Parents- Their tricks

**Minstrel** · 04-08-2009, 02:30 PM

I have just been having a mooch around on mumsnet (sorry

) and came across one parent who asked which two days she should pick to send her daughter to the CM.

The answer?

Tuesday and Thursday because you get out of paying for the Bank Hols and if you want a long weekend away then you don't have pay for days you're not using.

Clever

What sneaky things have you heard of parents doing?

**rickysmiths** · 04-08-2009, 02:37 PM

Oh isn't that crafty. I have a parent who thought they were ok having Thursday and Friday, no Mondays so no Bank Holidays. They got a shock the first Easter

and then last Christmas and New Year. Ha Ha we can be crafty too. lol

**LisaMcNally09** · 04-08-2009, 02:44 PM

[QUOTE=Minstrel;490913]I have just been having a mooch around on mumsnet (sorry

)

I was looking on their and it all seems ant*****minders!!! I didn't like it much!!!

Lisa

**Tatjana** · 04-08-2009, 03:16 PM

What's with people disliking childminders????????????!

xx

**Blackhorse** · 04-08-2009, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by Tatjana

What's with people disliking childminders????????????!

xx

I would like to know this too!!
it is the main reason I am not going on other forums ...
and of course the fact that this one is soo fab!

**Lo0py** · 04-08-2009, 03:59 PM

To be fair - they could say the same about the negative feelings towards parents on here.

You can't blame a mum for trying to save costs and look to get the most out of her childcare arrangements.

**Jellytotzjulia** · 04-08-2009, 04:01 PM

oh one of my mums is full of tricks she's always trying to pull off!!! but lucky enough i'm to clever for them

. her favourite one, which she does often, even tryed it last week.is when step nan comes to collect boys at end of day,she'll say "has mum told you that i'm taking them out 2morrow so you havn't got them. No mum hasn't said. Then later on i'll get a text from mum asking if I would like 2morrow off & have boys on Fri instead, my day off!

I text back saying "no, nan has already told me she's got them"

.
ber in mind Mum doesn't work, so it would just mean she has to have them for the day!!!

Julia

Pipsqueak · 04-08-2009, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by Lo0py

To be fair - they could say the same about the negative feelings towards parents on here.

You can't blame a mum for trying to save costs and look to get the most out of her childcare arrangements.

Do you think there are negative feelings towards parents on here?
I don't think we disrespect parents on here and have a general 'stereotype' mentality going on (as other nameless forums do).
I think what we do is post what is going on in our business lives about how the parent(s) are treating us and its not always negative.
Many of us are parents ourselves and we quite often do see it from the other side of the coin BUT we are Childminders - running a business and get really upset when someone is trying to 'have one over on us' when all we are trying to do is earn a living.

The more experience you have of childminding the more you learn and the more try-ons you come across.

**Pauline** · 04-08-2009, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by Lo0py

To be fair - they could say the same about the negative feelings towards parents on here.

I don't think all posts on here are negative towards parents, but it is like everything in life, we tend to voice the negative things most!

There have been some really nice threads about the lovely parents we have, and for me personally, in all the 25 years I've been minding only one or two stand out as having been a problem, all the others have been and are thoughtful, kind and caring.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 04-08-2009, 04:15 PM

I love all my parents and I think the negatives are aimed at the ones that do not pay

**Lo0py** · 04-08-2009, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Pipsqueak

Do you think there are negative feelings towards parents on here?
I don't think we disrespect parents on here and have a general 'stereotype' mentality going on (as other nameless forums do).
I think what we do is post what is going on in our business lives about how the parent(s) are treating us and its not always negative.
Many of us are parents ourselves and we quite often do see it from the other side of the coin BUT we are Childminders - running a business and get really upset when someone is trying to 'have one over on us' when all we are trying to do is earn a living.

The more experience you have of childminding the more you learn and the more try-ons you come across.

As I long-term lurker I do think there are very negative and frequent comments about parents on here and this post is a good example of that.

Yes, there are a few positive posts but they do tend to be a bit rare. I guess it is the nature of a forum aimed at childminders that we rarely get to hear about the negative/unreasonable behaviour of childminders.

Surely being part of a good business is to accept that customers will pretty much want to get a good deal - even if that means opting for hours that may seem "crafty" or a "trick" and I wouldn't view that as "trying to have one over on us".

**Minstrel** · 04-08-2009, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by Lo0py

To be fair - they could say the same about the negative feelings towards parents on here.

You can't blame a mum for trying to save costs and look to get the most out of her childcare arrangements.

I think you read me wrong.

Just trying to be humorous not accusing of them. Hence the little laughing smilies

and not the angry smilies

.

**wendywu** · 04-08-2009, 04:29 PM

I have lovely parents. Two sets have been with me for 7 years, another set for 4 years and the 3 sets 1 year.

I have never had any trouble with parents and have a fab relationship with them all.

**PRINCESSDAISYFLOWER** · 04-08-2009, 05:06 PM

i have to agree with pauline, people do tend to just speak out about the negatives, its human nature.

I personally have lovely parents but i think we all from time to time feel unappreciated x

**Mouse** · 04-08-2009, 05:32 PM

I have lovely parents, but even they niggle me from time to time. This board is a fantastic way of airing those niggles to people who know what you're talking about. Often the hubby/partner just doesn't get it!

I think it's much better to have a little moan on here & get it out of your system, rather than have an unnecessary blow up with parents because you've got wound up about something.

And often negative posts will get a reply along the lines of "but you have to look at it from the parent's point of view". I think we're a very fair bunch

**Bananabrain** · 04-08-2009, 05:35 PM

Every job has it's down sides.

What makes me a bit cross{well very cross actually} is that alot of my parents don't see minding as a 'job'

I think that everyone that has a moan on here is really just letting off steam the same as most people do with their 'real' jobs.

Childminding can be very tiring,stressful and the parents can be exasperating.

I think that many people do still think that it is easy money and we drink coffee all day.

I've often thought that 'lay' people might think that we shouldn't have anything to moan about because childminding is a bit of an easy way to make money.

**Daftbat** · 04-08-2009, 05:39 PM

My customers are all pretty good to me and not too awkward about their requirements either.

I agree that ***** does seem to be pretty negative towards us but thats because we are nasty, money grabbing, lazy. coffee drinking, lunatics!

**Hebs** · 04-08-2009, 05:41 PM

take one set of parents i have....

mum works 12 hour shifts, moans about having to work 12 hour shift

when i say "oh i know what you mean, you working 12 hours means me working 14 hours"

she says, oh but you get to stay at home and relax

oh really

some people just don't understand the work we do,

so we come on here, vent our frustrations and smile and get on with our day

OH i'm off soon got kids 14 hours tonight, I PICK THEM UP at 7pm, drop mum off at work (oh yes add that to the list of things i do for her) and have her kids until 9am tomorrow morning

**madasahatter** · 04-08-2009, 05:46 PM

I think that the reason that forum posts can often appear negative is because it is within a forum that people can get (mostly) anonymous support about issues and problems they face in whatever aspect of their life the forum represents. Thankfully most forums become a sort of online 'family' or friendship circle and you therefore also get many positive posts.
They do say in life that every negative needs at least two positives to balance it out.......maybe this could be why the negative posts appear to stand out more (if there aren't enough positive ones to balance)....and also because the negative ones often draw us in more emotionally IYSWIM.

Pipsqueak · 04-08-2009, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by Lo0py

As I long-term lurker I do think there are very negative and frequent comments about parents on here and this post is a good example of that.

Yes, there are a few positive posts but they do tend to be a bit rare. I guess it is the nature of a forum aimed at childminders that we rarely get to hear about the negative/unreasonable behaviour of childminders.

Surely being part of a good business is to accept that customers will pretty much want to get a good deal - even if that means opting for hours that may seem "crafty" or a "trick" and I wouldn't view that as "trying to have one over on us".

Of course there will be frequent comments regarding parents behaviours and attitudes - its is after all a childminding forum for childminders. There are plenty of other sites where parents go and the bashing that childminders get is atrocious - we are nothing like that thank goodness.
There is also plenty of discussion about awful childminders/practice examples so we are well aware of the shortcoming within our sector, we also have very balanced and reasoned people on here.

You say you are considering becoming a childminder - well you will discover over time that there are things that some parents say/do that really take the proverbial and there you are trying to provide a first class childcare experience and earn a bit of money in the process and you get hammered for it.
Yes its all part of being in business but we are one of the most underrated and undervalued care services and why should we put up with being treated like poop in your own home - especially when there are legal contracts in place.

Like most experienced minders I have come across all sorts of parents and my current ones are lovely but I certainly won't be allowing 'tricky' parents to dictate terms and conditions to me again nor will I allow a situation to arise where they can threaten me and my living.

You will also discover not all posts on here are serious ones - we do see the lighter side of our work and can have a laugh about things - something I think the OP was actually aiming for.