how do you stop children

[chewy sweets]

Drinking from each other's bottles and beakers???
I mind a 12 month old, a 16 month old and a 2 and a half year old. They're always going for each other's drinks!! I have crying and temper tantrums then when i take it off them. I know it probably isn't too big a deal i was just thinking about spreading bugs and infections!!

Does anyne else have this problem? What do you do??

[Curly Quavers]

I don't think I would try stopping them at that age.

If any children have any thing infectious then they wouldn't be in my care. Things like colds and coughs you are going to spread regardless.

If I were you I would let them get on with it and give your self a quiet life

x

[chewy sweets]

I don't think I would try stopping them at that age.

If any children have any thing infectious then they wouldn't be in my care. Things like colds and coughs you are going to spread regardless.

If I were you I would let them get on with it and give your self a quiet lifex

Ah that bit does sound appealing!!!:laughing:

[Lainey Lou]

Mine are the same, 2 x 2 year olds, ALWAYS drink each others drinks (must taste better), I usually just let them get on with it as I've realised that I am fighting a loosing battle! xx

[Chimps Childminding]

Mine are the same!! I also caught my 13 month old "trying out" the 14 month old's dummy the other day. She doesn't have one, and was obviously intrigued as to what it was and what it tasted like! Had a quick suck on it and then decided she wasn't fussed and gave it him back!!!!!!:laughing:

[Mollymop]

I just say "no!" this is your drink - end of!

[madasahatter]

Funny, I've never really had that problem, though I've seen it happening lots at toddlers etc. However here the children have individually named sports bottles containing water available all the time (very dilute juice only at meal times in beakers). Mine seem to be able to recognise their written names from around 18 months to 2 years, but they do have their own named photo above their coat hook, above their towel in the bathroom, on the birthday board. If they are younger and have lidded beakers then I make sure that they each have one that is different so they can learn to recognise their own but also write their name on it in marker pen.

[green puppy]

My two mindees aged 19 mths and 22mths know which cup is theirs and stick to their own cups, they even pass them on if they pick up the others cup first. From about 11 mths I kept repeating " this is your blue cup L" and " this is your green cup S" whenever they had a drink. I gave them over the top praise when they selected their own cups to drink from and still do. I think that helped as children are so eager to please and get praise! My new mindee 14mths has just started and they give her red cup to her.

[chewy sweets]

Great advice ladies!!!:thumbsup: I think i'll do a bit of both! Try to get them to recognise their own cup but if they keep doing it i'm going to leave them to it!!

[Amaranth]

Mine all have either their own sports bottle with a different design on (i get them in packs of 3 from the pound shop) or a beaker (the ones from ikea) Each ones has the child's name on too for the older ones who can read.
All my mindees know exactly which is their bottle/ beaker even the 2 yr olds.

I got into trouble with the mindees last week as they thought I was using someones beaker to have a drink!! (I wasn't though, it was a spare one I had in the cupboard that just happened to be the same colour!) :laughing:

[balloon]

I mind three 18 month olds. I've had two of them since they were tiny babies and this has never been an issue. I now use Avent beakers in different colours so they can tell the difference. They are placed on the low table so they always have access but I leave the lids on! The children know to bring their drinks to me for 'lid off'. If they do pick up the wrong bottle I simple say ' no this is xxx's bottle, this one is yours' and give them the right one.

With all due respect, I don't get paid to have a quiet life, I get paid to give these people's children the best care I'm capable of...

[Spangles]

I would definitely not let them do that especially with swine flu lurking!

I would make sure they had their own individual cup that they stuck to and got to know and if they went for another's cup I would just remind them and give them theirs.

[Gherkin]

I am constantly saying to the two one year olds I care care for: "no that is xxx drink".

Their parents bring their beakers with them but I think I might get them all their own ones for here as their current beakers do not have lids they are just pull ups and both the litte angels like to sprinkle their drinks everywhere. Not so bad if it is water but ont of them has juice and will not get what "no thank you means" although I think they are just ignoring me.

[amirose]

My 2 year old mindee constantly brings the other children thier drinks wether they want them or not :rolleyes: I think I am going to have to start using a sports bottle myself (that's what I use for all the kids) as when she brings me my cup of water, well you can guess how that goes .... :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[helenlc]

P (2 yrs) knows her cup is blue.

T (16 mths) knows her cup if green.

But T likes the look of Ps cup so is constantly trying to have some - even though they both have the same drink!

I provide cups/beakers for the children. I buy them ones that look different so they can tell the difference. And they are encouraged to drink from theirs and not someone else's. As I put the cup infront of them I say This is your blue cup P, This is your green cup T.

Besides the germ aspect, I think its important for the children's sense of belonging (in my setting) to have their own cups and things at my house. I tell the parents this too. At pre-school, day nursery etc all the things are the same (generally) and you just get the one that gets put infront of you. I want the children to know that they are thought of at my house as being important enough to warrant having their own cup.

[Curly Quavers]

I get paid to give these people's children the best care I'm capable of...

As we all do however I don't think we would doing the job properly if we allowed young children to get so distressed on a regular basis over something that is not that big a deal. That is my opinion (sorry)

[margimum]

You don'tneed to apologise, Franny, for having your own opinion.
I too, don't think it's enough of a danger to get children upset about it.
In my setting, if a kiss is offered (even a slobbery one!), it is taken gratefully - germs and all!
And we drink out of whatever cup is given to us without feeling 'not special'.:(
A couple of my lo's are 'mouthers' so chances are whatever you pick up has just been in someone's mouth!
In the last 18 years noone has had any kind of terrible disease passed on from my setting, so I'm not going to worry too much now!:)

[Chimps Childminding]

You don'tneed to apologise, Franny, for having your own opinion.
I too, don't think it's enough of a danger to get children upset about it.
In my setting, if a kiss is offered (even a slobbery one!), it is taken gratefully - germs and all!
And we drink out of whatever cup is given to us without feeling 'not special'.:(
A couple of my lo's are 'mouthers' so chances are whatever you pick up has just been in someone's mouth!
In the last 18 years noone has had any kind of terrible disease passed on from my setting, so I'm not going to worry too much now!:)

My thoughts exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :thumbsup:

[Sarajane]

Drinking from each other's bottles and beakers???
I mind a 12 month old, a 16 month old and a 2 and a half year old. They're always going for each other's drinks!! I have crying and temper tantrums then when i take it off them. I know it probably isn't too big a deal i was just thinking about spreading bugs and infections!!

Does anyne else have this problem? What do you do??

Hi,

I would buy them new beakers (12 month old can now drink from one) which are all the same colour so that they wont know that they are drinking eachothers. I would not worry about bugs or infections unless one is poorly and then you could give that child a different colour and explain to the children that they will too get sick if they drink from that beaker - i.e, red for danger!

[tinkerbelle]

You don'tneed to apologise, Franny, for having your own opinion.
I too, don't think it's enough of a danger to get children upset about it.
In my setting, if a kiss is offered (even a slobbery one!), it is taken gratefully - germs and all!
And we drink out of whatever cup is given to us without feeling 'not special'.:(
A couple of my lo's are 'mouthers' so chances are whatever you pick up has just been in someone's mouth!
In the last 18 years noone has had any kind of terrible disease passed on from my setting, so I'm not going to worry too much now!:)

totally agree with you iv got more important things to worry about than have they got the right cup im pretty sure most of us if not all have shared cups glasses etc on a night out so whats the difference

[Mummits]

I've been putting named sticky labels on sippy cups and beakers for my own benefit so I can quickly spot if one of the youngsters has picked up the wrong cup. The other day I was making flash cards with the kids' names and photos on, and it occurred to me I could use the same photos to make printed gummed labels - so I am doing that now. I'm not especially paranoid about germs, as someone else has already said, they all kiss and hug each other all the time anyway, but I do find that having named things or labelling them makes them seem more special and cuts down on squabbling.

[chewy sweets]

I seem to have started a bit of a dibate here.
I originally thought to just let them carry on with it.But people have gone so over the top about germs and infections these days.
When i was young i was out eating mud pies and getting really messy and i never had anything wrong with me. So the fact that they share a cup shouldn't be too big a deal???

[Pauline]

It's not just cups either, toys are the same. At toddler group this week there was a recorder (musical blow type) all the children wanted it and as soon as one put it down another would grab it. It was impossible to stop them sharing it or wipe it between each child having a go.

All you can do is keep as many germs as possible away but you could never, ever protect a child from everything :panic:

My gran always used to say "We all need to eat a peck of dirt" if anyone thought a child shouldn't get dirty. :)

[sweets]

children need to be exposed to some germs!

Obviously if a child has a cold then i would be extra careful, my mindees have their own cups and are encouraged to use them, but occasionaly have a sip out of someone elses and i don't make a big deal about it!

children are ill nowadays much more than years ago as i don't think there immune systems are as strong as they could be because society is scared of a few germs.

my house is clean but its not sterile! i don't constantly antibac, and you probably think this is terrible but all my mindees had a biscuit in the garden today and they didn't wash their hands first! lol

can i also add that i havnt had a cold for about 10 years and have only ever had one stomach upset in my life!:laughing:

[chewy sweets]

My friend's really over protective over her lo and disinfects everything and the child never looks the slightest bit dirty- but this child is always ill!! Always coming down with colds and stomach bugs! My lo(15 months) eats food off the floor( which i know he shouldn't) and gets dirty in the garden and he's never been ill- I guess it's best to build up an immunity to bugs and germs than to be hardly ever exposed to them!!:)

[jeanybeany]

I've been putting named sticky labels on sippy cups and beakers for my own benefit so I can quickly spot if one of the youngsters has picked up the wrong cup. The other day I was making flash cards with the kids' names and photos on, and it occurred to me I could use the same photos to make printed gummed labels - so I am doing that now. I'm not especially paranoid about germs, as someone else has already said, they all kiss and hug each other all the time anyway, but I do find that having named things or labelling them makes them seem more special and cuts down on squabbling.

This is what I do for the little ones once they are older they have their name on. They love this.