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  1. #1
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    Default Good morning Thursday

    After really struggling to get through the day yesterday, I'm feeling a lot better today. I don't think I've felt so ill with a cold for a long time. I didn't even feel this bad when I had covid! I've got a quiet day today with just 2 children here. Having said that, they are the noisiest 2, especially when they're together, so it might not actually be that quiet! It is happy noise they make though, so I can cope with that. I'm planning on spending most of the day in the garden with them as their happy screeching doesn't seem so loud out here!

    Last night I went to bed really early so missed Sewing Bee. I don't think there's normally anything I watch on a Thursday night, so I'll catch up with it tonight.

    Maza, how have your recent parent visits gone? Have you got some new children signed up? I've managed to fill my September places and my January 2022 place, when a current child is cutting down their days to go to nursery. There have been quite a few local childminders close recently and parents are realising they need to get booked in somewhere early or they'll struggle to find a space.

    Question for the day! How do you put a child's over-the-head top on them? I put it over their head first, then put their arms in. I've noticed recently that when I go to put a top on a child, they hold their arms up as if they're expecting me to do arms first, then over their head. They all seem to do it so now I'm wondering if I'm the odd one out in doing it my way

    Have good days all

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  3. #2
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    Glad you are feeling a tad bit better Mouse.Some of the children here have got colds.

    I put head through first then arms, so the same as yourself.

    We have done a car wash ( toy cars!) planted our runner bean plants and fleeced them just in case any more frost.

    Do you know why the childminders have closed? Has anybody read the new EYFS yet? I’m afraid I haven’t got round to it yet.

    After saying I’m not buying any new toys I’ve recently brought some grabbers ( look TTS) and a set of children pipettes. Could I have done with out them? Most definitely, as now I need to replace my children’s sun parasols. Put one up yesterday and it fell to bits 😭 The big ones okay but I like small ones easier to move about. The works have got nice ones so have ordered two, more expense.

    Is everyone doing their covid tests, lateral? I’m a bit fed up doing them but am.

    Hope you recover fully soon Mouse.

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  5. #3
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    Glad you are feeling better Mouse. Some colds are really nasty.

    So, I saw three prospective families over the last week or so:

    The first one doesn't need me until November, so I had to say contact me closer to the time. She and her baby were wonderful though, so I hope I am able to take them on. She sent me a lovely message after the visit and seemed keen.

    The second family were also nice but I really felt that they would choose a nursery - they were going to view two nurseries after me and I haven't heard from them, so I'm assuming they've signed up with a nursery. Shame, as they were full time.

    The third family are coming for a second visit soon. Mum seemed to really like my setting - she sent me a very gushing email after her first visit, so fingers crossed. They do have an appointment with another childminder tomorrow though, so who knows!

    DH is currently decorating our bedroom (all risk assessed), so we have moved into the spare room. It's really strange being in another bedroom in our house!

    Pixie dust - do you ever take your dog out for a walk with the mindees? I did this morning - I never have done before and don't intend on doing it regularly, but we have just got so much on at the moment, so I wanted to buy myself and DH some time. I wouldn't say it was particularly easy or enjoyable!

    I've got my first aid this Saturday, so I have to work my way through the six hour online bit. I hate it so much.

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    Maza my dog always comes out with myself and mindees if we’re going to the fields or river walk, feeding ducks etc. Always has.But he walks without a lead over fields so probably a lot easier as your dog is still young? What did you find difficult? . Hope you don’t mind me answering I know not addressed to me.

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    Glad you are feeling better Mouse. I have 2 noisy ones today too but it's not happy noise, unfortunately they just shout at each and then one will start crying it starts off like this "I am bigger than you'' "NO I AM BIGGER THAN YOU''

    Maza I do take our dog out with us sometimes but depends on which children I have, he is still quite young and being a spaniel is very bouncy Dragonfly I would love be able to let our dog off when we are out in the fields but the minute he sees a bird he is gone ! We are working hard on training him

    I haven't looked at the new EYFS yet but I am waiting for a hard copy to arrive that I ordered as I prefer to have a physical copy to look at than online.

    DH has actually gone back to work now after being home for nearly 4 months so I need to get back in to some sort of normality with my routine as he has done most of the cooking and cleaning whilst he has been home but now it's back to just me for 3 weeks at a time.
    Pixie Dust

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    Evening!

    I've had a busy day - out in the woods all day just 'being' and 'doing' and then school run and everyone out in the garden! bliss! although somehow, my playroom was still a bombsite

    Glad you are feeling better Mouse, and you had 'quiet' children today. Sounds like everyone had a good day ( although maybe Pixie didn't have such a great day )


    I've read the new EYFS ( well, bits of it ) as i have attended a fair bit of training about it either from my LA or on childcare.co.uk ( Webinars by Sarah Neville ). PLUS, my local school are early adopters and one of the nursery teachers is a good friend of mine! I like the loosening of the age bands in the development matters, as i frequently find the children are in a different age band to where they are 'expected' to be for one thing or the other. I'm interested to read the new Birth to Five which is written by the people who wrote the the current development matters. However, as we don't have to use either of those, i am tempted to return to using the good old Mary Sheridan from years gone by! ( although, i shall probably use development matters ) We don't need to write any obs etc, but i will probably still do a few as my poor brain will shut down if asked anything i ought to know! My concern is that for people new to early years, who don't have the years of experience, or training that some have, will not 'know' their child development, and so some children with concerns may be 'missed'. I met a childminder a few weeks ago who was saying her minded child couldn't do something, and I said, 'oh goodness, but he is only little, he doesn't need to be doing (whatever it was) yet! not till he is going to school' and she really didn't have a brilliant grasp of child development.
    Pixie - where have you ordered a hard copy from? I've seen i can order a hard copy of Birth to Five from somewhere, but i'd like a hard copy of it all! I like to highlight/scribble etc and equally, can't be doing with trying to print it out and then binding it etc ( not that i have a binder )

    Hope you get back into the habit Pixie of your DH being away.

    Maza - who are you doing your first aid with? 'enjoy' the online bit. I loathe first aid, but the online stuff is generally ok. Fingers crossed one of the Families chooses you. Could possibly pencil the mum & baby you liked in for november, and say you'll contact her if anyone is interested in the space in the mean time, and she can then make a decision about maybe paying a bit of a retainer, or maybe coming for an occasional session? I might be tempted if it was a family i thought i would enjoy working with.

    and finally, I'm REALLY fed up of doing lateral flow tests! any idea how long this will be going on for? !!!

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    Dragonfly, of course I don't mind you asking, I just asked Pixie because I know her dog is a similar age to mine. - and it's good to know that you and Pixie take your dog/dogs out with your mindees. I wasn't sure if it was frowned upon or not - I'm always over analysing things and being paranoid. I think I found it tricky because my dog isn't that well trained on the lead and he wanted to go faster than mindee really wanted to, but then we were stopping every 10 seconds because the dog wanted to sniff something or scent mark. He zig zags in front of us etc. It wasn't that bad really, just not as relaxing as our usual walks.

    Mouse, I do the head first and then sleeves.

    I haven't read through all of the new EYFS or birth to 5, just snippets. I have the same concerns as you though loocyloo - that some people will be lost without the more comprehensive guidance.

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    Pixie - where have you ordered a hard copy from? I've seen i can order a hard copy of Birth to Five from somewhere, but i'd like a hard copy of it all! I like to highlight/scribble etc and equally, can't be doing with trying to print it out and then binding it etc ( not that i have a binder )

    I have a pack on order from National Day Nurseries association they are awaiting stock but they do an EYFS 2021 pack with the new EYFS framework, development matters and Birth to Five matters for £15 I have seen them to buy individually from the Early Years Alliance (used to Pre school learning alliance )
    Pixie Dust

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pixie dust View Post
    I have a pack on order from National Day Nurseries association they are awaiting stock but they do an EYFS 2021 pack with the new EYFS framework, development matters and Birth to Five matters for £15 I have seen them to buy individually from the Early Years Alliance (used to Pre school learning alliance )
    That sounds excellent Pixie, Thank you very much xx

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    I would like a hard copy but I’m too tight to pay £15 . I struggle reading long things on the computer.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dragonfly View Post
    I would like a hard copy but I’m too tight to pay £15 . I struggle reading long things on the computer.
    I was looking at ordering it, but it kept saying it was a 'web' copy! so i didn't risk ordering it!

    I'm hoping my LA might print some off

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    Quote Originally Posted by loocyloo View Post
    I was looking at ordering it, but it kept saying it was a 'web' copy! so i didn't risk ordering it!

    I'm hoping my LA might print some off
    Oh mine is definitely a hard copy of the 3 publications, I had a lovely email from them saying there was a delay with dispatching them due to a high demand and they were expecting stock yesterday I think it said but sent me the PDF versions if I wanted to look at them while I was waiting for the hard copies.
    Our LA are good but I don't think they will print any off for us, they used to do a lot and we had our own development workers etc but they all went a long time ago now and we have one quality improvement advisor per large per region who covers all early years settings.
    Pixie Dust

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  22. #13
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    Thanks Pixie .... maybe I'll risk ordering! X

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    My EYFS pack arrived today ... a little light reading for later on. I like them being A5 size; feels more 'manageable!
    Thanks for telling me about them xxx

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    Quote Originally Posted by loocyloo View Post
    My EYFS pack arrived today ... a little light reading for later on. I like them being A5 size; feels more 'manageable!
    Thanks for telling me about them xxx
    Glad they arrived, I have only had a quick glance through mine when they arrived, it's on my list!
    Pixie Dust

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