Being negative?

[eddie]

I have recently thought I may come across as being unduly negative in the diaries. By this I mean I am honest, ie noting any violence, tempers, strops, bad moods etc. I know some child minders who only state the positive things and ignore the others but as a parent I like to know everything my little darling has been up to.
I do write the good things as well but suddenly feel a little conscious that I may appear a tad harsh sometimes?!
What do you write in the diaries - good and/or bad things?

[silvermist]

Hiya, Im honest but word things positively such as say for example youve got two los who fight over toys. I would write...we are learning to share the toys. I may write something like, encourage sharing at home. Always try to phrase it positively so not to offend. Hth x

[marian]

I don't have a daily diary as such - I have a sheet which goes in their bag at the end of the day with what they have had to eat , how many dirty nappies, where we have gone etc

I say verbally to parents at the end of the day if they 'have been a bit challenging' lol

Learning journals however - a different matter - always positive

Marian x

[~Grasshopper~]

i only write in the diary foods eaten, naps, nappy changes ect.

i tell the parents about our day at pick up as sometimes it can come across wrong when written down and i dont tend to tell parents about minor sqobbles and things.

x

[FussyElmo]

anything negative is done face to face unless it needs noting. I look on the diary as a happy book so just nice things go in. Always positive in my ljs too.

[sarah707]

I try to word negatives as positives - I read that if you tell a negative a parent needs at least 7 positives before they are ready to move on - I always try and remember that

[Pipsqueak]

problem is though some parents have problems understanding that their child is a little twerp at times.... (sorry can you tell I'm having problems)
even when you are really blunt with them!


what I try to do is speak with the parent if I have less positive feedback or if I do have to write it down I try to word it in a more upbeat manner.
Like Sarah I do try to remember that for every 1 negative you need to cushion it with up to 7 positives (sometimes hard to find that many with some children... oops sorry slip up reverting back to being a crabby cow)

and also - whilst I like to know whats going on with my kids - some parents don't want to hear ill of their little angels
and no one likes to hear ill of their child anyway....


time to go to ballet and work of some excess grump

[eddie]

I try to word negatives as positives - I read that if you tell a negative a parent needs at least 7 positives before they are ready to move on - I always try and remember that

I will print this out and stick it on my computer so I can see it when I do my diaries! Thanks.

[eddie]

problem is though some parents have problems understanding that their child is a little twerp at times.... (sorry can you tell I'm having problems)
even when you are really blunt with them!

So true. I do tell them positive things but there are just those days.....I think its important that parents know the truth, after all kids are not always little angels . My parents are quite keen to know all the ins and outs of the day and sometimes behaviour is explained by things happening at home or pending illnesses and they are always telling me the horrors that happen away from the setting

I will try to put a positive slant on things more often.

[loocyloo]

all i seem to have written in one diary today is 'loocyloo helped me to share the XYZ with ABC' 'loocyloo helped me to take turns on the ZYX' etc etc

[eddie]

all i seem to have written in one diary today is 'loocyloo helped me to share the XYZ with ABC' 'loocyloo helped me to take turns on the ZYX' etc etc

Sharing is the hardest lesson to learn!

I remember a poem we had on a course where one of the lines was something like ' sharing means giving something I am playing with to someone else' which is what it must feel like to a small child.

[hectors house]

Sharing is the hardest lesson to learn!

I remember a poem we had on a course where one of the lines was something like ' sharing means giving something I am playing with to someone else' which is what it must feel like to a small child.

Children don't very often see us sharing our most priced or precious belongings - I don't share my car or clothes with my friends and neighbours and I don't share my chocolate with anyone!

[singingcactus]

I tell the truth, but I rarely feel the need to mention cross words or strops. They are just part of being a child and are expected. If a child had been violent then yes I would mention it, but a strop, no I wouldn't put that in writing. Doesn't mean I'm not truthful, I just can't see what is to be gained by mentioning it.

[eviesmum]

The daily diaries that I use have a section for what mood the child has been in today. I usually tick "happy" but then might add a comment that says something like "lo seemed tired today and was sometimes a little grumpy..." It helps because then the parents tell me if they've been up during the night or whatever.

[rachelle]

Most negative I put is 'has needed a few reminders about being kind and gentle' with a child who I am having a behaviour focus on. His mum gets a full verbal handover too but I find it useful to have it in writing and I think the parents do too. With some children it isn't necessary as it's a small incident in the course of a good day, when the balance tips the other way I put the comments in - or something like 'has had a really good day with no physical incidents'