How often do you have friends round?

[Spangles]

I just wondered how often you had friends round while you are minding?

I have only been working 12 hours per week up until now so have never had friends round as I can see them and their children in non-working hours, however, as from 2nd June I will be working full-time.

I asked my dev officer and she said that of course you can have friends round otherwise you'd go bonkers without adult company. I was thinking of having one friend over once a week for one morning or something? I also go places with my friends and their children sometimes, ie. softplay, park, etc. Is this okay?

(I'm guessing we couldn't visit friends without doing risk assessments etc so don't even want to go there!)

What do you do? Sorry if this is a stupid question!

[miffy]

Do you mean ordinary friends or other childminder friends - not that I think it makes any difference both is fine as far as I can see

It's just that I tend to do a lot with other childminders and I see my friends when I'm not working if that makes sense. But then I suppose it's different because my own children are grown up now.

Not sure that made any sense at all Lorri - sorry

miffy xx

[mrsb]

I have good friends who are also childminders so we get together a couple of times a week. I wouldn't not go to a "normal" friends house though, if we were invited then I would go, risk assessment for a house is just the same as for a soft play centre etc - especially in this weather as it would all be outside anyway :)

[Banana]

At least once week I have someone pop round, usually 2.

I'd go mad if nobody came round to see me sometimes!

x

[Spangles]

Thanks everyone I just wanted to make sure it was the normal, acceptable thing to do!

I have an ex-childminder friend but the other friends who I'd have come round are mums. That's okay then because if I couldn't have them round I'd never see them at all and I would truly go bonkers!

[SimplyLucy]

I went to a friends house with a mindee on Friday. She has huge lakes in the garden with streams running always.

Wasn't worth doing a risk assesment for.........wouldn't have enough room to write all the risks down!

I only took 1 child with me (18 months) the other mindee and my DS were at pre-school. This ment I could keep an eye on my mindee the whole time we were there. I would never take more than 1 child at a time there.

My friend doesn't allow her daugher outside, so we stayed in the house. We had great fun feeding the ducks out the back door (over a stairgate!) and feeding the rabbits out the patio doors (again over a stairgate).

Before going I explained to my mindees mum what my plans were, and we were going for my friends daughers birthday. The mindees mum was chuffed to bits that her son had fed the ducks and rabbits and had the experience of going to someone else house.

I have friends around with their children now and again, I always make sure they have signed in my visitors book and I let parents know who has been here incase their child talks about them and the parents have no idea who it is!

[caza]

So its perfectly acceptable for friends to come round? you dont have to do anything as extreme as have a list of potential friends that might come round and have them checked out etc? I know they all sound like silly questions :blush: but they are the sort of questions that keep popping into my head :D

[crazybones]

Yes its acceptable. Otherwise you would go a little crazy. I have been known to try and grab the postman for a natter every now and then. Think that must be why he has been leaving my letters on the step and legging it. :D

[Jinx]

I don't have any friends that come round :( .
But my family come sometimes.
My sister has a little girl who is 1 next week and its lovely when she comes and the little ones all play together.
At my inspection it was mentioned that if my sister comes around regularly, then she should be crb checked. Thing is, she's expecting baby number 2 in 4 weeks, so I doubt she'll be leaving the house for quite some time!!!!!!

Jinx x

[breezy]

I have friends round about once a week it's not a problem, i let parents know in advance and make sure i never leave mindees alone with friends.
cant believe regular visitors need crb , I don't think i'd have many friends left!!

I dont take mindees to other peoples houses, seems too much hassle, tend to meet up in park or cafe instead as not many of friends houses childproof!!!!!!!!!!

best bet as mentioned before is to make friends with other minders problem solved!

[allinatiz]

I have a friend who comes round roughly once every 2 weeks with her baby, my other friends tend to come when I'm not working. I normally know a few days before and just mention it to mindee's mum.

She did ask if she could come next week but as I'm expecting Ofsted I thought it might not be the best idea ;)

[donnahay0]

Most of my friends are also childminders, therefore they often come round to my house and me to theirs. All the children have become good friends and we get together to do arts and crafts together, go on outings.

It's good socialising for the children and helps to keep me sane. Sometimes we run a theme at the same time and it's good to bounce ideas round for activities.

[John]

In one word or maybe more, i don't as i keep it as a place of work all friends and family know what times i finnish, then they can come around. As you would not have friends around if you were in a setting. Only time i'll have friends around if i'm planning on a day trip like zoo, then friends or family can go on the trip with their children. I do have other childminders coming with their children as it's differnt place for the child to play.

John.

[MissTinkerbell]

I can clear up the regular visitors CRB check issue.

When I went on the briefing they said that because my parents visit once a week I should have them CRB checked.

Ofsted rang and said that unless they were either daily visitors or stayed overnight during their weekly visit then there was no need to have a CRB check for them.

Therefore unless your regular visitor comes daily then there is no need for CRB checks to be done.

[avril]

I have various friends visiting different times of the week some are cm others are family/friends with young children or visiting my own Ofsted seemed fine with this when I mentioned it at inspection time

[Rach30]

I have a friend who comes round with her LO some afternoons when i only have 1 mindee. But if i've got more than 1 than i ask her not to as the house is too full . She fine with this as she knows i'm working. Have been to other friends houses with a mindee before but couldn't relax as i felt i couldn't take my eyes off mindee for a second incase he hurt himself , so wouldn't do that again.

[susi513]

The main thing with having friends round is that you shouldn't leave them unattended with a minded child. If you get stuck doing a clean up operation in the wc, for example it could potentially be an issue. My wc is upstairs so can be a bit awkward, knowing how to manage this for the best. But no different to if a parent of a minded child, Ofsted Inspector, development worker or any other visitor is present.

Most parents choose us because they want a family, home-from-home non-institutionalised experience for their child. So visitors could well be viewed as part & parcel of the whole home childcare experience IMO.

[sarah32]

I have a couple of childminder friends that regularly visit each week but apart from that my family know to visit when Im not working.

[Twinkles]

I've been a minder for so long that most of my friends are also minders. My other friends who had lo's the same age as mine mostly went back into the office or teaching when our children grew up.
I have a great group of childminder friends who I see on an almost daily basis. We go on outings together , plan craft activities together and get together at toddler groups. We go round to each others houses regularly, I think without them I would have given up minding long ago.

[breezy]

I can clear up the regular visitors CRB check issue.

When I went on the briefing they said that because my parents visit once a week I should have them CRB checked.

Ofsted rang and said that unless they were either daily visitors or stayed overnight during their weekly visit then there was no need to have a CRB check for them.

Therefore unless your regular visitor comes daily then there is no need for CRB checks to be done.

Thanks for that, at last ofsted being reasonable!!!!!!!!!!:laughing:

[honey]

:crying: :crying: see i am sad now, as i never have anybody round. nobody likes me as i never get visitors, all my friends works and all the other childminders round here are all bitchy.

[Rubybubbles]

:crying: :crying: see i am sad now, as i never have anybody round. nobody likes me as i never get visitors, all my friends works and all the other childminders round here are all bitchy.

:D r u from my area! I'm such an outcast haha

I do see some friends, everytime I log on here:laughing:

No - I do have a few I tend to see a couple of friend once a week, them to me, then me to them, as I did when my own where young. I do find though that as my dd is in pre-school mornings it's hard to see 'friends' because now the baby back he has a big sleep afternoons. I do have a friend with a baby and dd at school with ds but he is a bit heavy handed so don't want my lo to go home all bumped and battered:p

[NikNak]

Dont worry honey your not the only one. I never have any one round. I do feel lonely sometimes and stressed with all the constant needs of the lo's. But I think it is really hard to chat with a friend when you are working anyway.If I add another person into the equation our routine goes all wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Maybe I need to chill and relax a bit more but I find it hard enough dealing with the lo's demands. In fact I think Im going to try and approach a couple of minders Iv noticed on the school run!Im really shy and can come accross as being stuck up or arrogent apparantly!!!!!Think I do need some adult chat to break up the day as Im starting to feel really isolated.Chatting on this forum really helps. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)

[mum22]

I'm a bit like niknakused to be bit shy and can come across as a bit aloof but its only cos some of the childminders had so much experience i was scared to do anything wrong in front of them - or mums for that point - silly i know

i made the effort, put my big brave face on - it really is worth it

x helen