Whats your typical day like?

[handeme]

I registered as a childminder in Janaury and have just started (I had to work a long notice period !!) minding a full time little boy who is 11 months.

Anyway I have only being doing minding for 4 days and just wondered what everyone else seems to do on a daily basis.

I have done all my planning and everything but don't seem to be getting anywhere (hopefully this will imrove when he is settled in).

Claire x

[Flisspaps]

I have a 10mo mindee and DD who is just 1. Twice a week I also have a 2.9yo.

Our day is like this:

7.30am Older mindee arrives
8.15 younger mindee arrives

8.30-9.00 Breakfast
Breakfast is continental style, including baked goods, cereal, fruit, yoghurt and milk or water. Younger mindee has her food provided by parents.

9.00—12.30 Play, nap and milk
Mornings are usually free play, where the children choose the toys and activities. Naps also take place now. Older mindee goes home at 10ish.

12.30—1.00 Lunch
Younger mindee has her food provided. I've got a menu but only me and DD eat from it at the moment!

1.00—5.00 Play, milk and nap
Afternoons are often more structured play with planned activities or weather/naps permitting, a walk to the playground or around the local area. My garden isn't registered at the moment so outdoor play is limited at the moment. Once a week older mindee comes back at about 2.30pm (yes, strange sessions but it works for us)

Younger mindee goes home about 3.45, older mindee is picked up at about 5pm.

The sort of planning that I work to is older mindee had a love for singing Twinkle Twinkle, so we listened to it on CD, did the actions, made a star mobile and did glitter painting on black paper for a starry night. For the younger mindee it's perhaps she likes lift-the-flap books, so I make sure they're out and also some textured page books (That's not my Monkey! sort of thing). The younger one has been here since January but it's taken until now for her to really start showing a real interest in anything!

[Baildon bears]

My day revolves around school runs, play in morning( playgroup some days), lunch sleep or rest time in afternoon and story, I would just do the same with him as you would do with your own child and go with the flow.

[georgie456]

My day revolves around school runs, play in morning( playgroup some days), lunch sleep or rest time in afternoon and story, I would just do the same with him as you would do with your own child and go with the flow.

You just described my day!!! Mine is also based around school. We tend to spend the mornings with other cm's on outings or at groups etc and then afternoons are spent in the setting for naps/quiet time and activities.

[Mollymop]

My minding day starts at 8am with arrivals, then school run, then freeplay for half hour, then an hours activity (park/visit/craft/messy play/u get my drift !)
Then lunch, pre-school run, naptime for other mindee so I catch up on paperwork or just chill out for a few hours, then school run time, freeplay/activity or park and then home time at 4.30/5pm. My minding day os finished as soon as last child has gone - all tidying up is done in the last half of minding day (4pm/4.30)

The day goes really fast!

[rachelmama]

hiya
That is something that i been thinking about when i am finally registered planning my day so i am happy that u posted

[WibbleWobble]

mad

crazy

snack

nappies

a bit of crazy again

food

nappies

bit more mad and crazy

home time!

diazepam and cold flannel

[venus89]

mad

crazy

snack

nappies

a bit of crazy again

food

nappies

bit more mad and crazy

home time!

diazepam and cold flannel

True

We have groups in the mornings and play at home or at the park in the afternoon. If I do something structured it's in the afternoon then after I pick my two up from school it's free play, dinner etc. I do very very loose planning and to be honest it 99% for show as we usually end up doing something completely different!

[Vickster]

Ours revolves around achool run, nursery run, school run, naps, (1-3) lunch, dinner. In between these activities, I go out in the morning or have another childminder over and then after school we try and do craft, outdoor, story, singing etc. I plan but my plans are often postponed due to childs interests, one child teething under the weather etc etc etc!!

[mrs robbie williams]

I registered as a childminder in Janaury and have just started (I had to work a long notice period !!) minding a full time little boy who is 11 months.

Anyway I have only being doing minding for 4 days and just wondered what everyone else seems to do on a daily basis.

I have done all my planning and everything but don't seem to be getting anywhere (hopefully this will imrove when he is settled in).

Claire x

Hiya, well i do and try and plan and organise things but they dont always go to plan the children i mind are 3 before and after school, a 4yr old after pre school and a 3yr old so things tend to be done a bit adhoc but ive always got my post its and camera to hand incase they do get involved in anything. Today for example, schoolies arrived at 730 so breakfast then colouring and role play, then school run, then had nice break til 1130 so took dog for nice long walk, collected 4yr old from pre school, she had lunch and then did a mothers day card so that was a good obs then 3yr old arrived at 1pm and we went to the highstreet to get some more crafty bits, got home at 2pm and they wanted paint, glitter and glue out let them do this and goodness what a mess they managed to make !! note to self - dont buy wilkos childrens paint as it stains their clothes then we did the school pick at 3pm and collected 3 mindees plus my ds who is 7, arrived home and they all played in the garden on the trampoline, then it was time to start dinner and have a quick tidy up. They finally left at 6pm and im shattered but they did have a nice day which i guess is all that matters, so im having a quick nosey on here then going to have a long soak and glass of wine then will do another tidy up and sort out daily diaries, obs, planning sheet etc and plan for tomorow - thank goodness its friday looking forward to a friend coming round tomorow evening (last mindee goes at 7pm tomorow) then takeaway and wine and a good old child free natter

[SamBaker]

mad

crazy

snack

nappies

a bit of crazy again

food

nappies

bit more mad and crazy

home time!

diazepam and cold flannel

Sounds like my day today, with a few more Nappies involved and a dose of Calpol!! Oh and a fairy outfit!!! Will I do it all again tomorrow??? Most defently!! hopefully no calpol though lolol!!!

[Lu 2010]

So glad I read this thread, my day always seems to be a mass of school and nursery runs with a couple of activities squeezed in between nap times and food times!!!!

Thought I was the only one!!!

[miss mopple]

Typical day for me:

7am start and breakfast and free play between then and school at 8.30

Back home and either dash out to a group/ childrens centre/ library etc

Leave above and go to preschool to drop one off

back for lunch

naps

free play or craft activity

school run

tea

more free play

tidy up time

stories

home time

WINE!

[funfunfun]

I agree with the majority my day revolves around mainly school runs and naps , feeding times etc .

activitys depend on the ages of the child i have on that particular day =)

Mainly just go with the flow with a few planned things thrown in if it fits in with everything else

[babs]

7am start arrivals till 8.30 breakfast
8.30 pre school drop off back home for free play or
3 days a week play group
10.30 snack time
11.30 preschool pick up and nap time for lo's as we walk and they are shattered from play group
12.00 - 1 lunch then outside play while lo's sleep or jigsaws, puzzles,colouring something quite while lo's sleep
1pm activity for older ones and i do lunch for babies who wake up round now
1.30 some thing messy ( gluing, painting,etc childrens choice )
2.30 clean up snack time then free play again..
3.30 home time

most of this goes out the window if its nice cus we then spend most of the day riding tikes/bikes, pushchairs,sand play, slide in garden

[Kimmy050983]

Our day looks like this (roughly)

9am mindee arrives
free play /playdough/craft
music time (singing/dancing/instruments)
10am snack
outing (either garden, woods, library etc)
12 lunch
12.30-2.30 nap (my LO has quiet time)
2.45 snack
either planned activity inside or outside again, free play
4.30 tea
5 mindee gets picked up..

[mushpea]

well reading this makes my day sound more normal than i though

most days I have 2 7yr olds, 3 5yrolds, 2 3yrolds, a 2yrold then either a 2yrold or 1yrold depending on the day plus my own two who are 10 and 12.
7.30am-8.15am arrivals
8.30 school runs sometimes to 2 different schools
9.15am either toddler group or park or meet up with another minder
we spend the morning doing planned activities then
12pm lunch
1pm 1 goes home
freeplay till
3pm then its school runs almost always to 2 schools
3.30pm snack time
then free play tll hometime
4.45pm till 5.30pm going home times
with the older ones they sometmes want things like hama beads or arty stuff out so we will do that.

[handeme]

Thanks everyone, you have made me feel a whole lot better !!

I had in my mind after all the EYFS training that you must plan plan plan and do a set amount of activites a day in line with your theme of the month.

Well I have 3 children at home everyday 2 of which are mine, if i was monitored on my own children I would have no problems but my mindee is not interested in anything at all, won't enterain play dough or the good old wax crayon. i have tried sitting and playing with him and he just walks off !!!

I am worried when my Ofsted visit comes I wont have done enough and I wont have engaged him in enough for them to give me a grade I deserve.

cx