Travelling Teddie type ideas

[Louise_Oaktree]

I'm thinking of getting a stuffed animal to send home with the children with a diary of what they did together whilst at the child's home. Hopefully I can gather interests from home and use in my planning, also it would make a lovely opportunity for children to talk about what they did and share it. I'm also thinking about sending it to other settings overseas if I can find any!

I had thought about sending home resources to share at home or books but this seems a bit more lighthearted and easy for parents to do.

I'm looking for any tips from any of you lovely people who already do something similar?

[singingcactus]

I used to send Hunter my empathy doll home with the children sometimes. He would take a bag with his toothbrush, jammies, fresh clothes, cuddly toy and a favourite bedtime storybook. I added in a journal so parents could write about what they did. I did set up a facebook page for him too and had the families write and post on that instead.
We also had a different bag with a physical activity in it, say 2 bats and a ball, or a bag of ribbons, or some bouncy balls and a cup, with a notebook and a game idea in it. The parents would write in what activity they did and tell me about any games they invented using the resources.
They were sent home separately. I struggle with my current families to get things returned so haven't done any in quite a while.

While I did it, the families loved it. I just don't use my empathy doll much anymore, he just sits in the corner with his creepy smile..... looking at us all...... never blinking.....

[loocyloo]

I have a monkey that used to go home ... He would come back, but rarely with any info about what he had done in his book. I used to send an activity bag too, but this wasn't really used and I was always chasing to get it returned.

I currently have 'borrowing bags' with a book and activity in ... These are borrowed and do come back but I usually have to write any comments in the book.

[FloraDora]

In theory this is a great idea and if you have a set of parents that won't compete that's great too.
I did this for a number of years at school and we sent a questionnaire out after one session.
We were horrified by the negativity. Because you just posted it in a box nobody knew who had written what so people were honest.

Lots liked it but more had issues:

Intrusion into their life
Pressure to do something interesting ( despite the emphasis being to be ordinary weekend)
Felt pressure because some families had more money and could give their children lots of experiences - which teddy went on.
Pressure because some families were very creative in their diary.
Pressure on a busy visiting family weekend to write up a diary with a tired little one.

We made a few adjustments and then gave an option to take part and the enthusiasm died as the same 6 parents took part.

With the right set of parents there are lots of benefits though but it is pressure on parents.

[Maza]

In theory this is a great idea and if you have a set of parents that won't compete that's great too.
I did this for a number of years at school and we sent a questionnaire out after one session.
We were horrified by the negativity. Because you just posted it in a box nobody knew who had written what so people were honest.

Lots liked it but more had issues:

Intrusion into their life
Pressure to do something interesting ( despite the emphasis being to be ordinary weekend)
Felt pressure because some families had more money and could give their children lots of experiences - which teddy went on.
Pressure because some families were very creative in their diary.
Pressure on a busy visiting family weekend to write up a diary with a tired little one.

We made a few adjustments and then gave an option to take part and the enthusiasm died as the same 6 parents took part.

With the right set of parents there are lots of benefits though but it is pressure on parents.

Oh my goodness! That is so sad. I would never have dreamt it put that much pressure on parents. It just shows how important it is to ask for feedback.

I have also done it several times in schools and have loved it - the children certainly seemed to love it and I assumed the parents did too - but I never asked them.

We do assume that everyone has a camera/printer. Even though we made it clear that it was an option to add photos, of course once the first person did everyone else wanted/felt obliged to add photos too. One little girl in my class didn't because she didn't have a camera. I took photos of her in school holding the bear and stuck them on her page so that she wouldn't be the only one without a photo. Another family emailed the photos to me to print out - I grumbled under my breath but of course I did it.

When my DD brought it home from her school she was sooo excited. I remember the printer was playing up and it took us ages to print out the photo and get it to the right size for the book. Fortunately my DH has the patience of a saint (and is fab at IT) and got it sorted - but I am sure for a family under stress or without the IT skills it would have been the last thing they needed and not conducive to a fun, family learning activity.

Also, I have a sister-in-law who is severely dyslexic and gets so stressed about things like this for school. My brother works away a lot and so the school stuff does fall on her. She relies on her brother a lot to go to her house and write things down for her to copy, which is very sweet of him, but obviously he is very busy, like the rest of us. Of course we wouldn't be judging someone on their spelling mistakes and welcome all parental support, but that doesn't mean parents don't FEEL judged.

Wow, Floradora, thank you for making me analyse something I have never even thought of analysing before.

Still a lovely idea if you have the parents who would love it. Why don't you ask them, just to gage reactions? Then you should put in some ground rules - only one page per child, only one photo - optional, etc. x

[Pixie dust]

I have just recently introduced a travelling bear to my setting, the children have been very excited about taking him home but as well as taking him home I am planning to take him out on our trips too, it's early days so we will have to see how it goes. The first family who took him home had recently gone through a family bereavement so mum was very keen for them to have something positive to focus on. I have also printed out the photos for parents.

Just to add before a child has taken the bear home I have asked the parents first if they would be happy to have the bear at home for a weekend.

[mumofone]

In theory this is a great idea and if you have a set of parents that won't compete that's great too. I did this for a number of years at school and we sent a questionnaire out after one session. We were horrified by the negativity. Because you just posted it in a box nobody knew who had written what so people were honest. Lots liked it but more had issues: Intrusion into their life Pressure to do something interesting ( despite the emphasis being to be ordinary weekend) Felt pressure because some families had more money and could give their children lots of experiences - which teddy went on. Pressure because some families were very creative in their diary. Pressure on a busy visiting family weekend to write up a diary with a tired little one. We made a few adjustments and then gave an option to take part and the enthusiasm died as the same 6 parents took part. With the right set of parents there are lots of benefits though but it is pressure on parents.

As a parent I wouldn't want the pressure you mention. All these things are well and good but yet something else to be doing on top of everything else.

[FussyElmo]

In theory this is a great idea and if you have a set of parents that won't compete that's great too.
I did this for a number of years at school and we sent a questionnaire out after one session.
We were horrified by the negativity. Because you just posted it in a box nobody knew who had written what so people were honest.

Lots liked it but more had issues:

Intrusion into their life
Pressure to do something interesting ( despite the emphasis being to be ordinary weekend)
Felt pressure because some families had more money and could give their children lots of experiences - which teddy went on.
Pressure because some families were very creative in their diary.
Pressure on a busy visiting family weekend to write up a diary with a tired little one.

We made a few adjustments and then gave an option to take part and the enthusiasm died as the same 6 parents took part.

With the right set of parents there are lots of benefits though but it is pressure on parents.

The trravelling ted peer pressure once a family gets him who has something wonderful planned for the weekend once the photos go in of him being at the beach/theme park the next child wants to take ted to somewhere equally wonderful and then it starts parents pressured to do something other than feeding him to the new puppy

I got him him after a foreign holiday (mum put on how stressful it was having to remember the bear) and theres my innocent dd asking where the ted would be going and hearing a parent say she had wanted that weekend as they were in London visiting her brother yes it was clear the upmanship had started.

So on the way dd and ds spoke about where the bear would be going? No where I replied its just a normal weekend. But Mummy bear has to go somewhere nice. Oh dear looks like hes in for a boring weekend then as our plans for the weekend are pointe dance shoe shopping on the saturday and ds's football on the sunday. Oh and by the way its yor dad weekend in work so we wont be changing plans.

So we had a photo of him walking home and then they made him a box to sleep in.
On the saturday he went via double decker bus (apparantly ted had never been on a bus. A plane yes but bus no) to the dance shop where he tried on dance shoes.
On sunday he went and watched ds play football.

The next Mum thanked me for doing a normal weekend as she was dreading having him

I like to think I changed the tide of ted doing exceptionally things however I see on fb the parents putting oh no we have THE bear so I dont think it lasted long.

I have a bear the children can take home with them if they wish I just go to the charity shop and buy one so its not an issue if he doesnt get brought back. But its just the bear no book etc. The children are told to snuggle up with him at night.

[Louise_Oaktree]

Thank you to everyone for your replies. I'm a parent of 2 boys aged 5 and 10 so we've been on the receiving end of having a bear visit so I can relate to everything that has been said.

You have given me lots to think about and I certainly will be adding a page of instructions at the front to help parents to understand what is (and isn't) expected!

I'll let you know how it goes!

[hulahoops]

I have a monkey that we take out with us and make a diary of what we've done together. He comes most places with us and the kids love it. Occasionally the children want to take him home so I let them. I ask them to look after him and send me pictures.
Often over the weekend I get whatsapped pics of him on the swings or in the trolley at asda, even in bed with a child.
I do worry that one day he might not come back though