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Lavendergirl
24-11-2008, 11:05 AM
Sorry but this is probably going to be a big rant.:angry: :angry:

I have 2 mindees in the day time and I pick up one 8yr old after school,he is the brother of one of the other mindees.
Just recently he has been moaning that 'we do nothing fun here'-this is where the problem is.I've sat him down and had a chat with him about it but he still moans.

I pick him up at 3.20 more like 3.30 by the time i've sent him back in maybe once or twice for all his stuff.
There is a swing park right opposite the school so most evenings he wants to go and play footie with his mates,which is ok by me and the younger mindees can go on the swings.I let him play for about 3/4 hr and then we make our way home which takes about 25 mins to walk so by the time we actually get into the house it is nearly 20 to 5.
It is then wash hands and teatime-normally crumpets,scotch pancakes or cookies with fruit and a drink,hot choc in this cold weather sometimes,so this can then take us to 5pm easily,so that leaves 15 mins to play before mummytime,he has the choice of watching Tv,playing the playstation,playing on the PC,a quick drawing,reading but as i've said to him there isnt a great deal of time left so i'm not getting anything too 'big' out.
I have explained to him that I don't have to sit in the park night after night with him,we can go straight home and do stuff but he moans about this too as he wants to play footie with his mates of course.
We sometimes have DVD afternoons where we come home straight away,put a DVD on,turn the lights off,close the curtains,put the fairy lights on and eat popcorn and hot dogs while watching the DVD.
I think his problem is he reads the daily diary of his sisters and sees what she does in the daytime and is envious that she does this stuff. His moaning is coming out more and more frequently,and also when we are with other people and I don't want people to think we do nothing and not pass my name onto their friends.
Mum has spoken to him(so she says would have liked to know exactly what she said) but still he moans.

How can I make this child see that he is only with me for a short time after school?
What do you all do with your after school mindees?

Lavendergirl :)

Twinkles
24-11-2008, 01:00 PM
I think he's lucky you take him to the park every day - especially in this weather !!

You just have to give him a choice when he gets out of school - ' Do you want to go to the park or do you want to go home and.......'
If he chooses park and then moans when you get home point out to him that it was his choice.

My after schoolies like;

Decorating biscuits/pre-made gingerbread men
Most crafts
Drawing
Watching tv :eek:
Going on the trampoline
Board games
Jigsaws
Playing with the younger children's toys :rolleyes:
Making pizza ( not practical for you if he doesn't stay for a cooked meal )
Playing on the wii
Making dens
Being read to
Lego

I can't think of anything else , you may just find he's moaning for the sake of it !

Hebs
24-11-2008, 01:32 PM
my son is 8, and i'm sure moaning is his hobby at the moment :p

don't take it personally :thumbsup:

loocyloo
24-11-2008, 01:43 PM
i have a few afterschoolers ... they often ask 'what are we going to do?' and to be honest, some nights it doesn't matter what i suggest ... they don't want to do anything!

i offer assorted craft/games & puzzles/books/lego/tv, and like twinkles said, they often enjoy the little childrens toys! esp the small world stuff! we go to the park or play in the garden. the other week they were still in the garden and it was dark!

maybe ask him for a list of things he wants to do, (not all on one night LOL!) and then 'timetable' them so he feels he is doing 'exciting' things!

goodluck xxx

mushpea
24-11-2008, 01:45 PM
i think it sounds a good idea to give him a choice of what to do.
after school if we don't go to the park we get in about 3.30pm, they have snack then they can choose to play with toys, lego etc, watch tv, read books, play board games, dressing up I also put an activity out on the table that the older ones can do with very little help because i cook meals for them too, this can be somthing like, playdough, drawing, painting, glueing, stickers or like this week we are doing christmas so will be christmas cards or decos. they then have thier evening meal around 5pm and go between 5.30pm and 6pm.
maybe you could give him and mum some homwork and ask them to come up with a list of things he would like to do after school and then go with the choice thing from there.

mandy moo
24-11-2008, 08:13 PM
My own boys are 7 & 10, they dont get any better as they get older..:laughing:
Mandy

angeldelight
24-11-2008, 08:17 PM
I think you sound like a super childminder to be honest - you are bending over backwards for this little boy and you are giving in to his demands too

If you dont want to stand around in this cold weather watching him playing footie then dont !

I think you are doing everything right so I wouldnt let it worry you

Let him moan ha

Good luck

Angel xx

Saz
24-11-2008, 08:27 PM
Interesting reading this thread. I am always looking for ideas for the older ones to do in the afternoons. But once they've had a snack and done some homework (the ones to admit to having homework) then they are worn out and just want to chill in front of the tv. Checked with parents and they are happy as thats all they do at home too!

angeldelight
24-11-2008, 08:31 PM
Interesting reading this thread. I am always looking for ideas for the older ones to do in the afternoons. But once they've had a snack and done some homework (the ones to admit to having homework) then they are worn out and just want to chill in front of the tv. Checked with parents and they are happy as thats all they do at home too!

Sounds good to me

Angel xx

Rubybubbles
24-11-2008, 08:35 PM
I think you sound like a super childminder to be honest - you are bending over backwards for this little boy and you are giving in to his demands too

If you dont want to stand around in this cold weather watching him playing footie then dont !

I think you are doing everything right so I wouldnt let it worry you

Let him moan ha

Good luck

Angel xx

thats what I thought!! their is no way I would go to the park for best part of an hour to suit one child (sorry if not right but eh it is frezzing the lo wouldn't cope even if well wrapped up)

your doing a good job, maybe give him a bit more resoniblality (spelling wine:D )

balloon
25-11-2008, 07:31 AM
How about if a couple of nights a week he gets to play footie with his freinds and the others you take him straight home and sit him up with something to do that his sibling has done that day?

I certainly wouldn't stand around in the park for 3/4 of an hour to pelase a child that then moaned at me cos he never got to do anything...

but I'm a meanie, lol! ;)

Polly2
25-11-2008, 12:03 PM
I think he is saying this for attention.

You are doing everything right so don't worry. He will get fed up of moaning if it doesn't get him anywhere!

kiddiwinks
25-11-2008, 02:59 PM
Interesting reading this thread. I am always looking for ideas for the older ones to do in the afternoons. But once they've had a snack and done some homework (the ones to admit to having homework) then they are worn out and just want to chill in front of the tv. Checked with parents and they are happy as thats all they do at home too!

Mine are the same, it must be a boy thing as look after 2 boys i have my own and 2 girls and it only boys that moan about not doing anything. Again like you standing at the park in freezing cold for 45 mins etc so they can play football with mates