Having a moan out loud about daily diaries

[toddlers896]

A parent has told me to keep the daily diary and put it in the bag on Friday as they don't read it till then.
Mmmm confused.com
I asked the parent would you prefer I stop doing them as the information that's in their is for reporting back daily and her answer was she still wants them done as they are going in a box for when the kids are older.
Mmmmm confused.com
Why would a child want to know how many poos they have done and and what they had for lunch.
I really don't get some parents. As if we don't have enough to do.

That's my moan for today over lol

[Koala]

Your not alone.

I have found loads of stuff that has been left in diaries because they haven't been read. birthday cards, mothers day cards etc... etc... not to mention invoices and newsletters. It's really sad to see a mothers day card come back in the diary after mothers day, sometimes it does seem that the more you try the more you can get insulted.

[watford wizz]

I do day sheets rather than diary and have one set of parents who have kept every day of his first year, he's now 13, to give to him on his 21st birthday. Not sure he will want to see numbers of poohs etc but it's a bit of fun x

[Smiley]

I have recently stopped doing a daily diary with one family, since younger sibling came along wasn't always looked at and mum said I keep her well informed verbally. Also she's delighted to take the files home to look through every few months, so great that save me an extra job!

[JCrakers]

I was told something similar the other day...Parent said 'Oh, I enjoy reading his diary over the weekend'

So......whats the point in me writing in it Mon-Thurs then. What's the point in knowing when he slept on Monday or what he ate

Writing 3 diaries a day is so time consuming!!!

[loocyloo]

I have parents who generally only read at the weekend but I find it useful for me to look at and see what child did or if they ate a particular meal!

[Mouse]

I have to be honest, some daily diaries I have seen are so boring it's no wonder parents can't be bothered to read them!

I had a child come to me from another childminder and mum gave me the daily diary in case I wanted to continue with it, although she said I really didn't have to as she never read it. I wasn't surprised. All it was was a list each day of nappy changes, when the child slept & what they ate. If parents aren't interested in that info, I certainly wouldn't bother spending my time writing it down.

This particular mum was a bit sceptical when I gave her my daily diary on the first day. It had photos, a write up about what we'd been doing, how much her son had enjoyed himself etc. She texted me that night to say she loved it. She now writes in it at the weekend & includes photos and info about what they've been doing.

I think, if you want parents to read the daily diary, make it interesting so they will want to read it. If all you're going to do is list wees and poos, don't be surprised if they don''t read them! Unless there is a medical reason why a parent needs to know exact time & state of their child's nappy, or a specific reason why they ask for it, I don't see a need to record it. Parents know I change their child's nappy during the day. That should be enough for them.

For under 2s I send the diary home every day. For over 2s it goes home at the end of the week. It is time consuming, but my in depth diaries are actually one of my selling points, so well worth doing

[FloraDora]

I have to be honest, some daily diaries I have seen are so boring it's no wonder parents can't be bothered to read them!

I had a child come to me from another childminder and mum gave me the daily diary in case I wanted to continue with it, although she said I really didn't have to as she never read it. I wasn't surprised. All it was was a list each day of nappy changes, when the child slept & what they ate. If parents aren't interested in that info, I certainly wouldn't bother spending my time writing it down.

This particular mum was a bit sceptical when I gave her my daily diary on the first day. It had photos, a write up about what we'd been doing, how much her son had enjoyed himself etc. She texted me that night to say she loved it. She now writes in it at the weekend & includes photos and info about what they've been doing.

I think, if you want parents to read the daily diary, make it interesting so they will want to read it. If all you're going to do is list wees and poos, don't be surprised if they don''t read them! Unless there is a medical reason why a parent needs to know exact time & state of their child's nappy, or a specific reason why they ask for it, I don't see a need to record it. Parents know I change their child's nappy during the day. That should be enough for them.

For under 2s I send the diary home every day. For over 2s it goes home at the end of the week. It is time consuming, but my in depth diaries are actually one of my selling points, so well worth doing

I do similar via an online site. My daily diaries are also my observations so the parents can see the evidence of why I say what their next steps will be. ( I also do in depth obs on next step areas - but not daily obviously!) the parents get an insight of their child's activities and like Mouse, they add by their weekend/ holiday pics and comments and their own observations. I write about the morning when they are asleep in the afternoon and it takes most of the sleep time, but I sit upstairs in the den so that I can hear them and I find it a great reflective time. Whilst DH tidies big things away, cleans craft up I write up last little bit after they have woke up and upload photos. All done by 5.30 usually for me. In my previous life I got home at 7.30 / 8 but twice a week 10.30 and then got up at 4.30 to do work preparation for the day (as Mornings at the workplace no matter how early I arrived were taken up supporting others ) before I left to arrive at work for 7am. So I think I'm still on holiday with my hours now! ( though financially it isn't as lucrative!)

[Kerry30]

I do daily diaries for all my lo's apart from one, (and i only stopped that cos it didnt come back.) I do give a verbal run down to parents at end of day but they still like reading the diaries. Espescially cos I put pics in randomly. I only put sleep times and what they ate. Im not going to keep track of wees and poos unless im asked to for a reason. The rest is what we've done, things they've said,enjoyed etc. They are time consumming to write. I usually write them when they all have their aftrnoon nap, as our mornings are busiest.

[mrsmaggy]

I do daily diaries for all mine but keep one mindee's here as Mum forgets to return things, she signs it at pick up time