this is what I am planing to do, what do you think?

**Donkey** · 05-04-2008, 11:42 PM

ok here goes...

for each child - an a5 folder that will be there daily diary, a 6x4 photo album that stays at my house and a scrap book with paintings and stuff in again stays at my house. then an a4 paperwork folder that will stay at my house that will contain obs and things.
I am thinking of giving each child a cheap gym type bag that there daily diary goes in for them to take home, they can also bring spare clothes and what not in it to keep at my house. will also ask parents in my policies book to ensure they bring diary each day etc etc
from what I have read in the forums about eyfs, do you think this would be enough?

**Trouble** · 05-04-2008, 11:49 PM

excellent but some wont bring diarys back and why dont you take lots of photos and put them on a disc so they can print them off saving you money

**miffy** · 06-04-2008, 06:56 AM

I think you've got everything covered but I would be wary about letting the daily diary go home in case it isn't returned the next day or worse lost - I'd just make it available for parents to see

miffy xx

**crazybones** · 06-04-2008, 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by miffy

I think you've got everything covered but I would be wary about letting the daily diary go home in case it isn't returned the next day or worse lost - I'd just make it available for parents to see

miffy xx

Yes have learnt from experience and agree with Miffy. Thay do disappear

**Rubybubbles** · 06-04-2008, 07:44 AM

or never get read

Like the idea of gym bags, you could get your name and stuff put on it

**Monkey1** · 06-04-2008, 07:46 AM

great ideas with the gym bags!

**sarah707** · 06-04-2008, 07:58 AM

That sounds great Joy!

I know diaries disappear, but the more I read about the whole 'working with parents' EYFS thing, the more I think we are going to be stuffed if we don't do a lot more than we are doing already.

We are going to be inspected to the same level as nurseries and they can do so much more than us... they can involve parents in trips, invite them in to share their skills with the children, run workshops for them etc... for practical and safety reasons most of us won't want to do any of those things.

We will need to be showing we are communicating with parents, but not only sending information home but also getting information from parents to use with the children at our settings (we don't have homes any more btw, they are settings!).

So the diary needs to be shared and parents comments need to be written in (if they don't write them, then we should, in a different colour pen maybe)... our newsletters need to share what we do for parents to do at home but maybe we also need to send other things home like story sacks or ideas for recipes etc.... THEN we need to get some feedback, suggestions for activites etc from parents...

Only this way can we show a 2 way flow of information, talked about on Principles card 2.2...

Sorry I've waffled on a bit... I like the bags idea Joy!

**Chimps Childminding** · 06-04-2008, 08:37 AM

I also like the gym bag idea,the only problem i can see is that not coming back either! although it would be great to keep here with a change of clothes, gloves etc. in it. I am also scepitcal about whether daily diairies would ever come back, or if they did, whether any of my parents would have looked at them.
I realise that come september we will be expected to show evidence of 2 way communication between us and parents but its really difficult as most of them are really busy and you only get a quick chat about the day etc. I send newsletters out and ask for feedback about the service i offer, but to be honest, don't get a lot and if i ask if everyone is happy, the usual comment is well of course otherwise my son/daughter wouldn't be here!

**Tatia** · 06-04-2008, 08:46 AM

My daily diary is different than my obs folder. It's just a cheap spiral notebook so I don't mind so much if it gets lost. Most of my parents are great about bringing it back but I have an old one, from a child who moved on that the mother let me keep to show OFSTED as proof in case they ever show on a day when everyone has forgotten their daily diaries!

I have a ring binder folder for each child (under 5s anyway) that I keep photos, obs, planning and examples of work in. Parents can see it and I think I'm gonna start adding a page every half-term for parent comments.

In addition, I also have a display book for my entire setting, with photos of all the kids (over 8s and all), smiling, playing and having a good time. The obs binder just has photos that are very specific to the observation (zooming in on infant using pincer grasp, getting a photo when toddler is building a tower of bricks). I don't want them smiling at the camera in these photos! I want to show that they are involved in the task.

**Donkey** · 06-04-2008, 11:36 AM

they wouldnt get the photo book until they left, thats my evidence.
food for thought though guys

how about a monthly/bi monthly questionaire, that you ask parents to fill, then put it in your obs folder.

pretty sure that you can pick gym bags up cheap, if they start going missing then they stay at your house hung up somewhere and then you take there stuff out at the end of the day and stuff it in a carrier bag

**sarah707** · 06-04-2008, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by joy_sheffield

how about a monthly/bi monthly questionaire, that you ask parents to fill, then put it in your obs folder.

Too much for my lot! They struggle with an annual one...

I intend to do most of the parents comments when they chat to me each day. I will make a note of what they have said in the children's files and show how I follow some of the comments through in my planning / obs etc

**Donkey** · 06-04-2008, 12:09 PM

jesus if your lot struggle with an annual one I have no hope!!!

we could do parent evenings and then photo the parents there, we could invite parents on trips if they were planned enough in advance

say child a comes mon,wed,fri, you ask parent of child a to come with you on trip on tuesday. pretty sure if you offer to pay half of there costs they would come

the receipt would go to mr. taxman.

we could also do an annual summer bbq

adding recipes onto a newsletter is quite easy to do too.

**RedDragon** · 06-04-2008, 01:59 PM

I gave little plastic wallets to each child asking the parents to put in a toothbrush/toothpaste.

Didn't get 1 back.

Sent out lots of A4 sheets that needed signing and sending back.

Not had 1 back yet (3 weeks).

Got a noticeboard in the hallway with tons of great info.

Not 1 parent has looked at it.

Started doing a monthly newsletter.

1 parent said "You've obviously got too much time on your hands".

The kids are lovely though lol

**Tatia** · 06-04-2008, 03:43 PM

[QUOTE][we could do parent evenings and then photo the parents there/QUOTE]
I could photos most of them dashing out the door as fast as they can, stuffing all the beautiful crafts into the bottom of the buggy or the book bag!

Or the one who stands about like a lump whilst his child destroys my house!

Sorry, Joy, I don't mean to rain all over your enthusiasm! You have wonderful ideas and most of my parents are actually really cool and easy to work with. I'm getting ready to send out my first questionnaire to parents and hope I get a response.

**RedDragon** · 06-04-2008, 04:02 PM

[QUOTE=Tatia;106618]

[
Or the one who stands about like a lump whilst his child destroys my house!

LOL LOL

Best 1 for me is when parents walk into my living room in their shoes/boots when all day the children have taken their shoes off without fail (back from school/pre-school,in and out of the garden etc)

Pipsqueak · 06-04-2008, 04:06 PM

I like the gym bags idea.

I think if you can motivate the parents (start as you mean to go on - if they lose it - invoice them for replacements - gym bag, daily diary etc write this into your policies and be quite stern with them when they forget to bring it) that it will be a great idea and wonderful evidence for the Great Ones (ofsted).

Brill ideas

On the subject of daily diaries - my parents have now mislaid (they haven't lost them apparently) 4 - yes 4, the 5th one was found in daddies van when he cleaned it up and this was the one they had when A first started with me 18months ago (it was returned to me about 4 weeks ago) that they swore blind they never had!!! big sigh

son77 · 06-04-2008, 05:25 PM

I too use gym bags (think they were only 75p from sainsbury's - bargain) & send home daily daily at the end of every week.
Mum sometimes forgets to bring it on a Mon so I just keep pestering her until she remembers.
Mum also used to add comments, but she's given up on that now too.

**Spangles** · 06-04-2008, 05:36 PM

My families are good with the daily diaries. One brings them complete every time they attend although doesn't write in it herself and the other keeps it together at their home so she just adds each page that I do to it and keeps it there.

They both read them and really enjoy them. They are amazed at how different their children are at my house to theirs! One little lad just follows his mum about all the time whereas here he plays with the toys and shows skills that he doesn't at home and vice versa.

Both sets of parents really appreciate the diaries but I guess I'm lucky with them! Ha ha!

My problem is that I fill in their diaries and once they are gone I completely forget what we did for my own paperwork! My brain is a sieve!

Pipsqueak · 06-04-2008, 05:40 PM

Lorri that is really lovely that your parents are able to appreciate that. Sounds like you are onto a winner there!

On the EYFS training thats exactly what the trainers where talking about - the parents being able to enjoy what their child has done that day even though they weren't present!