hectors house
30-11-2012, 05:58 PM
I think I know what I need to do, but want to handle it sensitively and not blow it out of proportion.
I had today at collection time a mother of a newly started 10 month old ask whether another child (age 2 1/2) was always so boisterous, I reasured her that no this child during the day was not as lively as when this mother is dropping off/collection her baby.
The behaviour of this child does seem to have got considerable worse especially when other adults (mindee parents) are here, on Tuesday when a parent was collecting her 20 month old son and had brought her school age daughter with her (who I minded from a baby - so I enjoy seeing), child X, grabbed the 20 month old round the neck from behind and tried to pick him up in a strangle hold - I immediately took her out to sit on the stairs and gave her a talking to about why her behaviour was not nice and she sat there crying for 3 minutes while I went back in to apologise to 20 month old and his mum. I then asked this mum if she could possibly stay and chat on a Wednesday when child X isn't here as I have been aware that I can't relax and chat without constantly asking child X not to do this, that and the other.
This new mum today also brought up an incident which happened last week when child X deliberately crashed into new baby with a toy buggy and she also mentioned my behaviour policy - about how behaviour impacts on other children.
I did stress that I felt this child was attention seeking because parents were taking my attention away from her and that it can be hard when a new child starts in a setting especially a baby. I did say I was glad that she had brought her concerns to my attention (and I am glad) but not sure if I treat it as a concern or a full complaint.
I have now tried to look at it from this child X point of view - she often comes first and leaves last - during that time I may talk to her mum for 5 or 10 mins, then next childs parents ditto and then the new mum/baby comes last and ditto time for a chat/verbal hand over - that is 30 mins of my time spent not paying full attention to the children and obviously the same happens at collection time - so 1 hour a day.
Secondly - a child in a childminding setting doesn't have 9 months to get used to the arrival of a new baby - they come for a few settling in sessions and then bang this new baby is here 3 times a week, on same days as Child X
Third - child x was very close to another child who went to school in Sept - I didn't really do much "getting ready for school" with him as he had a sister at school and knew what it was all about - but this must be difficult for child X to understand - that her playmate has suddenly disappeared.
Fourth - child X is 2 1/2 !
Think I am going to treat it as an official complaint and take steps to prevent this distruptive behaviour by asking that all parents keep drop off / collections to just a couple of mins, also going to have child X to sit up and do playdough or something she can do reasonable unsupervised while other children are arriving.
But part of me also feels that child X needs to accept that adults do need to be able to talk without her acting up - any advice please - as this is going to eat away at me all weekend otherwise! Already imagining new parent searching on childcare.co.uk as I type!
I had today at collection time a mother of a newly started 10 month old ask whether another child (age 2 1/2) was always so boisterous, I reasured her that no this child during the day was not as lively as when this mother is dropping off/collection her baby.
The behaviour of this child does seem to have got considerable worse especially when other adults (mindee parents) are here, on Tuesday when a parent was collecting her 20 month old son and had brought her school age daughter with her (who I minded from a baby - so I enjoy seeing), child X, grabbed the 20 month old round the neck from behind and tried to pick him up in a strangle hold - I immediately took her out to sit on the stairs and gave her a talking to about why her behaviour was not nice and she sat there crying for 3 minutes while I went back in to apologise to 20 month old and his mum. I then asked this mum if she could possibly stay and chat on a Wednesday when child X isn't here as I have been aware that I can't relax and chat without constantly asking child X not to do this, that and the other.
This new mum today also brought up an incident which happened last week when child X deliberately crashed into new baby with a toy buggy and she also mentioned my behaviour policy - about how behaviour impacts on other children.
I did stress that I felt this child was attention seeking because parents were taking my attention away from her and that it can be hard when a new child starts in a setting especially a baby. I did say I was glad that she had brought her concerns to my attention (and I am glad) but not sure if I treat it as a concern or a full complaint.
I have now tried to look at it from this child X point of view - she often comes first and leaves last - during that time I may talk to her mum for 5 or 10 mins, then next childs parents ditto and then the new mum/baby comes last and ditto time for a chat/verbal hand over - that is 30 mins of my time spent not paying full attention to the children and obviously the same happens at collection time - so 1 hour a day.
Secondly - a child in a childminding setting doesn't have 9 months to get used to the arrival of a new baby - they come for a few settling in sessions and then bang this new baby is here 3 times a week, on same days as Child X
Third - child x was very close to another child who went to school in Sept - I didn't really do much "getting ready for school" with him as he had a sister at school and knew what it was all about - but this must be difficult for child X to understand - that her playmate has suddenly disappeared.
Fourth - child X is 2 1/2 !
Think I am going to treat it as an official complaint and take steps to prevent this distruptive behaviour by asking that all parents keep drop off / collections to just a couple of mins, also going to have child X to sit up and do playdough or something she can do reasonable unsupervised while other children are arriving.
But part of me also feels that child X needs to accept that adults do need to be able to talk without her acting up - any advice please - as this is going to eat away at me all weekend otherwise! Already imagining new parent searching on childcare.co.uk as I type!