home from home ??

[suzy:-)]

hi everyone just wondering what u all do

when i done my pre childminding registration one thing always sticks with me with what i was taught and its this ......

no answering the door in your dressing gown, we must be ready for work ( this i do agree on ) but .........
no doing house hold washing
no doing your weekly tesco shop
no socialising i.e cuppa with friends and co

house work basically kept to a minimum
now im frightened to do wrong and never have but id really like to get out and about more without feeling like im doing wrong e/g i went to my mums today for a cuppa , took little one who was perfectly happy but all the time i was thinking "is this aloud" , i worry what the parents expect from home childcare i should of mentioned this to them on there first visits but i just wondered apart from the usual learning journal what every one else does with there day
ps we do go to playgroups 3 times per week,park,ducks,homebased activities but when u have a little one all day i dont want to feel bad about nipping into town for instance
thanks x x

[sarahjane]

I might get shot for this but I do do my washing, I pop into town (I went yesterday to get a birthday present for an after school child) and I probably do other things that some on here wouldn't approve of but I never hide anything from parents and they are all happy!
Do what you feel comfortable doing

[suzy:-)]

I might get shot for this but I do do my washing, I pop into town (I went yesterday to get a birthday present for an after school child) and I probably do other things that some on here wouldn't approve of but I never hide anything from parents and they are all happy!
Do what you feel comfortable doing

personally i dont see anything wrong with this as long as u include the eyfs , i would rather get out and about doing everyday life thing that mums and dads would usually do than being stuck in a nursery .......right??? x x

[Twinkles]

It is what it says 'home-based-childcare'.

I feel our advantage is that we can give the children an experience of being in a home - with all the things that happen in a home ( within reason ).

So to me yes pop the washing on - don't do the weeks ironing

Pop in and have a cuppa with your mum or a friend - not every day

Nip into town to pick a few bits up - don't do your whole Christmas shopping with them in tow !

Most things we do , we do for the children in our care but sometimes they have to ;come to the vets , post a letter , come to buy bread/milk etc.

I personally would not do a full weeks shop with the children but that's more for my sanity than anything !

[PixiePetal]

It is what it says 'home-based-childcare'.

I feel our advantage is that we can give the children an experience of being in a home - with all the things that happen in a home ( within reason ).

So to me yes pop the washing on - don't do the weeks ironing

Pop in and have a cuppa with your mum or a friend - not every day

Nip into town to pick a few bits up - don't do your whole Christmas shopping with them in tow !

Most things we do , we do for the children in our care but sometimes they have to ;come to the vets , post a letter , come to buy bread/milk etc.

I personally would not do a full weeks shop with the children but that's more for my sanity than anything !

ditto

most of my friends are CM so it's good to meet with them and mindees all get on

[Ripeberry]

The only thing I would say is when visiting relatives make sure you have risk assessed their home as it might not be 'child friendly' Might be easier for people to visit you.

[suzy:-)]

The only thing I would say is when visiting relatives make sure you have risk assessed their home as it might not be 'child friendly' Might be easier for people to visit you.

talking about people visiting me lol i feel even worse when parents pick up and i have guests it doesent happen very often at all but i had two of my own childrens birthdays the other week and both occasions there were people in my living room when parents came , i just wanted my family to run in the kitchen or something even tho i have nothing to hide think i may have a confidence issue , my friend and i are bridesmaids and she came round so we could leave straight after mindee left and have a fitting but i did wonder what the mum felt when she seen her there ?? even tho she literally pulled up minutes before , mum may have thought she was here all day

[LChurch]

I always make sure my mindees parents know if I am doing things like shopping! We are in the middle of decorating and I had run out of paint and needed to get some other bits so took mindee with me to homebase, I just turned it into an "educational" outing! Mum said mindee was quite used to it, she said she wanted to go into the trolley! Mindee is not even 2 yet but talks nineteen to the dozen! At my inspection I remember inspector said that you can turn the washing into an "educational" activity - sort the whites from the darks etc, as long as you can prove EYFS you are ok! I always think kUW!!! i have been known to drop into an old people's group after all they need to be introduced to all walks of life!

Obv don't hang your washing outside and leave lo inside! But I will often do dishwasher when minde is having breakfast etc. I again use this to my advantage as she names things as they go into the cupboard!

Always think about how you can tick it off on EYFS.

Hope that helps

[BucksCM]

Being a Bucks Buddie, I do hear some stories of what is told on the ICP/cypop5 courses. Some of it is laughable!
I always make it very clear to parents at the first interview what I'll be doing with their child...toddler groups, surestart sessions, childminding groups, outings to woods/parks/friends etc and a tescos shop on friday. As already said, it can all be linked to the EYFS in some way.
I have actually had a parent thank me because her toddler is better behaved in tescos now!
I just think that if i would do something with my children then I can do it with minded children too. I always keep the parents informed and if I'm going to do something very different then I'll seek permission first.

[EmmaReed84]

I have my weekly plan which includes things like playgroup, messys place, tiny tots, plananed activities and some of my planned activities are things I need to do, if I can tie it in with EYFS. Also I plan visiting (most the people I visit are CM's or have children)

If I have to get a little bit of shopping (ie bread, cheese, potatoes etc not a weekly shop) I take mindees with me, they help me, we talk about food, count things in the basket etc.

My parents are all fine with it, like they say the reason they chose me is because it is a HOME environment, if they wanted a nursery environment they would have put them in a nursery!

[mrs robbie williams]

I only have one lo with me during day at mo and i always do something with her in the morning group/park/ducks/activity that i can link to eyfs, after lunch she normally sleeps for couple hours so i get all my bits like washing (never ironing) etc done then, but the other day she didnt want a sleep so she 'helped' me, we hung the washing out, tidied the garden, washed up - it took twice as long but it got the jobs done and lo enjoyed herself xx

[blue bear]

How life has changed, I clearly remember on my course (16 years ago) to match socks with little ones when folding the washing off the line!
I am not a setting I am a home, I'm not a nursery worker I'm a childminder, I look after children in my home, I share my home, the children become part of my family and we do things together all the while I'm mindful of their development.
No I wouldn't spring clean my house while lo's are here but pots get washed, wet pants get thrown I'm the washing machine with my wash, we hang out washing and will even run the Hoover round if glitter spills etc.
I was talking to an ex nursery worker who told me the used to have to wash every toy every day plus bedding towels etc while the children were still there, now I wouldn't dream of doing that, thta's a weekend job here.

[buzzy bee]

LOL well I don't answer the door in my PJs BUT DS is usually in his PJs when I have 7.30 drop-offs!! Oops

The only things I do housework wise are washing up and washing. The children either help me or if they're happy playing I just leave them to it.

I do pop to the shops / bank / post office etc when I have to, but not to do a full weekly shop, and as others have said you can link it all to the EYFS.

Plus, if their mums work most of the week, they might not get to have these experiences if it wasn't for us, and to me that's the whole point of CMs.

[kellib]

I do these things with my mindees too, today we're going to the bank but then we'll also go to the park on the way home so mindees get some playing time in there.

I don't do massive shops when I have mindees but if I need bread/milk etc then yeah I'll pop to the shops, I would with my own son so it's no different.

[miffy]

hi everyone just wondering what u all do

when i done my pre childminding registration one thing always sticks with me with what i was taught and its this ......

no answering the door in your dressing gown, we must be ready for work ( this i do agree on ) but .........
no doing house hold washing
no doing your weekly tesco shop
no socialising i.e cuppa with friends and co

house work basically kept to a minimum
now im frightened to do wrong and never have but id really like to get out and about more without feeling like im doing wrong e/g i went to my mums today for a cuppa , took little one who was perfectly happy but all the time i was thinking "is this aloud" , i worry what the parents expect from home childcare i should of mentioned this to them on there first visits but i just wondered apart from the usual learning journal what every one else does with there day
ps we do go to playgroups 3 times per week,park,ducks,homebased activities but when u have a little one all day i dont want to feel bad about nipping into town for instance
thanks x x

I agree with being dressed and ready for work but not the rest of it. I work those jobs into the day, to me that's what would happen if lo's were at home with their parents.

Miffy xx

[kel1983]

I am with everyone above.

Today we are walking to the larger supermarket to buy milk and toilet rolls (essential items). Its cheaper to go here than the local shop. The one child we have will get fresh air and on the way back we will stop at the play park.

We do washing and washing up but there is 2 of us so one is usually watching the children. Last week I mowed the lawn while the children were sleeping (cominder watching them) If i didnt do it during the day it wouldnt get done and the children were desperate to play out on the lawn.

It is a home from home and we can very often teach children through what we are doing around the house.

[suzy:-)]

thanks everyone for your replys

this forum is fab !!!!
x x

[rickysmiths]

Gosh it is Home from Home care. The parents that use me use me because this is what they want.

I have put the washing on the line this morning between two mindees arriving and have just hear the machine beep at me so will be putting that load out in a min.

I go shopping, not everyday but we do supermarket shopping and they are learning where their food comes from, they see all the varieties of fruit and veg etc etc. I take them present shopping as well.

Over the years we have been to the dentist, the doctor, the hair dresser.

I will dust if the children are playing happily, I have solid floors so I usually sweep them at some point every day. I will run the hoover over the living room. I clean the windows as well, inside if they are playing, outside if they are outside or asleep.

I cook, get tea ready for instance.

I have done sewing, card making, even got my circuit machine out and cut out shapes and titles for their LJs

I don't see anything wrong with doing all these things the children need variety and to see normal everyday life going on around them.

[caz3007]

Rickysmiths - I dont have a cricut but do have a bug and the LO's love winding the handle whilst we out stars, hearts and flowers for glueing

I also only have one LO and mum says to me I dont mind what you do with her or take her cos I know you will look after her.

We visit parks/feed the duck/toddler group but we also have friends nip in for a cuppa. Sometimes its when LO has her nap and sometimes she is awake but she loves it as she gets to chat to different people and they often bring her a little cake

I do washing and washing up, and when she is asleep I may nip upstairs and put washing away, wipe the bathroom over....its just what her mum would do when she was asleep.

We nip to the local shops and we visit cafe's occasionally. They way I see it she should be experiencing with me what she would if her mum was at home, if mum wanted us to stay in all the time and have no visitors she would have chosen to send her to a nursery

[Tatjana]

I agree with everyone on here. I don't do big clean ups but bits here and there are essential otherwise we would be worn out trying to fit everything in before or after mindees are here. I hoover otherwise the mess would be ridiculous with all the food on the floor after snacks and meals.

I try and keep meals simple as don't want to spend hours prepping/cooking and washing up.

I wouldn't dream of doing a weekly shop with mindees in tow, that would take too long and be unfair on them. Picking up essentials is different.

I do pretty much the same as I do/did with my own children and they have developed very well!!

It's unrealistic to expect to play or observe mindees every minute they are with us.