An Overview Of Your Day

[mindingmummy08]

I'm very new to childminding onto my third week with an actual mindee and she loves my home and me and my kids but I worry I'm not DOING enough with her.

On a morning we get out of the house to a group or the park, back for lunch time and then we have free play with whatever resources I've set out so today we have the home corner which is always there with kitchen, dressing up, dolls, washing machine and hoover. On the otherside of the living room we have my little play table and a huge selection of mega blocks plus a mega blocks truck. I let them play freely between these. She naps at the same time as my daughter 2-3.

I then try to have an adult led activity such as colouring, messy play, painting or crafts but obviously it doesn't last long and they get back to free play.

I get down and play with her for a while but she mostly wants to play with my children so I find I can sit and do her learning journey or some paperwork easily and after tea time she goes home and my downstairs is packed away ready for night time easy peasy.

Should I be doing more with them or is the free play system of an afternoon ok? I talk to them all the time and I plan what resources I will put out based on her needs and likes. She comes over for a cuddle now and again and she loves to look at the photos I've taken.

I'd love to get a snippit of your day. Is there anything I can improve? I'm hoping as she gets older (she is 1) activties I set out will become more complex and last longer like making biscuits and discovery play.

[The Juggler]

brekkie
school run
toddler group/other CM house (or they at mine)/library
messy activity in morning usually
freeplay in morning also
lunch
dancing
storytime
naptime
school run
freeplay
snacktime
messy play activity
home

sounds like you are doing fine hon. don't worry to much about the adult led stuff. They like to choose their play so maybe have pens/crayons/glue/scissors out on table so she can access when she likes then once a day offer the things you have to get out yourself.

set out your room/house with different areas to explore so a little table with smallword (or floor) a bit of construction in another corner/role play somewhere else so they can move between areas. If they are happy freeplaying and they are engaged in their play then you are doing a fab job :clapping:

[rosebud]

I think what you are doing is fine. As she gets older she will enjoy more adult led activities but at 1 you can only do so much. As long as you are available to play when she wants to and respond to her with singing, games and stories then I would say you are doing enough. If she is happy and interested in the resources you have provided then you're doing it "right". You'll be able to judge when she starts to get fed up and can then start to introduce new resources and activities. I aim for one adult led activity a day and they choose whether to participate or not (sometimes they choose not to and thats fine). However, when they are doing "free play" I am still nearby and am happy to stop what I'm doing should they want me to, sometimes I just sit and play alongside with them if they don't want to play with me.

[helengreen13]

Sounds good to me. Had 11 yesterday and did baking and cards, more sedate today as only have 5, but there are 2of us as work with my sister. Planned today is: waiting for last mindee to turn up then off to nature reserve for a woodland walk, home for roast beef dinnner, next we are making all different tyes of bread, poppy seed, cheese, tomato, chocolate and courgette! for food tasting tomorrow, free play for a while while we tidy up, a few board games and then it's tea time. After tea story time and music time, before the tv can go on (normally charley bear) before 8 pick up and then we do it all again tomorrow . . . .

[mindingmummy08]

Glad I'm doing okay then! I suppose if I didn't have two children of my own (3 and 1) she'd want more from me but she prefers to do what they're doing.

I'm going to tidy up half an hour early each day so we can include song and story time in the day as part of the routine. I've just written it out on a little time table and it looks quite nice and stable really with two free play sessions one adult led, story/song time, meals and her nap.

I am so lucky as she is such an easy going child and she warmed to me straight away. I think I expected my first to be harder.

[Gherkin]

My day:
Arrivals
breakfast
School run
arrivals
free play
snack
out to group or planned activity (baking, messy play, visit to somewhere)
Lunch
nap
free play/park
School run
Park or free play

I only do one planned activity a day unless there is something major like Valentines which the children were really into.

I have been told that only 20% of the child's play/activities should be adult led. Obviously there is more subtle adult leading such as me making certain resources available etc. What you are doing sounds fine.

[handeme]

I often wonder the same thing. At the moment I don't do school runs, only for my own child so I only have three little ones everyday (all 2 and under). Today we have,

Arrival, breakfast.
Free play
Outing to Yeadon Tarn
Hot PicNic at the lookout point at the end Leeds/Bradford airport.
Nap time
Adult led rice play, with variety of cars, people, animals, cups etc
Free play
Home time

When its not a school holiday this is what our day is like,
Arrival, breakfast
School run
Outing, childminder group, play group, soft play, park, etc
Lunch
Nap time
Adult led activity, if one hasn't been organised in the mornings activity
School run
Free play home time.

C x

[kellib]

I have 2 one year old's on my books and often feel like I'm not doing enough with them but at the end of the day the parents and most importantly the children are happy so I don't stress about it too much.

Our days are usually:

Children arrive after school run
We go to soft play/park/for a walk
We have lunch
Children go down for a nap
Some free play before doing the school run or sometimes we'll do a planned activity such as baking, painting etc but at 1 they aren't really interested it all this yet!
Snack time when we get back then they are due to go to home