Special day grumps!
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    Default Special day grumps!

    This morning I woke up to emails telling me about super duper activities I can do with 2 year olds for....VALENTINES DAY!!!! Then I saw a red waxed shaped Wensleydale cheese at the supermarket and every other end of aisle stand was full of random red things.

    Now, historically Valentine's Day is a Christian day , but was hijacked by Chaucer who turned it into ROMANTIC love....which is fine...but it's beyond out of control commercialy now. .....in my opinion.
    I have never 'celebrated' Valentine's day with children.....I firmly believe it is about romantic love, I'm not a big fan of any commercial day but we have mothers and fathers day for children to explore the who they love day, they shouldn't be involved yet in romantic love.

    But all this got me thinking..... Then I listened to Andrew Marr and Nicky Morgan talking about British Values....

    So, where am I going with this?
    I have been amazed over this last year at the focus that some childminders put on 'special days ' in the year, almost thinking they have to...I read about children celebrating American Independence Day ....An American special day celebrating their independence from us...Great Britain!
    Some childminders celebrated thanksgiving and Australia Day....days special to other countries...
    In my opinion, very young children do not need to celebrate these days, unless their family and friends do... Before doing so people should look at what they are really celebrating before getting on the bandwagon of commercialism or ticking a box on a calendar under the misconception of multiculturism or just seeing others are doing it and following because they are good craft ideas.
    These craft ideas in my opinion are purely for parents and childminders as young children get more out of just free exploring with paint and glue and textures.... It's the process not the product that is important .

    So before you get drawn in to the Valentine day .....think why does that 18 month / 2/3 year old need to make footprints for you to make look like hearts? Why do they need to spend a week with just pink and red paint, tissue paper and Pom poms? Why do they need to spend so much time experiencing heart shapes ,just in one week in February?

    Re look at the calendar of events going round for you to download and think about why you think your LO's need to cover all these days? We watch lots of American films and shows now, perhaps when people see the celebrations they think we should celebrate too, after all, hallowean has invaded the UK from America, so why not American Independance day or Thanksgiving instead of harvest??

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    We celebrate or mark (there's a big difference) special days with children because it's something we love doing and it allows us to provide a rich and diverse curriculum for our over 2s.

    It used to be more for the over 3s but Ofsted want to see over 2s involved now... so we differentiate!

    We start with days that are special to the children - then community days - and sometimes, because it's great fun, we cover something from further afield.

    The children will see Valentine's Day at home - and all love mark making and making cards - so it's an ideal opportunity for us to pop some learning in about love, friendship and stranger danger...

    I wrote this before this morning's programme with Nicky Morgan - it's good to see we are both saying the same things rofl!!

    https://www.childcare.co.uk/informat...british-values

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    Angry

    Totally agree with you FloraDora, everything has gone way too far now and I for one am cheesed off with it and made to feel like I'm a bad childminder if I don't do all of it! Been doing this job for over 25 years and I expect some will say that I should get with the times but every single child I've cared for has left my setting ( finally at age 11 or more cos they don't want to go) sociable, respectful and where they should be in the learning zone. Parents and children have been happy and I've mostly been full in all that time. Ex -mindees now bring their babies for me to look after so I think I'm doing it right Progress never stops and I understand that but enough is enough and I'm fed up with being bombarded with new thing we have to take on board. Rant over!

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    Quote Originally Posted by chris goodyear View Post
    Totally agree with you FloraDora, everything has gone way too far now and I for one am cheesed off with it and made to feel like I'm a bad childminder if I don't do all of it!
    I certainly don't do all of it and I'm definitely not a bad childminder!

    We celebrate the children's birthdays (because they all have one!), Christmas (because they all love it!), Mother's & Father's Days (because the children love making something special for their parents) and a selection of other events that fit in with what we're doing at the time & what the children's interests are.

    The children are all aware of other countries, cultures, celebrations etc through the books we look at, programmes we watch and resources we use. We don't wait for a 'special' day to highlight them.

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    I've done lots of festivals n special days in the past. I think the parents are more impressed with the crafts than the children were interested in doing them. This year for some reason I don't want to continue this way. I will celebrate mum n dads days, birthdays easter n Xmas. Might do our own St days too. But this year I'm doing basic things like counting, reading,messy play etc. and just have fun n enjoy these children for who they are. If it doesn't work I'll change it but that's what I feel at the moment

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    Quote Originally Posted by SYLVIA View Post
    I've done lots of festivals n special days in the past. I think the parents are more impressed with the crafts than the children were interested in doing them. This year for some reason I don't want to continue this way. I will celebrate mum n dads days, birthdays easter n Xmas. Might do our own St days too. But this year I'm doing basic things like counting, reading,messy play etc. and just have fun n enjoy these children for who they are. If it doesn't work I'll change it but that's what I feel at the moment
    Great idea, I'm with you ! go for it Sylvia!

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    I actually don't celebrate Mother's/Father's Day because I think it is for the children to do with the other parent. Obviously if the older ones want to make something at mine then I'm more than happy to let them use any resources they need. If it was a single parent family then I would plan something.

    I am with you on the footprint/handprint thing - it's a huge bugbear of mine. I hated it when my daughter came home from her nursery with a 'Rudolf with handprint antlers'. I just think of all the precious adult time wasted on cutting out 30 pairs of handprints. The TA would have been better using that time hearing readers, or reading a non-fiction book on reindeer to the children.

    I will be doing Valentine type of activities but I hope that I have focused on the child and possible LOs rather than a fancy piece of craft that I complete most of so that they all look identical. I will have a sensory tub (hearts of different textures/weights/properties in general, some shiny, some glittery, some matt), silk rose petals etc. Heart shaped measuring spoons and containers for scooping and transferring (Sorry FloraDora, you must be gagging right now, lol). My two and three year olds will be working on repeating patterns and 1-1 correspondence by counting out the different hearts etc., 6 year old will be doing some volume/capacity work with hearts and there will be heart shaped paper as an alternative to the rectangular paper we usually use - what they do on it is up to them! We will be doing various art techniques with a heart theme and probably eat heart shaped food. I know my DD really looks forward to it every year and if I'm honest I think it just makes the planning a bit more fun on my part. Yes, I could use pebbles and pinecones for the maths work like we usually do, but I don't want to, I want to use pretty hearts for a week!

    I do agree though that some people do overdo festivals by trying to mark every single one and think that an adult led perfect craft is the way to do it. xxx

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maza View Post
    I actually don't celebrate Mother's/Father's Day because I think it is for the children to do with the other parent. Obviously if the older ones want to make something at mine then I'm more than happy to let them use any resources they need. If it was a single parent family then I would plan something.

    I am with you on the footprint/handprint thing - it's a huge bugbear of mine. I hated it when my daughter came home from her nursery with a 'Rudolf with handprint antlers'. I just think of all the precious adult time wasted on cutting out 30 pairs of handprints. The TA would have been better using that time hearing readers, or reading a non-fiction book on reindeer to the children.

    I will be doing Valentine type of activities but I hope that I have focused on the child and possible LOs rather than a fancy piece of craft that I complete most of so that they all look identical. I will have a sensory tub (hearts of different textures/weights/properties in general, some shiny, some glittery, some matt), silk rose petals etc. Heart shaped measuring spoons and containers for scooping and transferring (Sorry FloraDora, you must be gagging right now, lol). My two and three year olds will be working on repeating patterns and 1-1 correspondence by counting out the different hearts etc., 6 year old will be doing some volume/capacity work with hearts and there will be heart shaped paper as an alternative to the rectangular paper we usually use - what they do on it is up to them! We will be doing various art techniques with a heart theme and probably eat heart shaped food. I know my DD really looks forward to it every year and if I'm honest I think it just makes the planning a bit more fun on my part. Yes, I could use pebbles and pinecones for the maths work like we usually do, but I don't want to, I want to use pretty hearts for a week!

    I do agree though that some people do overdo festivals by trying to mark every single one and think that an adult led perfect craft is the way to do it. xxx
    Your art and craft ideas and measuring, sensory do sound just down my street.......but do it every so often in the year....not just the second week in February

    Having had sons and only brothers my DH cannot believe the reaction everytime he puts a heart on my coffe ( turning into a great barista man) or makes heart shape biscuits ( on my request) ...the girls do love it... And he smiles and promises to do it more often.... So perhaps a sensory tub of heart shaped textures may make it into my February activities !!! And again in May, September.......! Great idea, my grumps are mellowing.

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    But we must must must celebrate carrot cake day on Tuesday. It would be wrong of us not too
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maza View Post
    I actually don't celebrate Mother's/Father's Day because I think it is for the children to do with the other parent. Obviously if the older ones want to make something at mine then I'm more than happy to let them use any resources they need. If it was a single parent family then I would plan something.

    I am with you on the footprint/handprint thing - it's a huge bugbear of mine. I hated it when my daughter came home from her nursery with a 'Rudolf with handprint antlers'. I just think of all the precious adult time wasted on cutting out 30 pairs of handprints. The TA would have been better using that time hearing readers, or reading a non-fiction book on reindeer to the children.
    Our nursery class didn't do any Christmas themed crafts like the Rudolf handprint antlers. A lot of parents were upset that they didn't get anything.

    Swings and roundabouts swings and roundabouts. You cant please everyone all the time
    Last edited by FussyElmo; 01-02-2015 at 07:35 PM.
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    Love it Fussy Elmo. another excuse to eat carrot cake, as though I need one.

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    I also don't do too much on the festivals as I dont think a 2 year old knows why they're making some craft for a festival they don't celebrate just to please ofsted... instead I use them to loosely basey activities around based on the children's interests so I have 3 2 year olds that are loving painting at the mo and I'm trying to think of different things I can do with paint and saw a valentines hearts made by blowing the paint with straws which they'll love doing I bet watching to see which way it goes and what happens when colours mix etc and I'll cut hearts from those and display them. I love the hearts sensory box with tubs etc in I think I'll pinch that!
    I also have a 3 year old that loves making cookies and we're experimenting with different flavours so I'm sure we'll be doing some heart shaped cookies to take home too!

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    FloraDora, all I can say is...............

    ...............ABSO...........FlippING............ ...LUTELY

    Unfortunately, you have now 'got me started'.

    You ask (and very intelligently answer, if I may say) why EY settings do this. I've asked a few as well. The most common answers I've come across:-

    1. Everyone else does it (... did anyone's mum used to say, ".............and if everyone else jumped off a cliff....etc? )
    2. It ticks a box for Ofsted.
    3. The children enjoy it (....probably true, but would they not equally enjoy making a cow out of a cardboard box as making a heart or a paper dragon?)
    4. The staff enjoy it (......another rant I must get onto sometime: why do so many EY workers seem to think the whole childcare thing is about using lo's as a test-bed for their own favourite crafts and hobbies? Hope this is not just me being bitter on account of my total inability to make, say, a cardboard cow.)
    5. There's lots of easy resources and crafts (ie. it's just easy for the staff - and I thought I was lazy.)
    6. It's nice to put on the wall (.....and so is a cardboard cow - see above)
    7. It teaches diversity (no, it just teaches inappropriate skewed views of other cultures - such as the lo's I've had who come out of preschool believing that the rich and ancient wealth of Chinese culture can be reduced to some red paper tat and the misguided belief that Chinese people live entirely on fried food.)


    I very often find I have no need to 'do' festivals even if they had to be 'done' by law. 90% of mindees have already done them to death at school/preschool and the rest just want their bottle and a nap. This even leaves me struggling to find anything to do with them at Xmas, for doG's sake - they've already done all the Xmassy crafts, songs, baking, etc. that can reasonably be done in one month without boring the pants off them or triggering an allergic response to glitter-glue.

    My festival planning for the next few weeks will comprise:
    1. Greet mindee coming out of preschool will vague heart-shape glued to pink paper; key worker explaining, "it's a Valentine's card for mummy." Ask key worker, "is there some sort of Oedipus thing going on? Are you treating it as a safeguarding issue?"
    2. Explore Chinese culture through the writings of Marx & Engels and the achievements of the Cultural Revolution. ......which I'm sure Messrs. Cameron and Wilshaw will love.


    I've tried culturally relevent festivals, such as Burns Night for a family with Scottish ancestry and Waikiki Day for one with a NZ parent. Quite frankly, the children were none too interested and the parents totally puzzled as to why I'd bothered. So, what's the point.................

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    personally I think that doing celebrations etc if fine if you are doing them because its relevant to the children.

    I think if your planning takes into account every single major celebration/festival then its being done wrong.

    We did Christmas but nothing since. We decorated hearts last wekk but that was more to do with the hearts being cheaper than circles at the shop.

    I wont be doing valentines day, Chinese new year etc because its not relevant to the children I have. However I have lots of birthday this month and they will be celebrated. See earlier post about carrot cake it just have to be done

    So I think next time you plan a activity ask if you are doing it to tick a box for ofsted if yes do you really need to do it.

    My brother sent me a new childrens book from Australia it happened to get here on Australia day was that a box ticked or was it just a lovely story?
    When someone tells you nothing is impossible, tell them to go slam a revolving door

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    Quote Originally Posted by FussyElmo View Post
    personally I think that doing celebrations etc if fine if you are doing them because its relevant to the children.

    I think if your planning takes into account every single major celebration/festival then its being done wrong.

    We did Christmas but nothing since. We decorated hearts last wekk but that was more to do with the hearts being cheaper than circles at the shop.

    I wont be doing valentines day, Chinese new year etc because its not relevant to the children I have. However I have lots of birthday this month and they will be celebrated. See earlier post about carrot cake it just have to be done

    So I think next time you plan a activity ask if you are doing it to tick a box for ofsted if yes do you really need to do it.

    My brother sent me a new childrens book from Australia it happened to get here on Australia day was that a box ticked or was it just a lovely story?
    :-) I agree.

    If a special day falls on a day I'm working then we mark it and then only if relevant to those children in my care that day. But I do Australia Day... because I lived there for a while and it's special for me! But we mark it regardless of if I'm working or not!

    I may well do something heart based the week running up to valentines day but won't push it!

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    Quote Originally Posted by FloraDora View Post
    Your art and craft ideas and measuring, sensory do sound just down my street.......but do it every so often in the year....not just the second week in February

    Having had sons and only brothers my DH cannot believe the reaction everytime he puts a heart on my coffe ( turning into a great barista man) or makes heart shape biscuits ( on my request) ...the girls do love it... And he smiles and promises to do it more often.... So perhaps a sensory tub of heart shaped textures may make it into my February activities !!! And again in May, September.......! Great idea, my grumps are mellowing.
    I'm totally with you, we do do those type of activities all year round but I use festival related resources at various types of the year. I love it!!! If they ask for the hearts again in May or September of course they can have them -but not April because then they just have to use bunnies for their counting, and certainly not in October because... Just kidding, obviously. Totally agree with you too Bunyip about how many practitioners do things to satisfy their own art/craft needs, don't think I fall in to that category! Many of us will have sad stories of seeing adults moving a child's hand back and forth with a paintbrush/gluestick etc in order to produce the perfect end product and crushing a child's confidence by not respecting their efforts. Why oh why do people just not see the damage they are doing when they do this? I'm sure we can all think of examples where beautiful festival/cultural activities have taken place but the sentiment/education behind it just isn't there - again ticking boxes.

    I totally agree with everything you say FloraDora and Bunyip.

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    Now that Valentine's Day is done my inbox is now flooded with ideas for St Patrick's Day. Groaoaoaoan.

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    I'm doing Pancake Day this week - just because we all love pancakes (any excuse).

    Oh, and I've just printed out a "Nature's Detectives" sheet (Woodland Trust), so we can go on a big walk and look out for 'Early Hints of Spring'.

    (Fits in with my planning and the children's interests, as we saw our first squirrel last week, and bought bird boxes and bird seed.)

    I've also just spotted my first big, fat bumble bee in the garden - getting very excited!



    L

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maza View Post
    Now that Valentine's Day is done my inbox is now flooded with ideas for St Patrick's Day. Groaoaoaoan.
    Now, contradictory or what.....since I started the grumps....St Patrick's day is actually my birthday and my distant heritage ... so ....I do tend to play irish music, wear a shamrock ( I have loads of brooches as I used to always get them from relatives - unique birthday gifts everyone thought!) ....and perhaps focus on the green and rainbow aspect of leprechauns / pots of gold.( regular theme to my birthday cards!) St Patrick is quite a sad life story to discuss with little ones, no wonder the green aspect is emphasised. But it is a day relevent to me - so allowed I think.
    The first ever ofsted I suffered, millions of years ago, was on my birthday and it was my assembly day - we had 6 weeks notice in those days so I had plenty of time to worry/ prepare.....I ordered myself a boxed balloon - St Patrick's style. Which was delivered at the beginning of assembly ( arranged) ...a box...what could be in it?? Irish music ...Great assembly, children loved it, Ofsted loved it- got a mention in the report ... for years after my colleagues used to do all sorts of pranks on me with green balloons on St Patrick's day.....you don't get this type of revelry with just LO's and no colleagues!!

    We do eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday( and every other week for breakfast) ( when did it become 'pancake day?) - but no children on Tuesday so DH and I will be experimenting with our crepe maker.

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    Sorry - I know I should have called it 'Shrove Tuesday', but we call it 'Pancake Day' here as two of my mindees are Jewish (and it's easier to explain as 'Pancake Day' than any other religious thingy - I'm not religious anyway, so would make it tricky to explain with my deliberately limited knowledge).



    L

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