Oh Dear

[AliceK]

I have a lovely little mindee aged 2 who is always immaculately dressed and turned out. Today she arrived in a pair of summer white trousers. All the LO's have just come in from the garden so we can go up to school. They have been digging in the mud looking for ladybirds and this mindees lovely white trousers are filthy She had mud all over her face as well. I had to laugh, i've never seen her looking a mess before she's usually so dainty and clean looking. At least she's had fun but I don't think mum will be sending her in white trousers again.

xxxxx

[The Juggler]

my new baby's white leggings are now blue from teh chalk onthe floor outside. white is never a good colour with kids

[rosebud]

Yes baby also in white this morning and we've been to the park so also filthy!

[smurfette]

I've just put my crawler out In the garden with the Bigger ones I covered him in waterproof dungarees but the top he is wearing has white sleeves and they are. Now filthy! I have no excuse really I drEss him from clothes in a bag she sends but didn't pick the right thing! Do u just say sorry when you send them home?!!!

[BucksCM]

LOL!!
I find this is the best way to get the messege across to a parent!!

[AliceK]

I've just put my crawler out In the garden with the Bigger ones I covered him in waterproof dungarees but the top he is wearing has white sleeves and they are. Now filthy! I have no excuse really I drEss him from clothes in a bag she sends but didn't pick the right thing! Do u just say sorry when you send them home?!!!

I do but lets face it there's not much we can do, I'd rather have a child enjoying themselves and getting a bit mucky than worrying about it. My DD looks lovely in a morning for about half an hour after which time she always looks grubby somehow, I have no idea how she does it. By this time in the day she is in such a state. She's 4.

xxxx

[karensmart4]

I had a crawler arrive dressed all in white today, I thought mum would have learnt after the state her lil one went home in last week, all I can say is she must like doing the laundry

[buildingblocks]

I must be awful as I never apologise. Parents are told on looking round the setting that we spend part of every day in the garden no matter what the weather and in the summer this is most of the day. please send your child in clothes that are not precious or special as they will be messy and dirty by the end of the day.

[lisa1968]

LOL!..I always, always tell parents..'never dress them in their best cothes-because they won't be their best clothes when they come home'. If they do end up really mucky,I just smile sweetly when I hand them over and say 'They've had a lovely day......'!

[mushpea]

I remember picking my daughter up from nursery after they had been out on a trip to the local river walk, I was met by the teacher who said 'im so sorry' then she stepped to one side and my daugther appeard absoultly filthy with mud and goodnes knows what,, I couldnt help but laught and the teacher never looked so relived, as far as i was concerned the fact my daughter was covered in mud meant she'd had a good time.
I tell all my parents to never send them in good clothes and that we will always go in the garden or over the woods .
dirty kids are happy kids

[fluff1975]

I must be awful as I never apologise. Parents are told on looking round the setting that we spend part of every day in the garden no matter what the weather and in the summer this is most of the day. please send your child in clothes that are not precious or special as they will be messy and dirty by the end of the day.

I never apologise either! Like you we spend loads of time outdoors and I tell parents to expect their little ones to be filthy! That said, I did nip into Oxfam yesterday for emergency jeans, as my little crawler didn't have a change of clothes () and was soaking from the water tray mixed with soil from the veg patch in his brand new trousers!

[Demonjill]

I agree a dirty kid usually means a kid thats had fun

Although i look after 1 boy who cant stand being dirty, or anything on his hands - arts n crafts is a nightmare lol

[Tatjana]

I must be the only childminder/mum who doesn't agree a child with messed up clothes means that they've had fun!!

It really isn't evidence of how they must have enjoyed themselves.

What's wrong with parents wanting to dress their children in nice clothes? If they're with you full time when exactly are they supposed to wear nice things?!

I for one don't want my own children to wear old or cheap clothes because it apparently means they'll have fun when they get dirty.

Sorry, but I think the whole idea is rather silly.

[EmmaReed84]

My MIL looks after a beautiful little 18 month old who always looks so gorgeous but this Mum hates mess, the other day she ended up at the strawberry plants and before MIL could stop her a great big handful of mud went all over her! Wehn gran picked her up MIL apologised and gran just laughed! Mum is not funny or rude about it and understands that she will get dirty, but she hates it lol!

[gegele]

I must be the only childminder/mum who doesn't agree a child with messed up clothes means that they've had fun!!

It really isn't evidence of how they must have enjoyed themselves.

What's wrong with parents wanting to dress their children in nice clothes? If they're with you full time when exactly are they supposed to wear nice things?!

I for one don't want my own children to wear old or cheap clothes because it apparently means they'll have fun when they get dirty.

Sorry, but I think the whole idea is rather silly.

they don't have to be dirty to be happy but they can't be truly happy if they are restricted because of their clothes.
How are children suppose to explore their environement while worrying about clothes?

I have wooden floor, kids coming in and out taking their shoes on and off but it doesn't seem to do anydifference and i have a crawler... there's no chance that baby will have clean clothes unless i leave him on the foam mat in the playpen and that is unfair.

if clothes are that important then wear them in the pram on school run or out in town.

[Tatjana]

they don't have to be dirty to be happy but they can't be truly happy if they are restricted because of their clothes.
How are children suppose to explore their environement while worrying about clothes?

I have wooden floor, kids coming in and out taking their shoes on and off but it doesn't seem to do anydifference and i have a crawler... there's no chance that baby will have clean clothes unless i leave him on the foam mat in the playpen and that is unfair.

if clothes are that important then wear them in the pram on school run or out in town.

I don't believe little ones worry about their clothes, I know mine certainly don't!

Of course clothes are important, we wouldn't spend so much time and money on them if they weren't. I won't restrict my children wearing nice clothes in case they get dirty. I don't see why parents should either and it's wrong of childminders to expect them to...and then 'laugh' about it on posts like this.

I see little ones fall over, hurt themselves and got mud/dirt all over them....does this mean they've had fun??! I've seen little ones get a paint brush, the paint drops onto their clothes, they're covered and stained, they're clearly not laughing...where's the fun? Lots of lots of scenarios of getting dirty and not equal to having fun.

The concept if a child's clothes get dirty they must have had fun is silly, they've had fun if they're laughing and smiling NOT because their clothes are dirty!!

[buildingblocks]

I won't restrict my children wearing nice clothes in case they get dirty. I don't see why parents should either and it's wrong of childminders to expect them to...and then 'laugh' about it on posts like this.

For me the difference is between nice normal casual clothes for playing in and 'best' clothes. I have a child who comes in beautiful next clothes and looks lovely when I take him out anywhere but provides a set of older clothes for me to change him into for garden play/painting, etc. This is the same parent who turned up when fairly new with child in a very expensive pair of Ug boots saying please don't let him outside in them as they cost XXX I simply replied that she would have to provide a set of other shoes that he would be allowed outside in then. On saying oh can you just not let him outside today - sorry I have other children here so no on explaining my reasons she actually understood.

How I read your post means that I am in the wrong for expecting a parent to do this but what about the other children and parents in my care. All Parents are made aware of my policy so if they are not happy they can go to a different childminder who will meet their requirements

I think the difference is a parent who sends them in nice clothes and is happy for them to be dirty e.g. little one who was here yesterday crawling along the grass and patio and grass stains all over her leggings and the parent who makes you feel small because their child has been having fun and getting dirty in the process. Last week all mine were in the garden in waterproof all in ones on the grass so they didn't end up muddy but this week I would have been cruel to put them into these and make them sweat so they stayed clean.



I see little ones fall over, hurt themselves and got mud/dirt all over them....does this mean they've had fun??! I've seen little ones get a paint brush, the paint drops onto their clothes, they're covered and stained, they're clearly not laughing...where's the fun? Lots of lots of scenarios of getting dirty and not equal to having fun.
!

I think everyone would agree that obviously not every occasion where they're dirty means they are not having fun and none of us would be laughing in that case. I am certainly not laughing at parents in any way either as you suggest but I'm usually if a child is dirty here it means we have been in the garden having fun.

My friend cared for a child who was not allowed to get dirty. Mum sent him in his best clothes (there is a difference to good clothes to me). Cm could not do any activity with him in case he got dirty as Mum really did get upset with CM. and once on picking up her child from a group 'dragged' child across the playground shouting at him for getting dirty - in fact he had been playing in the water and sand with an apron on and had got sand on his feet.

[Tatjana]

I think everyone would agree that obviously not every occasion where they're dirty means they are not having fun and none of us would be laughing in that case. I am certainly not laughing at parents in any way either as you suggest but I'm usually if a child is dirty here it means we have been in the garden having fun.

My friend cared for a child who was not allowed to get dirty. Mum sent him in his best clothes (there is a difference to good clothes to me). Cm could not do any activity with him in case he got dirty as Mum really did get upset with CM. and once on picking up her child from a group 'dragged' child across the playground shouting at him for getting dirty - in fact he had been playing in the water and sand with an apron on and had got sand on his feet.

I understand and agree with what you've said....pretty much what I mean!

My point was that just beacuse a child ends up with messed up clothes it doesn't mean they've had fun, which is what I read on here time and again. Also that parents shouldn't send children in nice clothes, parents should send their children in whatever clothes they want, it's not upto us to tell them what their children should wear....obviously fair to point out they might get messy as a result of play.

Both my mindees are sent in lovely clothes, not cheap by any means, sometimes they get messy. The parents do not mind, they provide another set for them to have if need be.

I know my mindees have fun when I see them laugh and squeal in delight, not how messy their clothes are.

Oh for the record I do think it's sad that a parent doesn't want their child to play with certain things/outside just because they don't want their clothes might get spoilt.