Tidy up time resources being broken

[sophiemarie]

Hi all I have just started childminding in to my 3rd week and loving it. I have a playroom but the children seem to want to come into the lounge do you think I am being reasonable to expect the children to go and play with the toys in there it is large enough. I am using the lounge as a quiet room and a room to have our food.
Also do you think I could have a tidy up time 15 mins before parents come in the playroom as it gets totally trashed I used to work in preschool and we always had tidy up time but childminding is very different.
Could anyone give me ideas of their typical day as I don't get 5 mins to do anything is this normal lol!!!!
Thanks for any advice:) :)

[francinejayne]

I'm new to chidminding too, only be registered a month, but have already decided we have tidy up time 15 mins before mum comes to pick up, and from then on the children are told they know that anything they get out they have to put away agiain. And I don't mind a few toys out, but definitely not loads.
And I've also started (today!) taking the children into the hall to put their coat and shoes on when mum pulls up outside, and I'm leaving mum standing on the doormat - I'm discovering if I don't it takes 15 mins to get them out of the house, and as I've now got 2 families it was taking a full half an hour for everyone to go home, and I just wasn't getting tea done!

[sandy64]

hi i have a playroom but we do bring toys into the lounge sometimes,but no if thats your working room then say no you could maybe say we could do storytime in the lounge. the lo are still getting use to there new surroundings. i also do tidy up time 15mins before home time then let them watch tv or get books out. or maybe the odd toy but everythink else is tidy ready for next day. glad your enjoying childminding:laughing:

[mamasheshe]

we don't have a play room:( i get a couple of activities out and if they want more things then we tidy the things they don't want to play with away this works for me but both mine are two and a half and almost three :thumbsup: don't know what it'll be like when the littlies start :rolleyes:

[PixiePetal]

I like a tidy up time. The children then know it will be home time and we usually have a story at the end.

I don't want to have to spend ages tidying up at the end on my own - my kids want their meal and I have that to do as well as sorting paperwork and if I am lucky, talk to my family!

It's a life lesson, the tidy fairy does not come and wave a magic wand :rolleyes:

[sarah707]

We tidy up at 430, then a quick story, hand washing and tea at 445.

At the end of tea, around 515 they have the TV or quiet time with books until parents come.

I play music during tidy up time and we sing songs and make it into a game.

Everyone gets involved, although this can take longer for some to learn than others :rolleyes:

As for getting a moment to myself, yes I do... and you should too!

There will be pockets of the day when they are playing and you can make a cuppa... it's important they learn independent play :D

[miffy]

It's a life lesson, the tidy fairy does not come and wave a magic wand :rolleyes:

That made me smile.

I get my lo's to pretend they are the tidy up fairy's and then I'm amazed that everything is put away - they think it's a great game! :D

Miffy xx

[jelly15]

During my first few months as a CM I felt very guilty if I wasn't constantly engaging with at least one of the mindees, however, I have learned to take 5 mins for a cuppa whilst keeping one eye on the LOs.

I have tidy up times before lunch, before the floor becomes so crowded with toys it is a potential hazard. and close to home time too.

[Heaven Scent]

What - you actually let them play with the toys???? :panic: & you interact with them ???? I thought childminding was one round of coffee morning after another - and as for the afternoons surely that is for lingering over a glass of Nice crisp white or red wine - isn't it???? :blush: :blush: - well thats what it says on Net Mums & Mums Net etc - Are they wrong??? - If they are wrong then I'm off and having no more to do with it!!!!:panic: :panic:

[terrydoo73]

Here is my typical day:

8.00 am - mindees arrive (twin boys)
8.25 am - own daughter leaves on bus for school (mindees are in the car with me while I take her to the end of my lane as it is 1/2 mile long)
8.30 am - back to the house and settle into playing - my mindees have the living room and a playroom which is just behind the playroom as well as the hallway to play with. I have a 6 and 4 hole cubby system on wheels with boxes in each clearly labelled with what is in these. The children basically play with what is on offer using the tops of these systems to leave things out on
10.00 am - morning snack time but before this I have a clearing away of all toys and the boys do actually help even though just 2 years of age - they have got used to it now and know what to do bringing me toys to put back into the boxes
10.30 am - back down to play
11.00 am - nappy changing time and a rhyme time with music on a CD player
11.30 am - third little mindee comes in from nursery (her granny brings her to me every day as it is a 6 mile journey to the nursery which would mean 30 minutes every day travelling in the car back and forth!)
12.00 - 12.30 pm - twins down for sleep while other mindee chooses toys to play with
1.00 pm - third mindee and ourselves get lunch (tidy up of all toys before lunch)
1.30 pm - twins up and fed again
2.30 pm - nappy changing time and if possible outdoor play time
3.30 pm - tidy up of all toys outside
3.40 pm - daughter comes in from school on the bus and settles down to homework time while a DVD is put on for the mindees
4.45 pm - third mindee leaves
5.00 - 5.30 pm - evening meal for everyone including twins
6.00 pm - nappy changing before twins leave for home

I usually would clear up any mess that has been left behind but during the DVD time the mindees are restricted to the living room only and only have a couple of boxes so it reduces the time it takes me to clear up after they leave.

[mama2three]

of course tidying up is important , but it can detract from childrens learning if you are tidying up after them - they often need time to think things through before coming back again and again to an activity. what looks like mess to me is regularly one of the childrens creations or collections. Its sometime hard to get the balance right.

[Tired]

Tidy up time can get complicated if you mind children who go home at different times.

I have some leaving at 4.30, 4.45 and 5.15 and 6pm.
If I ask them to tidy up before the first one leaves, the others moan cos they want to keep on playing.

But if I don't, and wait until before the last one goes, he and my daughter have to tidy up everything and the others get away without tidying anything every day.

If anyone has a magic answer, I'd love to hear it!

[Ripeberry]

What - you actually let them play with the toys???? :panic: & you interact with them ???? I thought childminding was one round of coffee morning after another - and as for the afternoons surely that is for lingering over a glass of Nice crisp white or red wine - isn't it???? :blush: :blush: - well thats what it says on Net Mums & Mums Net etc - Are they wrong??? - If they are wrong then I'm off and having no more to do with it!!!!:panic: :panic:

Nah! We are supposed to be on here :D ;)

[mrsbish01]

I never really thought of a tidy up time before the mindees leave, but you've inspired me :clapping:
The first to leave is usually picked up 10-15mins early so is a little hard to get ready as i cant judge collection time.. but when mum comes in he is nightmare to get shoes and coat on (when mums not there he is smashing) :blush:
The other mindee leaves about 30-40 mins later, so will perhaps encourage one box of toys OR car, tractor and train OR book/puzzles!!
Think a cool-down time would be good and then we could at least put first mindees shoes on in advance!!! :)

[Bushpig]

I have a large lounge/diner area and a playroom - we play in (and mess!) both.

We have tidy up time before lunch, the kids then know it's time to wash hands and have lunch. We have another tidy up time just before we wash our hands and have our cooked meal at the end of the day.

Kids thrive on routine - tidy up time is not only a healthy routine for them, but is essential to their development in various positive ways. My 22 month old and 16 month old mindees are dab hands at tidying up :thumbsup:

I have the kids in their coats with shoes on before mums and dads arrive (we read stories while we wait for them)... so we can take our time and they watch and learn how to do it themselves - mum and dad are often in a rush and want to do it quickly for their kids... this is also a time when accidents can happen (hand over), so it minimises the risk.

So when the kids go the house is all tidy :thumbsup: ... in time for the next (big and handsome :blush: ) kid to arrive home...

[AliceK]

During my first few months as a CM I felt very guilty if I wasn't constantly engaging with at least one of the mindees, however, I have learned to take 5 mins for a cuppa whilst keeping one eye on the LOs.

I have tidy up times before lunch, before the floor becomes so crowded with toys it is a potential hazard. and close to home time too.

Exactly the same here. We have tidy up time before lunch and again before tea time (plus any other time I feel there are too many toys out). I get them all to help. The 2yr olds are the best it's the 4yr old that isn't keen on helping. By the time it's pick-up time the house is generally pretty tidy (until my DD gets it all out again later :rolleyes: )

xxxxxxxxx

[sophiemarie]

Thanks all, your input has been a great help I now have a tidy up time and it has been a great help I am getting to sit down before 8pm now and have a little bit of time for my own children x

Love the answer about net mum's lol x

[Lady Haha]

Tidy up time can get complicated if you mind children who go home at different times.

I have some leaving at 4.30, 4.45 and 5.15 and 6pm.
If I ask them to tidy up before the first one leaves, the others moan cos they want to keep on playing.

But if I don't, and wait until before the last one goes, he and my daughter have to tidy up everything and the others get away without tidying anything every day.

If anyone has a magic answer, I'd love to hear it!

I have the same thing with mindees all leaving at different times. The way I have got around this is by telling the mindee who is leaving first that they have to tidy up the toys they are playing with, and if some one else moans cos they want to play with it, then it stays out on the understanding that it is their responsibility to tidy it away before THEY leave..etc etc

I don't have a tidy up time as such, I tell all mindees that they can get out one thing at time to play with (even if five mindees get five different things out), but then they must put that toy away before getting something else out.

I must admit at 5.45, I usually go round tidying up the last bits of toys and mess as it's quicker and the mindees have been engaged in tidying of some sort whilst they have been here!

I have a playroom too which I initially thought would be the place where mindees play, but no, they tend to spread out into the lounge and garden, taking toys with them:rolleyes: When you get more mindees, it is actually easier to make the most of all the space you have for playing! Lets face it, how much time do the mindees actually want to spend having 'quiet time'???