Coffee Mornings etc....

[Happy Feet]

Hi there,

Just wondering how the land lies with coffee mornings and stuff like that....

Sometimes a few of us mums get together after toddler group and have coffee with each other at someones house.

My question is....When I am registered am I able to invite friends over for a short time (couple of hours, not like they aren't moving in for the weekend!) with their children??

Similarly, in the school holidays I usually arrange Play Days so that my little girl can see her friends from toddler groups/nursery, the parents come along so would it be a case of the friends watch their children and I watch my own as I usually do and any mindees are also my responsibility??

Or is this a complete no-no?????

xx

[sammy]

i normally have friends over for an hour here or there, but its normally with their kids and we do activites, ive never been questioned by any of the mums, and they are kept informed in what i do, i would never have a life with my friends if we were not allowed to meet up during the day.

Anyway its good for the children to mingle with others

[ajs]

not sure of the legalities but i do have friends round at least once a week, they are never left with the children on their own even though both of them are crb checked.
they both have children that my mindees love to play with so i think it would be very short sighted of ofsted to say that they were not allowed to come and play.
we sit in the playroom with the children so i am supervising my children while they are supervising their own kids

so i would say as long as you are supervising your children then i can not see a problem with you carrying on with your coffee mornings

[Happy Feet]

I hoped it was ok.....I have an easter egg hunt & halloween tea party (amongst other festivities throughout the year!!) and I really didn't like the thought of having to not do all these great things!!

I would always make sure that they are supervised by me and not leave them with anyone whilst they are in my care....like you said Mandy, it would be short sighted of them not to view it as a good thing for the kids....we aren't a bunch of mums who sit a natter over coffee all day!!!!

xx

[rickysmiths]

I have done various things over the years, after all I took up child minding to stay at home with my two.

I have my Dad here, my mil, friends for coffee and or lunch. A couple of years ago were had 2 South Korean scouts staying (my 2 are in Sea scouts and Explorers) before they went to the World Jamboree in Essex. We also had 3 African Sea Scouts from jamboree come for lunch one day.
Last May we had a German exchange student staying for a week.

My son and daughters friends come round in the holidays. We had a great afternoon last summer with two of my daughters friends building a 2foot wooden
windmill that I had bought.

Before we moved 5 years ago I used to visit a friend who was a nanny at the house she worked in, they had a huge garden, at the time I lived in a flat with no garden.

I have always worked on the basis that all these experiences enrich the lives of the mindees in a way that no day nursery could.:jump for joy: :jump for joy:

As long as the parents are told and none of the visitors is alone with the mindees, have a visitor signing in book and there shouldn't be a problem.

[madasahatter]

I've always gone on the basis that only the children who have been left in my care are counted in my numbers. If we have an event I often invite children who would not normally be there on the basis that mum or dad stays too. So I personally would not worry about coffee mornings etc as the children are in the care of their parents not you.

[Pipsqueak]

i would add that if you are going to someone elses house that you risk assess that as you would any other outing.

i would also make it clear to parents (mindees) that this is what you do - just so they are aware

[ajs]

rickysmiths we had three swedish scouts staying with us in 2007 after they had been to the jamboree in essex again i worked at our local svout camp for the week that the jamboree was on then the gilrs came here for the 2nd week. i was minding the whole time they were here and my little ones loved the big girls

[angeldelight]

i would add that if you are going to someone elses house that you risk assess that as you would any other outing.

i would also make it clear to parents (mindees) that this is what you do - just so they are aware

Yes good idea

I think its a great idea to have your friends around

Life would be very lonely if you were not allowed to speak to another adult during the day so its not only good for the kids its good for yourself too
Childminding could become and can be a lonely job so your coffee mornings sound great

Angel xx

[rickysmiths]

rickysmiths we had three swedish scouts staying with us in 2007 after they had been to the jamboree in essex again i worked at our local svout camp for the week that the jamboree was on then the gilrs came here for the 2nd week. i was minding the whole time they were here and my little ones loved the big girls

I got some fab pictures of my mindees with the African scouts who loved the little ones and my parents thought the day was a great experience for their children.

Sounds as if you had fun like we did. Are you an enthusiastic helper or are you a warrented leader? I got dragged into cubs when my daughter joined, she is an expolorer now. We went to a Sea Scout Jamboree in Slovakia last summer for a week - 400 children from 12 different countries. Hard work but a fab week.

[Pipsqueak]

Oooh my kids are in sea scouts. I come under the heading of enthusiastic helper and secretary in the committee. Might be picking your brains about fundraising and what works.....:D

[beerheaven]

I too have friends round now and again when I am working. I find it easy, especially when considering the dreaded risk assessment, to have others here. The mindees' parents are fine with it.
Plus it's good for you as an adult!!

[rickysmiths]

Oooh my kids are in sea scouts. I come under the heading of enthusiastic helper and secretary in the committee. Might be picking your brains about fundraising and what works.....:D

Oh my dh is secretary on the ex committee!!!!!!!:laughing: Where in the country are you? Is your group Royal Navy Recognised?

Dont know about the fund raising, we need all the help we can get. We are saving up to build a new garage to house the new mini bus we were given last year and we want to put in showers and an upper area for an Explorer den.

The architect told us last week it would cost twice as much as he had originally told us:eek: so we have our giant thinking caps on!!!!!!!

Should we start a Scouting Thread??