don't have that problem, the difference with me is that I actually do stuff with my mindees at home, whereas the most of the minders round here are on the toddler/soft play merry go round because 'shock horror' we don't do stuff with the kids at home

(and the good Lord forbid if its messy play

- the hair/nails/clothes/house might get ruined - true quotes!!!). Besides they are too fick (no detriment meant to anything dense

) to actually plan, organise and do something constructive or even remotely like childminding with the children. These minders are the ones who only do something to jump through a hoop or if they are getting a visit - to make sure they look like they are actually doing what they are being paid to do!

DO YOU LIVE WHERE I LIVE!!!??

Pipsqueak · 21-05-2009, 11:29 AM

[QUOTE=The Juggler;428810]

Originally Posted by Pipsqueak

Nope, I don't have that problem, the difference with me is that I actually do stuff with my mindees at home, whereas the most of the minders round here are on the toddler/soft play merry go round because 'shock horror' we don't do stuff with the kids at home

(and the good Lord forbid if its messy play

- the hair/nails/clothes/house might get ruined - true quotes!!!). Besides they are too fick (no detriment meant to anything dense

) to actually plan, organise and do something constructive or even remotely like childminding with the children. These minders are the ones who only do something to jump through a hoop or if they are getting a visit - to make sure they look like they are actually doing what they are being paid to do!

DO YOU LIVE WHERE I LIVE!!!??

Highly possible lol

**ORKSIE** · 21-05-2009, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by Blaze

I'm considering leaving my network because our co-ordinator (lovely as she is) tells all & sundry my persoanl business & every litle detail about my business...ideas included...it really irritates me...it should be my choice about what I choose to share with people!

This is totally unacceptable esp where personal business is concerned, i would have to make a complaint

**wellybelly** · 21-05-2009, 11:45 AM

I keep myself to myself, but have been helping another newly reg childminder to find her feet.

And if Im perfectly honast, I steal lots of ideas from this site! Without it Id be a very dull and boring setting.

However, I think you should all be proud of yourselfs. Sometimes Im at a blank and cant think what to do with the kids. If people are pinching your ideas, it must mean your really creative and have lots of good ideas.

Id feel really proud if I was you.

**Bananabrain** · 21-05-2009, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Pipsqueak

Nope, I don't have that problem, the difference with me is that I actually do stuff with my mindees at home, whereas the most of the minders round here are on the toddler/soft play merry go round because 'shock horror' we don't do stuff with the kids at home

(and the good Lord forbid if its messy play

- the hair/nails/clothes/house might get ruined - true quotes!!!). Besides they are too fick (no detriment meant to anything dense

) to actually plan, organise and do something constructive or even remotely like childminding with the children. These minders are the ones who only do something to jump through a hoop or if they are getting a visit - to make sure they look like they are actually doing what they are being paid to do!

There are a few minders who I am good friends with that we share ideas and it works great and some of my supports are fab - I have picked up some great ideas from the supports - I think its because they are coming at it with a fresh pair of eyes.

Goodness,I know that feeling!

I actually do stuff too, much to the surprise of the parents.

And alot of it is very messy.

Two of my local minders have been running around like headless chickens because Ofsted are coming.One has even taken some of the artwork done at toddlers saying she is going to pass it off as her own!!!!!

I hear all the time 'oh we don't do that because it is too messy.' It makes me cross and I often wonder why they don't get a different job.

**ORKSIE** · 21-05-2009, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by Louise 144

Two of my local minders have been running around like headless chickens because Ofsted are coming.One has even taken some of the artwork done at toddlers saying she is going to pass it off as her own!!!!!

**Bananabrain** · 21-05-2009, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by SLC

Yeh,I know!

It does make me cross because I put my heart and soul into what i do.

She will probably end up with the same grading as me grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

**ORKSIE** · 21-05-2009, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by Louise 144

Yeh,I know!

It does make me cross because I put my heart and soul into what i do.

She will probably end up with the same grading as me grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Thats what sticks in my throat

**Mouse** · 21-05-2009, 12:19 PM

It's astounding what people do, or don't do!

Last summer I did some holiday cover for a cm friend. I only had the boys for a week, but in that time we did pictures, made cakes, did lots of messy play etc etc. Their mums were amazed as the other cm didn't ever do anything like that, saying the children were too young - they were nearly 3 years old!!!

When I read her Ofsted report online, it listed all these groups that she takes them to, but the groups all closed years ago

She was graded good, but most of what I read was made up!

**rickysmiths** · 21-05-2009, 12:48 PM

I go to cm drop in and we do all share ideas and help support each other during inspection times. I like that and if nobody ever shares I think we wuold live in a sad world. After all what do we all do on here?

The thing that shocks me the most is the apparent lack of understanding from the Development Worker when it comes to confidentiality (sp?) and your personnal info.

I would be having a very serious meeting and if that didn't help I would be speaking to the County Co-ordinator to get it sorted. If she wants to share any of your excellent practice she should ask your permission first and you have the right to say no.

**Alibali** · 21-05-2009, 01:02 PM

I'm happy to share with other minders, and if my inspector particularly likes something I'm happy to let them know. What does irritate me though is that a lot of the others call me obsessive and dull as i spend a lot of my free time doing cm stuff and keeping up to date, so they'll slag me off - often to my face - BUT when it's inspection time they're there asking for advice on this, that or the other as they know I'll have researched it all!