Having trouble selling myself :(

Title kind of sounds wrong but my problem seems to be a parent will ring me and not know what a childminder does and ask me how we do things and when this happens i'm usually caught off guard and blab and get confused and hmm and haar and not really know what the parent wants and completely miss the mark.

So i need help selling myself i don't have my own children and i don't have any currrent mindee's. I have managed to save one phone call from disaster by saying well what i like to do is book you in for a meeting so we can talk face to face so you get a much better idea of the person your dealing with... managed to avoid a lot of questions this way so far except the how many children have you got at the moment... my answer none at the moment but that means i'm very flexible. And asked if i had my own to which all i said was not yet.

I'm worried now about more questions at the meeting and just making myself look like a fool by not knowing what to say. I've only met one other parent and she was soo nice and bubbly she made me feel more at ease and she had loads of her own questions. For a parent who's come to me first and wants to know what exactly we do i feel a bit put on the spot as i'm sooo inexperienced compared to others in the area. Also lacking confidence with the last call i had where the parent was put off i didn't drive. Thankfully though i have a lawn!! so my garden doesn't look like a mud pit. :)

Also i don't have a massive amount of toys so i'm a little unsure what a two year old boy is going to be entertained by :/ I have a play mat and cars could do with buying some duplo that was on my list of things to get. Help? Please? Confidence needs restoring.

If you find it difficult to explain what you do when you're face to face with a parent why not write it down and put it in a folder and give it them to read whilst you play with the child. Most parents will want to see how you get along with their lo.

Cars sound a good start for a two year old, you could get some long tubes, like wrapping paper rolls or piece of guttering and make a ramp to run the cars down with him. Or try some pasta in a tray with some spoons and containers. You don't have to spend a fortune on toys but you could check out if there's a toy library near you and borrow a few bits.

Good luck, hope it goes well for you

Miffy xx

When I first started I had two lists - one of things I wanted to tell parents and one of questions to ask them :)

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Originally Posted by miffy

If you find it difficult to explain what you do when you're face to face with a parent why not write it down and put it in a folder and give it them to read whilst you play with the child. Most parents will want to see how you get along with their lo.

Cars sound a good start for a two year old, you could get some long tubes, like wrapping paper rolls or piece of guttering and make a ramp to run the cars down with him. Or try some pasta in a tray with some spoons and containers. You don't have to spend a fortune on toys but you could check out if there's a toy library near you and borrow a few bits.

Good luck, hope it goes well for you

Miffy xx

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I did make up a parent pack quite recently so they can sit and read through it. I will have to have a big sort through of all my paperwork and see what else i have to help me explain. :)

Thanks for your advice :)

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Originally Posted by Bridey

When I first started I had two lists - one of things I wanted to tell parents and one of questions to ask them :)

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Question list is something i deffinitely need to do! Will get on that one now.

It's hard to gain confidence with little or no experience, have you tried helping out at mums and tots groups/preschool/playgroups/childminder groups

Have you got any nieces or nephews or friends kids you can 'borrow' a few times, be guided by them and what they want to do, so you get an idea of 'how' things will work.
I used mine to sort out my paperwork layout for daily diaries and Learning journeys, and on the plus side I am then able to show potential parents 'a template'

My 2 year old niece is really into colouring, painting, and drawing, wooden shape sorters, jigsaws, duplo, teddies/dolls (babies), baking, dressing up, playdoh/modelling clay, sand and water play...
Boys of this age aren't that different in their interests :thumbsup:

When I get an enquiry I always take a deep breath before I ask or answer anything, gives me a split second to think about what I'm going to say

I ramble a lot at interview with parents, the 2 interviews i have had , both parents wanted to sign up (writing to see if i get a variation for the other family) and i think what did it was my information booklet i gave them to take home, as everythgin i missed was in there for them. The other thing i did was just get on floor level with the children and played with them, and basically just told parents that I am a home not a nursery, and although the children learn with me, they also benefit frm being part of my family for the time they are here.

My best advice is not to try to guess what the parents want to hear, but just tell them how it is and if they dont like it they can go else where. I have had lots of phone enquiries that have come to nothing, one lady did not want me to walk on the school run but take her sonin my car, which i refuse to do, anything within a few mile radius of my home and we walk, unless weather is severe.

Also you may not have children of your own or any mindees yet, but sell yourself with any experience you have had in working with or for children.

Thanks for the replies :)

I'm in a bit of a situation now, as i have arranged that parent to come over friday morning to discuss her needs... i have a feeling she will only want a few hours a week and that's not going to be enough for me to be able to quit my day job and i doubt she'd want me to fit her in around it either!

Last night i applied for a trainee nursery nurse thinking i have nothing to loose it will give me experience and training that i really want to do anyway and i'm sure i won't hear anything back for another 2 weeks or so if at all... well i had a phone call midday today to my complete shock and i have an interview with them on friday! Should i tell the parent this now or friday or at all? As i don't want to waste her time?!

I would attend both on Friday - since neither are in the bag and both are valuable experience for you to sell yourself which may lead to future work if neither opportunities are right for you.

I've been minding for just over 3 years now - in the early days I was a bag of nerves when parents came to visit me - and now I don't even bat an eyelid - I just chat, answer questions, show them around, we drink tea and I play with the kids and show them around and introduce them to the children I have on the day. Every parent interview is an opportunity to make future parent interviews more fabulous so take every opportunity in the early days to hone your skills.

Ask yourself why you want to do this job. Write it down. When parents ask you if you have any children, you can tell them why you want to do this job, when they ask you how long you have been minding - tell them why you want to do this job, any opportunity to show them quite how excited you are to be become a childminder and what this means will be infectious.

Good luck for Friday :)

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Originally Posted by uf353432

I would attend both on Friday - since neither are in the bag and both are valuable experience for you to sell yourself which may lead to future work if neither opportunities are right for you.

I've been minding for just over 3 years now - in the early days I was a bag of nerves when parents came to visit me - and now I don't even bat an eyelid - I just chat, answer questions, show them around, we drink tea and I play with the kids and show them around and introduce them to the children I have on the day. Every parent interview is an opportunity to make future parent interviews more fabulous so take every opportunity in the early days to hone your skills.

Ask yourself why you want to do this job. Write it down. When parents ask you if you have any children, you can tell them why you want to do this job, when they ask you how long you have been minding - tell them why you want to do this job, any opportunity to show them quite how excited you are to be become a childminder and what this means will be infectious.

Good luck for Friday :)

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I was thinking about doing both but wondering if i did how i would end the parent chat to leave it open ended i don't want her going yes great! I think i will advise her to shop around if she has little experience of what childminders do. I feel nervous that she said i was the first person she'd contacted i hope i'm not the only person! :/

just be open minded - the parent interview is a starting point of many more discussions. You are gathering information about her, her needs etc. she is gathering information about you etc. Be relaxed, try not to second guess her needs in advance or how the meeting will turn out. If she seems really keen let her know that you need to chase the outcome of another interview you have had - let her assume its childminder related - and agree a date to talk again.

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Originally Posted by uf353432

just be open minded - the parent interview is a starting point of many more discussions. You are gathering information about her, her needs etc. she is gathering information about you etc. Be relaxed, try not to second guess her needs in advance or how the meeting will turn out. If she seems really keen let her know that you need to chase the outcome of another interview you have had - let her assume its childminder related - and agree a date to talk again.

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Ahh good point! I shall try my best to be relaxed and just see how it goes. :) Thanks for your advice!