Parents not interested in EYFS or P&P

[mum67]

Does anybody else have this issue? Not one of my parents has had any interest in why I follow the EYFS and I do keep it to a brief explanation as why I do the obs, ass, etc. or whether or not I have P&P's and what they cover.

All this extra paperwork doesn't interest them one bit. They have all said the same thing albeit in different words, that they just want somebody they can trust to mind their children and keep them safe and occupied.

I wonder if we got them all to send Ofsted and the Education a letter about this we would all be exonerated from doing some of it, I feel I am wasting money on paper and ink just to keep someone in a job whilst they think of something else to come up with to make them feel worth their daily bread.

The amount of time we could save on interviews, updating things would be better put into planning and the extra money to providing more resources for the children in our care.

[rickysmiths]

I have had parents like this but once they see the LJ and their child enjoying and progressing they are more than happy. I think some of them don't understand EYFS, they lead busy lives themselves and are happy to see their children happy. It is up to us to show the point of it all and I find the best way is to be as simple as possible. I think a lot of people to far too much and just get bogged down.

[pinkzed]

Personally I fell the same. When I was looking for a childminder for my 2 all I wanted was so done who looked after them like I do and who I got on with and trusted. I gave spoken to other parents who feel the same. I am just registered so trying to get my head around it all now! I think most parents feel the same. As one of my friends said (she is an early years teacher) the EYFS is something we do every day it's just someone decided to write it down! She is right and now the government make money out of us spending evenings doing endless paper work for each child!

Saying that I chose this profession with my eyes open so shouldn't complain!

[Mouse]

I'm afraid I don't care whether parents are interested in my policies & procedures. I use them to run a successful business and they're here to stay!

I agree with RS about parents not being interested in the EYFS. Very often it's because they don't understand what it is, or how it can work in practice. It really is quite easy to pretty it up so all parents see are photos of happy children and reports about how wonderfully their children are progressing. I agree they're usually not interested in the ages & stages of development, in the tracking, in the linking and next steps, but they don't really need to see much of that. I give parents lots of photos, observations are written in everyday language without any EYFS jargon and the only time I let parents see ages & stages are when I do the 2 year check or any transfer documents.

[rickysmiths]

Personally I fell the same. When I was looking for a childminder for my 2 all I wanted was so done who looked after them like I do and who I got on with and trusted. I gave spoken to other parents who feel the same. I am just registered so trying to get my head around it all now! I think most parents feel the same. As one of my friends said (she is an early years teacher) the EYFS is something we do every day it's just someone decided to write it down! She is right and now the government make money out of us spending evenings doing endless paper work for each child!

Saying that I chose this profession with my eyes open so shouldn't complain!

Sorry I don't follow that could you explain how the Government make money out of me doing my paperwork?

I make sure I do most of mine during the day anyway so I don't drag it into the evenings.

All my obs etc go in my Daily Diary/Learning Journal which the parent takes home daily. I keep it over the weekend once a month approx to make yp any bits I haven't finished but that isn't much. I don't have any other 'trackers', folders of Developmental information at all. What they get is what I do and parents see it daily. This is what I mean about so many people doing too much and getting over complicated about it. Ofsted said what I do is more than fine when I showed them a Diary at a local Providers Day early this year, they said it showed them and the parent what the child was doing, where they were and the next steps and how they were followed on. They do not waht to see things laboriously linked to DV. DV was deliberately re formatted in 2012 to stop practitioners spending hours highlighting and linking.

[Mouse]

I set aside one Friday a month in case I have any paperwork to catch up on. The rest gets done while I'm working.

[mum67]

I think it annoys me because like most of you I want to be professional in what I get it right. When I was childminding before the days of Ofsted it was so different and I knew that when I signed up again. I was happy to show and tell parents that I don't just sit there lo's in front of the tv and forget they are there all day and I have tried to keep my lj minimal it is just an A4 booklet of black card with pictures, a brief explanation etc, my daily diary is an A5 sheet with the basic day and what we have learned.

I make sure I go through the important P&P with them such as complaints, safeguarding, fees etc and the rest they take to read at home or not.

Think I just need to adjust to the new age of childminding and look at it that I cover myself for myself and my business regardless of what the parent sees as important.

Thanks for the replies:)

[Mouse]

Like many on here, I started minding way before Ofsted was even invented and I do wish things could still be as they were then.

I have always done lots of activities with the children. I've always done daily diaries. I've always 'educated' the children. More importantly, the children and parents have always been happy :)

I know you shouldn't look back with rose tinted glasses, but I did much prefer the good old days, without the paperwork & all these rules & regulations. I've adapted because I've had to, but if I could chose, I'd happily go back :D

[Dragonfly]

Those were the days mouse, i remember them well :laughing:

[pinkzed]

Sorry I don't follow that could you explain how the Government make money out of me doing my paperwork? I make sure I do most of mine during the day anyway so I don't drag it into the evenings. All my obs etc go in my Daily Diary/Learning Journal which the parent takes home daily. I keep it over the weekend once a month approx to make yp any bits I haven't finished but that isn't much. I don't have any other 'trackers', folders of Developmental information at all. What they get is what I do and parents see it daily. This is what I mean about so many people doing too much and getting over complicated about it. Ofsted said what I do is more than fine when I showed them a Diary at a local Providers Day early this year, they said it showed them and the parent what the child was doing, where they were and the next steps and how they were followed on. They do not waht to see things laboriously linked to DV. DV was deliberately re formatted in 2012 to stop practitioners spending hours highlighting and linking.

Sorry new to all this but what I meant is that we pay a yearly fee to be registered we also have to DBS. Don't get me wrong I do nor begrudge paying any of this because it's to protect us and the children but when all parents want is a safe happy environment it does make me wonder.