cant believe how people are treated!!

[JCrakers]

I come on here most days for a nose..sometmes have a moan about poo, sick, snot or general bad behaviour

But...Im really astounded how parents treat their childminders...
Not paying, no christmas cards, turning up an hr early, expecting to turn up when childminder has said their ill, making minders change their plans last minute, throwing coats that have a stain on, being generally rude, expecting minders to drop everything to suit and generally thinking the entire world revolves around them...the list is endless....

I started minding in Sept 2007 and have had 11 sets of absolutley fantastic parents
They all pay on time, with the exeption of vouchers coming in late.
Every xmas Ive got presents from all and a couple bought presents for my kids too. (I got a £50 m&s voucher from one and £50 cash off another.
They all pick up on time
They all text well in advance if plans need changing
They all work around my 4 weeks hols, no questions asked
If they turn up 5 mins early in a morn its very rare (1 dad sits outside in the car until it turns 8am)
They are interested in what I have been doing at the weekend, so its a two sided conversation (not just about them and their kids)
If I'm feeling a bit rough a couple of them will text me in the day to see how i'm feeling

One day last week Dad came to collect and I needed some ketchup from Sainsburys which is about 15-20min walk.I asked if I could get a lift down with him as he goes past on way home.
He offered to take me, wait in the carpark and then bring me back home...I said dont be daft..but he insisted

Is it something in the water or does anyone else have parents they cant fault??
Becky xx

[Mouse]

I have to be honest, the majority of parents during my 15yrs of minding have been absolutely fantastic. In all that time I've never had serious payment problems, I've never given anyone notice, no one has ever given me notice (other than for genuine reasons - child starting school etc), I've never had a single arguement with parents and have never had a complaint. All parents have left on good terms.

I do feel taken for granted sometimes and there are times when I've been tearing my hair out because of their scatty ways, but I have to weigh up those times with the fact that normally everything is great

[barbarella68]

My parents are fantastic as well.

[wendywu]

Mine are all lovely and we have a really good working relationship. So my parents are the same as Bexc parents.

But the mindees have to be projectile vomiting before i send them home

And i have never in 14 years had a day off with sickness or my own childrens sickness. I always soldier on.

Nothing their children do is a big enough problem that i cannot cope with.

I think they really appreciate this and it allows them to get on with their work stress free .

I do my job so they can get on with theirs

[flowerpots]

i think your very lucky bexc, ive only been minding 11months and ive had 2 horrid sets of parents who have swore at me, shouted at me and basically treated me like dirt. but on the upside i now have quite nice parents who i really get on with, i put the other parents down to bad judgment on my side and i now consider taking on new parents very carefully.

its wonderful to hear you have such fantastic parents and gives alot of hope to the people who havent been so lucky.

[mufftie]

most of my parents are lovely , but some are just hard work and very demanding ive just had one call me to ask if i can fit in her 2 girls tomorrow i said no at first but then agreed to have them just in the morning as im only busy in the afternoon , sometimes i feel very put on and obliged to do as im asked .
as for presents i dont get many i get chocolates off a few but not all , i did have a lovely bunch of red roses of a parent for my birthday last week , but that set of parents are very appreciatative and think im wonderful , she even brought her mum round to show her how wonderful the setting was her grandaughter attended made me feel really valued

deep down i know the parents value me but would be nice if they showed it

[caz3007]

Mine are great most of the time, but do have the odd moan, but certainly am not treated as some on here seem to be all the time.

I know I am lucky

[Paws]

But...Im really astounded how parents treat their childminders...
Not paying, no christmas cards, turning up an hr early, expecting to turn up when childminder has said their ill, making minders change their plans last minute, expecting minders to drop everything to suit and generally thinking the entire world revolves around them...the list is endless....

I thought you were talking about me for a minute there...
Until I noticed that you had missed out 'no thank you's, no 'Merry Christmas', tuning up an hour late with no apology or explanation' etc, etc.

[Polly2]

I have lovely parents too

I think that generally we come on here to moan when we have had a particularly bad day or days! because we all use the forum to vent and thats good because usually no ones else will understand.

The good days and parents do get mentioned from time to time though its nice to have a postive thread to read

[singingcactus]

In the 18 years I've been in early years care I've pretty much always had brilliant parents. I treat them with respect and flexibility and they treat me the same. If there has ever been anything that any of us didn't like we have always just told each other rather than stewing over silly things that get blown up into big things.
I've had one parent who I did not like, I found her personality unpleasant and I terminated the contract because I knew it was just a personal thing, but I did get her a childminder who I knew would get on well with her. I've had one parent who went a little odd, BUT I was fully aware she had mental health issues as I had worked through a lot of bad stuff with her over the previous two years, and after we chatted everything was once again sorted and we are still great friends now.
I've had no parents who I have fallen out with, in fact all but the one I just didn't like, I am still in touch with.
Couldn't tell you about christmas cards or not - I don't send them and if I get them I shove them into a drawer anyway, I just don't see the point in cards lol. I've had loads and given loads of gifts over the years, don't know if everyone has given me a gift or not, cant remember but it's really not a big deal either way. I play video games, like gadgets, read comic books and graphic novels, don't eat chocolates, drink wine, or wear perfume or light candles or do any girly stuff so I am not easy to buy for.
I love my parents, they are great. Whenever there is any crisis in my home, or clashing appointments or my DH is deployed ALL my parents act like my family and support me, they change their schedules to support me and my kids in ours, because they know I will do the same for them. The kids I look after and their parents become part of a larger family - often times the parents even help each other out when they can.

[loocyloo]

i've always had lovely parents, just one really difficult family, and now another is starting to be difficult after 4 1/2yrs

when i recently had to take a day off ill ( first one in 4 yrs ! ) a couple of mums text me several times each to see if they could collect my children from school, help in anyway, etc. ( my difficult family said 'don't rush back to work on our behalf, we've sorted childcare now'! but they've left me now! )

i've had cards & pressies from all my families, DS & DD have had presents from a couple too. i get thank yous and random gifts from parents throughout the year.

[mrs_scottydog]

I get on well with both sets of parents but I've only been minding since September. Hx

[merry]

.
Is it something in the water or does anyone else have parents they cant fault??
Becky xx

In 12 years of minding I've never had parents treat me with disrespect, honestly my jaw drops when I see how some minders are treated by parents and it makes me realise how lucky I've been.

[snufflepuff]

I have been minding since March and apart from one slightly crazy parent who was with me for 2 months (she stalked me on facebook!) things have not been too bad. My schoolies Mum (no longer with me) was lovely, albeit a bit forgetful. Of my current parents one is great, pays on time, seems appreciative of my flexibility and the extras I have provided, even apologises if she keeps LO at home at short notice, lol! The other is also lovely but very demanding, I think she expects the world on a plate for free and really pushes her luck sometimes!

[sillysausage]

Mine are all lovely too.
I've got one set of new parents this year so I've yet to see if they will give me a Christmas gift, but all the rest do. But I wouldn't mind if they don't get me anything as I've only had their LO for a month.

[Noomie]

So far so good with me. But then it's only been a couple of months. All are buying Millie little gifts for Christmas (although it's not all about gifts) and have been more than lovely and understanding. But then I also try and go out of my way to be as accommodating (within reason) as I can, after all I am running a service for people who have things that are often beyond their control happen (school closures, sickness, etc).

I was talking to one of my mum's about Christmas shopping and she said she was going to next town's shopping centre one day this week but wasn't sure how she was going to get there. I was also going and I know she doesn't drive. So tonight I took her to the shops.

But I wouldn't like to think of this as famous last words... It may be that I've been lucky so far. Who knows what will happen in the future.

[MaryMary]

I look after 2 boys after school who are in the same class. They can be quite challenging as they always fight over the same toys and get very boistrous. the walk home really wears me out! However, their mum's are lovely! It makes it all easier. They back me up if I have to tell the boys off, and won't let me take any nonsense from them They always pay on time, and they have both given me gifts. One also gave all three of my children presents aswell! (they are 12, 15 & 18 and certainly didn't expect that!)
What is nice is that the 2 mum's have become really good friends aswell, and help each other out with morning school runs and other support (both single mum's)

[Chimps Childminding]

I have been minding for 12 years and almost all of my parents have been great!!! Appreciative, grateful, give nice pressies at Christmas. Have the odd grumble like today sat waiting for 7.30 mindee and parents let me know at 8.30 he wasnt coming. But to be honest I think the problem is they don't think its not that they don't bother it just doesn't cross their minds!!

Had a couple of nightmare parents (no longer here - only because children left to go to nursery or they moved away) but on the whole my parents are great (if not a bit scatty sometimes )

[pinky33]

All ours are nice people, well most anyway.
I don't get upset if they don't give cards, don't say happy birthday or happy christmas. And a couple out of our 7 parents wanted to know what we wanted for Xmas we just said elc vouchers if they felt they wanted to do something as we want some more happyland for the kids.

The trouble is they don't think sometimes, they expect cards and crfts made for mothers day, birthdays ect but never think one in return would be a simple gesture.

Makes it easier for us, we don't feel like we have to go out our way to accomadate there every wim just because they are huge gift givers.

As a nanny I never excepted a bonus from parents, when they offered it I was honest and said thanks for the kind gesture but if I take it I will feel like I have to do every late night night, early start or odd day you need and whilst I would help out when I could it's nice to feel I can say no.

I guess I use the same principles as a Childminder.

[FussyElmo]

I suppose the forum wouldnt be needed if we all had nice parents, no issues etc.

Its like any job you get the nice ones and then theres the bad ones.