age trouble

[disney]

im really struggling this holiday to keep the mindees busy , ihave a 3 year old who is no trouble at all plays with any thing and a 5 year old whos not bad but i have an 8 year old that does not want to glue or take part in things of activities and if i put a film on she moans she does not like disney just asks for films that are to old for the other children .all she asks is to go park and we go every day but this is now getting boring !
how do you keep the mindees entertained when their is a big age gap please can any one advise as its driving me mad because when the younger ones are happy to do arts or watch a film she then starts messing around then of course they copy xx

[sarah707]

The eyfs (and current standards) say that you should only accept 8s and over if their care does not impact on the younger ones...

She is clearly having an effect, so I think you need to sit down with her and her parents for a chat.

Make it clear that she is welcome and you enjoy having her, but explain that you must, by law, put the little ones first... see if she can come up with some solutions.

Sometimes older children need to be in busy clubs if they are easily bored.

Good luck! xx

[disney]

i understand what you mean sarah and i do agree but did metion this to mum before but she said that no school club is open to take her at 7 am , i asked mum if it wouldbe any way possible to go in work later but she said no way
trouble is if i dont help who will she came to me as no other minder in our village starts at 7.pm only me so im stuck had her for a year now x

[balloon]

Could the 8 year old bring something from home with her that she doesn't find boring?

Have you tried stuff like paper machier (sp?) modelling, or clay? How about painting or beading (have you tried hama beads?), making things out of felt?

That's about all I can think of right now and you've probably tried most of them already.

If all else fails, could you have her from 7am and take her on to a sports centre or something then pick up later for mum?

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I have a varied range of ages today:

We have visited the dentist at the hospital, been to the local play park, played charades, imaginary shopping, domino's and ball and now they are all watching a film.

Maybe she needs to feel included, make her your honourary assistant for the day and let her choose some activities herself - might work

Debbie

My children are 14mths, 5yrs x 2, 8, 9, 2 x 12

[disney]

today we have been to the park as i do every day , done sticking , colouring , ball play , story time , watched a bit of a film all these sterted well but did not get finished as she was bored . also took my dog out for an hour over a field were she could run and done hand stands .

we have and do hemma beads , bed making , play doe , cake making , sand play ect . maybe she does need a sports club but i cant take her as its two villages away and i dont drive ! this morning we did play babies and she enjoyed it but only for a short while . said to mum tonight that she had been bored and had alot of energy but mum changed the subject x

[J_J]

i have had an 8 year old boy over the summer hols and have found it difficult to keep him entertained. everything i suggest hes says its boring or just doesnt want to do it. we go to the beach most days but hes says thats boring!! i spoke to him mum as i felt bad as he doesnt seem to enjoy himself, but his mum says hes exactly the same at home and always says hes bored!!! that word drives me mad!! she said not to worry about it which made me feel a lot better.

as children get older it is harder to entertain them, at home mine are all used to their x boxs and psp etc which i dont have. I find the girls enjoy helping out with the younger ones so i get them involved more with feeding, getting them dressed and looking after them.

if we had some nice weather it would be so much easier!!!

jx

[miffy]

Have you tried baking - most children love to do this - you could put her in charge of getting everything together then make her chief cook and get her to help the younger ones.

Miffy xx

[Nicki L]

I have an 11 year old boy - to him everything is boring. He doesnt join in with anything i do with the 6 year olds and wont entertain anything the younger two are doing. I have spoken to his mum and she says he is the same at home, he has started bringing things from home with him so i just leave him to it now.

I do feel bad that i cant get him to join in, but he seems happier that way.

[Saranotts]

Some brill advice already, especially about making her your assistant.

Mine is, what about finding another 8 year old to take on and then they could play together.....lol .....but not a third because that causes more arguments than anything!!

I have a variety of ages from 1 to 13 and a few of them are 8 year old girls. They love finger knitting and also making little tapestries. Or if she is in to HSM you could get her to make some red and white cheerleaders pom poms. Glitter glue is another thing my girls love and making little books with covers.

Good luck though because I do know that bored eight year old girls are the worst.....

Sara

[4365]

Hi

Don't feel too bad I'm sure that for some children saying they are bored is just part of who they are. I do let the older ones bring hand held computer games etc. from home after agreeing rules with parents and I also take them to the library, get them to choose make and do books, make a list of materials and let them create. If they are bored still I get them to make a collage, drawing or painting of all the things that they want to do and hopefully there will be something to pick out for a project. Then... I give up and as long as parents are happy, wait until they understand that a lot of how much older children enjoy their day must come down to themselves. The opportunities are there...
My own two children are the worst moaners but when they tell other people about their day it is suprising what fun they really had.

Anni

[Stacey]

Why dont you complete an activity chart together including all the children, that way you can try and adapt the activities to suit everyone. I look after a 10 year old and today we made minature gardens which she loved doing.

[flora]

Older ones are always a bit of a pickle are't they disney.

I have a big age gap between my own two and the age gap with minded ones is 11, 10, 6 x2 nearly 3 and hannah comes in last at 2yrs 4 months.

Harry amuses himself most days, he play on the wii, plays on his computer, watches tv, plays on the trampoline, and generally roams round the farm getting up to mischief

Can you not ask her what she wants to do???? If there is something she likes to do, could you not scale it down for the younger ones to enjoy??

Are there not times when you could let her watch slighty older stuff??? Such as at nap times or something??? Has she got a nintendo ds, I know you wouldn't want her on it all day everyday but my neice pops on hers periodiaclly when she seems to get bored ofthe other stuff she is doing.

Good luck let us know how you get on with her

[disney]

thank you all for your ideas some i have already tried and others i have not , i feel a bit better after some of your kind words i have asked her what she would like to do and she says go off and play with her mates she does not come on weds and this is what she would do then . you see normally i only have her before and after school and she is happy to just chill then but this is the longest hol i have had her and 10 hours a day is a long while to keep some one entertained on a constant ! todays activities are

paper masha , box model sticking , bug hunting , sponge & potatoe painting the little ones love it if she does not want to take part then i give up but i will not have her spoiling it for the rest x

[angeldelight]

Sounds to me like you are bending over backwards for this child already

You are doing everything right and she is being a little madam by the sounds

You are going to wear yourself out if this continues

I also agree with you if she does not want to join in with something then carry on with the other children and leave her sitting there - at least you have tried

I would not worry so much and if she is not happy then im sorry but you cant do more - then I would take Sarahs advice and speak to the parent - I would also ask what does she do at home because I bet she does not do half the things she is doing with you

Good luck

Angel xxx