Buying equipment for childminder

butterfly80

Just wondering if it is normal to have to buy equipment for your childminder? We had to buy a travel cot, high chair and buggy for ours when we first started. A month later she needed a car seat. Now she wants us to buy socket covers and stair gate. Do the parents have to buy this stuff? It's working out very expensive. Baby is very happy there so I'm slow to confront her on this. But I'd like to know what the norm is?

movingsucks

The buggy and the car seat, is there a reason why she couldn't use your own ones?
The high chair and travel cot I can kind of understand you don't want to be dragging those back and forth everyday.
Does she mind other kids too?
What happens if you stop using her services do you get things back or when the child is too old to use them?
It seems a bit much to me.

January

I think it's a bit much for her to be asking you to buy everything. Is the arrangement that you get to take these things back when your baby is finished with them and sell them yourself, or will she continue to use them if she gets younger children in?

Does she mind other children? Has she minded other children before yours? The only thing I supplied when my eldest started with her childminder at 6 months was her bottles and nappies... she provided all home made meals, and had high chair etc... I left the buggy with her but that was because I walked to her house every morning so was using it to get there anyway and wouldn't have been able to bring it onto work with me.

Moonbeam

If she is registered and minded more then one child she could apply for a grant.
The only thing that I would ask parents to supply is nappies and a car seat that they are happy with .

butterfly80

She has 3 other kids there part time. Our 1 year old daughter is the only full time. Our car seat can't come in and out of the car easily so she needed one for her car. We didn't think of giving her our buggy. I thought this would be hassle every morning. I knew about all that stuff in advance so I didn't really mind - until I talked to other parents when I went back to work. It's the babyproofing equipment that is annoying me. Should she have to ensure her own property is suitable for minding kids? Our daughter is super happy there though. And she is very careful and caring with her. So I don't want to rock the boat. We'll take all the stuff back when it isn't needed any more. I'm definitely not donating it to her!

Moonbeam

It is her job to child proof her house so that she can do her job .

How Strange

A high chair, travel cot or regular cot and baby proofing equipment are things I'd consider her responsibility to provide. She is a childminder after all. The buggy and car seat fair enough.

I know you don't want to rock the boat but she seems to have no qualms asking you to step up. I'd find a very nice way of saying that, on second thoughts, you'd consider the baby proofing things to be provided by her at her expense as its her business.

littlemissfixit

I dont get that a childminder would have nothing required to do childminding?!? Mine has everything, from car seats to cots, cupboard locks to socket covers. I brought our travel cot to her because we dont use it except when we are away and it makes it easier for her to have a couple kids asleep at same time, but she never asked for anything.

I dont think you should provide anything that she needs for other kids, you're basically subsidising her business. But as you say, its nothing to fall out over, if said the right way, Im sure everything will be fine! Good luck!