1st visit!

[dolly1985]

Hi guys,

I have a mother and her 20th month old daughter coming on sunday evening to meet me as she wants care for her daughter!

We have briefly spoken over the phone and I have asked her to take a look at my website (she found me on childcare.co.uk).

I have created a parent welcome pack which has all my policies in, about me, typical day and food i can provide. What else is there to show her?

I still havent received my ofsted certificate or got in place my pacey registration with the public liability insurance as my local authority pay for this once I have my certificate. She wants her daughter to start on 1st April so will defo have all the bits i need by then!

I have set my price at £5ph and she has said her old childminder was £4ph and would i negotiate- I said yes i can negotiate, so when she comes i am planning on saying £4.50 to meet in the middle-do you guys think thats fair?

I am very nervous!!!

[tess1981]

hope it all goes well...
i am not sure what you need to show parents as i am in N. Ireland but just want to wish you good luck :)

[dolly1985]

Thankyou!

Anyone got any advice please??

[line6]

All the things you've said plus show them around, make them feel at home and most importantly (I think) be yourself. Think about what makes you stand out from other Childcare settings and tell them about it. I find it best to answer questions as honestly as I can (I'm relatively new to childminding too) and I try to treat people as I would like to be treated as a parent. I always invite them to contact me if they have any further questions or if they (or the other parent) would like to visit again.

I try not to give them reams of paper but say that I can email my policies over when they are ready to look at them ie when they are pretty sure they'd like to use me but want to see exactly how I work.

I'm far from experienced but as a mum I know how id like to be treated and I just apply that to potential clients. I won't win everyone over this way but hopefully I will 'click' with people who I can develop a good relationship with. So far so good for me anyway.

Good luck. Relax. You'll be great!
.

[dolly1985]

Thank you Trudi! Very helpful xx