Do you empty everything from your bathroom at start of CM day?

[Bitsy Beans]

When I had my pre reg check the inspector asked me about our shampoo's, toothpaste etc and what I planned to do with it whilst mindees were here. It's not possible to put it all on a shelf out of reach and she told me that many CM's put everything in a basket at start of day.
Do you all clear everything from your bathrooms? I don't have a downstairs toilet so main bathroom will be used (although my first mindee isn't potty trained yet). I assumed that most kids to a certain degree would need assistance and therefore would not be upstairs unsupervised and those of an older nature would be taught not to touch things like the shampoo.
Am I being a bit naive? :o

[sarah707]

Everything that might poison children needs to be out of sight and reach - that includes toothpaste!!

If they are going to be upstairs unsupervised even for a few minutes then I would lock things away - it just isn't worth the risk.

I have a high shelf for shampoos etc and a high window ledge for toothpaste.

Can you fit a cupboard lock maybe? Or put a shelf up near the shower so you are not inconvenienced? Otherwise a box you carry in and out might be the answer :D

[miffy]

Could you get a bathroom cabinet that's lockable and put it all in there whilst you're working?

Miffy xx

[Mouse]

We have a big lockable cupboard in the bathroom, so shampoos etc are always in there anyway.

Toilet/bathroom cleaners etc are on the top of the cupboard & even I struggle to reach them.

I do leave toothpaste on the window sill & it has never been questioned by an Ofsted inspector or Early Years team. Mouthwash is in the cupboard.

Our towels are out of reach as well. If any mindees will be using the bathroom (supervised or unsupervised) all that's out is liquid soap, paper towels, wipes and the toothbrushes & toothpaste.

[Bitsy Beans]

Sadly no room for shelves without impeeding the door opening and only wall space is taken up with a bathroom cabinet and a large mirror.

Box it is then...........

[merry]

I've never done anything like that in 11 years and no one has ever questionned it, under 5's are supervised in the bathroom. Surely children are used to seeing this stuff in their own bathrooms at home, I can't believe we are really expected to hide the toothpaste!

:)

[Helen79]

I don't move stuff either. I have no room to move it to.
I can see the bathroom from wherever I am in the flat though, I only have under 4's so they are all supervised in the bathroom. The door handles are too high for them to reach to open without me helping so I don't see that I need to.
I have RA it so it's written down for ofsted to see.

Most of the products in my bathroom are edible anyway (except the hairspray, soap & dh's deodorant) so don't worry too much. They could have a feast in there lol

[sweets]

i don't move my stuff, i have a 3 year old that goes to the tiolet independantly , its upstairs but i do think you have to give them a bit of trust and you get to know which children are fiddlers and which are not. The worst thing he could do was eat some toothpaste! which i know for a fact he wouldn't as its a battle everymorning for m and d to clean his teeth! lol. If he really wanted the shampoo he could climb into the bath and reach up for it! but i can't see it somehow as washing his hair is a battle too!!!:laughing:

[zillervalley]

I have a downstairs toilet now, but where i used to live didnt, I never moved things, but as someone pointed out you supervise children any way, or should,

these days are different , risk risk , so maybe you should put them in a basket and lift out when you and your family are finished on the morning just to be on the safe side

ziller

[Bitsy Beans]

I've never done anything like that in 11 years and no one has ever questionned it, under 5's are supervised in the bathroom. Surely children are used to seeing this stuff in their own bathrooms at home, I can't believe we are really expected to hide the toothpaste!

:)


this is my problem. Where do we draw the line re the Health and Safety Executive etc and teaching kids to follow instructions and learning NOT to touch things that don't belong to them.

[Mouse]

this is my problem. Where do we draw the line re the Health and Safety Executive etc and teaching kids to follow instructions and learning NOT to touch things that don't belong to them.

When I registered years ago, we had to have everything out of reach in the bathroom and I still do it now - it's just routine. The arguement was that even though children were very unlikely to drink enough shampoo to cause themselves any harm, we had to move it all out of the way just incase one did. At my Ofsted inspection in March, the inspector didn't even go into the bathroom, so perhaps they don't check for that anymore? Could it be that they're letting us use our common sense :rolleyes:

[Pipsqueak]

I am lucky I have a very high shelf for cleaning products, a high window ledge for toiletries and the rest goes in the cabinet.

I have never yet had a child fiddle on with toothpaste that has inadvertently been left out.

[MelBeck]

Most of my stuff is put away however if they go upstairs for a little while you'll normally find them playing with the handsoap as it's a kids one that is foam so you find foam all over the bathroom LOL:littleangel: don't you just love them

[Spangles]

Do a risk assessment for your bathroom including everything that you see as a risk and how you will deal with it.

As long as you have thought about it and can show how you are making it safe then the inspector will be happy with that.

I didn't remove anything out of my bathroom because I always had children who had to be accompanied or were just too little to go in the bathroom at all. I did a risk assessment and talked to my inspector about it and she was happy that I understood the risks and I'd also stated on my RA that if I ever had older children I would then remove this, that and the other or whatever, bla bla bla!

If you see what I mean!