Just signed up for my first 7am start

**ja-lula-belli** · 07-08-2014, 05:29 PM

Gosh!!! I have just signed up for my first 7am stArt all my others have been 8 so I'm feeling nervous.
It's only one day a week and only in holidays. So not too bad still going to dread that huddle and bussle of getting my own 4 children ( all aged 7-1) ready in time! Ahhhhhh lol

**mama2three** · 08-08-2014, 05:44 AM

Why are you getting your own children ready in time?
I used to do exactly the same , make sure all mine were up and sorted before 1st mindee. But if there is only 1 coming at 7am and its the school holidays theres no rush for the others to be up , nor a rush to get ready and out of the house 'on time'. let them get up when they usually would and sort them as you go. Mindees sometimes need to fit in around us!

**Mouse** · 08-08-2014, 05:49 AM

I have never got my own children up and ready before minded children arrive, especially not in the holidays.

Unless there is a very good reason why they have to be up, I would leave them. Don't forget, it's you who's working, not them

**ja-lula-belli** · 08-08-2014, 06:32 AM

Really???
Wow I suppose yes your right. I think in some way my thread was really about that but I didn't want to come out and ask that direct question as I wasn't sure how it would be perceived.
I do run around like a headless chicken trying to get everything in order just for the first parents look of drop off!
If I know that it is acceptable for my kiddies to still be ' at there own pace' then I feel a lot better about the 7.00 start.
Thanks so much for your messages x x x x

**Kiddleywinks** · 08-08-2014, 06:34 AM

I don't get mine up either, but the noise level normally does

Only rule I have is that they don't come downstairs unless they're dressed

**nikki thomson** · 08-08-2014, 06:59 AM

I do not get my children up, mindee arrives at 8 and he has to be quiet so he doesn't wake them or my husband, especially if he's coming off a night shift, my children are 6,8,10 and usually surface about 9 ish in the hols. X

**AliceK** · 08-08-2014, 07:01 AM

In the holidays my own children get up when they like, usually when mindees start to arrive. DD does wander around in her nightie (she's 6), DS is 10 and he sometimes wanders around in his shorts and t-shirt (PJ's) but usually he gets dressed pretty quickly. I figure my children are on their school hols so they deserve to be able to relax a bit. My old childminders DS very often used to be getting up when I was arriving to drop off my children. There's no harm.

xxx

**HTSMumma** · 08-08-2014, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by AliceK

In the holidays my own children get up when they like, usually when mindees start to arrive. DD does wander around in her nightie (she's 6), DS is 10 and he sometimes wanders around in his shorts and t-shirt (PJ's) but usually he gets dressed pretty quickly. I figure my children are on their school hols so they deserve to be able to relax a bit. My old childminders DS very often used to be getting up when I was arriving to drop off my children. There's no harm. xxx

Same! In the holidays, I'm barely in my daytime clothes!! In fact, my first and only mindee today isn't arriving until 9.15ish and I'm still in bed having cat cuddles while my 2yr old is wondering around upstairs with a pooey nappy!! 5 STAR MOTHER!!!

When mindees arrive, my youngest is usually up, but definitely in his pyjamas. My 9yr old is sometimes up, and well, my 14yr old is NEVER up....

**Mouse** · 08-08-2014, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by ja-lula-belli

Really???
Wow I suppose yes your right. I think in some way my thread was really about that but I didn't want to come out and ask that direct question as I wasn't sure how it would be perceived.
I do run around like a headless chicken trying to get everything in order just for the first parents look of drop off!
If I know that it is acceptable for my kiddies to still be ' at there own pace' then I feel a lot better about the 7.00 start.
Thanks so much for your messages x x x x

My children are older now, so I often don't see them before lunchtime in the holidays anyway. It's usually the smell of food that brings them downstairs! Like someone else said, I have a rule that they have to be dressed before they come down as I don't want them appearing in boxer shorts and nothing else.

Even when they were little I would leave them in bed until they woke up. I'd then just get them ready while mindees were here, so there's no problem with that at all

**bunyip** · 08-08-2014, 07:26 AM

I have 0700 starts most days and still consider them a luxury.

Previously I did shifts which could start at 0445 or finish at 0230 (though not both together, IYSWIM.)

The thing I still struggle to cope with in CMIng is the fact that we work through from start time to finish without a proper break. Even when the mindees are sleeping or quietly engaged in something, you just cannot switch off for 10 minutes and smell the roses.

Still - I wouldn't give it up for all the world..............................

**AliceK** · 08-08-2014, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by bunyip

I have 0700 starts most days and still consider them a luxury.

Previously I did shifts which could start at 0445 or finish at 0230 (though not both together, IYSWIM.)

The thing I still struggle to cope with in CMIng is the fact that we work through from start time to finish without a proper break. Even when the mindees are sleeping or quietly engaged in something, you just cannot switch off for 10 minutes and smell the roses.

Still - I wouldn't give it up for all the world..............................

Oh yes, I miss having a lunch hour and being able to pop out to town/shops and get things that I may have needed or just sitting with other adults and eating my lunch, in peace, and having a read of the paper and even being able to pop to the loo without someone banging on the door or needing to talk to me whilst I'm in there.

xxx

**covgalxxx** · 08-08-2014, 08:07 AM

I only started this week, my 20 months still in pjs and the mindie kid started at 8 am, my 10 year old got up but came down dressed wouldn't bother me if she came down in pjs, when school starts I have a 7:30 start, and if I drop of and 20 months is still in pjs who cares,she won't ...

Glitter · 08-08-2014, 08:26 AM

When I had a mindee start at 7am he would come in his pyjamas, with his breakfast in a box, I would dress him and my children at the same time.
MY own children don't get dressed in the holidays until dinner time, unless we are going out.

I regularly have pyjama days in the school holidays. If it is going to be very wet the mindees come in pyjamas and spend the day building a fort with the sofa cushions and watching DVD's (sometimes I love my job!).

**tulip0803** · 08-08-2014, 08:41 AM

I don't get my children ready before mindees arrive - twice a week I have one that comes at 6am! My 6 am and my 7.30 am LOs arrive in their pjs. DD2 is normally up for 7-730 ish all year round so will appear in pjs in the holidays before having breakfast and getting dressed, she does the opposite in school terms

. DD2 is a teenager and emerges sometime during the day.

**kellib** · 08-08-2014, 09:18 AM

I don't get my son up either, one mindee arrives at 7.30 and he would not thank me for getting him up that early in holidays lol! Most of the time he hears mindees and will come through but there's been days when he'll sleep till after 10. I don't mind though as they are his holidays

Even on school mornings he's sometimes not awake before mindee arrives!

**tess1981** · 08-08-2014, 02:57 PM

I would never dream of waking my children up. . It's their holidays and if we not leaving the house that. day they get up when they want.

**ja-lula-belli** · 08-08-2014, 03:05 PM

Thanks all for your replies although I don't wake my children up I fact it's always the other way around, I would love a lay in!
But I do rush around and get them dressed and have everything spotless for when my mindee arrives!
But now I know it's ok and I do not need to be so worried about my kids being ready x

**mum67** · 08-08-2014, 08:20 PM

Chill out Mrs, as long as you are dressed and the house and garden are all safe for the mindees that's all that matters, we were told on pre reg course to always be dressed and not in dressing gown for start of day but they never said get your kids up and stand them in the hall for inspection by parent when they arrive, lol, your stressing too much.
I bet the parent is hardly awake her/himself when they drop off to notice if you even opened the curtains.

One thing I have learnt on the forum, just ask exactly what you want to know there's no need to sugar coat anything, this is an army of people of all ages who have seen and heard everything so their advice is straight to the point and good.

Don't envy you 7.00 am start in the hols.lol

**clareelizabeth1** · 08-08-2014, 10:01 PM

My only thing is to make sure ds is wearing pants before first mindie arrives. I've given up with the full wardrobe but he has to wear pants or a nappy don't card witch. It is also the hardest thing about my whole day. My child just hates clothes. He's only 21 months so hope it's a faze.

If he's still asleep though I just enjoy the peace of getting ready without his "help".