what cleaning do you do when minding

[Kidston]

Just wondering what jobs you do while you have midees and what you do in an evening/weekend.
As well I like to get my girl involved in what im doing like folding the washing and dusting the sides. Not sure how ofsted would feel about me doing this with midees?

[FloraDora]

Montessori - Practical Life - Introduction

Montessori education puts a big focus on 'Practical Life' which involves children devrloping motor skills and experience living things in a practical way.

[ziggy]

I sweep floor in kitchen, maybe put washing in and clean toilets (during after lunch nap) but other than that I dont do anything. Just couldnt get much done with children here, prefer to have mad clean at weekends.

[munch149]

If I do anything it's normally when there sleeping. Tea time I probably do most as after tea I will vacuum and mop the kitchen floor ready for the next day and will do any needed washing up. Do most housework before mindees come in the morning but can't really mop then as the floors would be wet

[caz3007]

Parent says I should do more cleaning and get lo's to help as its important life skills

[clareelizabeth1]

If children are involved in free play I will sit and clean the toys or mop the art area then say that area is off limits till floors dry. I also wipe windowsills and sides with cloth when cleaning toys or art table as it's quick does not take my attention and can be stopped instantly.

I do clothes hanging around naps although I had one little boy who like to hang clothes so we did it as an activity together.

Vacuuming the floor or mopping only gets done if it's the mindies that have messed it up and it would be dangerous to leave it ie soup over kitchen floor or ripped paper over the playroom (babies may eat)

[Mouse]

I do washing throughout the day and the children help with it. I put the dirty washing in the machine (they don't touch that) then they help put it in the dryer and take it out when it's dry. They help fold it, talk about who's it is and put it into the right pile, match the socks up etc. It covers so many areas of learning!

At one time Ofsted were very keen on children helping. I'm not sure if they still view it positively.

[Kidston]

What about washing up? We dont have a dish washer and cant imagine it would look good when parents come to collect their children and theres washing up piled high on the side?

[charlottenash]

I do washing up if it suits the routine. I've had times parents have walked through my kitchen piled high with washing up from the day, floor dirty from some art or craft and toys everywhere. I just say 'well as you can see, we've had a busy day'

I would expect a childminders house to be reasonable untidy at the end of the day if I sent my DS, I'd be annoyed if I walked in and it was spotless!

I have one mum who several times had walked in, seen my apron with water and said 'oh so you've been washing up' as if I've lost her child and not bothered to call! I am washing up THEIR children's mess, if they are next to me doing a craft I don't see it as an issue!

[Bluebell]

I tidy round after the kids, tidy crafts away and clean up after lunch, maybe wash up their bits.

The only 'housework' of mine that I do is if its a nice sunny day and I didn't get my wash out before they arrived I will try and get it hung up. I only do this if I get chance - so if they are asleep or playing in garden where I can see them.
Same if it starts raining and I want to get it in again I will - but only if its convenient to do it. I have an all in one downstairs that expands into a small enclosed garden and can see pretty much everything wherever I am. I don't like hoovering when the children are here and have laminate floors with rugs so if everything starts looking a bit messy - it usually does (- crumbs from lunch, sand and dirt from garden and bits of craft) then I will push broom round and sweep it up.

I definitely don't leave the children - my son went upstairs to see where his childminder was, she was upstairs doing the laundry and told him to go back down and as he turned round he missed the top step and fell down the whole flight. He was shaken up but fine - It could have happened anywhere but I would be mortified if it happened to me because I wasn't paying attention!

[KatieFS]

Only try to tidy what needs doing. Eg wiping up, tidying up, dish washer loading.. have to Hoover if someone has been really messy or if someone has walked mud in etc.
today got kids to help with tidying and sorting boxes- had mixtures of toys mixed up everything was all over the place. Kids loved it, getting boxes of bits out and sorting.
I try to get older ones to wipe up after themselves too, plates to kitchen etc

[Kittycat]

I will put on washing, and dry it, unload my dishwasher, fill it
I tend to get my family to help with chores in the evening and do a clean at weekends

[shortstuff]

I only do what is relating to my duties. So wash up behind the mindees, sweep the floor if we've made a mess etc. If I worked somewhere else I wouldn't be able to do home stuff so I generally leave it till end of day.

[charlottenash]

I agree Gail, I don't do hoovering Etc but the 'if I worked somewhere else' doesn't sit tight with me. If I worked somewhere at I would come home to a clean house lol!!

[charlottenash]

Right*******

[beachgirl29]

I don't really unless i have too...daughter wets the bed so need to wash sheets or dishwasher is full. My daughter helps me dust and sort washing but never thought of getting mindees to do it.

[rickysmiths]

I put in and take out the washing.

Sweep the floor.

If the children are playing happily I will clean the windows.

Clear the kitchen, wash up, load or unload the dishwasher.

Prepare snacks and meals and that will include our evening meal some days.

Clean and sort toys.

Do daily diaries or LJs

Shopping

All the above are all part or normal everyday life. I don't do all of them all the time but I do some of them as and when they need doing. I work from home and do not go to and office for a very good reason, 20 years ago so I could stay at home with my own children and run my home. Now my two are adults I still choose to work at home and I do do many of the normal daily things needed to keep my home clean and running because if I didn't it would become a mess and as it is my workpalce I can not allow that to happen!

[jadavi]

I am really lucky to have a retired husband / registered assistant who takes care of the washing up, shopping in the week and laundry. We have also just taken on a cleaner on a Fri afternoon for a weekly deep clean that really is worth the money. I thought after building the business up for 2.5 years and now running at full capacity I deserved a'this weekly treat!
I do try to clear up with the children as we go along and have the house totally liveable in again by 5pm as four adults live here .
I find my hand held Dyson in the morning is an absolute godsend - and all through the day for spillages.

[hectors house]

What about washing up? We dont have a dish washer and cant imagine it would look good when parents come to collect their children and theres washing up piled high on the side?

While children are eating their desserts I quickly wash up 3 or 4 lots of bowls, cuttlery, cups, bibs and then I carry the draining rack to the table and the older mindees (3 & 4) have a tea towel each and dry up for me. After a cooking activity they all have a go at washing up the plastic bowls and wooden spoons and dry up too.

I don't do much housework while they are here as I hoover before they come, I may wash the kitchen floor while they are doing playdough at the dining room table (I can see them as kitchen has a stair gate rather than door) and I sometimes peel veg for our tea (which will be their lunch the following day).

Some parents who work full time employ a cleaner to clean their houses - if a child doesn't see housework being done, how can they engage fully in imaginative role play?

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I do whatever needs to be done apart from ironing. The children love to help - if I left the floor after food times it would be walked everywhere so the hoover does come out. Alot gets done whilst they are in bed