Don't think mindee likes it at my house

**NicoleW** · 14-02-2012, 08:10 PM

Sorry for yet another thread.

This is mindee's third week with me, and whenever the door goes he runs to it shouting "Daddy daddy" and when he does get picked up he can't wait to get out of the house.

Also nearly every day he says he wants to cuddle his mummy and daddy so I offer him cuddles and he doesn't want one from me.

Any tips of activities I can do to help him enjoy his time with me a bit more? I understand it's still early days and we're still getting to know each other.

Just planning my day for tomorrow and so far I've got zilch ideas.

We did painting today which he enjoyed.

So far he enjoys:
- Playing with toy cars and trains
- Playing with trains inside a box which I fill up with flour
- Painting
- I imagine some kitchen role play, as we have a box out in the front room which has my kitchen utensils in, he likes putting the measuring cups (metal *ouch ears) inside an old SMA tin and mixes it very loudly lol with a wooden spoon saying "mix mix mix look at me I'm mixing"

I don't have any play food or a kitchen, but I may be picking some up on my ikea trip in two weeks

Any ideas PLEASE

**Bear23** · 14-02-2012, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by NicoleW

Sorry for yet another thread.

This is mindee's third week with me, and whenever the door goes he runs to it shouting "Daddy daddy" and when he does get picked up he can't wait to get out of the house.

Also nearly every day he says he wants to cuddle his mummy and daddy so I offer him cuddles and he doesn't want one from me.

Any tips of activities I can do to help him enjoy his time with me a bit more? I understand it's still early days and we're still getting to know each other.

Just planning my day for tomorrow and so far I've got zilch ideas.

We did painting today which he enjoyed.

So far he enjoys:
- Playing with toy cars and trains
- Playing with trains inside a box which I fill up with flour
- Painting
- I imagine some kitchen role play, as we have a box out in the front room which has my kitchen utensils in, he likes putting the measuring cups (metal *ouch ears) inside an old SMA tin and mixes it very loudly lol with a wooden spoon saying "mix mix mix look at me I'm mixing"

I don't have any play food or a kitchen, but I may be picking some up on my ikea trip in two weeks

Any ideas PLEASE

How old is he?

**miffy** · 14-02-2012, 08:22 PM

If he likes mixing and painting why not combine the two and let him experiment mixing up different colours of paint? If you wanted to take it one step further you could let him do some tyre track paintings using the cars

Miffy xx

**NicoleW** · 14-02-2012, 08:23 PM

Sorry he is 2.5 years

We used the last of the paint today and I don't get paid til Saturday, can't really afford to buy any until then

**kellib** · 14-02-2012, 08:25 PM

Does he like baking? You could try that or making salt dough figures.

Doing a jigsaw, reading books together.

I had a mindee who would scream blue murder when he first came in, now we have a routine of he comes in, watches one episode of Thomas or Octonauts and then we get on with our day together. Sometimes it's something small that will comfort them

**NicoleW** · 14-02-2012, 08:27 PM

He is constantly asking for 'beebies'. I explain to him that the TV is off (we have one program in the morning during arrivals, one program for him to fall asleep to and one program to lead up to home time) and then try and distract him with a game of some sort.

I actually just said to my Dad that I'm going to try baking with him tomorrow, not sure wht though as my oven is still broken

Going to pick up some french bread and make some pizza as well for his lunch tomorrow with him

**miffy** · 14-02-2012, 08:31 PM

You could try making play dough together - he could mix the ingredients then make pretend cakes after

Miffy xx

**NicoleW** · 14-02-2012, 08:34 PM

Can I make playdough with him that doesn't require cream of tartar or a hob (as it'll be too hot for him to help)

**miffy** · 14-02-2012, 08:35 PM

Yes, do a forum search someone posted a recipe for no cook play dough a little while ago

Miffyxx

**Demonjill** · 14-02-2012, 08:38 PM

My mindees all seem to have fun here laughing etc but they still run to the door most times when its pick up time!! I think this is quite normal and not an indication that they dont like it at yours

**Goatgirl** · 14-02-2012, 08:48 PM

Hi

,
If you can't afford more paint just yet, how about gloop? cornflour and water mixture. And maybe some coloured water: have you got some food colouring in the cupboard?

I always try to get out at least for a walk during the day, just to break it up a bit and it doesn't seem like such a long stretch of time then. Not always easy with LO's sleep times I know.

Good luck, hopefully he'll settle soon. It can take a while for some and I found it got better as I stopped worrying about it. Working on your own it is easy to get paranoid in this job

best wishes,
Wendy

**NicoleW** · 14-02-2012, 08:52 PM

He doesn't like gloop

I've had it out a few times and played with it myself but he isn't keen to play with it or get involved.

I might get some water play out and do some pouring games into smaller containers. It just.. it gets everywhere and my floor is wooden so makes it slippy for all the kids and I don't have a table he can sit at to play with it. Will have to think of something...

**blue bear** · 14-02-2012, 09:04 PM

My mindees lI've making 'tea' I fill up a tea pot and put a two cups and saucers and spoons, put a towel on the table and you have minimum messy water play.
Could you stand him in a chair next to you to wash up, taking turns with other children.
Mix water and flour together mixed with colouring or coco powder to make a glue to slop on paper.
vehicles that hold things (like diggers or train) with rice in a tray.
My little man went through this and each morning I got out his favourite things which we kept in his box, think it helped him feel he belonged.

**Jellytots79** · 14-02-2012, 09:10 PM

Can you put some towels on the floor they would soak up any spills and wouldnt be slippy

how about cutting and sticking?

Jodie x

**miss mopple** · 14-02-2012, 09:11 PM

what about dried goods in a container for pouring- pasta/rice etc?

**PixiePetal** · 14-02-2012, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by miss mopple

what about dried goods in a container for pouring- pasta/rice etc?

my 1 and 3 yr old mindees love playing with the pasta - just bought some silicone cup cake cases (nice and quiet!) for them to fill and pretend to cook

Tomorrow sorted

**NicoleW** · 14-02-2012, 09:18 PM

BAh! LOVELY idea

Hmmm, I have some plastic bowls that I could get him to pour dried pasta in.

I'm toy shopping at the moment on Amazon. Deciding what to get with my first real pay (my first pay from him went to pay off our lovely £650 energy bill).

I think first I'm going to get a wooden play kitchen, going to find a second hand one off ebay though, and I really want some felt play food instead of plastic. Going to stock up on flour cream of tartar different food colouring washing up liquid paint etc.

**Jellytots79** · 14-02-2012, 09:26 PM

Ikea do some nice soft food playsets

**miss mopple** · 14-02-2012, 09:40 PM

hope he enjoys it

Dont go rushing out and spending loads of money on stuff as you set up or you'll have no wages left for you. Improvise- the kids know no different and often love the more open ended stuff any way. You could do a cardboard box up to be a cooker, bet the kids would love it, especially if they helped make it

**NicoleW** · 14-02-2012, 09:49 PM

Funny you should say that.

I have a 'bookcase' in my front room (it's actually an old kitchen cupboard with the door removed) and I was thinking about painting some black circles on the top of it and cutting out a circle with my electric jigsaw to fit in a silver bowl to make my own kitchen