Doing a diary EVERY DAY! :(

[PixiePetal]

I have two families - each with 2 EYFS children

1 family don't want the diary any more - lost it and prefer verbal

other family like them - I try to keep it up but sometimes forget parents write a good amount of info too - a round up of what they have done on non minded days (I have them 2 days/week) and how they are. Some lovely comments about me, development and their care so am photocopying for LJs. Great parental involvement

[Caterpillar]

i have always done these daily diaries as i specialise in under 4yrs. the parents have never complained and like that i log how many feeds, nappy changes etc. but ofsted hated it. said i was making too much work for myself and should concentrate on eyfs observation logging and coding! but the trouble is, most parents dont understand the eyfs, dont pay attention to it. they just want to know that their child is happy, cared for and developing through a home from home environment.

I agree with Ofsted - what's the point??? You are looking after their child, why do you need to record that they've had a nappy change, nice morning, ate a biscuit for snack - isn't all that obvious???

Surely parents are more interested in the Professional activities you do, like their development? When I go to parents evenings at school, I don't discuss where my child sits and what they do at playtime and how many times they've visited the toilet - that's all arbitrary! What a waste of time??

If the parents don't understand the EYFS, explain it to them - put it in "Parent Speak"

[francinejayne]

I also do mine online, however I tell parents at the beginning of our contract that there may be days when I just don't get chance to do the diary - last week during half term we went to Gullivers World and we were out from 9.30 until 5.30 and when I got home I then had to make dinner, bath my DS, etc, so I just told the parents when they picked up what we had been up to.

I would put out a note stating that you will endeavour to complete diaries each day, however there may be times when you do not get the chance to do this, but you will always tell them any important info.

[francinejayne]

I agree with Ofsted - what's the point??? You are looking after their child, why do you need to record that they've had a nappy change, nice morning, ate a biscuit for snack - isn't all that obvious???

Surely parents are more interested in the Professional activities you do, like their development? When I go to parents evenings at school, I don't discuss where my child sits and what they do at playtime and how many times they've visited the toilet - that's all arbitrary! What a waste of time??

If the parents don't understand the EYFS, explain it to them - put it in "Parent Speak"

I completely disagree with you! Having just returned from my DS's first parents evening all we spoke about was how happy he is, how settled he is, who he plays with, how he deals with social situations etc. I was not at all concerned with how many of the ELG's he is on target to achieve, and neither is his teacher.

In my experience as a cm, the parents like to know when their babies slept, what they ate, what activities they have done etc. most of mine haven't been too bothered about the EYFS aspect, but have accepted it as something I have to do.

[chriss]

But to write down each day nappies, snacks and sleeps must be very repetative, surely what activities, notes on what they said or new achievements is of more value. Verbally you can say they had a poo and how long they slept ? Arghh the paperwork !!

[Caterpillar]

I completely disagree with you! Having just returned from my DS's first parents evening all we spoke about was how happy he is, how settled he is, who he plays with, how he deals with social situations etc. I was not at all concerned with how many of the ELG's he is on target to achieve, and neither is his teacher.

In my experience as a cm, the parents like to know when their babies slept, what they ate, what activities they have done etc. most of mine haven't been too bothered about the EYFS aspect, but have accepted it as something I have to do.

I can assure you Francine - his teacher WILL be concerned with his ELGs!!!! TBH If they've said that they're not, then there is a major problem at your child's school. It is a statutory LEGAL requirement for schools to report specific things to parents whether the parents are bothered about hearing them or not.

I am simply saying there doesn't need to be written commentary on children's days, just TALK to the parents at pick up.

Do stay at home mums / dads make laborious notes on times of poos and sleeps toys they picked up, etc and share with working dad / mum when they come home? NO I DONT THINK SO - they have a nice chat and share some nice memories of the day!!!!!!!!! Much less beaurocratic and personal!

[loocyloo]

my parents like that i write down sleeps/nappies/snacks/meals etc as it helps them to feel part of their childs day. several of my references state that by doing the comprehensive daily diaries, the parents do not feel that they are missing out on their childs life and they can talk to them about it. at the end of a day the children are tired, parents are tired and everyone wants to get home. also, some of my children are collected by other people, so the diaries are one way i communitcate with the parents. of course i still talk at hand over - telling gran that LO has been grumpy all day, or that LO climbed the steps to the slide by themselves, but this is also in the diaries.

it is also useful to note nappies, as last week a LO who comes to me, did not have a dirty nappy for 3 days with me ( i didn't think about it! ) but neither had she gone at home! she did go the next day, but mum was prepared !!!

mine like the developmental side too, but like to read about the nice time they have, and most keep these diaries for the children when they are older. i used to write a weekly diary for a family i nannied for, child is now 21 and mum said she sat reading them the other week and how it brought it all back!

i would be writing daily diaries for the children in my care regardless of what ofsted said i had to do or not do. i have been writing them for over 20 years worth of childcare and and i feel it is a valuable thing to do. i don't expect everyone to share my views, and for the odd parent that isn't interested, i still write them, maybe brief notes, and ask them to send diary every day for MY benefit so i can see what child is doing, maybe routine is changing etc.

[Ripeberry]

i have three under 3 so i do daily diaries, each one has a hard back note book and as they arrive i lay them out in the kitchen and write in as a i go - gets a bit boring and repetitive tbh but i still do it each day, i tend to put a small bit for am and pm activities, what they liked to play with that day, meals and what they ate, nappies, bottles, sleeps. i prob do 3/4 of page for each one each day, i find it much easier doing it that way than doing it online but everyone is different

This is what I do and I provide the diaries (from Tesco the ones with plastic covers). Each child has a different colour. So I don't get mixed up

[dette]

i do a combination of online..to record obs and links, next steps ,photos, register ,permisions and policies but i find i dont get chance to do this every day so do it once a week
i also have a paper diary(from bromley childminders) its set out well for quick notes on nappies ,naps meals and snacks,a box for a quick note on what theyve done today and a box for parents input.i fill this in as i go along ,only takes a couple of seconds.i have spare pages photocopied so if i dont get chance to fill it out,say parent arrived early,then i'll do it once ive got a second and pop it in the next day.All my parents love this.i find first time parents get really hung up on poo and food and they feel included in the day

[AliceK]

I always do diaries for EYFS children, even the ones that are old enough to talk and tell parents what they've been doing. In my experience as a mum I loved seeing my DS's daily sheets when he was with a childminder, I could read in my own time the things he had been doing that day and what he had eaten and when he had slept. I have 4 EYFS children on my books plus schoolies. Pick-ups can be very busy and noisy and I can't remember to tell parents everything that they might like to know verbally but I know that everything is in their diaries for the parents to read later. Also I know with my DD when she was at the school nursery and now at FT school, when I ask her what she has done today or who she has played with she will either say she's done nothing or she can't remember and I know most children are the same. At least if my older EYFS children can't be bothered to tell their parents what they've been doing the parents can read it and see the pics in their diary. Plus I find it useful to look through their diaries sometimes to refer to something.

xxxxx

[greenfields]

I have a basic dairy for each child - what they had to eat and PLANNED activities that I have done with them that day... and (for older ones) if they slept or not. I don't write much more than that. i think they are valuable to have. All of the parents say the like them.

[The Juggler]

i disagree with it being about development only. I don't write down religiously every nappy change but I record unusual runny or no poos, sore bottoms - other than that they can assume that I changed them regularly

I think parents do want to know what snacks and food they had and if they ate it and also if they've been upset, how much they slept etc.

I think they like to know where we went, who we saw and played with.

On the development side I write down what we had out today and any significant observations or wow moments or what they enjoyed that day, what made them happy, sad upset.

Sometimes I literally just don't have time and verbal does the job and sometimes diary is forgotten or not in bag but i think they are invaluable and use the most days. Most of my parents don't write back to me in them but they all tell me they read them religiously. If they didn't I might not bother but at the moment they do.

[julie w]

I buy my diaries from e bay. A lady makes them and they are brilliant. There is room for all the important information.

[MandyW]

I ask my children every day after school what they have eaten, snack time, lunch time, who they've played with, did they paint, play, do P.E etc. I assume most parents want to know these things? :/

I intend to offer diaries anyway, especially for the children who cant answer the questions themselves! If they don't want one fine I won't do one, but if they do I'm more than happy too, and if they want nappy changes included then I'll include them! lol!... The one's I've just signed up love the idea!

[rachelle]

Mine are just a table created in word (from quick tables!)
They have date, time in time out (useful for making parents aware of early drop offs etc)
days planning
I have enjoyed: (room for couple of sentences)
nappies (I write wet only or poo am rather than each change)
today I have eaten well etc
today I have drunk: well etc
Notes from home

They don't take long. I copied the format from another local minder as it seemed to work so well for her.

I do one in more detail for my 60 hours a week little one as I think it's important after all that time here that his mum can share his week with him and vice versa.

[Helcatt]

I do my diaries online and add photos so that parents can see what the children have been up to

Because I do them online, the generic stuff can be a copy and paste job and then anything specific to the child added in too, I find this makes life much easier than having to hand write the same stuff over and over

I do diaries for all EYFS children. I do find that parents do generally want to know what we have been doing, planned activities as well as , eating, sleeping, toileting etc

I try to convey all this at the end of the day but with school age children being collected as well, this can be busy and things missed off. Or I can tell parents and they forget (had parent text me later to ask about specifics he'd forgotten), so having it written out is good for them and me

I do apologise to them if the diaries are not completed and most of them are fine, they love that it is there but also understand that we do alot during the day and often I am told to put my feet up and not worry - they are confident that we do a good job

I think it would be a good to have a disclaimer saying, as previously suggested, that you endeavour to complete them but their may be circumstances that mean it is not always possible

My first full time child said that she still has profile book and daily diaries (was doing hand written ones then) and loves going back over them years later

HX

[DickDock]

I don't do a diary every day. We have one but sometimes I am just too busy. I give parents a verbal update and I find they rarely write in it anyway.