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View Full Version : Bouncy Castle - what to do



caz3007
29-05-2010, 08:23 AM
Its half term and I have a LO on Friday. My mum and Auntie are coming down and we dont see them very often. We plan on going for lunch at a local pub (mindie often frequents this pub with Mum) and they have a bouncy castle at times.

Would you allow the child to use the bouncy castle, obviously with a risk assessment and parental permission, or is it something that you wouldnt allow.

Any ideas on a risk assessment for this too.

Thanks xx

singlewiththree
29-05-2010, 08:36 AM
I would let mindee on and like you said get parental permission and risk assess it. It should include any safety matting on the floor, other children going on and the number, drinks nearby.

Hebs
29-05-2010, 08:45 AM
i have booked a bouncy castle for the 2nd september for our "we survived the holidays" fun day :D

i will get written permission from the parents :thumbsup:

Tealady
29-05-2010, 12:25 PM
Yes I would risk assess and get parental permission. Also keep an eye at all times and if it seems too crowded or boisterous take them off it.

beccas
29-05-2010, 01:03 PM
its my ds 10th birtday monday and i have a bouncy castle comming on tues so we can all have fun for his birthday including mindees.. so go for it

caz3007
29-05-2010, 04:16 PM
Thanks for your replies. It may not even be up as seems only to be at weekends but thought it may be different as its half term and its obviously something that I would have to think about before we went, ie risks and permissions.

Again its just common sense with it, but know there has been some bad press more recently re accidents etc on castles.

venus89
30-05-2010, 07:42 PM
I don't think you're allowed to take your mindee to a place where they serve alcohol?

little miss chatterbox
30-05-2010, 10:38 PM
I don't think you're allowed to take your mindee to a place where they serve alcohol?

really???? that seems a bit harsh! we have some lovely pubs here with some lovely play areas my friend and i were thinking of using in the summer! might have to re-think that one then!

rachelle
31-05-2010, 09:11 AM
Not sure I'd feel 'right' about taking mindee to a pub, especially if being paid to be working. Can just imagine writing it in the daily dairy! Nothing wrong with a cafe for lunch to meet up with mindees friend's etc or just as a treat, I think it's the word pub I stumble on - gives me images of minders drinking :laughing:

jaja
31-05-2010, 10:40 AM
I have taken them to a wakey barn before, the playarea is seperate from the pub but after 2 hours play we go and sit in the childrens area and have a meal and the children love it, i dont drink whilst i have them but i feel that they should experience every day things, i speak to all my parents before going and they are all aware of where we are going and love it that the children are going out and enjoying themselves. I think it depends on the children you have and where you are going and what time, i wouldnt take a mindee there after 5pm so we tend to do it in the day time, when alot of other families are there and enjoying themselves.

xx

caz3007
31-05-2010, 10:58 AM
I certainly wont be drinking, rarely do anyway and anywhere else locally would involve the bus as we wont all fit in my aunts car. This is a pub with a seperate restuarant area andl lots of restuarants serve alcohol anyway.

Believe me this child regularly goes to the pub (mum is very young) so it wouldnt be unusual to him and mum is fine with it. Its a one off. I offer a flexible paid as you go hours for this mum and when it was planned didnt know if I would have him or not. My mum can only visit at certain times due to committments.

onceinabluemoon
31-05-2010, 05:33 PM
I didn't think you were allowed to lake mindees to the pub either.

My development worker told me we weren't supposed to take mindees into pubs. I'd give Ofsted a quick ring just to double check, just in case...

rachelle
31-05-2010, 07:14 PM
sorry, wasn't implying you would be drinking, just the image it gives me!

No wacky warehouse down this way but it sounds more like a soft play than a pub?

RedDragon
31-05-2010, 07:18 PM
A CM in the village started up a little get together in the local pub where she charged people £1 per child and they all sat and did colouring and songs etc. Someone reported her (not me) and 2 women came round to talk to her and said she should apply for funding and that they would help her do it.

venus89
31-05-2010, 07:33 PM
Like Bluemoon says, check - it's only what I though, I'm not saying it's true....

BUT personally I wouldn't take mindees to the pub, even with parental permission, even if I wasn't drinking..... Even if it was the nicest pub in the world! To my mind then it's not really somethiong that I'd be doing in the best interests of the child, rather in my own interests...... It may have a good play area but the park almost certainly has a better one. There is alcohol there (although my two 3 year old mindees always serve wine or beer rather than tea when playing at the toy kitchen!). I know you said it seems a bit harsh not taking them to places where there are alcohol but at the end of the day there are good reasons for this - where there are people drinking, there can be people drunk, and all the problems that can go with this. Can't your Mum and Aunt come with you to the park, take a picnic? When you're working the child's needs need to cokme first and if you get there and find there's no bouncy castle, what will you do then....?

caz3007
31-05-2010, 07:35 PM
I have a Plan B now but out of interest will see what Ofsted say and will report back. Though will probably go with plan B anyway, actually less stress and hassle all round.

venus89
31-05-2010, 07:43 PM
Tra la la la la..... ;)

caz3007
31-05-2010, 08:37 PM
I'm not being funny, I'm not picking, and these things can sound a bit harsh online with no real inflection but can you really truly see no problem with taking a minded to child to a pub - any pub - to have a meal with your Mum and Aunt? When you're being paid to provide care for the child centred around your needs?

I actually deleted that post, cos I didnt feel it was right, you managed to post before I deleted it. :D

venus89
01-06-2010, 07:43 AM
I actually deleted that post, cos I didnt feel it was right, you managed to post before I deleted it. :D

:laughing: I'll delete mine then! Will you let us know what the official answer is on whether you can take them to the pub?

wendywu
01-06-2010, 07:49 AM
I have taken mine to a pub garden with a large play area before. I am tee total any way. I have bought them lunch and they play.

We go with a group of CM and stay in the garden never inside. :)

caz3007
01-06-2010, 07:58 AM
Thank Venus.

I rang Ofsted and its fine with parental permission.

I would like to post a bit about the background. This child has a young mum and she pays for 10 hours a week, which can be any hours on any days but not Wednesday, she doesnt pay a retainer. I found out on Saturday that she wanted Friday. The arrangement for my mum to come was made just after xmas. I had stupidly hoped that she wouldnt need a Friday or if she did it would have been at 2pm as usual, but typically she needs all day. And I didnt want to let her down, by saying it was inconvenient.

I offer the flexibility but sometimes it requires a compromise and she was happy for me to continue with my plans as its a one off. My own son will be going too and we will take toys etc.

Anyway, I still dont know what I will do yet, we have two plans and see how things pan out, but whatever I do will be with the full permission of his mum

caz3007
01-06-2010, 08:04 AM
I have taken mine to a pub garden with a large play area before. I am tee total any way. I have bought them lunch and they play.

We go with a group of CM and stay in the garden never inside. :)

Thank you Wendy I really didnt see anything wrong with it. It would only be at lunchtime and having been a pub landlady in a past life, drunken fights usually happen later in the day. If I was rolling drunk myself (not likely, ok once a year at hubbies xmas do :laughing: ) then its a different matter. I have seen many fights trigger and always when I am out with my hubby watching out for the triggers, and would leave if something looked likely to happen

Louise_Oaktree
01-06-2010, 08:44 AM
We often go to a wacky warehouse which is attached to a pub - usually during the day there is no one there...I have taken older mindees (school age) for a meal afterwards but this was on a day off when I had planned to be mindee free and in the end I didn't want to let my own family down and parents cancelled their plans at short notice.

I think it always depends on the families concerned, there are some mindees I would be happy doing this with and others I wouldn't - it really depends on how you think the parents would feel. I don't think there is a problem if the parents are happy with it to be honest...after all an eating pub surely has a different atmosphere to the average drinking pub??? Aren't they full of families eating quietly? Or is my pub different?! My own son is 4 years old and "going out for tea" is a real treat for him, especially if it involves the play area too...

caz3007
01-06-2010, 10:10 AM
We often go to a wacky warehouse which is attached to a pub - usually during the day there is no one there...I have taken older mindees (school age) for a meal afterwards but this was on a day off when I had planned to be mindee free and in the end I didn't want to let my own family down and parents cancelled their plans at short notice.

I think it always depends on the families concerned, there are some mindees I would be happy doing this with and others I wouldn't - it really depends on how you think the parents would feel. I don't think there is a problem if the parents are happy with it to be honest...after all an eating pub surely has a different atmosphere to the average drinking pub??? Aren't they full of families eating quietly? Or is my pub different?! My own son is 4 years old and "going out for tea" is a real treat for him, especially if it involves the play area too...

This is an eating pub, similar to a Harvester, but not sure what the brand is, but seen others with the same branding when out and about and sure it will be full of families and older people judging by the area we live in and the fact its half term. The mum and child often go to this place often for a drink when she picks him up from mine, cos its close and has a nice garden. Their clientelle and business is mainly the food as its reasonably priced. We have popped in there late on a summer friday in the past on the way home from somewhere else and our group has been pretty much the only ones in there

wendywu
01-06-2010, 09:32 PM
Only last holiday Me Twinkles and two other minders did a really long country walk with the dogs.

On the way home we stopped at a pub garden with a pond and woods as well. They all had some very very yummy, and i quote "hand cut chips" Complete with ketchup, barbecue sauce and mayo :eek:

Cost us a fortune but they enjoyed it :thumbsup: