Telling parents about new mindee

Do you tell existing parents when you have a new mindee starting? At which point do you tell them?

My current mindee started in September and he's been my only mindee. I wasn't looking for someone for all of that time because I was happy to just have the one during the peek of covid. It's been really lovely actually.

I'm feeling oddly nervous about telling his parents that I have a new one starting next month. I'm wondering if I should have told them sooner, but he didn't actually sign the contract until today. I think I'm a bit nervous because this new mindee (and possibly the next two new mindees) are all just over a year old and so are a quite a bit younger than my current mindee and I feel a bit bad that I haven't managed to get anyone his age who can be his buddy. Nothing I can do about it, I know, but I feel a bit sad for him and can't help but feel his parents will be disappointed.

I normally just drop it in to the conversation casually when a new one starts and then it's normally to the children, " Today our new friend xxxxx is coming to play!" I don't make a point of telling parents that I have a new one starting.


I do know what you mean about having younger ones as September I have a couple of new little ones who will be a lot younger than the 3 year old they will be with and I do feel a little guilty especially as they have loved having the older children to play with but they are moving on to school and they will now be left with the babies.

I usually tell current mindees about a new mindee the session before they are due to come for a settling visit, and then tell parents as and when it crops up( but it is always written in the diary for that day that X came for a settling visit).. If it is a younger child starting, then I ask the older child to help me play with the new child, show them where the toys are/ find them toys etc. I generally find they are very good at settling in a new child, and also, by doing a couple of short settling in sessions, not only does the new child get a feel for me/us, the existing minded children get a feel for the new child.

I guess it might be hard for your current mindee/ parents because they are the first you've had here and so they are not in the 'cycle' of children coming and growing up with a childminding family.