Hand washing and practicality!

[FizzWizz]

I know this sounds silly but I am due my first inspection and getting myself in a right panic! Currently I have a non-walking 15 month old and a 23 month old. I use wipes to wash their hand before meals but is this enough? I do have coloured flannels and towels for each of them but this doesn't seem very practical for a non-walker??

What do you guys do with little ones that are not walking and obviously not potty trained?

Also, my kitchen is downstairs from the main living room - if I offer the inspector a cuppa is it then acceptable to leave the kids playing on the same floor as her (totally childproof) while I make drinks?!!

Yes, I am panicking!!!

[OrlandoBelle]

No I would not leave the children alone with the inspector while you go to make drinks. Take them with you.

I use baby wipes to clean baby's hands as they're crawling around on the floor a lot. However you could bring in a damp flannel in to clean their hands with before eating. HTH

[venus89]

When I had my inspection, albeit 2 1/2 years ago, I had smaller children with me and wiped their hands before eating with a babywipe. The inspector asked me whether I taught the older ones handwashing and I told her yes. So I'd think if you just say to her that you do handwashing with older ones but baby wipes with younger ones she should e fine (although bear in mind they're all different!)

Re the leaving the children alone with her, I was worried about this too. I had one child going up for a nap and a baby. I asked her what I should do - can I leave the baby here with you or would it go against me as I don't want to be carrying baby upstairs whilst helping toddler upstairs - it's not what I'd normally do as it's obviously not safe as it leaves me no hands free. She said it was about common sense - it was fine to leave the baby with her and she accepted my explanation. So is it safer to take all the children into the room where you're boiling the kettle then leave them with her? You can ask her, or explain to her, or just offer a cold drink!
Good luck.... Try not to worry too much, I'm sure you'll do a brilliant job

[mama2three]

i cant think of a safe way of bringing her a cuppa whilst bringing 2 children back upstairs!
Do you have snacktime downstairs with children? if so thats when i would offer her a cuppa - downstairs!

Good Luck with your inspection x

[Monkey26]

I had my inspection last week and i had three 2 year olds... it is totally impractical for me to drag them all to the bathroom to wash their hands before snack and lunch (or leave some with inspector, which you shouldn't do) so...
* Before snack we used a babywipe and child friendly gel
* Then we washed our hands with soap and water after coming in from garden play which happened to be just before lunch
* So at lunch we followed the same as snack - wipes and gel
The inspector didn't ask any questions but i did say that this is the same procedure we use when out and about so i feel its important to do so occassionally at home as well so kids don't 'freak out' Good luck with your inspection xx

[Milli147]

I used wipes on the under 2's at my inspection and she was fine with it. Get the proper anti bacterial toddler hand wipes, rather than using normal baby wipes though.
I have a poster about hand washing in the bathroom and explained that sometimes when the older one is washing hands I help the little ones to do it too, but on a practical day to day level it is easier and safer to use wipes on the tinies. I find if I have them all in the bathroom then the ones who aren't washing are playing with the loo seat or trying to climb up on the step too - total headache!

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I don't have flannels or towels - we use anti bac gel and wipes. My inspector was fine with this

When my inspector came in I asked to see her id badge to make sure she was who she said she was and then I said "as you have this ID you have been approved by Ofsted including CRB and I won't be taking the children with me everytime I go out the room" She was fine with this.

Everything in your house and inspection is about justification. If you don't feel confident you will slip up. Believe in yourself and you will be fine

[rickysmiths]

Hear, Hear Debbie. i couldn't agree more.

[mrs coops]

ihave 2 lo who are both 2 and a nearlly 3 yr old and i normally usewipes as my bathroom is to small for them all and upstairs.when i went to ikea at the weekend i found a small wooden step to use for them to wash there hands properly in the kitchen so i have started taking them one at a time now.

[Debbieanne]

I agree coffee time at snack time when lo's are safely straped in their chairs, and you can all be together at the table. hand wipes are fine if their hands are not too grimey but if been out side playing i always insist on soap and water, i use a bowl on the floor for little ones that can't reach a sink ( supervised through out the wash) and kitchen towel to dry.

[onceinabluemoon]

I was told that you shouldn't leave children alone with the inspector at my ICP but this seemed foolish to me so I checked with Ofsted and then when I got my inspection told the inspector that although I had been told on my ICP that I shouldn't leave the children with her, I knew from contacting ofsted that she has been CRBd as fit to be left with children and so I would be leaving the children as I normally did when i go to the loo, or put a baby to bed. Inspector said (and I quote) "I do wish these companies would stop filling childminders heads full of such rubbish, its perfectly acceptable to leave a child with the inspector while you pop another one up to bed".

WRT hand washing, we have a Kiddiwash hand wash unit downstairs, which was not cheap but has eliminated the need to traipsing upstairs to the bathroom every time one of the kiddies sneezed or touched the cat. Toddlers use this with an appropriate amount of support, littlies get their hands wiped.