Just recieved parent/contact book from Bromley site ????

[funfunfun]

How many of you actually use a book like this ?( if you have seen them )

Also do you keep additional records for eyfs etc or would you use the book writing in there ???:thumbsup:

[beccas]

i use sheets or a book bought from tescos i use this just for letting parents know about the childs day. would love to see this book you have

[funfunfun]

Becca

Its actually very basic tbh

pages are are follows ......................................there are loads of pages in the book with exactly the same on .

day/date

Food breakfast /lunch /tea @ snacks

sleeps... times

Nappies change

1)dry/wet/other
2)dry/wet/other
3)dry/wet/other
4)dry/wet/other

today i have been (smiley face) (stright face) (sad face) tick

comments bit (include new words used.milestones reached and activities)

parents/carers commets

Hope this helps

[beccas]

basicaly what i do in book from tesco how much did it cost

[funfunfun]

£2.50:eek:

Do you use exercise books? and just write in what you need to >?

[beccas]

you can get little note books i use them and yes i write what i need to in them

[funfunfun]

Ok thankyou for that :)

[mum2two]

I use the Bromley ones, and have done for the last couple of years. I love them, and think they are just a little bit more professional looking than notebooks.

I did use normal books at first, but found I waffled on, and was never sure I'd written enough - some days more than others, so did the parents think I was doing less...

I like the Bromley ones, as there's only a small space, so I write just simple bits. Short & sweet. I write any major milestones in there, but I keep all my obs in another folder that stays with me. I like the way they're laid out too, so all the info is seperate, food, nappies etc..

xx

[funfunfun]

I see what you mean , however i could easily make one up myself :laughing:

and enter details .......a5 size ...............

do you keep seperate eyfs papework for obs etc

[dobby]

I use the Bromley ones for all my under 3s,moving onto notebooks when they finish the book. I think once the child is that age they are moving out of nappies/naps so the book becomes less useful.

I think they create a good impression - although i preferred the earlier version with a card cover - the current paper cover ones can get scruffy if parents dont look after them :rolleyes: and it does keep me focussed and not waffling.

They last quite a long time to be fair and of course are another business expense to tick off so I dont think they are that expensive - the £2.50 is including postage as well. Bromley are also a non profit group run by just 3 people (the chair being an activie childminder) last time i heard so the sales of the books go towards helping run the website we all use.

[funfunfun]

Thankyou for you advice

I have herd the MR/MRS O likes the books :)

Yes i see what you mean , they do look professional .

If you have a few children that you will use these books for then id imagine it can become quite exspensive ????( parents looseing them & so on )
Although id imagine if i made my own the same could happen

I bought one to have a noise tbh and see what information is passed on from parent/minder etc :thumbsup:

[onceinabluemoon]

I use an A5 page to a week diary. The parents write in weekends if they have anything to say (or on days which their child does not attend) and the spaces are small enough that I dont struggle wondering what to write. For one of my children I use an NCMA journal that I was given, no idea of they still make them as not a member of NCMA.

[funfunfun]

So you do 1 a5 sheet per week per child ???

[onceinabluemoon]

Sorry that should be week to view not week per page! :blush:
Its a gap of about 6 cm drop by 13 cms width so not that big... By the time you've wriotten in nap times, food they've eaten etc theres a bit of room to put things they've enjoyed and any highlights or probs. I write in it every day the child is with me, and encourage parents to put in anecdotes on days they are at home.

Its half size of A4, I always go the wrong way so if half size is not A5 then it would be A3, lol! They cost me about £1.50 each from my local newsagents.

[funfunfun]

Thankyou for that :):thumbsup:

[Cazz]

I did use normal books at first, but found I waffled on, and was never sure I'd written enough - some days more than others, so did the parents think I was doing less...



xx

Ditto!!

I haven't seen the Bromley ones - I bought some from www.childmindingresourceshop.co.uk. They were more expensive than the bromley ones but sound fairly similar. I like the fact that there's a page at the back that you get the parent to sign to say you can show the book to the Ofsted inspector.

My d.o. came out on Wednesday and she asked where I got the books from as they are lovely. I hope the Ofsted inspector thinks the same :D

I have two 9 month olds at the moment and these books are ideal as I can just fill in sleep times, nappy changes and amount of bottle taken and the time etc. I have the 4 year old sister of one of the babies after nursery and I just write a little bit about her in the section which says Childminder's comments.

If I had an older child all the time I would probably use a notebook again as these books are more suited to a younger child.

Both sets of these parents were very bad at bringing the notebooks back each week and I didn't want to 'lose' these books so my d.o. suggested I could offer to keep them at my house and let them read it when they collect. They both chose to do this which also means I'll have them both there whichever day Ofsted come :thumbsup:

[Pauline]

I bought some from www.childmindingresourceshop.co.uk (http://www.childmindingresourceshop.co.uk). They were more expensive than the bromley ones but sound fairly similar. I like the fact that there's a page at the back that you get the parent to sign to say you can show the book to the Ofsted inspector.

My d.o. came out on Wednesday and she asked where I got the books from as they are lovely. I hope the Ofsted inspector thinks the same :D

and the nice thing is is that Julie at Childminding Resources Shop is a Forum Friend, she doesn't come on here and go mad on promoting her stuff, so it is nice to giver her a mention and her products. Thank you Julie. :thumbsup:

[miffy]

Becca

Its actually very basic tbh

pages are are follows ......................................there are loads of pages in the book with exactly the same on .

day/date

Food breakfast /lunch /tea @ snacks

sleeps... times

Nappies change

1)dry/wet/other
2)dry/wet/other
3)dry/wet/other
4)dry/wet/other

today i have been (smiley face) (stright face) (sad face) tick

comments bit (include new words used.milestones reached and activities)

parents/carers commets

Hope this helps

I put this info on a daily diary sheet for parents, then they go in child's folder.

Miffy xx

[christine e]

I use an A5 notebook and include photos, for the first week every day, then once a week and then about once a month. I have one mindee with mum in hospital long term so she does not see me, the photos really help give her an insight into her little ones day.

Cx

[Pauline]

I use an A5 notebook and include photos, for the first week every day, then once a week and then about once a month. I have one mindee with mum in hospital long term so she does not see me, the photos really help give her an insight into her little ones day.

Cx

That is a great idea, it is all about what the parents get out of it, not what is done for Ofsted. :thumbsup:

I used to have a mum who was a wheelchair user, with our playroom upstairs it was impossible for her to see what her child was doing, so I took photos of displays and play activities for her and emailed them so they were really up to date, rather than waiting for his book to come home.

[kindredspirits]

i like the idea of these books - i use a basic a5 note book and do a page a day and it is a bit waffly and samish every day! not sure parents would like me changing or not though, i will ask them! lol

[funfunfun]

The books from childminding resource shop

are they editable ??????

I have had a look and i like them :)

[funfunfun]

Just had a look on the cm resorce shop

are the books on there editable ??????:)

[Cazz]

Just had a look on the cm resorce shop

are the books on there editable ??????:)

In what way?

I didn't realise the lady from childminding resource shop is a forum friend :thumbsup: There's some really useful products on that site - well worth a look.

One of the other things I got from there was the Who's in the House Attendance chart. You write the children's names on the cards and put them in the window of the house while they're with you. I've got it on the wall in my entrance hall next to my fire escape plan and my dw commented on that as well and said it was a fantastic idea. My 4 year old mindee loves it and it works a treat at home time as I make her put her coat and shoes on before she can move her and her sister from the house (we used to have tantrums getting her out of the door :rolleyes: ).

[mama2three]

i use the cmresource shop ones - i buy them ready made , but you can get them cheaper on disk to make up yourself , not sure about editing but i would have thought so.
I dont put photos etc in , just a brief overview of the day - but the learning journeys with photos are in the hall for parents to look at whenever they want - and i send photo disks home quite regularly too.
One cm i know uses trackers a lot , and when she ticks something off she refers to the diary date as evidence rather than rewriting the whole 'ob'. It seems to work for her.

[Mrs Book]

I use a A5 notebook and only really write in it when mom isn't collecting as telling dad something, message never gets home.

Usually say how she has been, what up to, had for lunch, if slept and why we have a bag of wet clothes.

Also write messages if I need stuff eg off if we are going to soft play, outing etc.