PDA

View Full Version : total chaos at pick up time...HELP!



merry
14-12-2009, 07:24 PM
Does anyone have any tips or ideas for making parents picking up time less manic? It's getting ridiculous, I had 7 children from 5 families here today, collection starts at 5.15 and carries on until 6, 5 of the children are noisy boisterous boys who often make so much noise I can't hear the doorbell and I'm sick of shouting myself hoarse to make myself heard. It's usually noisy but fairly well controlled until the first parent arrives, what I do is call the child into the hall, youngest (who is also latest collected will then have a full on screaming fit because it's not his Mum and will do this every time the bell goes, having been fine all day), most of the other children will try to crowd into the hall until I shoo them back into living room, where fighting and what really sounds like full scale rioting breaks out. This all takes place in a matter of minutes, no long chats at the door or anything. It must look awful to the parents, I've tried all my usual tricks, but it's getting steadily worse :( Any help will be hugely appreciated.

:)

Jemima77
14-12-2009, 07:33 PM
poor you I had a similar situation but not on such a big scale. I decided to send out a xmas newsletter to all my parents and stated in that as one of my points that as of now I will get the child ready for them to take and run, 5 mins before they are due to arrive (i said it in a way that sounded like they would benefit from a quick getaway) but really it was because it was starting to cause problems with children playing up and running into my time that I would like to spend with my family. I think it has worked as one mum rang me today to say that she was just turning into my road 30mins early so I could I get him ready!!! yeah!!!!! You could try it as I am sure all the parents want to do is get home too. Good Luck xxxx

Amaranth
14-12-2009, 07:34 PM
I have been there, I know just what you feel like. :panic:

Now after we have eaten we put the tv on (some of my mindees think my tv is broken, as this is the only time during the day that it goes on!! :laughing: ) and it is quiet sit down time until all kids have gone. I usually find that most of mindees will be so engrossed in what they are watching that sometimes they don't even realise when their own parents turn up!! :laughing:

huggableshelly
14-12-2009, 07:38 PM
I put the tv on at 4:55pm as collections start at 5pm.

the older ones love to watch tracey beaker which does not start till 5.10 ish so the little ones have cbeebies on for a few mins till their parents pick up.
Kiddies have learnt that if they mess the tv is zapped ... I take the remote to the door with me so can zap it at any time needed.

Before I used to get them ready for their parents but they would still play up and run into the lounge with thier shoes on which is a big bug bare but the tv seems to work much better.

sarah707
14-12-2009, 07:41 PM
I use the TV as well. It works up to a point...

But I still have 2 very noisy ones who seem to look for any excuse to scream and shout :(

It's just a matter of managing it as much as possible I'm afraid :D

merry
14-12-2009, 08:19 PM
It's just a matter of managing it as much as possible I'm afraid :D

I thought so, but really I wanted a magical solution that would turn them all into quiet little angels :laughing: I have tried the TV but while some will sit glued to it, others will still run and shout, then the ones trying to watch will get annoyed. I like the idea of getting them ready before parents arrive, I've thought about it before but never actually tried it, will give it a go.
Thanks for replies, nice to know I'm not the only one with unruly mindees, they're all lovely really, but SO SO loud!
Oh well, only 4 more days til my Christmas holiday :clapping:

:)

caz3007
14-12-2009, 08:41 PM
I have 4 after schoolies, two of the boys are just 11 and then another boy 9 and girl 9. And then my own 7 year old. The older two are the worst behaved and I often have to shout to make myself heard Today, I had 5 kids all trying to get their coats on to go and play on the green outside my house, 1 dog, trying to get out the front door, two mums and a double folded buggy, all in a tiny hallway which is about 4 feet square. These children have been coming to me for a long long time and the mums usually arrive at the same time, so all the children, including mine go and play out the front and then us mums have a chat.

All the children I have looked after all play up at home time cos your attention is elsewhere

The Juggler
14-12-2009, 10:54 PM
Does anyone have any tips or ideas for making parents picking up time less manic? It's getting ridiculous, I had 7 children from 5 families here today, collection starts at 5.15 and carries on until 6, 5 of the children are noisy boisterous boys who often make so much noise I can't hear the doorbell and I'm sick of shouting myself hoarse to make myself heard. It's usually noisy but fairly well controlled until the first parent arrives, what I do is call the child into the hall, youngest (who is also latest collected will then have a full on screaming fit because it's not his Mum and will do this every time the bell goes, having been fine all day), most of the other children will try to crowd into the hall until I shoo them back into living room, where fighting and what really sounds like full scale rioting breaks out. This all takes place in a matter of minutes, no long chats at the door or anything. It must look awful to the parents, I've tried all my usual tricks, but it's getting steadily worse :( Any help will be hugely appreciated.

:)


sounds just like my house - only problem is my two are worst offenders, start winding up little ones on collection chasing them up and down the house. I've now resorted to sending them upstairs to tidy/play until all the pick ups are over!

Pipsqueak
14-12-2009, 11:12 PM
I thought so, but really I wanted a magical solution that would turn them all into quiet little angels :laughing:
:)

HAve you tried that trick of using a squirty bottle on dogs who yip, whine and bark. It basically works by delivering a bit of a shock to the system:D

kidding kidding


how about having a talk to them and making it into a game to see who can be the quietest churchmouse or who was the lion roaring. Quietest gets a sticker - 10 stickers =?????? After that up the ante.
Once this is embedded you really reinforce verbally just how brilliant it is that are all good/controlled etc

Sounds good in theory doesn't it. Good luck - mostof the noise and racket comes from my own horrors

mabel
15-12-2009, 09:53 AM
we play games but I am in the room with them all the time
children age range from 2 yrs to 7 yrs
ideas
Kim's game with baubles and chrsitmassy bits and bobs
Pairs ...you can hide one half of a pair of cards they have to find them
(at the moment they are laminated christmas pictures which I have made)
Twister
Clip clothes pegs everywhere (I have lots of different colours) so they have to find the yellow ones, then the red etc
You can adapt games like this easy with finding a number/colour
and little ones learn so much from the older ones.
cut old christmas cards into 4 peice jigsaws and hide 3 pieces so they have to find their own jigsaw,
I have also made christmas dominoes but can I find them..........?

I think adding a christmassy feel helps you through these last few days
then it will be winter theme

nokidshere
15-12-2009, 11:56 AM
Not much help from me - sorry! We are the same - its complete mayhem for about 20 mins.

I just go with it and let everyone get on with it :D

Lady Haha
15-12-2009, 10:55 PM
Glad it's not just my house then!!!! I have up to seven schoolies after school and between around 5.45 and 6pm is the rush 'hour'!!! Mums and kids every where, getting coats on and book bags, other kids getting stuff OUT of book bags to show mum, kids getting stuff out of their drawer to balance on top of book bags, me trying my best to keep our dog away from the front door and worst of all, my own seven year old son deciding that now would be the best time to have a headfit if he can't get my attention after having spent the past two hours happily playing with the other kids.

Did all that tonight AND managed to give mums their Xmas pressies!

My mum visits me once a fortnight and turned up at 5.40pm today and after they had all gone, she said she didn't know how I did it!!!

SmartKids
16-12-2009, 12:19 PM
Sounds like most of us at some time have this problem - I have a mixture of children with different ideas on how to get attention - I now say to them when the doorbell rings I will call you if it is your mum/dad etc but be quiet so you can hear - have also said if they are good and get shoes and coats on quickly then they can have a surprise - this time of year a choc coin etc. Also, I do keep reminding mine daily - like you say I do wonder what the parents think and I do hope that they realise that they arent like that all the time. Good Luck