Feel like giving up!

[Lear]

I'm six months into childminding and feel like giving up already.

It's my children, my youngest in particular is awful (she's 5) - mainly when parents come to collect their children. She'll be loud and disrespectful, jumping or furtuniture or shouting at the other children.

This evening I begged her, asked her so nicely just to sit and be quiet whilst I said goodbye to the parents. She ended up arguing with her sister and being rude to me. It's so embarrassing. What must parents think when it looks as if I cannot control my own children!

Honestly, just don't know what to do! I'm sat here dreading tomorrow and feeling guilty for being so cross with my child when perhaps the reason they are behaving this way is because they are getting used to sharing me.

[Cinderbella]

Mine do this, they are 3 and 6. As soon as parents arrive they start asking for food , if I say no they start being silly!

I think we have finally got it under control and they now know that if they ask for food when parents are there they will get nothing for the rest of the evening, so they don't ask anymore.. Sometimes we have the odd bit of showing off from my 6yo but my parents know that she is doing it for their benefit and she knows that I will take away her privileges when she behaves like this... getting much better now... I hate being tough but I have realized that sometimes this is the only way... Good Luck xx

[Velleity]

My son (5) had some chocolate for after his dinner but told him he had to wait until Mindee (2) had gone home at 6.00pm before he could eat it. The second his Mum stepped through the door he was running up and down the hall like a wild animal yelling 'Can I eat my chocolate now and put the TV back on now ?!?'.

[Maza]

It's obviously a very common thing - my DD is awful too at these times. I feel better when I explain to the parents that she isn't like this all day, she is just showing off and a little bit jealous at pick up/drop off time. You could do a reward chart for your children, eg a sticker each time they are 'good' during drop off/pick up times. I also put out an activity to distract my daughter just as the doorbell rings - a treasure basket or a tray of rice and scoops etc.

[EmmaReed84]

Mine do this, they are 3 and 6. As soon as parents arrive they start asking for food , if I say no they start being silly!

I think we have finally got it under control and they now know that if they ask for food when parents are there they will get nothing for the rest of the evening, so they don't ask anymore.. Sometimes we have the odd bit of showing off from my 6yo but my parents know that she is doing it for their benefit and she knows that I will take away her privileges when she behaves like this... getting much better now... I hate being tough but I have realized that sometimes this is the only way... Good Luck xx

HA HA, EXACTLY the same as mine, same ages too. Mine are both boys. I resorted to "letting" my two boys go upstairs in 6 year olds bedroom to do some drawing. Now at 4.50pm they trott upstairs and make me some lovely pictures for me lol.

Sometimes though I ask if they want to go and they are like "Nah"... when that happens we have "The Chat" I tell them how I want them to behave and if they dont when parent is gone they will be dealt with... They tested this once and figured my was the best way, although sometimes they try to push it then they get the look :D

[The Juggler]

its not just you hon, its normal. my two have been banished to the kitchen with the door shut before now, just so I can talk to the parents in peace. Even now at 12 and 9 they still ask me ridiculous questions (thinkign I'll say yes) and wind up the mindees going home when I'm talking. Whatever consequences I impose or what they miss out on, they NEVER stop!:panic:

[AliceK]

its not just you hon, its normal. my two have been banished to the kitchen with the door shut before now, just so I can talk to the parents in peace. Even now at 12 and 9 they still ask me ridiculous questions (thinkign I'll say yes) and wind up the mindees going home when I'm talking. Whatever consequences I impose or what they miss out on, they NEVER stop!:panic:

Same here. I tell them to leave the hall if they start and either send them upstairs to their rooms or tell them to go into the lounge, usually with my hand on their back guiding them in the direction I want them to go. My DD (just 4) has been known to be throwing a full on paddy in her bedroom, crying and screaming because she's been sent to her room when 1 parent has been collecting and then another one arrives. I just say "please excuse my daughter she's having a tantrum"
I think it's the norm but it's very embarassing :blush:

xxxx

[uf353432]

yep isn't it amazing how they must have 'insert misc item' the very moment a child is collected. I am consistent with them in that the moment they come up to me now I reinforce that this is not a good time and that I will happily assist them once i've spoken to a parent and they have left.


Reflecting on why they might do it though - the parent turning up must be like a trigger - ooooh parent here - that means I get my snack, I get my mummy, I get my TV time etc. the are so excited by that prospect that they forget that the child and parent haven't actually left becuase the trigger is the parents arrival instead of the parents departure. I don't have this problem so much when children leave earlier in the day - only when the last of the children go in the evening.

[Lea-mumof2 :)]

So glad its not just me :)Im just starting out and my two aged 2 and 6 decide that whenever a parent is here they need to act up the first time my current mindee visited they both put arm bands on and decided to swim on the wooden floor sliding along on there bellies !!! I was mortified but the parent laughed and said she loved how they were playing !! Im sure that ur mindee's act the same at home when their pareants have visitors so I wouldnt worry too much jous of children as they say ! :) I have reward charts tho as a someone else said this seems to work well xxx


Best of luck