Emailing parents weekly diaries, invoices etc????

**emmadines** · 27-03-2009, 04:18 PM

I do a weekly diary for each child in my care, I then print them out for the parents to take with their children.

The thing Im wondering, is there anything wrong with emailing the parents these instead of always printing them out?? this constant printing out isn't the most environmentally friendly option and takes a lot of ink too. Obviously it needs to be agreed with the parents involved and weather they have an email address that they can get to with a compatible program eg Microsoft word....
There's no personal details eg date of birth or their home addresses, just the name of the child it is about.

How do I word this to the parents?
dose anyone do this already??

**estrelas** · 27-03-2009, 04:21 PM

i'm not sure but i would like to do it this way as well, so would be good to hear views

**emmadines** · 27-03-2009, 04:37 PM

Sorry bump!

**rickysmiths** · 27-03-2009, 04:53 PM

You would and infact you should anyway be registered with the Data Protection Office if you go to the web site it will explain. Or maybe Sarah will come along and tell us?!

It costs about £35 per year. If you hold any personnel info about your children or families on your computer you must register. If you are doing daily diaries etc and then email these then you are. I think just as it has their name and it is personal info about them it would count.

**Roseolivia** · 27-03-2009, 05:39 PM

Why don't you but notebooks for each child and just write in them. That's all that i do and i also note observations in it as well.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 27-03-2009, 05:50 PM

It isvery time consuming typing everything up. Why not have an exercise book which you can both write in and this goes backwards and forwards and you can complete it within your working day.

**balloon** · 27-03-2009, 05:58 PM

I do daily diary sheets and use some fab ones from here.

I think, like Rickysmiths said, emailing stuff raises data protection issues so would be worth finding out more about that first maybe?

**emmadines** · 27-03-2009, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by Roseolivia

Why don't you but notebooks for each child and just write in them. That's all that i do and i also note observations in it as well.

I used to but they either never came back or never got read. also I found it difficult to get them all done (I have 4 children every day of the week, Id rather be seeing to them instead of writing things up as the parents want them buy the end of the day. I struggled to keep with them (might just be me!!)

I found it easier with the weekly diary. I write what they have done during the day when my kids are in bed, anything in perticular happen I write in on my white bored, the write it in their weekly diary. and the obs go on a diff sheet (normally on a post it note to start off with)

I also print it off as my hand writing isnt the tidiest and sometime unreadable (apparently.)

recently its started to get harder and harder to get the relevant in cartridges for my printer (its not old but they only need to be a year and they are classed as out of date) they are always out of stock and everywhere else it almost £10 more expensive, then there are the amount of paper I use, not very environmentally friendly! the pictures then need printing out if and when there are some.

**huggableshelly** · 27-03-2009, 06:02 PM

I have a notebook that goes too n fro so parents can see how their child has been, what they have done and parents write in it too letting me know important things that may have happened at the wkend or anything else they want to inform me about.

I thought about typing it all up but my preschooler likes to sit with me and his notebook now, we talk about what to write in it together as a sharing activity.

**emmadines** · 27-03-2009, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by huggableshelly

I have a notebook that goes too n fro so parents can see how their child has been, what they have done and parents write in it too letting me know important things that may have happened at the wkend or anything else they want to inform me about.

I thought about typing it all up but my preschooler likes to sit with me and his notebook now, we talk about what to write in it together as a sharing activity.

I print off a copy and it gose in the childs folder, I just found it hard to keep up, if I write things out any slight mistake and I have to start again as it bugs me, Im a bit ocd with that type of think, I want the parents to have a tidy diary and not one with scribbled out bits or half a tone on tipex, if that makes sense?? it taks me about 5 mins each child on the laptop, on friday if everyones has been good and if they want to they sit and watch a DVD, one they all vote for and is suitable. the parents will have a small note book for anything they need to tell me "like what happend over the weekend" but thats normally told on drop off and or pick up.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 27-03-2009, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by emmadines

I used to but they either never came back or never got read. also I found it difficult to get them all done (I have 4 children every day of the week, Id rather be seeing to them instead of writing things up as the parents want them buy the end of the day. I struggled to keep with them (might just be me!!)

I found it easier with the weekly diary. I write what they have done during the day when my kids are in bed, anything in perticular happen I write in on my white bored, the write it in their weekly diary. and the obs go on a diff sheet (normally on a post it note to start off with)

I also print it off as my hand writing isnt the tidiest and sometime unreadable (apparently.)

recently its started to get harder and harder to get the relevant in cartridges for my printer (its not old but they only need to be a year and they are classed as out of date) they are always out of stock and everywhere else it almost £10 more expensive, then there are the amount of paper I use, not very environmentally friendly! the pictures then need printing out if and when there are some.

If the parents are not reading these, why are you doing them?

Seems that by the time you have spent your time, money and effort in producing them they will go in the bin and are out of date. Why bother???????

**emmadines** · 27-03-2009, 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by DebbieS26

If the parents are not reading these, why are you doing them?

Seems that by the time you have spent your time, money and effort in producing them they will go in the bin and are out of date. Why bother???????

some do some dont, but at least I cant be told Im not doing it, pluse I need a copy myself for noting down what they have and havent done, along side my obs etc.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 27-03-2009, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by emmadines

some do some dont, but at least I cant be told Im not doing it, pluse I need a copy myself for noting down what they have and havent done, along side my obs etc.

Who would say you are not doing it? You are answerable to yourself. Ofsted cannot tell you how to do what you are doing.

I have been minding for a long time, and talk alot! Only 1 parent has wante a diary - I tell the rest what we are doing/have done on a daily basis.

I stick by - why do it if parents don't look at it.

**Saranotts** · 27-03-2009, 06:43 PM

I also do mine on a laptop which is normally open and ready to just make a quick note in and nice and easy for importing lots of photos on to. It also does look really nice and is a bit of a momento at the end of their time with me. Luckily my new printer is in the playroom near the front door and so isn't difficult to print from quickly at the end of the day.

I personally am very embarrassed by my handwriting

and having been a secretary for many years, can type much quicker than I can write. So yes for me it is much quicker and less stressful and so I can understand where the poster is coming from (horses for courses and all that).

I can understand your query with regard to e-mailing and would be interested in the replies.

Many thanks

Sara

**emmadines** · 27-03-2009, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by Saranotts

I also do mine on a laptop which is normally open and ready to just make a quick note in and nice and easy for importing lots of photos on to. It also does look really nice and is a bit of a momento at the end of their time with me. Luckily my new printer is in the playroom near the front door and so isn't difficult to print from quickly at the end of the day.

I personally am very embarrassed by my handwriting

and having been a secretary for many years, can type much quicker than I can write. So yes for me it is much quicker and less stressful and so I can understand where the poster is coming from (horses for courses and all that).

I can understand your query with regard to e-mailing and would be interested in the replies.

Many thanks

Sara

this is it.

**cher25** · 28-03-2009, 08:21 PM

I don't do daily diaries. Parent's took them and never brought them back so i gave up. I dont do weekly diaries either, as by then ive forgotten most of it anyway. But a lot of what they are doing is included in photos anyway and then the obs aswell. The parent's i have don't have time to stand around listening for long as they are tired themselves and want to get home, i just have to keep rambling with the children interupting to say what's been done. And i am shy with the parent's, somehow manage to tell them everything though. lol
Emma it would be easier to talk to them about what's been done, i know emailing sounds good but that's just as easy to get rid off as a piece of paper is.

**emmadines** · 29-03-2009, 04:49 PM

really what the parents do with them is down to them, but I am going through loads of paper and ink printing it off (not that I write essays or n e thing it just =mounts up). I just thought it might be an less expensive way to print it out

**Pudding Girl** · 29-03-2009, 05:21 PM

Have you asked the parents what they want?

**Ripeberry** · 29-03-2009, 06:21 PM

At the pre-school i help out at we carry a roll of sticky labels and write out obs on there, name of child, date, observation and take a photo and at the end of the week they just unwind the roll and stick the relavant label next to the photos.
When you have over 15 children a day then that is a quick easy way with no re-typing or re-writting

**emmadines** · 29-03-2009, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by George

Have you asked the parents what they want?

i said to the parents that I was hopping to email them with the weekly diary and would like their opinions with regards to this, I also stated that this would also be more environmentally friendly (which it is!!!) I also asked for their email addresses to allow me to send them, all of them have given me the email addresses. so all seem happy with this.

I have one particular child who is either here in the morning of the afternoon (after school) sometimes he is not even here on a Friday, it varies. 9 times out of 10 they end up having to wait till Monday for theirs. then plan is that Friday after they have gone I will email them their diaries, they will only need to have the 1st name on and no other personal details, the only thing they have on the sheet is what they have been up to, when I refer to other children its only their initials that I use.

I also intend to get a permission slip for them to sign.