Schoolies question

[snufflepuff]

I take a 5 year old to school- when i have the single buggy i hang his bag on the handles, but when i have the double there is nowhere to put it. Is it unreasonable of me to ask him to carry it? Its not heavy, it only has his reading folder in it.
Also, i cannot fit the double buggy in the school corridors without getting in everyones way. Is it ok to stand at the entrance and watch him go in? I can see his claasroom so would be able to check he gets in safely.

[wellybelly]

Absolutely not! I get all children to carry theres. The headteacher came out of her office at our local infant school when I first started minding. I was carrying everyones bags and the children were running wild. She spoke to them and said "children why is Mrs Wellybelly carrying all your bags? They are yours to carry children". Since then no one dares to ask me to carry theres lol!

For health and safety reasons no buggies are allowed in the school building, so I stand at the enterenace to each classroom watching the children go in, hang up their coat and lunchbox and walk into the classroom. I would never leave a baby outside in a buggy so what alternative do I have. All parents are happy with this arrangement and it gives the children a sense of responsibility.

[wellybelly]

Might be worth telling parents about dropping child at the door and getting them to acknowledge this what will be done.

[tt1312]

my own daughter has carried her bag to school sice she started, i agree to carry it home for her, unless i have to many and she helps out. Not currently registerd as a minder just doing the courses, but i will be expecting children from school age to carry their own bags.

[Pipsqueak]

my mindees carry their own bags - i am not a packhorse

[Rasharoon]

When I was a childminder, I would get the after schoolers to carry their own bags. I wouldn't even carry my own son's as to me it was a case of carry one, I'd have to carry them all. Now that I've given up childminding, guess whose bags I carry to and from school.
Anyhow, as my ex-mindees go to another childminder, I've seen that she puts their bags on her buggy. Bet I was made out to be a right old meaney!!!

[The Juggler]

I hang the small bookbags on the buggy but the older children have rucksacks and they are usually heavy and pull on the chassis of the buggy so they all carry theirs.

I try to fit lunchboxes etc in the baskets but what won't fit gets carried.

[tuttifruiti]

my mindees also carry their own bags.

[louni]

When the children are in foundation, I carry the bags for them, but from year 1 they carry their own, Sometimes the foundation children see the older ones carrying their own bags and decide that they want to carry theirs too.
xx

[sillysausage]

I don't carry any of my school age mindees bags. They need to learn to be responsible for their own property. I only relent slightly at the end of term when they have PE kits etc to bring back too. Thankfully I only live a short walk from school.
I have a 2 yr old mindee who's mum often meets me at school. She also carries her own little backpack with her stuff in it.

[cabby]

all my mindees carry their own bags

[PixiePetal]

no schoolies at the moment but I used to carry the book bags on buggy so they had hands free to hold on or hold hands with each other. Backpacks they carried themselves - and anything else they decided to bring too they soon stopped bringing extra toys etc

It was a 20-30 min walk and I am not a packhorse either pipsqueak

[TheBTeam]

Ours is only a few minutes walk across the park, so I only carry any playgroup or nursery children bags, once at school they carry their own, unless they have something extra heavy or precious that they have to carry then I will offer help. I have had some buggies so laden down by bags/coats before that I stopped as it was breaking them!

[Blue Boy]

They always start to carry their own bags, but I must go into a black hole because I come out the other side and guess what the bags have transported into my hands

[mushpea]

They all carry thier own here, I have 4 after schoolies and they all carry their own, I would never fit them all on the buggy, they also carry their coats if they dont want to wear them for the same reason, one of them really moaned when he first started, never actualy asked me to help him or carry anything but kept moaning that his bag was heavy, by the end of the second wk id had enough and told him in a stern voice that everyone carrys their bags and no-one else moans so he can stop too! and he did, although as soon as his mum turns up he hands her everything and refuses to carry anything
when they come out with sweets from school i also ask them to put them in their bag untill they go home cause its not fair on the other children and none of them now moan about this either.

[miss mopple]

even my pre schoolers carry their own bags and the 2yr olds carry their lunchboxes for them