some people get it so wrong

[tash 1]

Why are some people so ignorant about how much us childminders actually do and what we are about,for instance few months back had fire men round and I had to correct him twice that I wasn't a" babysitter" but a childminder with early years qualifications.Then again someone I know asked me hows the baby sitting going,don't think people realise it's a full time hard job with some very intelligent people delivering early years to lots of families.tashx

[Mollymop]

It annoys me too! I get this alot - "how is your babysitting going???"
I am sorry, but either they are as thick as poop or just plain ignorant to what goes on in the world, cos I am sure that most of my life even when I was a little girl I have known the difference between a babysitter and a childminder!

[EmmaReed84]

I simply say "Yes my business is thriving, the best thing I ever did was to become self employed" That usually stops the "little babysitting" comments.

I was thinking about this today and would love to see a proper documentry with really childminders... "A week in the life of..." just so people can see ehat we do... We have a hand in bringing up the next generation of children... We are SUPERWOMEN! lol

[zippy]

I simply say "Yes my business is thriving, the best thing I ever did was to become self employed" That usually stops the "little babysitting" comments.

I was thinking about this today and would love to see a proper documentry with really childminders... "A week in the life of..." just so people can see ehat we do... We have a hand in bringing up the next generation of children... We are SUPERWOMEN! lol

I quite like that idea, certainly give some parents a reality check, although I'm sure the media would try to find the worst ones around to make it what they call interesting.

[Jiorjiina]

It annoys me too! I get this alot - "how is your babysitting going???"
I am sorry, but either they are as thick as poop or just plain ignorant to what goes on in the world, cos I am sure that most of my life even when I was a little girl I have known the difference between a babysitter and a childminder!

I always say 'It's going really well, but it can be a bit tiring after spending the whole day working. On the other hand, it is overtime money!'

That usually shuts people up.

[buzzy bee]

Even my friends ask how my babysitting is going!!

The other day I told someone I was a childminder and they said "oh, my mother-in-law does that... she goes and babysits one of her friend's grandchildren once a week"

Yeah, that's the same!!

[onceinabluemoon]

To be honest I think some people do it to make us 'bite', I don't bother anymore. My ex husband used to refer to me a babysitter and it drove me mental until I realised he was doing it on purpose to anger me (silly man)

[singingcactus]

Honestly, it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

My dad does it the most, but then again, he is a vicar so I tell everyone he only works on sundays!

If anyone asks what hubby does, I either tell them, drinks coffee all day, or as little as possible.

Everyone seems to think they work harder than everyone else, so I just laugh at them cos all I do all day is play with toys...I don't have to cowtow to a boss, deal with crappy colleagues, or even leave the house if I don't want to.

Either that, or I answer that it's going well but one of the babies wriggles too much when sat upon so I need to get rid of him for a more comfortable one!

[stardust]

Being called a babysitter doesnt bother me at all.
The thing that does bother me is that my family think that because I work from home I can drop every thing and run errands for them all the time.
Then I have a PITA friend who is a stay at home mum with a 2 yr old and 6 mth old and she rings me daily. 'what you up to today? I was thinking..... you could come to mine/ I could come to yours/ we could go to....' then when I tell her I cant she gets and sends me snotty text messages along the lines of 'i'm so bored at home, You don't know what its like having 2 children and no-one to do things with' I have met her at soft play occasionally but she swears so much! this and that, is constantly people off How do you explain to them I AM WORKING!???

[miffy]

Why are some people so ignorant about how much us childminders actually do and what we are about,for instance few months back had fire men round and I had to correct him twice that I wasn't a" babysitter" but a childminder with early years qualifications.Then again someone I know asked me hows the baby sitting going,don't think people realise it's a full time hard job with some very intelligent people delivering early years to lots of families.tashx

Some people are just so ignorant, no idea what we actually do (or how hard the job can be)

Miffy xx

[blue bear]

Mindee aged 6 asked me last week why I didn't get a proper job! Doesn't bother me to be honest what they call me.

[jadavi]

That is so funny singing cactus! Love it!

I get surprise from a lot of friends who've followed my whole career as I was supposedly a high flyer and thought I'd be a head teacher until I realised how much I disagreed with the educational system.... It used to bother me a bit as anyone feasibly can be a childminder (is can do the courses) but I only have to look at how the children in my care have come on with me to feel totally happy about my career choice.

[Mummits]

Mindee aged 6 asked me last week why I didn't get a proper job! Doesn't bother me to be honest what they call me.

A while back a little mindee announced "I come here while Mummy goes to work - lucky you don't have a job too!"

[sue m]

A very old friend of mine from my home town in Yorkshire wrote to me as usual at Christmas and said "are you still doing your little job?" I wasn't too upset because she's an old lady and never had children herself but if it had been anyone else, I'd have corrected them in no uncertain terms. Little job???

[flowerpots]

My ds (5); ''mum, dont you realise i have to go to school and work, work, work all day, all you have to do is stay at home and look after kids'' this was announced to me this week when my son was in a fowl mood, i saw the funny side though.

[singlewiththree]

My ds (5); ''mum, dont you realise i have to go to school and work, work, work all day, all you have to do is stay at home and look after kids'' this was announced to me this week when my son was in a fowl mood, i saw the funny side though.

I get that too, until the school holidays when I'm still working and they moan. I recently offered to go and get a job outside the house so we all sat down together ages 5,6,10 with paper and pen to write the pros and cons and once they realised that I wouldn't be available at all to come to school shows, assemblies especially if they wanted me to see them in the school holidays they stopped moaning and welcomed mindees with open arms this last holiday haha

[jelly15]

To be honest I think some people do it to make us 'bite', I don't bother anymore. My ex husband used to refer to me a babysitter and it drove me mental until I realised he was doing it on purpose to anger me (silly man)

I think you are so right, I was called a babysitter only last weekend. My sister is the worst at belittling my job. She maoned to me that she didn't get home from her office job until nearly 6pm, I sympathised saying I know what you mean I don't finish until 6pm too. She thought that was funny as I am already home and all my housework was done so I had my evenings and weekends free I wish!

[Katiekoo]

Urg, I hate getting called a babysitter. Husbands family are the worst for it. Dh says it to wind me up! But really people don't realise all the things we have to do, forms, paperwork etc. they really do think we just sit about drinking tea, watching babies.
My cousin said, "oh you must come over and see here I work, it's really near you, and since you don't work now"
I said " only 43 hours a week now!"
He said "oh yeah"

[crazyXstitcher]

My ds (5); ''mum, dont you realise i have to go to school and work, work, work all day, all you have to do is stay at home and look after kids'' this was announced to me this week when my son was in a fowl mood, i saw the funny side though.

lol I am instilling into all my troop (ds's and mindee(s) ) that I work too. Usually in the car coming home from mindee's nursery.
Mindee "My daddy's at work"
Ds1/2 "My daddy's at work too"
Mindee "My mummy's at work"
Silence
Me (to ds's) "And your mummy works from home looking after <mindee>"

I think it's slowly going in.

Had the usual 2 monthly "when the ds's are both at school and you can go out to work without having to worry about childcare and earn more than you do now" convo with dh last night so it's a sore point at the moment. Stopped short of beating him round the head with the EYFS folder.

[Katiekoo]

Had the usual 2 monthly "when the ds's are both at school and you can go out to work without having to worry about childcare and earn more than you do now" convo with dh last night so it's a sore point at the moment. Stopped short of beating him round the head with the EYFS folder.

I had that chat too the other day, dd will count as a rising 5 in september when she starts ft school - I did consider taking on another child but decided against it for now. DH had a huff as he doesn't feel I'm reaching my earning potential. But I am HAPPY