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jo.jo76
16-03-2013, 01:24 PM
Just following up on my parent surverys, one of parents requested more days out. Just wondering what 'days out' other childminders do.

At present we attend local playgroups, the library, fire station, baby signing classes, local parks and woods, play parks, the beach and soft play centre, these are normally half day trips, morning or afternoons.
Longer days out have been the local castle, abbey, museums, farms and sealife centre.

Any new ideas for inspiration please! :)

moggy
16-03-2013, 01:29 PM
Just following up on my parent surverys, one of parents requested more days out. Just wondering what 'days out' other childminders do.

At present we attend local playgroups, the library, fire station, baby signing classes, local parks and woods, play parks, the beach and soft play centre, these are normally half day trips, morning or afternoons.
Longer days out have been the local castle, abbey, museums, farms and sealife centre.

Any new ideas for inspiration please! :)

Goodness- sounds a lot already! What age are the children? I only care for little ones so a 'day out' is a morning at a farm park, library or the woods. They can't manage a whole day anyway, with naps etc it is tricky, and getting back for school run. For older children in school holidays I can imagine you'd do more. Maybe ask the parent for some suggestions of where they'd like you to take them?

rosebud
16-03-2013, 01:34 PM
Do they mean more often rather than a wider selection? You seem to have a wide variety on your list and it looks like you cover everything. I would take days out to mean things you don't do regularly - so not playgroups, library, etc but more of the castle, farm selection. I know lots of childminders that don't offer anything like that. Just out of interest do they pay extra for things like that?

jo.jo76
16-03-2013, 01:52 PM
No, I don't charge any extra, the only time I did was when we went to visit santa at the reindeer centre as it was £12 each to get in.

Now you say, I guess she probably means more often. Up until Christmas her daughter came on the same day as one that was collected at lunchtimes so we mostly did half day trips unless it was school holidays. LO is 29mths. On the day I have her I also have a 14mth old and 3yr old, then a 6yr old to collect from school. Days out can be tricky when we have school runs and naps to take into account.

vals
16-03-2013, 02:07 PM
it seems that more and more is expected of us these days. Can you imagine a parent asked a nursery for more days out - most nurseries don't do any! A childminder offers a home from home setting, and yet they want us to take them out on big trips all the time. free days out like the park etc we can do all the time,but we shouldn't feel pressured to do big days out all the time.

chezzagriff
16-03-2013, 04:10 PM
By the sounds of it you do enough days out! I would just continue as your are. Next she will be saying you dont spend enough time in :laughing:

jo.jo76
16-03-2013, 04:18 PM
By the sounds of it you do enough days out! I would just continue as your are. Next she will be saying you dont spend enough time in :laughing:

Haha! Yes probably!:laughing:

lauraring1
16-03-2013, 04:18 PM
I do exactly the same sort of outings/trips as you, it's plenty in my opinion, you'll never be indoors if you do much more, it's a good mix by the sounds of what your are doing... I would keep doing what you are...

RuthJ
16-03-2013, 05:25 PM
I think you're offering plenty! Perhaps you could highlight to parent that you already offer a variety of activities outside if the home. Sounds like she's asking a lot of you! X

Helen79
16-03-2013, 05:29 PM
You do way more trips than I do as everything's so expensive where I live.

Maybe send out another poll, asking for parents opinions on whether they'd be happy to contribute towards the cost of future outings and see what she replies :rolleyes:

Just to show that you've considered her request, maybe write up a weekly sheet for her showing the playgroups and outings that you go out to on a weekly basis, and write down, like you have on here, the other outings that you go on. Hopefully it should show her that you do plenty already.

Tealady
16-03-2013, 06:25 PM
You do way more trips than I do as everything's so expensive where I live.

Maybe send out another poll, asking for parents opinions on whether they'd be happy to contribute towards the cost of future outings and see what she replies :rolleyes:
Just to show that you've considered her request, maybe write up a weekly sheet for her showing the playgroups and outings that you go out to on a weekly basis, and write down, like you have on here, the other outings that you go on. Hopefully it should show her that you do plenty already.

This is the same feedback as my mindee's parent gave. She offered to pay for her LO, which was fine, but was she going to pay for me and DS and then if holiday time my DD also. Things round here are expensive too and what if you then get another parent who doesn't want to cough up.

Gemma Smithson
16-03-2013, 07:20 PM
Some if mine requested more days out to payabke places so I said that's fine but I will require you to contribute to entrance fee for anything over £3 per child so if cost is £5 then they pay £2, one them commented back "childcare costs me enough"!! So needless to say I don't do more than I already did which is much like the outing you offer, as others have said they want more and more from us but most aren't willing to contribute!

hectors house
16-03-2013, 07:45 PM
Sometimes I think parents just like to add a comment - one of mine put "more cakes please" - I wouldn't take it as a negative thing, I think this parent is just saying that the child really enjoys the trips that you do, and if you could fit it any more that would be appreciated.

Some parents just don't realise how difficult it is to arrange trips when we have different drop off and collection times, have to factor in meals and naps - I rarely do whole day trips as I generally do a cooked lunch, and you do far more trips than I do.

My trips are to local livestock market, farm shops, country park with animals, walks at nearby lake, toddler groups, library, occasional soft play (like 2-3 times a year!), I live a few miles from Longleat and used to buy a passport ticket for me, share a childrens ticket between children over 3 (depending on who I had that day) and take in mindees but now I would have to buy season tickets that have mindees photos on so not interchangeable anymore - so too expensive.

MessybutHappy
16-03-2013, 08:21 PM
I agree with Hector! Also, they tend to comment only on whatever topic you've last mentioned, so if we've discussed pd, that's what they'll home in on!! I hope I was a better parent to my cm than my parents are to me!!!!