Bibs

[Melissa]

What do you do about protecting mindee's clothes during mealtimes?

So far I have just looked after one mindee (I started minding 2 months ago) and her mum sends her each day with a wipeclean bib which I just clean with the washing up between meals. This has worked out fine. I'm about to start caring for another little one, and have told his mum she needs to supply bibs, but now I'm wondering whether this is really the done thing... I keep thinking of dirty bibs festering in a bag, waiting to go home with him. Ugh! On the other hand I don't want to take on extra laundry, albeit a small amount. Should I just get my own wipeclean bibs for him to use? Or ask his mum to send a wipeclean bib?

[Curly Quavers]

I would fully expect children to come with bibs if they need them I don't supply them.

[amanda1309]

I have a large bag of bibs of varying shapes and sizes.
It's up to you what you do, i find that me supplying them works best for me.

[Twinkles]

I also have a large bag of bibs and aprons , as Amanda says it's just what works for me ( the less stuff to lose the better ) I supply all drinking cups/water bottles too as I just don't want to be responsible for losing theirs :blush:

[RachelE]

I supply them too and then just add them to my washing - its not much extra.

My dd is only 3 and my ds 8, so I have lots left over.

- It also saves relying on a parent remembering to put them in!

Rachel x

[Gizmo]

I supply bibs too but lo is so good at taking them off I spend longer trying to put them back on him a wee houdini that one :laughing:

[Chell]

Asda usually have the moulded plastic ones for £1 during their baby week (might still be running now). I fnd them more effective as they catch the dropped food although sometimes I double protect DD and put a long sleeved bib on her too.

[sweets]

i provide bibs as i find it easier. i have an ice cream tub on the side with a bit of bio washing powder in it with water, which i pop the dirty bibs in and wash them at the end of the week with the travel cot sheets etc. i used to just throw the bibs in the washer but by the time i came to wash then a couple of days later some of them had mould spots on them! the lidded ice-cream tub works well.

[margaret]

I provide bibs and aprons otherwise mums always seem to forget to bring clean ones and dirty ones end up left at bottom of bag - yuk - i just soak them in miltons and put them throgh machine with t towels ,works well no real hassle

[sunflower]

My parents provide the bibs

I do have some spare ones, just incase theres none on their bag

[sunflower]

My parents provide their bibs

I do have some spare ones, just incase theres none on their bag

[babs]

i provide bibs as its hard enough gettin parents to send a change of clothes everyday :mad:

[sillysausage]

I've never even thought to ask parents to provide bibs. I just assumed that we would provide them ourselves. I'm still using some that were my children's, so they're 15 years old ish. I've recently bought a wipe clean one from the supermarket (soft vinyl) which only cost £1.50 and I wipe it down after each meal and stick it in the washer every day or so. I got this because my baby mindee kept spitting out the water from his feeder cup and it was soaking through the normal bibs and making his clothes all wet:rolleyes:
I've got a little drawer in my kitchen that is stuffed full of bibs and flannels.

[Spangles]

I always supplied my own bibs, usually wipe clean ones.

[katickles]

I provide bibs for meal times, as above TBH I never even thought of asking parents to provide them.

I use the Tommee Tippee plastic ones - they roll up so don't take up much room. Its then a case of washing them along with the dishes :)

[helenlc]

I supply my own bibs - as someone else said its hard enough getting parents to send spare clothes!!

I have some plastic backed material ones from when I looked after a baby. Just got them in Poundland etc. I just put them in whatever wash I am doing next.

I also have some of the moulded plastic ones - Tesco basic ones 2 for £1.25. My current mindee is 19 mths and I am getting her to feed herself most things now so it gets kinda messy!! I just wash them with the washing up.

[Mouse]

I always provide bibs & keep a variety of different sizes & sorts.

Sometimes parents do send them, but like someone else said, I don't like putting dirty bibs back in the child's bag as they often get left there.

With the amount of washing I do for my family, a few extra bibs a week hardly makes any difference.

[TheBTeam]

A few of my cm friends dont supply bibs and send dirty ones home in a bag, personally i dont like the idea of this and even for the youngest i supply them, I use the soft pvc ones with pouches that velcro, (not the stiff variety), but the ones they sell in tesco and sainsbury, which i just rinse out and wash up with my hot soapy water and dry, I have around 6 and they last for ever.

[Merry-Minder]

I provide my own cheap plastic 'catch all' bibs, no problem washing them up after lunch. For the children that are still learning to feed themselves I use the full fabric ones with the arms in, I have a couple and i just chuck them in with my washing.

[ChocolateChip]

I supply my own bibs, I used my kids old ones to start with, have now replaced them with some new popover ones as the mindees kept pulling the velcro ones off!
However if I get a really dribbly/ sicky baby then I will ask the parent to supply some extra ones for throughout the day.

[Tam's Tribe]

When I first started minding my LOs parents sent a lot of bibs (their decision) which I kept and washed when needed . . . but I recently found some fabulous HUGE soft plastic bibs with a food catcher (2 for £4) at Sainsburys which you just rinse with water and dry (ready in time for next meal) . . . they really protect the mindees clothes and they can just enjoy eating and learning to use their cutlery and I am not stressing about mucky clothes!! . . . there are some lovely patterns as well.

[miffy]

I have a supply of bibs/aprons too - sometimes parents send their own but if they forget at least I've got some.

I got some very soft food catcher plastic ones from Tescos which are great and just get washed up with the dishes.

Miffy xx

[PixiePetal]

I supply them

Plastic ones with a bit to catch the falling debris, softer rubbery roll up tommy tippee ones again with catcher, or fabric over the head ones for little ones. Then I have a pack of disposable ones for if we are out so I don't have to wash one or carry a dirty bib :)

I like to know I have the right one for each situation and age :D

[christine e]

My parents provide the bibs

I do have some spare ones, just incase theres none on their bag

Same as Sunflower but sometimes buy the disposable ones which are good when out and about.

Cx

[caz3007]

At the moment my mindies are all over 20 months and only one stays for dinner and he gets in a mess, so I bought some overall type bibs from ebay that we use for crafting and got him an extra one for his dinner time

[Melissa]

Wow, tonnes of replies, thank you! It looks as though most minders supply their own. To be honest it hadn't crossed my mind until I started making a list of what to bring for my new second mindee, as the first mindee has just been bringing her own wipeclean bib along so I thought I'd keep up with that. As lots of posters have pointed out it's the dirty cloth bibs hanging around in their bag that makes me feel funny (yuck!). My own daughter is 14 months and I do have a lot of bibs so I can supply them. I might change supplying bibs to 'optional' on my list of things to bring each day :) I suppose if we are doing messy play etc. I would feel obliged to provide some kind of clothes protection myself (and not expect parents to).

Again, thanks everyone! I'm new to this forum (and to childminding) so it's really nice to get a response. I thought it was a bit of a pathetic question but I needed to know what others did!

xxx

[Tatjana]

I've been using cloth ones but today saw and bought wipe down ones from the £1 shop which covers child really well and does up with velcro at the back.:thumbsup:

xx