Guradian article about whether or not E Truss has tried to look after 6 children.....

[FussyElmo]

Interesting read.


Has Liz Truss tried looking after six toddlers? I have | Money | The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/feb/01/liz-truss-tried-six-toddlers)

Like she said she has GCSES and a degree but it didnt help.

[lilac_dragon]

Yes, very interesting. I liked the article, but -
I noted in particular the fact that she was running up and down stairs when a child was missing, and the fact that she felt it was not feasible to have 6 children in one room.

If she was researching this from a Childminding point of view then she SHOULD have used a stairgate - if you're showing how something works at least do it properly.

Lots of us do have 6 children in one room, albeit that possibly 2 of them would be school age.
To my mind this experiment would have rung truer if she'd spent half a day with the same 6 children in a Childminders house, with the equipment and resources that we have in place, because we know what we need, to do the job.
I currently look after 3 2yr olds, all born within a 5 week period (so like having triplets)for 5 days a week. I have a variation for another 2 year old on 2 days a week. So on 2 days, I have 4 2yr olds.
It works well, as on the 2 days that I have 4 2yr olds i don't have to walk to the school to get other children. Also, I use the garden for our outdoor time rather than going to the park or the Wood etc. In short, I organise the days to get the best effect, and no, I can't account for if someones stroppy, or ill or tired or just being difficult, but I do my best to make sure they all get the best care for them on that particular day.
It's do-able, - would i like to do it on aregular basis?
Don't know.
The mix has to be right, and that's trial and error, but if the mix IS right, then Yes I'd do it, and not turn a hair, because they're not 2 forever, and every day that they get older, they're changing and the situation changes with them.
To have all the above and then hand them over at age 2ish to a school or Nursery and start all over again with 6 new ones (had the current ones at 8 months all odd days until they hit 12 months then all week all at once, lol) - well, I don't think I could do it indefinitely.

[FussyElmo]

Yes, very interesting. I liked the article, but -
I noted in particular the fact that she was running up and down stairs when a child was missing, and the fact that she felt it was not feasible to have 6 children in one room.

If she was researching this from a Childminding point of view then she SHOULD have used a stairgate - if you're showing how something works at least do it properly.

Lots of us do have 6 children in one room, albeit that possibly 2 of them would be school age.
To my mind this experiment would have rung truer if she'd spent half a day with the same 6 children in a Childminders house, with the equipment and resources that we have in place, because we know what we need, to do the job.
I currently look after 3 2yr olds, all born within a 5 week period (so like having triplets)for 5 days a week. I have a variation for another 2 year old on 2 days a week. So on 2 days, I have 4 2yr olds.
It works well, as on the 2 days that I have 4 2yr olds i don't have to walk to the school to get other children. Also, I use the garden for our outdoor time rather than going to the park or the Wood etc. In short, I organise the days to get the best effect, and no, I can't account for if someones stroppy, or ill or tired or just being difficult, but I do my best to make sure they all get the best care for them on that particular day.
It's do-able, - would i like to do it on aregular basis?
Don't know.
The mix has to be right, and that's trial and error, but if the mix IS right, then Yes I'd do it, and not turn a hair, because they're not 2 forever, and every day that they get older, they're changing and the situation changes with them.
To have all the above and then hand them over at age 2ish to a school or Nursery and start all over again with 6 new ones (had the current ones at 8 months all odd days until they hit 12 months then all week all at once, lol) - well, I don't think I could do it indefinitely.



I take all your points and I agree with them but I think most of the articles are being written from a non childcare perspective so there will never be a balanced view.

Going into a cm/nursery will ultimately prove that we can deal with the increased - as who wants to be one who proves they cant, saying they are inferior imagine the outcry from all the providers.

I thought the article did show the fact that the lack of attention - which I think we all agree on - would disappear. Was it Ryan who she said would be ok as you could just give him a car :rolleyes: sorry if I got details wrong I read it really early and think the details havent actually been processed yet. Maybe time for more caffeine :thumbsup:

[blue bear]

The pre school I drop and collect from has been flooded with two year olds under the vulnerable two year old scheme.
What is described in this article pretty much sums up what I witness during collections and drop off times, the same children are left to it, others on hip or pulling on workers t shirts while they try to hand over a child and give a quick chat to the adult. I'm not saying its like this all day I'm not there all day, but they Definetly looked stressed out and look like they find the drop off and collection time difficult. That's with a ratio of 1:4, 1:6 would be dangerous.

None of the local nurseries are rubbing their hands in glee over ratio changes, none of them intend to ever take ms Truss up on her idea as yet.

I personally think it's all just a smoke screen, she knew everyone would be up in arms and will eventually compromise but will get to bring in the agencies and with it the deregulation of childminders without fuss because it's mostly been forgotten behind the crys of outrage from nurseries.

[lilac_dragon]

The pre school I drop and collect from has been flooded with two year olds under the vulnerable two year old scheme.
What is described in this article pretty much sums up what I witness during collections and drop off times, the same children are left to it, others on hip or pulling on workers t shirts while they try to hand over a child and give a quick chat to the adult. I'm not saying its like this all day I'm not there all day, but they Definetly looked stressed out and look like they find the drop off and collection time difficult. That's with a ratio of 1:4, 1:6 would be dangerous.

None of the local nurseries are rubbing their hands in glee over ratio changes, none of them intend to ever take ms Truss up on her idea as yet.

I personally think it's all just a smoke screen, she knew everyone would be up in arms and will eventually compromise but will get to bring in the agencies and with it the deregulation of childminders without fuss because it's mostly been forgotten behind the crys of outrage from nurseries.

I've just written about this point on a new thread - please read. it was one of those moments were a deeply buried memory burst to the surface screaming OMG at me!!!!!!!!
it's under sic Truss report now makes more sense

[SYLVIA]

The agency bit is much harder to get implanted in people's heads because firstly they see it as affecting us only. If you try describing it like the system they get their cleaners, it seems to make them see the point. They choose your cleaner, they charge you £15 per hour but your cleaner gets £10. They are paying the middle man and paying £5 more than they need to if they advertised for the cleaner themselves. Hope I'm understanding that right as I don't have a cleaner! All but one of my parents got it, the other just said, Well, let's wait and see:panic: