No heating

[MissTinkerbell]

How do I stand on remaining open?

Our boiler packed in last night so we have no heating, although as we have an immersion heater I do have hot water!

I have rung MODern housing (hubby in RAF) who maintain our quarters and because it is not an emergency (I have hot water and its not winter heating time yet) they cannot send anybody out until the 19th October!!! However I need to ring back tomorrow and they might be able to change this.

I don't have any other form of heating as we have an open fire which is boarded up.

Whilst it is not too cold at the moment because the house is still warmish from the heat retained its going to coll down pretty quickly without this heat being boosted.

Is it OK to remain open - I mind a 13 month old and 2 before and after schoolers? I can't really afford to lose a weeks fees because the stupid people can't send anybody out until a week tomorrow.

[helenlc]

Unless its really cold, I would imagine it would be ok. Maybe you could speak to the 13 month old's parents and explain and suggest that they dress them extra warmer over the next few days until you have it sorted. Do you have any childminding friends locally who you could spend the days with them in their home so you are not at yours in the cold?

Alternatively, could you ask around if anyone has an electric radiator/heater you could borrow? It might be worth investing in one. We have one and when our heating went a few years back, it did ok - enough to take the chill out the room anyway. Or find somewhere that hires them out?

Hope that helps:thumbsup:

[louised]

I'm not sure what the rules and regs are in this situation, but could you not get your hands on some kind of portable heater. I used to use an electric fan heater to warm up my living room while the radiators were heating up, they are very safe as the heater doesn't get hot itself and not very expensive, I think I bought mine at argos

[sweets]

i had no heating for nearly 2 weeks last christmas! it was freezing:eek:

Luckilt i only had the children a couple of days and i explaned to the parents and asked them wrap them up warm and they had lots of layers on.

one the first day one of the parents turned up with 2 electric oil heaters for me to borrow and they were great. gave out a lot of heat. so if you can get hold of a couple i would. even if you have to buy one they are only about £20.

I wouldnt close. its not that cold yet so you should be ok.

spend a lot of time at toddler groups and other peoples houses if you can:)

[MissTinkerbell]

My CM friend's boiler has also gone - she was round at mine last week!!

I'm going to text my parents today and let them know to dress him in warmer clothes for the next few days or knowing MODern housing, the next few weeks!!!

I think Hubby has an electric fan heater in his garage so I shall have to go hunting for that - failing that I know that mum and dad have a spare one.

Thought it would be OK to stay open but just wanted to double check.

Thanks

[sarah707]

From a legal point of view, the statutory requirements of the Eyfs state -

'Rooms should be maintained at a temperature which ensures the comfort of the children and staff, including non-mobile children.'

This is generally accepted to be around 18 degrees.

So, I would suggest you -

- do a risk assessment

- work with parents to ensure children are warm enough

- monitor temps in all rooms you use for minding (in writing) and say what will happen if it goes below what is generally acceptable

- focus on how you will (if applicable) care for 'non-mobile children' appropriately

- show how any borrowed heaters are safely used so children do not pull them over / burn themselves etc.

Hope it's sorted soon! :D

[wendywu]

You can get the little portable oil filled rads. You just plug them in and they look like the old fashioned rads. From Wickes and Screwfix they cost about £20. each. They are handy to have anyway for times like this and they are not expensive to run and give out a goo heat. :thumbsup:

[Helen79]

I would stay open but explain to parents & ask for extra jumpers for the children.
Could you ask around if anyone has any electric heaters that you can borrow for a few weeks.

[FizzysFriends]

I would stay open as it isn't that cold yet, I don't have my heating on and haven't yet this autumn.

Would borrow a heater just incase and carry on as usual.

[miffy]

You can get the little portable oil filled rads. You just plug them in and they look like the old fashioned rads. From Wickes and Screwfix they cost about £20. each. They are handy to have anyway for times like this and they are not expensive to run and give out a goo heat. :thumbsup:

These are good - you might be able to borrow one or two from friends or parents.

Hope it's sorted soon

Miffy xx

[MissTinkerbell]

We haven't had the heating on much anyway - usually first thing in morning and last thing at night.

Have just text 'mum' and asked that she send little one in warmer clothes and she is OK with that. As you all say it is not that cold just yet and I'm probably overreacting:blush:

We usually rush about playing all day anyway and with naptimes, toddler groups and school runs my little 13 month old is not in the house much anyway.

Just hope the weather doesn't decide to get any colder!!!!!

[sweets]

We haven't had the heating on much anyway - usually first thing in morning and last thing at night.

Have just text 'mum' and asked that she send little one in warmer clothes and she is OK with that. As you all say it is not that cold just yet and I'm probably overreacting:blush:

We usually rush about playing all day anyway and with naptimes, toddler groups and school runs my little 13 month old is not in the house much anyway.

Just hope the weather doesn't decide to get any colder!!!!!

lol we will prob get a real cold snap now with lots of frosty mornings!:laughing:

[MissTinkerbell]

lol we will prob get a real cold snap now with lots of frosty mornings!:laughing:

Oh no, please don't joke about that:laughing:

[Zoomie]

I wasn't minding last year but ....

Ours went last winter too ... abt mid Nov. National Grid had been down our street and when it came to reconnecting our gas, they found a leak so couldn't reconnect. They gave us some portable fan heaters and a two plate stove and when we got companies around to fix our leak, they condemned the boiler too :( :( .

It took us a week to get the money together and get someone round to install a new boiler ... they were seriously dark days. We showered at a variety of neighbours but it was so NOT nice :( .

I did keep all the curtains closed to maintain any heat in the house and blasted the house with the fan heaters supplied. I am glad I didn't have to make any decisions about cm-ing, as I would have had to close.

Hope you get yours sorted soon.

[TheBTeam]

Not sure which area of the country you are in, but it isn't that cold here so we haven't had our heating on yet, so unless it is below 18% which feels surprisingly chilly, then i wouldn't panic!

As others have said maybe a little blow heater or oil filled radiator and just narrow down the rooms you use temporarily, also do lots of physical stuff to keep warm, dancing, jumping and hopping, even with a small child and you jigging around and holding them will keep their blood flowing.

Warmer snacks, rather than cold yoghurts and fruit, warm crumpets, toasted warm teacakes, just things that feel more comforting can all help.

For a while you could pretend that the outside was inside, so dress up in coats and wellies and pretend to play an indoor outdoor swap game, I certainly wouldn't want to close, i would visit toddler groups and friends as well to reduce the time at home if it is really that chilly.

[Dragonfly]

Same as fizzyfriends.:)

[babs]

on the up side says itsgoing to warm up next week....