Access to drinking water for mindees

[terrydoo73]

I have a little one aged 4 1/2 who is obssessed with drinking water! But it is only as a way of doing something! She uses this habit at night time to be allowed out of bed and get downstairs to mum and dad "I want a drink!" Now she is carrying it over into my setting and I am pretty fed up with it.

I do give her a very large bottle at lunch time and she has continual access to it throughout the afternoon but I do not feel she really needs it as the bottle is only ever 1/4 used.

Hubby has commented on it being an excuse to nosey into the kitchen and I think he is right. Usually in the afternoon when my daughter comes in from school and sits at the kitchen table to do homework this is when we notice it happening the most.

The only difficulty I have with it is the fact that she leaves it in such a way that other mindees can also drink out of it which is a nuisance in that you don't want germs spreading.

I know the rules say you should let your midnees have access to water at all times but how would you get around this problem? When mum comes in to collect her she will not leave the house until she gets a drink and if we don't give it to her she starts crying and goes into major tantrums. THe same happens now when she comes in from playgroup - granny picks her up and she is happy travelling along until she gets to my house and then out comes the request - simply because I am trying to get my other mindees down for a sleep and she wants attention all to herself. When her lunch is over with - and I never seen anyone old or young eat as fast as she does - she will continually come back and forward into the kitchen to get a drink. Hubby and I are sitting eating at the table while this is going on or else I am cleaning up the kitchen and it has become very annoying as she stands and stares at us while we eat - very off putting especially for hubby. If he starts a conversation with her at this point she will stay for the remainder of the lunch and he cannot get to eat properly - he usually ends up not eating and leaving the house to get away from her!

What would you advise I do - I know it might be something simple but I just cannot think how to get around this problem!

[mama2three]

we have a tray with drinks on in the lounge with us..its only ever water so no real problem if it gets spilt and mindees are more likely to take a drink if its 'on display ' . Can she not have her bottle with her in your lounge / playroom ?
Or can the washing up just wait til later , shes less likely to want to be back in the kitchen if youre through with her and the other children.

[SmartKids]

All my children have water available all day - it is kept in the playroom and refreshed at snack/meal times - the children know which cup they have chosen at the beginning of the day and this doesn't promote any problems - If I have a toddler that keeps drinking out of others I would then keep to the same cup every time that child came and they soon realise which cup is theirs. With regard to washing up and eating my dinner - that is done after I have finished working - I do have a dishwasher that is filled throughout the day. Good luck in making it work for you

[AnnieM]

Mine have access to water all day, they all have sports bottles with different characters on and they all have their own. I never have any problems with spillages, they are put back on the table when they have finished drinking and if it did spill it's only water. I don't even usually manage a cup of tea with the kids around so would never manage anything more than a sandwich! Pots are loaded into dishwasher when they are finished with and it is put on when it's full, pre-dishwasher days :eek: I used to quickly rinse and stack the pots to one side and wash them when the kids had all gone. :thumbsup: My DH works shifts so sometimes he has to eat when the kids are here, but he will take himself into another room as he HATES sharing... :p

[The Juggler]

I leave mindees sports bottles or cups in play area on on kitchen table so they can access whenever they want.

[Mouse]

Have I read it right, you & hubby sit eating lunch and you get annoyed that mindee keeps coming in & standing watching you? What is she supposed to be doing while you are eating? Couldn't you eat at the same time as her?

I would have a sports bottle of water ready for her at all times, so as soon as she starts saying she wants water, you can hand it to her with no fuss.

[mamasheshe]

Have I read it right, you & hubby sit eating lunch and you get annoyed that mindee keeps coming in & standing watching you? What is she supposed to be doing while you are eating? Couldn't you eat at the same time as her?

I would have a sports bottle of water ready for her at all times, so as soon as she starts saying she wants water, you can hand it to her with no fuss.

sorry i agree i eat the same time as mindees we all sit together, if I'm feeding a baby i give them their finger food whilst i'm eating my lunch , if she can't eat the same time as you could she do some drawing up at the table whilst you eat your lunch?
mine are all littleys oldest mindee only just three we keep beakers on little table in kitchen or in room we're in they bring their own beaker of water and i top it up when needed.

[teacake2]

Stairgate to keep her out of the kitchen for a start then you would be able to get on a bit better.
Teacake2

[teacake2]

Sorry just read through again, didn't mean it to sound as though I was being critical of you, just meant she would then learn that if you were in the kitchen it was your space and she would only be allowed in if you wanted her to be there.
Teacake2

[mushpea]

Mine all have sports bottles that are different colours so they know which is there own , even the 2yrold knows not to drink from the others, as for eating lunch i eat with the children but my partner who works nights sits and has breakfast at 2pm and one child used to stand and stare but i constantly told her to go and play and she eventualy got the message.

[nokidshere]

Hubby and I are sitting eating at the table while this is going on or else I am cleaning up the kitchen and it has become very annoying as she stands and stares at us while we eat - very off putting especially for hubby. If he starts a conversation with her at this point she will stay for the remainder of the lunch and he cannot get to eat properly - he usually ends up not eating and leaving the house to get away from her

How strange? Can she not sit up at the table with you and either eat with you or chat whlst you are eating?

I would just give her a sports bottle and keep it topped up all the time so she can have a drink whenever she wants. I wouldnt worry to much about germs, a houseful of little ones has plenty of them to start with ;) just encourage them only to use their own bottle, they soon learn.

[Goatgirl]

HI :),
I think with the arriving and wanting water while you need to get little ones put down would be solved with her having her own cup in a room other than the kitchen, so she can help herself. Maybe have a favourite book or ctivity out for her next to it and hopefully she'll be engrossed in that by the time the others are settled?
As for the drink before she will leave, How about the parents bring a cup of her own which she you can have ready and can be handed to her as she steps out of the door?
With the standing staring thing, just distract her and encourage your other half not to talk to her once she's finished eating and got down from the table. Or show any annoyance at her behaviour, because if she's doing that for attention, then its working :D.

Obviously, all the usual stuff about praising her good behaviour, stickers for 'sitting nicely' (esp while sitting nicely drinking her drink at arrival time :)), 'playing all on your own like a big girl while you're washing up etc - have a good think of something that will engage her while you're doing this. Pop in from the kitchen a few times during this time and give stickers for whatever wonders she is performing.

I think children will often attention seek when they are already getting enough attention. Maybe she's just got into the habit of using these behaviours to get negative attention as they are so effective. She may simply need reminding (showing) that positive attention is nice again!

hope this helps :)

bws,
Wendy

[babs]

mine have access to water all day long they help themselves to bottles, cups they have chosen in the morning, as for meal times, snack times we all sit at the table together and stay sat until everyone has finished, if one finishes before everyone else we chat or they can draw..

[The Juggler]

I don't eat with mindees as I have two babies at the mo, so I sit with them and drink and chat and eat whilst they have quiet time. If I had older mindee like this though I think I'd invite her to sit and chat if I was having my lunch later not expect her to be in the other room.

I am guessing she is using the water to come and have that contact with you.:)

[terrydoo73]

Have I read it right, you & hubby sit eating lunch and you get annoyed that mindee keeps coming in & standing watching you? What is she supposed to be doing while you are eating? Couldn't you eat at the same time as her?

I would have a sports bottle of water ready for her at all times, so as soon as she starts saying she wants water, you can hand it to her with no fuss.

As I said in my original posting - she eats like a train! We all sit down to eat (us plus 3 mindees) at the same time and before we even get a mouthful or two in she is up and away. I have tried to tell her to slow down, wait until everyone is finished but nothing works!

[Celyn]

I'd suggest to her parents that they take her to the doctor. Access to drinking water is one thing, but I think this is abnormal and I'd want her to be checked to rule out diabetes or a kidney problem.

We have a stairgate on the kitchen that we close when necessary. We also have coloured cups and each child is encouraged to use only their colour. For the older ones, we've got one of those self-service water coolers so they just help themselves to a cupful when they want. I don't know if any of these would be helpful?

[bexcee]

I'd suggest to her parents that they take her to the doctor. Access to drinking water is one thing, but I think this is abnormal and I'd want her to be checked to rule out diabetes or a kidney problem.

We have a stairgate on the kitchen that we close when necessary. We also have coloured cups and each child is encouraged to use only their colour. For the older ones, we've got one of those self-service water coolers so they just help themselves to a cupful when they want. I don't know if any of these would be helpful?

Are the coolers expensive? I have been thinking of getting one. I assume you hire the cooler and then buy the water?

[The Juggler]

As I said in my original posting - she eats like a train! We all sit down to eat (us plus 3 mindees) at the same time and before we even get a mouthful or two in she is up and away. I have tried to tell her to slow down, wait until everyone is finished but nothing works!

I ask all the children to wait until everyone's finished eating - within reason if someone is taking forever. But, if you all eat together why does your dh hate it so much when she comes back.

If you really need to let her get down, then maybe tell her she can leave and play in the other room until everyone has finished or stay in kitchen at table and chat whilst they finish - tell her coming back and fore is disturbing everyone else eating. :)

[Roseolivia]

As I said in my original posting - she eats like a train! We all sit down to eat (us plus 3 mindees) at the same time and before we even get a mouthful or two in she is up and away. I have tried to tell her to slow down, wait until everyone is finished but nothing works!

This is what i do. We all sit together and eat but no-one can leave the table until everyone is finished. If someone is finished tea first they wait until everyone is then they all get pudding together. Maybe you need to change your rules and tell her not to leave the table. She may resist to begin with but will soon get used to it.

[sarah707]

We sit together as a family for all meals and everyone stays at the table until we are all finished.

I don't have children dashing around the house at meal times, they are gently put back on their chairs and asked to wait.

We chat together, sing songs and play games and try to make it fun for them.

I find whatever the rules at home they learn ours very quickly.

As for water, I use small sports bottles, one per child with their name on the side.

the bottles are always accessible from a tray on the window ledge.

The children are taught to replace them on the tray when they are finished drinking.

If they are too small to recognise their name they quickly learn the colour.

When we are outside I take the tray out with us. I regularly put fresh water into the bottles.

We are experimenting with some open cups and a dispenser bottle for the older ones when outside and so far the little ones have left it alone...

I hope this gives you some ideas :D

[huggableshelly]

all my children including my own have water bottles with names on, younger ones have a picture with their name. they are placed on a low table every day a child attends and they know to ask when they would like a refill.

open top cups are used at snack and meal times with either water or weak juice in (all mindees are over 2). we all sit together even if its on a picnic mat and everyone stays seated until all are done.

younger mindees water bottles are taken out with us to groups etc, they can have the drinks that are on offer at groups but one prefers his own bottle.

older mindees - I pack them ready for a pitstop at the park or adventure playground or if we are coming straight home they are placed on the low table. Older afterschoolers are allowed to refill their own bottles.

[TheBTeam]

I have sports bottles for the older children and they have their name written on them.

The little ones have lidded beakers and they each know their own colour and they are kept on a table within their reach at all times. They quickly know which colour is their own. When they are too old for leaded beakers but can not reach they have a picture sports bottle so they can recognise the picture, i put their names on so that they can start to recognise their name.

[green puppy]

I have sports bottles for the older children and they have their name written on them.

The little ones have lidded beakers and they each know their own colour and they are kept on a table within their reach at all times. They quickly know which colour is their own. When they are too old for leaded beakers but can not reach they have a picture sports bottle so they can recognise the picture, i put their names on so that they can start to recognise their name.

This is what I do too!

[venus89]

[QUOTE=terrydoo73;710856]I have a little one aged 4 1/2 who is obssessed with drinking water! But it is only as a way of doing something! She uses this habit at night time to be allowed out of bed and get downstairs to mum and dad "I want a drink!" Now she is carrying it over into my setting and I am pretty fed up with it.

Hubby has commented on it being an excuse to nosey into the kitchen and I think he is right. Usually in the afternoon when my daughter comes in from school and sits at the kitchen table to do homework this is when we notice it happening the most.

When mum comes in to collect her she will not leave the house until she gets a drink and if we don't give it to her she starts crying and goes into major tantrums. THe same happens now when she comes in from playgroup - granny picks her up and she is happy travelling along until she gets to my house and then out comes the request - simply because I am trying to get my other mindees down for a sleep and she wants attention all to herself. When her lunch is over with - and I never seen anyone old or young eat as fast as she does - she will continually come back and forward into the kitchen to get a drink. Hubby and I are sitting eating at the table while this is going on or else I am cleaning up the kitchen and it has become very annoying as she stands and stares at us while we eat - very off putting especially for hubby. If he starts a conversation with her at this point she will stay for the remainder of the lunch and he cannot get to eat properly - he usually ends up not eating and leaving the house to get away from her!

QUOTE]


I have to question whether it's the child who has the problem or you / your husband...... Those are some pretty strong feelings you've got going on there. Especially the last bit about your husband leaving the house to get away from her - I found that really upsetting. Poor little girl.

Regarding 'The only difficulty I have with it is the fact that she leaves it in such a way that other mindees can also drink out of it which is a nuisance in that you don't want germs spreading.' the others will learn. If they're little enough to drink from other peoples' cups then she can just put it up higher than they can reach. But it might be worth questioning why they are drinking er drink - could they be thirsty too?

[terrydoo73]

Yes Venus and everyone else - I am the most horrible childminder in the whole wide world and all your comments have made me realise this - time to get out of the business I have been in for 7 years I think.

[huggableshelly]

Yes Venus and everyone else - I am the most horrible childminder in the whole wide world and all your comments have made me realise this - time to get out of the business I have been in for 7 years I think.

nah we all have days when things seem worse but maybe rethink the drink issue which is why you origionally posted.
now you have a lot of posts and ideas to think about to help work out a new way to suit you and your mindees, dont go rushing into giving up. If things continue and the little one still makes everyone feel the way they do then maybe its time to terminate contracts with her to make room for a fresh start with a new child.

[venus89]

Yes Venus and everyone else - I am the most horrible childminder in the whole wide world and all your comments have made me realise this - time to get out of the business I have been in for 7 years I think.

To be fair, I was the one who that should be aimed at but I'm not here to apologise.

I did not say, or even imply, that you're a bad childminder at all, simply that you're using some strong words about a child. Especially, as I already said, the bit at the end..... You've had some good advice on providing drinking water for all mindees from lots of others. At the end of the day even the best childminder can't always click with every child - and every child won't always click with th echildminder, no matter how good they are at their job. And it sounds like you really don't enjoy looking after tis child so maybe it's not a healthy relationship for any of you - you, the child or your husband.

[terrydoo73]

I have had a few days to mull over what has been advised and particularly the comments regarding my strong feelings for this child. I have also spent time talking with hubby and he has the same opinion as me - after all we (he's my assistant) both have worked with this child since she was 9 months old and is now 4 1/2 so we should have a good idea of her nature etc.

He and I (and I should say mum!) feel that she is very much an attention seeking child. She craves for people to take notice of her but I cannot always give her the one to one that she desperately wants because I have to think of 2 other mindees. Also she is clearly jealous of other children being given attention so will try her best to divert it back to herself. Her manners are rude and yes that is strong but it is all part of the tactic to draw attention to herself. Hubby told me that when he sits down at the table next to her she kicks him several times quite hard - he has said to stop it in the past but now prefers to ignore it as she really wants this to happen. The noises she makes when eating are all about bad table manners and again we have decided to ignore them as she is using the strategy of being spoken to about it.

I have come to accept that this is the kind of child she is and as I have only 1 month left of her contract I am bearing with it - mum has decided when she starts school in September to be signed up for the after schools facility too so although hasn't come right out and said my services will not be required I am assuming this is what will happen.

Her mum's words today when she came to collect her were "well A you will definately not die of dehydration" as the child ran back to ensure she had another gulp of water from my water bottle before getting in the car. She recognises that this is a habit developed and will be difficult to overcome herself so just ignores it now too.

I have specifically put out a water bottle for her and purposely left it outside over the past few days rather than in the kitchen which is what was annoying me before - it is really up to her how she keeps it from the other mindees and I have noticed that she will carry it around with her for a while before getting fed up and leaving it somewhere that the others definately cannot get at.

[Goatgirl]

Hi :),
Glad it seems to be coming to a resolution for you :thumbsup:

bws, Wendy

[sarah707]

It sounds like you are managing her really well.

:D

[Celyn]

Sorry - I see someone was asking about the water cooler and I haven't answered yet.

The one we have is a Breville Aquafountain. It was on offer in our local Dyas store at the time (3 years ago).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000GJI1O2?ie=UTF8&tag=childminding-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000GJI1O2">Brita Aqua Fountain Water Filter Chiller - Stainless Steel</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=childminding-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B000GJI1O2" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;