boooooo paperwork!!!

[georgeypie07]

is anyone else out there FED UP with paperwork?? i have all the good intentions on catching up and staying on top of it but as i have 3 children of my own (all under 7) the last thing on my mind on an evening is flaming paperwork!!! if its not invoices, reciepts, income, expenses its observations, risk assessments, learning journals!!! i sometimes think i would be better off working in a nusery or pre school?

[bindy]

I know what you mean. I find it very hard. I am a single mum and work 5 days a week, 10 hours a day. The last thing on my mind after all the kiddies have gone home is catching up with paper work, after cleaning the house and fixing dinner. No way at weekends! That time is for my daughter. Impossible to do during the week days. I have just employed an assistant so hoping to give my self 1 hour a day, to do what ever I have to do.

[georgeypie07]

im also shocked at the complete lack of support or help that childmimders get compared to other childcare providers (nurseries, pre schools etc) theres no financial support for equiptment and theres no suppport for the admin side of it, yet were expected to be up to such a high standard with everything!! people dont realise how hard work it is (and thats not including looking after lots of children!!!)

[blue bear]

You really need to tryi and slim things down and are there any times in the working days you could fit some paper work in, like nap times or free play?
I've taught mine to print photos off using the pogo and stick them in the lj's themselves which has cut down on paperwork for me. I write any obs I see straight onto a note let and just add the links when children are sleeping.
Instead of writing out bills and receipts I write everything in the back of the daily diary.

I agree people have no idea just how. Much we have to put in, I talk to the nursery workers and they moan about lj's but that is such a small part of the paperwork .

[watgem]

Blue Bear i need you to come and organise me please

[sarah707]

Blue Bear is absolutely right! There is so much you can do during the day when the children are playing quietly - or you can do with the children, involving them in their own LJ.

Yes ok accounts and things you really need to concentrate on are best saved for a quiet hour or 2 at the weekend - so turn off the wifi, put your phone on silent, close the door and properly concentrate.

However, a lot of the other things are perfectly ok to do during the day.

Your planning, for example - sit with the children at snack time, introduce an idea to them - next week we are going to look at spring because you have all commented on the new shoots, insects and leaves in the garden... who knows what spring is?

I've had some ideas for spring but I want to hear what you would like to do... pictures, a walk in the woods, making potions with petals... etc.

Write it down and display it for parents - this is what we will be covering as planned by YOUR children - do you have any further ideas? What are the children doing at home at the moment?...

Job done - your evening is re-claimed

[Sarsar3NCH]

Really good points made about doing some during the course of the day, thank you I think I will try to work on this

[lisa1968]

I suppose, as self-employed people, we have to expect to do some paperwork in our own time-all other SE people have to. I did used to feel guilty if I did paperwork during working hours, but it then got to the point where I was doing a couple of hours a night which was eating into my time with my family.Why should I be sitting, writing about someone else's child at the cost of time with my own child??
So now I do as much as I can in the day-when the mindees are napping,playing,sleeping,eating or even if the TV is on for 20 minutes.I try to concentrate on one thing at a time-daily diaries are done as I go along-but if I don't get them done,I don't worry about it;I apologise to the parents then fill them in verbally.Planning is done once a week,observations are done as I go along-post-it notes are fab for this-and I add next steps later(when I get a minute to think about it!).The best thing I ever bought was a photo printer so I can print off photos there and then to go in LJ's rather than doing a load at boots or online then having to catch up with them all.

[georgeypie07]

great advice everyone. id never actually thought of doing any paperwork in the day but you are right, whilst the children are napping/ playing etc then why not?!?! i really need to try and keep on top of it, do a little bit each day and dont let it pile up (because oh my goodness does it pile up!!!!!)

thanks everyone xx

[watgem]

Just finished a day of catching up with learning journeys georgeypie lol, I will have to try these tips too lolxxx

[mrstom]

I try and get bits done when the children are napping but I have my own 4 year old who (quite rightly) wants some mummy time when the littlies aren't around.

I only work 3 days per week and I've just started my Level 3. I've decided that I'm not going to take on any more mindees until that's finished. My youngest starts school in September so I'm hoping I can get all my paperwork/coursework done and do any batch cooking or 'proper' housework during these two 'days off' to leave weekends free for family stuff.

The extra money from taking on more mindees would be brilliant but at the moment I'm trying to keep the work/life balance firmly in the 'life' camp - my two boys need me more x

[kp0781]

I've just spent the evening sticking photos inLJ's and will write up tmw on my 'day off ' while my 3 yr old is at nursery and my baby has a nap. My plan was to do paperwork on the 2 days a week that I have sleepers but they don't nap at the same time!!!! I am one over numbers and have / 10 mo 4 days a week so can't get anything done during the day :-( I even do all my food prep 'out of hours'. Hoping this will change as babies get older

[VeggieSausage]

I do all my paperwork during the day, apart from my SEF and accounts. I make sure I do something each day.

I do planning for after schools as Sarah707 suggested and ask what they want to do over the next few weeks and then I write it straight onto a planning sheet. I do my other planning as I go through the month, so one activity leads on to another etc. While children are playing or napping I sit and update stuff, once up to date it is easier to keep on top of, half an hour a day max and then I refuse to do any more. I am always looking for ways to cut down on my paperwork ....it takes a while to find an easy way to do everything and what works for you....

[Houlgated]

i really need to get into a much better routine of doing paperwork a bit at a time regularly. i do a daily diary for my mindee, and every so often i go back through that to update the LJ whilst he is asleep but i then feel guilty that i put the tv on for my own 3 year old whilst i do paperwork when i should just spend that time with him. sometimes i just take a photo of what i have written in the daily diary so i can update the minee's LJ at a later date but in reality when i am not working i tend to put paperwork away and forget about it. I have just had photo's developed dating back to september to add in to the LJ which i just keep putting off. I feel like i need to timetable in time to do paperwork each week to make sure i keep on top of it. I'm in awe of those of you who mind loads of kids, full time and keep up to date with paperwork and legislation changes...it's not something that comes naturally to me, so when i get that call from Mrs O i know i'm going to go into full scale panic