do you think its ok to meet up with other cm's?

[newandlearning]

hi...

I'm just wondering over the Summer hols if you think its ok to meet up with other cm's regularly .. say 3-4 times a week.. or do you think its better to see others less.

I started hanging out with other cm's recently but have found a couple of my mindees seem to now have good relationships with the other kids I don't mind and this has had an impact on them building relationships with the LO's I do mind.. is this good or bad?

I'm feel like some time on our own as a group could be good for a week or two .. is this controlling of me?

am just wondering what everyone else thinks.. :)

[Hebs]

oh yeah definatly

me and Cher25 have either been out together or over each others houses :laughing:

kids have formed close relationships with each other and often complain when they dont see each other so often :laughing:

[zillervalley]

think its great to do that, it also helps when you are unwell you can then reasure the mindees parent and ask one of the cm to stand in for you, the mindees settle with them cos they know them and there homes.

[Chimps Childminding]

June and I get together most days but then we do live next door to each other :laughing: The children love getting together, it makes it more fun doing activities and it is good if there is a day when one of us only has one child :clapping:

[TheBTeam]

I have a group of about 4 friends who I regularly meet with, sometimes in 2s or 3s depends who is about, i couldnt do my job if this were not the case, need the company!

[Pipsqueak]

i think it a great idea to meet up and help the children form bonds.

if they were in a nursery or in school then they would be close with others through a lot of contact.

of course we are home-based carers and I don't advocate the merry go round of today we are going to todder group x, tomorrow toddler group y, day after soft play a and soft play b the day after that.
Summer hols can be used to visit each others (cm's) homes, go to parks and beachs etc together.
think i am explaining badly - oh well

[curlycathy]

I think it is generally a good thing to meet up and has benefits for the adults (adult interaction/another pair of eyes/someone to bounce ideas off/able to close the door when you go to the loo!!!!etc) and for the children to widen their social circle. In my village there are only two of us and we do actually share some of our children and generally spend some time together most days, usually in the mornings whilst we have others at playgroup.

However, it can also be nice just to be on your own sometimes and this is equally valuable. Maybe if you are thinking it is affecting your mindees you cut could down to maybe once a week and do some special activities on your own with your mindees. Does that make sense? Have had a very busy day being taught the moves to High School Musical so do excuse me:laughing:

[charlie potato]

There are a couple of childminders in my area who get together every few weeks. The kids love it and its nice to know that you got someone to get together with. They take it in turns to go to each others house. I'll be joining in when i get a/some mindees. :clapping:

[jelly15]

I have a close frind who is a CM and we meet up twice a week usually at mine as I have more room. Some activities are more fun with 6 than 3 IYSWIM. Also it is nice to have a chat/moan with another adult when LOs are playing nice and we are just observing them. To be honest I think my Los prefer my friend than me:panic: .

[francinejayne]

The CMs local to me have never mentioned to me that they do this, and I've never been invited if they do?!

However, 4 of us that met doing our ICP training have kept in touch, and we've spent almost every day together during the summer holidays, having various days out and at each other's houses. It has been fantastic, it's great for us to have a chat with other adults, and the children have all got along brilliantly - it's meant that they've all had someone to play with. We've all said we'll be sad when the holidays end and we go back to our playgroup routines - though I think we will make the effort to see each other on a regular basis.

IMO the more support you can get the better - it can be very lonely sometimes.

Though after saying all of that, I didn't go along on today's outing as I had one mindee being dropped off at 11.30 - and it was lovely to have a day at home playing in the garden and doing some painting!

[miffy]

I spend a lot of time in the holidays with a friend who's also a childminder - we take the children on trips together or go to one another's houses.

The children get on well and enjoy their time together - it makes the holidays pass even quicker for me.

Miffy xx

[coffee-time]

just wanted to ask what about meeting friends who arent childminders? is this something any of you do? ive only got 1 mindee at the mo and only started 3 weeks ago! i met up with my friend (she has 4 kids of her own) at the park the first day with my 3 and mindee, i mentioned it to the mindees parents and they were fine about it. maybe i should have a permission form this:idea:

[cher25]

As hebs said we meet up regularly, esp over these holidays. My mindee's always ask when we are seeing hebs and her mindee's. They get along great.
I also need the adult conversation. lol

Anice74, it is perfectly fine to meet up with friends and their children and go places or just stay home. There is nothing wrong with that. On a couple of our trips this summer i have had a cousin meet up with us with her lo. It's been great and having a bigger group is usually more fun. :)

[Mickey Mouse Clubhouse]

Well I normally do but for some reason this holiday I seemed to have been left out on loads of things and have only seen them once even though they are out everyday just don't seem to be included.

I know when the children go back to school I will see them most days as we do toddler groups and childminding group together and I am the one that puts everything out ready for the groups so feeling a little bit used at the moment.

[Hebs]

just wanted to ask what about meeting friends who arent childminders? is this something any of you do? ive only got 1 mindee at the mo and only started 3 weeks ago! i met up with my friend (she has 4 kids of her own) at the park the first day with my 3 and mindee, i mentioned it to the mindees parents and they were fine about it. maybe i should have a permission form this:idea:

no this is fine, as long as you arn't leaving the kids alone with them x

[newandlearning]

thanks ladies for replying.. I sometimes worry that my holiday mindee will ask to go to my cm friend instead of me coz she's got her friend their which is why I thought rebuilding our group dynamics could be a beneficial exercise.. although I think everyone in our group equally gets on I've not anyother girls here and sometimes I think the boys annoy her... I think even if girls do get on well if they were together every minute they'd probably get occasionally annoyed as well ay...:jump for joy: :eek: ... yeah.. maybe Im making something of nothing :)