When I have my inspection in a couple of weeks one of my friends is going to have Benjamin for me so that I only have my 11 mth old mindee.

It's a lot less stressful that way!

But ..... normally we go out and if we are in we just play with the toys, she looks at the treasure basket, we look at books, out the window, sing nursery rhymes, etc. Will the inspector want to see me do more than that with her? If so, what can I do?

I always feel bad when I look after her like it's not really work because we're not doing anything structured but then I think she's only 11 months!?

What would you do, or have you done, in this circumstance during an inspection?

I would give the inspector my folder to look at and I would sit and play with the baby on the floor

The things that you already do sound great - singing - treasure basket etc

I would have a folder that belongs to the baby with lots of pics and things that we have done

I would also do a few activitys with baby in their high chair - messy play with cold food etc

Then I would let baby sit and do their own thing

Apart from that I would relax there is not a lot that you can do with a 11mth old and my day is never planned with a baby - it always depends a lot on their mood too

The inspector will be there for a few hours and it is hard to fill that time with activitys anyway

Chat away to her Lorri and explain about everything that you do so she is not so focused on the baby

Good luck you will be fine

Angel xx

thanks Angel, that's a great help.

She seems to like splashing water from the way she flings her cup about and smiles at the drips of water everywhere so I have been thinking of sitting her in the highchair with her cup and a shallow tray of water to splash about with.

Could also make a little jelly and pasta and let her make a horrendous mess just for her amusement! Ha ha!

Think I would try to stick to just the water though as I'm not good at mess! Think I might be even more stressed with that going on!!

The most important thing to an 11 month old is you anyway. You can play peekaboo, play this little piggy, or round and round the garden. At this age it is all abount contact, touch voice and eye contact. So you are doing the right thing. Sit on the floor with her and let her climb all over you.:)

Look in the Birth to Three Section Lorri

Lots of ideas and most of them you do not have to make a mess - just very simple ideas that do work

Angel xx

I have had a quick look in there but really need to get organised so I don't worry about this too much so will have a longer look soon as I get chance.

x

Only just seen this thread and can answer it now I have had my inspection. My mindee will be 1 on Saturday so same age as yours Lorri.

Yesterday she needed a morning nap so before we played with duplo blocks. Building them up, talking colours, high, low, all fall down etc. Just lots of language which inspectors love. She then went down for her nap in which time the inspector looked at my paperwork. I explained that I don't overly plan with my mindee because she is so young and the inspector agreed that it is not easy to do so at this age. She could see that from my daily records I had done activities with mindee and gone on to do them again where I felt they needed more time spent on them. This in a way showed planning.

Hope this helps.
Wiggly
x

Only just seen this thread and can answer it now I have had my inspection. My mindee will be 1 on Saturday so same age as yours Lorri.

Yesterday she needed a morning nap so before we played with duplo blocks. Building them up, talking colours, high, low, all fall down etc. Just lots of language which inspectors love. She then went down for her nap in which time the inspector looked at my paperwork. I explained that I don't overly plan with my mindee because she is so young and the inspector agreed that it is not easy to do so at this age. She could see that from my daily records I had done activities with mindee and gone on to do them again where I felt they needed more time spent on them. This in a way showed planning.

Hope this helps.
Wiggly
x


Did you only have the 1 child when the inspector came? The reason I ask is because I was told in the past that if only 1 child is present you would only get satisfactory ?

That seems unfair as you are still showing everything you would if you had more, when my inspector comes in 2 wks i wont have any children so therefore not expecting a high grading but if i had one i would expect the highest i deserve.

If no children are present then you get awarded a satisfactory ( I avoid saying only satisfactory as that grade still means the setting is sound!!

Thank you so much for replying Wiggly, that's really put my mind at ease.

I hope I don't get marked down because I only have one mindee, I only want the one as she is full-time so don't see why I should be penalised.

However, incase this is the situation, I'm going to ask the inspector if she wants to look through the files of a couple of older leavers if that will make a difference.

Hopefully when the inspector first arrives the baby should be having a nap, when she gets up she will have her milk and yoghurt and then I was planning on playing with different balls with her saying 'up', 'down' 'roll' and colours, etc. Then I thought I would sit her in the highchair and put a small amount of water on the highchair tray with some toys for her to experiment with. Do you think that sounds okay?

She seems to love splashing her water everywhere and putting her fingers in it and rubbing it around!

(Sometimes when she has her naps I play on the wii fit - do you think my hula hooping and yoga will impress the inspector! They say they don't want to change our routine for the inspection! Ha ha!)

Did you only have the 1 child when the inspector came? The reason I ask is because I was told in the past that if only 1 child is present you would only get satisfactory ?


I only had the one mindee who will be 1 on Saturday and my own two children who are 5 and 2.

I think it would be very unfair to be marked down for only having 1 mindee. As long as you are meeting all criteria I do not see what difference number of mindees should make.

Wiggly
x

Hopefully when the inspector first arrives the baby should be having a nap, when she gets up she will have her milk and yoghurt and then I was planning on playing with different balls with her saying 'up', 'down' 'roll' and colours, etc. Then I thought I would sit her in the highchair and put a small amount of water on the highchair tray with some toys for her to experiment with. Do you think that sounds okay?

She seems to love splashing her water everywhere and putting her fingers in it and rubbing it around!

(Sometimes when she has her naps I play on the wii fit - do you think my hula hooping and yoga will impress the inspector! They say they don't want to change our routine for the inspection! Ha ha!)


lol Lorri - would love to be a fly on the wall to see the inspector's face.

Your activities sound great - you will be fine. Just stay focused and try to relax. The main thing my inspector was hot on was the healthy side - or should I say the hygiene. You know the usual, washing hands before food, after changing nappy, wearing gloves with changing nappy, disinfecting mat etc etc etc.

Good luck hun.

Wiggly
x

I only had 8 month old when i had my inspection that was my quiet day (lucky me) Baby played on floor with treasure basket and later a selection of bricks, wooded, plastic, stickle bricks, different sizes/shapes i just sat with baby talking to her about shape feel ect.

Showed inspector photos of what other children do/have done and paperwork

Keep baby activities simple (calm music in background i had mozart) Offer baby drinks often ect

You'll be fine Good luck

Angela

Thank you Angela. x

I'm glad I posted this thread as you've all made me feel a lot better!

Just wanted to wish you good luck Lorri

Your ideas sound great, apart from the hula-hooping (do that when the inspector's gone) :laughing:

Miffy xx

Thank you Miffy!

hiya i have just had my inspection and i had a little girl who had just turned one and my son who is 22 months and all i did with them was puppets if u can get hold of them that was a great one my inspector loved but then again their all different i talked to them constantly the kids and the inspector pointed this out at the end saying she was impressed although they may not understand i kept their attention and involved them the whole time. i also did songs coz that is the one thing my kids love !!! so from when she came in i put on nursery rymes cds in background i always have these on whilst kids play bit of background for em. and then later after we stopped playing i turned music off and sat them down and sang their favourites i find wheels on the bus good coz my kids sing it so much i can say to them what does the daddy do? etc and my boy will either try and say or show mw with his hands and the inspector loved this. she also loved me washing babies hands after snack and nappies etc: and saying why we were doing it and cheering when they were all done . i just used my kitchen sink to do this and she was fine with that coz i dont take them upstairs thought she mite moan lol

I only had one mindee at my inspection...he'd just turned one...your activities sound perfect. (I too arranged for my own little darlings to be elsewhere)!:blush: GOOD LUCK...YOUR A GREAT CHILDMINDER!:thumbsup: