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Sarah555
15-01-2009, 11:05 AM
Hi everyone, I'm sorry if this has been asked before!
But i was wondering i'm in the process of starting up as a childminder and have two children of my own (3 and 20 months) and didn't know what to do about their toys. We are having a conservatory built and will use this as a playroom for my children and the child i will childmind for but do i put all my childrens toys in there? i have been reading on here that some people don't do that, their own children keep their toys in their room and use other toys for childminding. I hadn't thought too much about it i just thought all the toys would go in the playroom, do you think this is unfair on my children? what does everyone else do?
Sarah x

DudleyChildmind
15-01-2009, 11:19 AM
When my children were little I used to put their favourite/special toys in their bedroom and it was their choice to bring them downstairs if they wanted to share them with the other children :)

CCJD
15-01-2009, 01:44 PM
I have always had the rule that the toys in the playroom are for sharing - that goes for my children and the children I mind if they bring toys from home with them. My children have always tended to keep their favourite/special toys in their room (or when my daughter was too little to play upstairs) she had a box in the lounge so she could go in there with dad and play on her own if she wanted.

Toys get broken, especially when played with by alot of children so I think it's a good idea to allow your children some things that arent to be shared (but equally then cannot be played with in view of the mindees).

Our children beneift hugely from us working from home and you dont want them resenting mindees because bottom line is, you do need their cooperation to childmind and a three year old can have the memory of an elephant when it comes to reminding you and anyone else who will listen about the time that so and so broke my favourite toy!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Happy Feet
15-01-2009, 01:48 PM
I'm only just starting on the road to becoming registered. In my area we have to complete all the training and first aid etc before we can put our application into ofsted.

I have 2 little girls, one who was 3 in November and one who will be 1 in March.

I am going to leave their toys in their bedrooms and have started to buy new toys for the child/children I will be minding.

Seeing as it is going to take several months to get registered I figure that I can spread the cost buy getting bits each month.

I have put things into catagories so that I can cover most areas before I am registered.

For example, In December I got lots of different dressing up outfits and also got lots of musical intruments.

We already have a huge box of tubs of play doh with tools and cutters so thats covered.

This month so far I have purchased loads of stuff for different arts and crafts so that I have enough bits to get started. I have also picked up colouring books, crayons, colouring pens & pencils, various coloured paper, chalk board and chalks.

Haven't decided what next months focus is going to be but seeing as I have so much to get I'm sure I won't be stuck for ideas!!!!

I think I will use some of my childrens toys in the early stages as they both have so much stuff and it will help until I get round to getting everything I need!

xx

Annie_T
15-01-2009, 01:55 PM
i know what your saying hun, my children let me have toys to use ( play food etc) i also brought toys for childminding ...which my kids play with anyhow

as long as they are age appriate i cant see the harm in mindees and your children share the toys

lushy78
15-01-2009, 01:57 PM
My daughter has all her toys in her bedroom, she can bring them down on weekends only as the mindees just trample on them and break them. I have a huge playbox downstairs full of toys that are for everyone. So my daughters things dont get ruined. I made the mistake of letting my daughter bring down her new till and shop just after christmas only for a mindeed to pick it up, throw it across the room and it is now broken. Won't be doing that again! Plus there's no issues of "that's mine" now.

childmind04
15-01-2009, 01:58 PM
Definitly keep some seperate, some children can be very rough with toys and its so distressing for your own lo if they see 'their' toys being broken ;)

beerheaven
15-01-2009, 02:09 PM
My older girls keep their own toys in their bedrooms. If they bring downstairs then it is expected that they share with others.
However I do have a wide range of toys for childminding, so my own kids generally tend to play with those when I am working.

HomefromHome
15-01-2009, 02:17 PM
hi
i put the pressies that my dd (3) gets for birthdays and xmas in her room - everything else (ie, stuff i bought, freecycle stuff, charity shop stuff, bits people have given me) is for minding. i also tell the children inc my dd that the toys are mine and that i let them play with them! really helps when they start arguing over them!
i would put your childrens' toys that they are attatched too out the way - have fun in charity shops with them and explain as best you can that the toys you buy from the charity shops are for any children who come to your home to play with - get them to help choose what you want for childminding.
:)

sammy
15-01-2009, 08:51 PM
i just buy toys and let all the others share, my son whos 7 has "older" toys not suitable for the under 5s, so i keep his door shut. then my other 2 boys share all there toys, to me a toy is to share and take tunrs over, but if they become distructive it is taken away.

I remember going to a ladys house once for the first (AND LAST TIME) as her 3 year old CONTINUOUSLY snatched toys off my 1 year old as they were hes!! i wouldnt mind but the child had a pile of toys and even the mum took a toy out of my sons hand and said well they are his toys!!! so annoying,

So would she like it if he came to my house and i snatched every toy off him !! probably not - makes me so annoyed!! had to get that off my chest - lol

mandy moo
16-01-2009, 12:58 PM
My older girls keep their own toys in their bedrooms. If they bring downstairs then it is expected that they share with others.
However I do have a wide range of toys for childminding, so my own kids generally tend to play with those when I am working.

Same as above.
Also some of their toys are not suitable for very little ones.
And as per my registration, which I asked for, no minded children to be allowed up stair, except my own room which is for sleeping only.