Parent stopped contributing to daily diary

[itsybitsyteeny]

I have a daily diary for my mindee in the form of a notebook. At the beginning I would write my comments for the day and when it came back the next day there would be parent comments for the evening before so 'x has played with..' I suggested we do this from the beginning when mindee started. However for the last few sessions, I haven't had any comments at all written in from mum. I don't know why it has suddenly stopped as I know mum is still reading what I write as she has said before 'oh yes I saw that in the book'. I feel awkward asking her to start writing comments in it again. What do you think?

[Dragonfly]

I think you will find that is the norm. They(parents/carers) all seem keen at first but then the novelty wears off.As long as you do your part then ofsted can see you are doing it and trying with the parents. You can't make parents write anything. And quite honestly most of us speak to the parents daily so it isn't important to them.

[bunyip]

If my experience is anything to go by, you're to be commended for getting them to start writing anything in the first place. Mine stopped writing anything in the diaries before they even started.

IIWY, I'd only be concerned if you feel this is out of character for the parent in question, or if they have no other regular means of communication with you. Maybe they're happy just talking face to face or by phone?

It might be worth asking if they find the diary comments have become something of an unneccessary chore, and how would they prefer to communicate?

Use the diary so they know what their little darling is doing each day, and just keep the lines of communication open, and you won't go far wrong.

[itsybitsyteeny]

Thanks dragonfly you are probably right there!

[AgentTink]

This is happened a few times with me too. I find that the best way forward is to every month add something to the diary to encourage them to give some information such :

What are xx's favourte songs/toys/games etc at home?
What new thing's can xx now do at home?
What is xx currently trying to do/acheive?
I always find these direct questions once a month get me some lovely respocnes which i can then use in the Learning files

[childminder54]

I had one parent who never wrote in hers and she was TA at a school

[Mouse]

Even though many parents love reading the daily diary, it can become a bit of a chore for them having to think of something to write every evening. Can you imagine if you had your own child in school or nursery & you had to do a write up every night - you'd soon run out of things to say! Mum has probably found it a bit of a relief not to have to keep doing it.

I would carry on writing your bit in it each day, then every now & again do as AgentTink says and write some specific questions for her to answer.

Don't let it put you off. You've done really well to get anything out of a parent!

[SteffiM]

You can't get parents to do it, as someone said above they all loose their enthusiasm after a bit. I think it's a good idea to ask questions once a month to encourage parents to get involved

[hectors house]

I email home a daily diary sheet each evening - I rarely get any feedback - sometimes I feel like saying on e-mail "hello, hello is there anyone out there!"

Or instead of saying hello everyone (I do a shared sheet that gets sent to everyone as a blind copy - so they can't see each others e-mail addresses) I feel like just saying "Hi X" as this is the only parent who ever replies - I don't expect much, today I took 4 kids out on final day out as one is going off to school and have had one e-mail saying "thanks for lovely day, X really enjoyed it"

[scottishlass]

None if my parents write in the daily diary - have said to them if they would like to and they enjoy reading them but no-one chooses to write xx

[doris127]

I have an online diary/blog that I update every night with activities and a couple of photos. There's 1 family who access it regularly - about once a fortnight - and she makes little comments sometimes or 'likes' a past but that's about it. My 'dashboard' page tells me now often it is accessed and what is viewed so I know it's hardly ever checked! My CI really liked it and accepts I can't force them to interact - I look at it as my evidence of what I'm doing and if the parents want to look then even better!

[VeggieSausage]

NOne of mine write anything so I write on their behalf......eg dad says child x woke in the night, mum says they went to the zoo at the weekend, or child x says he played lego with dadddy.......its the best i can do.....

[kellyskidz!]

I have the same prob
I send LJ home once a month with a sheet saying what I did at my childminders
Which I fill in
Then what I did at home
Nothing is ever written and she's been here for over 6 months
What should into? Ask mum to write a bit down or do it for her? As in mum said X has been doing so and so this month xx

[lisa1968]

It is frustrating-I had one parent who never read it,forgot to send it back half the time and even lost 2!!...then put on a parents questionnaire-under"is there anything that you would like me to do?"-answered"Yes-a diary would be nice!!"

So I stopped buying books and now send home a diary sheet every day-at least that way if it gets lost then its only one sheet,not a whole book!Any info they pass onto me verbally I write in my own daily diary,and that way Mrs. O can see how we communicate.

[Daisy De]

Just thought I would balance this thread slightly

I only have four families and I do daily diaries which are sent home everyday their child attends. Out of the four, three write EVERY DAY in the diary and have done for months/years, one mum loves it so much its almost an essay I get back which I love.

I do write quite a bit though just as we go through the day, noting little comments or amusing things that happen along with the usual nappy changes, food eaten, sleeps etc so maybe it makes a more interesting read.

The family who don't write, do read it and often comment verbally the next day so I guess dairies do work in my setting although I do know I'm in a minority.

I also do a monthly newsletter with a last page for comments and a signature to say they have received it and they ALL come back signed and often with comments!!

Strange but true