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View Full Version : 8 year old after school...help needed.



Tippy Toes
20-03-2010, 12:26 PM
I pick little girl up from school 3.30 and have her until 8.30pm, she is quite loud and never seems happy with the activities I set out for her, books - she tellls me she reads enough of these is school!

What would you do with any 8 year old until this time?

breezy
20-03-2010, 12:33 PM
crafts, tv, computer, outside play once the evenings get lighter!

sunflower
20-03-2010, 12:36 PM
Sometimes older children are harder to please :panic:
Ask her what things she does at home and if she would like to bring say a nintendo or something like that, for she can keep at your house (for her only) for the week with parents permission (maybe in writing)
you could get some word search, puzzles and games books kiddies of that age love them.
Hopefully the warmer weather will make life easier as you can get out to the park etc
good luck :)

Zoomie
20-03-2010, 12:43 PM
definitely get her / parents to tell you what she does at home.

How abt helping with dinner / making 'healthy' puds ?

8:30 is quite late, mine has obv done homework and bathed and gone to bed by that time.

sandy64
20-03-2010, 12:48 PM
hi what a bout hama beads mine spend ages making these and its a quiet activity for maybe later in the evening,colouring, does she like dolls,barbie, the dolls heads are fun if they enjoy playing hairdressers, playdoh,

Tippy Toes
20-03-2010, 12:58 PM
She is a bit of a tom boy so does not like dolls or colouring! All she wants me to do is take her to Tesco so she can buy stuff!

She is a good little girl most of the time but does get over excited and can wind my children up (they are 2 and 4.)

So I really need ideas to keep her busy, everything I suggest she does not want to do!

I like the idea of wordsearches and puzzles, will have to get on to that.

Thanks for all your ideas, v helpful! Any more ideas please?

Also any advise on letting her know Im the boss! If I tell the children rules she seems to think it only applies to the younger children!:eek:

Ive only been looking after her 4 weeks and this is my first older mindee (Oldest I have looked after is 4.)

Thanks again :)

crazyhazy
20-03-2010, 01:07 PM
What about board games? I'm assuming as your children are younger they go to bed before she goes, so hoe about trying to involve her in their bath time etc, so she feels a bit more grown up?

sarak31
20-03-2010, 01:17 PM
I have an 8 year old girl who loves rough and tumble, tom boy things myself! She likes to:
- Cooking - independently if she can with your supervision.
- Craft - things like wood / china / glass crafts, with paint pens, blow pens, the doh that you can cook in the oven, hama beads, scooby doos, jewellrey making, a big hit recently was a plaster kit to make fairies and paint them - baker ross do all these types of things.
- Play - outside if its nice - gardening - could she plant her own things? Netball and hoop, football and goal, hula hoop, skates (maybe she has some she could bring), climbing trees obviously if there is a park near you.
- Inside play - Karaoke, Make up a dance, anything Hannah Montana related, Sylvanian Families, teachers - you could stick a large piece of paper on the wall as her 'blackboard' and if you give her a folder with blank paper and dividers in it they LOVE this for registers lists etc, camps - under dining room table, puzzles (200 / 300 pieces), organising games for the younger ones. Computer - lots of games on disney they like, education city is also good although you have to pay for membership but helps with their school work as well.

This is just a list of what my DD likes to do obviously if you haven't your own that age then you won't have a lot of these things but she might be able to bring from home or you might be able to pick up cheaply.

Rules wise when mine were younger (1 & 5) I had an 8 year old mindee who sounds very similar - I ended up having a chat with her about the way she behaved - outside behaviour inside etc, and that she was obviously far too grown up to go by the little ones rules. We made a rules list for Older Children and this seemed to help - she got a sticker on a chart on the wall for obeying the rules (sounds younger than 8 but it worked and my own 8 year old now still likes seeing her stickers go up on a chart on the wall) and then she got a reward when she got to 20 stickers - which was choosing a special activity, or whatever pushes her buttons.

Hope all helps and good luck!!

sandy64
20-03-2010, 01:19 PM
what about lego or playmobile, you could do a new ground rules/behaviour policy with her so she thinks shes involved,:)