IM A JOBSWORTH AND PROUD OF IT!
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  1. #1
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    Default IM A JOBSWORTH AND PROUD OF IT!

    A grandparent yesterday Saturday on our local parent's page urgently requiring a childminder for today for 3 hours for her grandson. Several of her friends commented and said sorry they were unable to help (fair enough they weren't childminders but she knew them and would have been happy to leave child with them as a favour),

    then this other lady offered to help saying "I'll do it I have a 5 month old and a 7 year old who will be at school £5 ph"
    I replied saying "Need to be registered if for financial reward as its over the 2 hour legal limit, also give out web address of our local childminding network"

    She replied saying " Not registered just sounded like she needed help"
    I replied "I am just letting you know legal requirements that I and all childminders have to adhere to, you would however be allowed to look after the child in their own home as a temp nanny."

    She replied "it's just a one off babysitting that's all, One mother to another"
    Then one of her friends joined in "I think X meant it more as a kind gesture to help out more than for financial gain/child minding as a profession. Totally get there is rules when you are a professional but many of us mums like help each other out when and where we can when it comes to each other's kids without enforcing a 2hr legal cut off point."

    I replied "I agree that mums are allowed to do favours for other mums but X was asking for £5 an hour so that is for "financial reward" and incidentally a higher rate than most registered childminders in our town would charge. One off babysitting would be in the child's own home - childminders are not babysitters!
    Unregistered person replies "don't no why your so upset about a one off would you rather the lady be stuck with no one tbh you sound like but of a jobs worth and not very kind, And by the way don't think it's any of your business"

    I replied "Haven't said you shouldn't do it, I even pointed out to you that if you looked after the child in their own home as a temporary nanny that wouldn't be breaking the rules."
    She replies "It's just babysitting not nannying why did you have to get political about it in the first place I'm a respectable working mother of 2 that's also studying could of done with the money towards a driving lesson fat chance of that now...thanks...why Evan comment on the post if your not offering help your self just being a busy body"
    Her friend replies "Also to add I am sure the lady posting asking for help can make her own decision on what laws rules 2hr cuts offs and fees she's wanting to enforce without your influence, am sure she is more than capable of making the decision on who she feels comfortable leaving her grandchild with on this occasion. As i keep mentioning a mother has offered to help another, a simple thanks but no thanks from the poster is all it needed, not a speech about law breaking."

    unregistered replies "I will repeat I'm not a childminder or nanny just offering help a one off I need the cash and she needs a baby sitter, A lot of hassle to go to don't ya think for offering a bit of babysitting god forbid you try help someone these days."
    The grandmother (OP) replies "Thanks for offering to help X, I appreciate it, but yes I was hoping to hear from registered childminders.
    Then someone suggests names of couple of childminders, I couldn't resist replying " At last people are recommending "childminders" which is what Y asked for in her original post."
    That prompts the friend to tell me to "Grow up"

    Then someone else joins in with "I can't believe the way you're digging at the girl offering to help! She's obviously just trying to earn a bit of money and I think you attacking her for not being registered is a bit mean and a reflection on your attitude.
    We've all paid babysitters to watch our children and I don't see this as any different; I used to do babysitting when I was growing up!
    Yes the poster asked for childminders but what harm is there in the girl Cindy offering to help and all you've achieved I imagine is upsetting her."

    Sister of a childminder joins in "I think the difference is a babysitter looks after the child in the child's own home, where as a childminder looks after them at their house. It's all to do with insurance and first aid qualifications etc and I'm sure Sarah was just trying to help. If the lady did look after the child against the rules and the child had an accident, she could be in a lot of trouble "
    2nd friend replies "I'm not disputing that but there is a way to say these things without seeming condescending."

    Are you still with me? At this point I text a friend for reinforcements

    My friend says "Unfortunately I think the use of the word "childminder" has led to some misunderstanding. I think everyone involved in this post was trying to actually help Y. Sarah however was just trying to prevent anyone getting into a sticky situation. If you offer your services for childcare in your own home for more than 2 hrs a day for financial reward, without registering with ofsted and gaining the relevant statutory qualifications, you are actually "breaking the law" and that is the fact of the matter. It's great there are so many kind people out there willing to help one mum to another but when you charge £5p/h it's no longer just a favour. "Childminders" already receive enough bad press as it is, contrary to popular belief we are anything but "babysitters". I think certain individuals owe Sarah an apology, it amazes me how these kind of posts are allowed to become so personal and aggressive." and she added a screenshot from childcare.co.uk of "What is a childminder/" She also said "Calling people a "jobs worth" and making judgements that they're "not very kind" and calling them a "busy body" is outrageous. Sarah has offered nothing BUT help to X & Y, can you really not see that?"

    unregistered replies " So no one here has never offered a friend a bit of cash to do a one off babysitting job in a time of desperate need would you give her stick about what's legal...Didn't think so well I really hope the lady has found what she was looking for and if she asked I would of done it for cheaper didn't no the going rate which you all seemed more concerned about the price then the lady receiving help so keep your lowdowns and screen shots and gov links because I really don't give a crap 💩 and yes I called her a jobs worth because she clearly is I'll do it for free now just to get up your noses 👃 have a nice day 😊"

    Grandmother says "Can we stop with the comments on either side now please? Clearly not all going to agree. I've found someone I happen to know through the Childminders Link, I'm grateful to you X for being the first to offer to help, and grateful to Sarah for the link and advice. Thanks everyone"
    I then emailed the Grandmother (as I had her email sent from our childminding network from her enquiry) "Just wanted to apologise for the way your post of Z Parents turned out - I was honestly just trying to make people aware that you wanted a childminder ie: someone who has been CRB / DBS checked, with liability insurance & a current pediatric first aid qualification - it didn't sound as though the lady who offered to help already knew you or your grandson, so it wasn't a friend to friend favour at all. I really hope that you find someone to help you - I'm very tempted to say that I will have him for free if you don't find anyone else but I would be going over my ratio of 3 children under 5 and that would be very hypercritical of me as I do believe in sticking to the rules as I have now been slated for on the post but I can live with that."

    She replied saying Thank you for your messages but you really don't need to apologise. You actually helped expose that lady as not the sort of person I'd want looking after my grandson anyway! Thank you for giving me the link to you Network website, I got a reply from C who I know so it's worked out really well. Thanks for getting in touch and for your comments, it's just a shame she took them the wrong way"

    I know it's not as exciting as a "bin gate" or "zipper gate" or "granny gate" - but it could be a "she said, she replied" gate!

    I think I know how Joan of Arc must have felt - I think I remained professional but got my name and character slated by people who think that being a "mummy of 2" makes them a qualified childminder! It made a wet weekend more interesting - the comments only stopped because eventually admin closed the post.

  2. #2
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    I think thats one of the reasons i never respond to posts similar as people will never see it as helping.

    There was one around us who wanted £8 an hour and got quite nasty when parents were telling her she double the price of cms and they couldnt claim anything to help with the cost
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by FussyElmo View Post
    I think thats one of the reasons i never respond to posts similar as people will never see it as helping.

    There was one around us who wanted £8 an hour and got quite nasty when parents were telling her she double the price of cms and they couldnt claim anything to help with the cost
    Same here. There are rarely any thanks for pointing out the rules and regulations. If I see anyone asking for childcare I post a link to the local authority list of providers.

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  5. #4
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    hectors house you done us proud! Well done.

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  7. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by BallyH View Post
    hectors house you done us proud! Well done.
    Thank you - I wasn't going to take "just babysitting" comments lying down.

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  9. #6
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    The granny seems lovely. She was spot on when she said it exposed the other lady as the type of person she really was.

  10. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maza View Post
    The granny seems lovely. She was spot on when she said it exposed the other lady as the type of person she really was.
    The Granny is lovely, she used to run a music session at a toddler group at Children's Centre we used to attend (before funding cuts got rid of music session and now Children's Centre all together), so I really wanted to help her.

    I have messaged the admin of the Town's Parent's group and asked why it took them 24 hours to shut the post down after it was reported on the Saturday evening (Another childminder messaged Admin) - they soon pipe up if someone attempts to sell a 2nd hand fridge that "This is not a selling group" but allow cyber bulling to carry on despite having this in their rules "We're all adults here, so please be respectful of the space and each other. The admins will remove people who are rude or disrespectful to other members, so play nicely please. " I would hope the other people would get a warning at least.

  11. #8
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    I wish we had some of you guys in our area! seem to be dwindling numbers around here

    It is nice to be independent but, the amount of un-regged childcare that is going on is ott now!

    We have had it all here:

    "Grow up", "you are not qualified", "Stop being political", "No registered childcare anywhere", "It was a play date (with money changing hands lol)", "You have a licence to print money and it is not fair"

    Hardly any of this has been caused by my wife saying things, infact she has had parents come up to her face and tell her outright they are doing it lol. In the context of a playground bully it seems like that is the whole game, to demoralize her and make her quit! for what? because picking up a schoolie for 10minutes is not exactly worth it tbh.

    The worst part of this! I think we may be getting it from a couple nursery staff now and if I ever catch them doing it outright, would pacey or ofsted do anything about it? just seems a little unprofessional to me.

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  13. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by hectors house View Post
    I think I know how Joan of Arc must have felt - I think I remained professional but got my name and character slated by people who think that being a "mummy of 2" makes them a qualified childminder! It made a wet weekend more interesting - the comments only stopped because eventually admin closed the post.
    This is the bit that nailed on the head for me! We see these types every single school day. Parent has a couple children and suddenly they are GOD and know everything! The very type that just do not and will not understand the time, energy and all the hoops an EY professional has to go through and how it never stops, you still have to keep training and all the other stuff, paperwork, ofsted all of it!

    I would even hazard a guess they would possibly have looked into regging up but were put off by all the work that has to be done. That in itself shows me what they really are!

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