A reminder about facebook

**sillysausage** · 23-02-2011, 08:59 PM

One of my parents was chatting about facebook today. She said that she was really glad that I never make any comments about childminding other than the occasional 'what a fab day I'd had'.
She was telling me that her husband was horrified when one of their facebook friends (who is a childminder) had posted comments about what a horrid day they'd had, children being awful and weren't parents ungrateful so and so's (and a few other choice things too apparently). She observed that because 'it's a small world' and we often share friends/work colleagues without knowing it (cos we're not facebook friends with everyone we know), and it would be very easy for such comments to get back to the people about which they were made IYSWIM. And whilst many parents would not mind their childminder telling them to their face, that their children had been right proper pains etc, they might not want the rest of the world to know. Unfortunately because we know our friends, it is often easy to work out which children or parents negative comments might refer to and this could result in, at worst, a breach of confidentiality.

The parent also said that they had considered sending their child to this childminder but in light of the comments the childminder often made on facebook, from a professional point of view, they were glad they'd chosen me instead.

Add to this the fact that many people have pretty low security on their facebook accounts, allowing friends of friends etc to view things it can mean that negative comments can have a much wider audience than they were initially intended.

So please people please be careful what you post on facebook...it may impact on peoples' professional opinion of you, which could in turn impact on word of mouth recommendations.

**nic t** · 23-02-2011, 09:07 PM

As much as I sometimes want a rant I would never put anything about my childminding on there!

You are right, you never know who will see it and it is unprofessional, imo.

**jamiebec2000** · 23-02-2011, 09:08 PM

my husband thinks facebook is the route of all evil, and hates it, but it doesnt stop him from being nosey on my friends and our families status

I tend to only post jokes or play the really addictive farm games

Some peoples comments are best kept to themselves

Becky

**fiona** · 23-02-2011, 09:20 PM

my status today was.... i am in here under the eyfs folders... please send chocolate and coffee!! this is as much as a childminding thing i would do, i know a few childminders in my area who post photo's of the children in their care

i would leave this to a parent even though i have permission forms i would never dream of doing this!!!!! i am friends with all my parents on FB and this is their request! we do private message as well as e-mail but we encript everything! maybe a little over the top but thats me!!!!

**sweets** · 23-02-2011, 09:28 PM

i rarely write anything about childminding on fb, if i do then its never negative things and i wont be friends with mindees parents, not until they leave then its a nice way to keep in touch.

what i am having trouble with at the moment is hiding posts of my news feeds! i am friends with quite a few teenagers (children i used to nanny for) but the problem is they often write offensive posts with swearing in. i dont want my adult friends to see these posts but at the moment it wont let me hide them

ive tried hiding posts by clicking on the x in the top right and it says they are hidden but when i refresh the page they are back again, it even does it if i click hide all thier posts!

**snufflepuff** · 23-02-2011, 09:32 PM

The most I write is things like 'ahh lovely, all three children asleep, time for a tea break'

I once had a parent go crazy because i'd made a comment that she very wrongly thought was about her child. Totally her insecurity but made me think twice about what I write as people can easily read things, even the most innocent things, in the wrong way.

TheBTeam · 23-02-2011, 09:35 PM

Me too I dont really write anything childminding related on it.

**The Juggler** · 24-02-2011, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by sweets

i rarely write anything about childminding on fb, if i do then its never negative things and i wont be friends with mindees parents, not until they leave then its a nice way to keep in touch.

what i am having trouble with at the moment is hiding posts of my news feeds! i am friends with quite a few teenagers (children i used to nanny for) but the problem is they often write offensive posts with swearing in. i dont want my adult friends to see these posts but at the moment it wont let me hide them

ive tried hiding posts by clicking on the x in the top right and it says they are hidden but when i refresh the page they are back again, it even does it if i click hide all thier posts!

i have a second cousin (21) who needs bleeps in her posts too. she is fb friends with my aunt who is 80 - goodness knows what she makes of her

**manjay** · 24-02-2011, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by The Juggler

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i have a second cousin (21) who needs bleeps in her posts too. she is fb friends with my aunt who is 80 - goodness knows what she makes of her

I have this too with my own 18 yr old DD! and she has my Mum as one of her friends

.

I love fb and don't see any problem with it. I wouldn't have parents as friends but I very rarely mention work anyway

**MaryMary** · 25-02-2011, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by The Juggler

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i have a second cousin (21) who needs bleeps in her posts too. she is fb friends with my aunt who is 80 - goodness knows what she makes of her

One of my FB friends posts were quite offensive - often swearing (about her ex) even using the 'C' word!

I have hidden her

I don't want to see that! The worrying thing is she is a CM

I met her on my ICP course!

**Mookins** · 23-02-2011, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by jamiebec2000

my husband thinks facebook is the route of all evil, and hates it, but it doesnt stop him from being nosey on my friends and our families status

I tend to only post jokes or play the really addictive farm games

Some peoples comments are best kept to themselves

Becky

same as my hubby...

if i do say anything about minding its usually what weve been doing or how fab the day has been never anything negative fo the hope of getting more business

if i have anything negative i come here for a moan bu teven then its not very often...thank goodness

xx

**MaryMary** · 23-02-2011, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by jamiebec2000

my husband thinks facebook is the route of all evil, and hates it, but it doesnt stop him from being nosey on my friends and our families status

I tend to only post jokes or play the really addictive farm games

Some peoples comments are best kept to themselves

Becky

It must be a man thing!

My hubby hates it too!
I go on facebook so I can see what my kids are up too

It is sometimes easier to contact the 15 yo on chat than to try and shout over her music

My eldest is at uni now, so I can see what she is up to (sometimes wish I didn't!

)

I never post anything too personal, and try to get my kids not to aswell - easier said than done. I am addicted to 'Bejewelled Blitz'

**Happy Bunny** · 24-02-2011, 12:21 AM

I love facebook but i wouldn't dream of putting anything on there to do with childminding.
One of my old mindees parent is on my friends but i never put any photo's comments or anything about the kids or my day.
I think the only comment i ever put on there was "i am surrounded by paperwork need coffee lol lol"

**xdirtydancerx** · 24-02-2011, 01:22 AM

Apart from my business page which advertises my childminding and what we're doing (topics, not what we're actually doing lol) I never write about anything childminding related on my actual facebook page. In fact, more recently I can't even be bothered to update my status

**marnieb** · 24-02-2011, 07:42 AM

My OH hates it too!!!!

But, I never, ever post anything about cming on there, and I wouldn't be facebook friends with any of my parents, cos frankly, I dont want to know what they get up to on their days off, and I dont want them knowing my business either!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Hebs** · 24-02-2011, 07:43 AM

i never write anything negative about the children, normally moans about doing accounts/paperwork or what a fab days we've had

i DO post pics of the children on fb, i have an album on there thats specifically for the mindees parents who have asked me to post the pics so they can show family, parents are tagged in the photos and Ofsted were totally fine with it
I do have 2 sets of parents who dont want their kids photos posted so even the ones with their kids in the background DONT get posted, i show them the photos online so they know their children are not in them and they are also perfectly happy with this.

i also have a fb page for my business

**flowerpots** · 24-02-2011, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by jamiebec2000

my husband thinks facebook is the route of all evil, and hates it, but it doesnt stop him from being nosey on my friends and our families status

I tend to only post jokes or play the really addictive farm games

Some peoples comments are best kept to themselves

Becky

so do i

, i havent even got a fb account.

**Mrs Pootle** · 24-02-2011, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by flowerpots

so do i

, i havent even got a fb account.

I can't stand fb, I have no inclination to tell the world what I am doing, and I certainly don't want to read anyone elses trivia.
If I have something to say to a friend, I would rather pick up the phone, or have them round for a coffee.

**georgie456** · 24-02-2011, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by Mrs Pootle

I can't stand fb, I have no inclination to tell the world what I am doing, and I certainly don't want to read anyone elses trivia.
If I have something to say to a friend, I would rather pick up the phone, or have them round for a coffee.

Oooh I couldn't live without fb! My parents and sister all live abroad (all in different countries!) so for us, it is a lovely informal way of keeping in touch, sending photos to each other and having a little chat in the evenings.
Now my nieces and nephews are getting older they are joining so my children get to keep in daily touch with cousins, who without fb, they would have little to no contact with at all.