Its Thursday, its 7.30am and its time for...THE STAFF ROOM!!!!!!

fruit, I started the thread because whenever I try to find out from other cm's what the rules are on bathing mindees I can never get a definate answer, they always say oh its a grey area, don't think we're supposed to but with permission maybe ok but don't know so I just wanted to see what parents and cm's tend to do/ think.

See what I mean ?

Looney I said about sausage fingers because I am so slow at typing then the convo moves on !

Always get left behind

what? she would've wanted to collect her child after a dirty nappy? eh?

strawb, i charge £4 part time, £3 full time, im in teesside, have one full timer, 5 part timers

Mo - new name is just fine (I'm no good with names so can't think up a better one for you) Great stuff about the mortgage/kitchen and good luck with the meeting

Shosh - it arrived already!! Glad you like it, may have to get one - is it one for each child?

Fruitloop - may have to try them as they sound yum!

BoysAreLikeReindeer - ???? at sausage fingers??

SweetSnowflake - he's done office work for the last 11+ years. As for retail....Christmas is out as they need him to work his notice and he has to stay til early Jan (although they don't have a date yet! ) My sister works in retail and said January is not a good time as they usually take on Christmas staff if they need people perm. He will try though like everything else.

Strawbs - it IS quiet but price can also be a facter. That's a bit on the high side for here and I thought we were expensive end but I don't know average charges in your area? I charge £3.80 an hour because of being so close to the M4 and a very direct route - JellyJelly was in Tilehurst and used to charge £3.25 so it depends on where you live. I think you're near the Uni? If so, I suppose you can charge more. I suggest checking other charges in the area. January is probably better time of year for new business. In Oct 2005 I got rid of 3 mindees and went down to 1 and had no more until Feb 06. Started getting calls in Jan/Feb and then by end of Feb was totally full again. Good luck!

Right, lunch nearly ready - I'm being naughty and having one of those cheap big yorkshire pud things with sausage filling as no mindees to watch me eating crap and it's all I fancy!!

looney + Nod - Everything will work out fine, it always does. Just think of those little bubbas in there, how exciting! My man and i would love another but can't till DS starts school. He's only 2 and half, hate having to wait! really wanted our kids close together too. bloody Ofsted! they've got complete control over our whole lives now! what more will they want? blood?

would help if i linked my thread would it!

I think it must be because you're ginger, have you thought about dying it? If you do, make sure you send leaflets out letting everyone know you have died it so you get more custom Oh and don't forget to write to ofsted and write to who minds and see if they will print before and after pics !

As for charging too much I would look at your area on CIS and ask around at groups to see what everyone else charges and go somewhere in the middle. £4 near me is too much but other areas wouldnt be too dear at all.

Usually gets busier about jan/ feb with people looking to start back after christmas to pay back debts they ran up over christmas!

Please can you all look at my thread on bathing mindees? TIA

Poor looney, no just how u feel my dh found out he is being made redundant last night from what we thought was a safe job im 5 mths pregnant just bought a new house total nightmare but im staying calm and not stressing over it im sure they will both find something.... Thinking of u anyway x

strawb - 4 quid an hour! that's no way too much. Where do you live?

LOL SM
Its quiet, beleive me!

Hi all sorry I'm a bit late! I've only got one before/after schoolie from Jan onwards - help! Am I charging too much? (£4) an hour - or is it just quiet this time of year? Or is it cos I'm ginger!?!?!

Hi Ju..
well my mindee is fast asleep had loads of fun with her today, shes such a sweetie and we've been munchin most of the day(i fancied some corn on the cob, didnt realsie she lurves it, then shes just eaten all her lunch and let her half a treat size bag of maltesers with me
Got dd and three mindees to pick up at three, then of to C.P tomorrow..WooHooo!..ofcourse ill be working on the morning, with mindee who is leaving, but i expected that, getting monies worth and all that!, grandma is picking up tomorrow!, so she'd better not be alte as we'll be ready to leave when she arrives at 12pm!..i'll have to leave her on the step with a note

Loony, i dont know what your dh does, and i know this will seem terrible, but there will be lots of places in retail looking for staff over christmas?, you might even find bigger department stores may need managers/accounts people or something(like i say, dont know what he does), so he may still be able to get something??hope so

i should be ironing for tomorrow while mindee as leep now as have to go shopping tonight..tell me to git off my arse!

Ah, but my house often gives the impression of having been hit by a tornado!

I think thats too cryptic Fruitloop, I don't want to spend the next 6 weeks, having to explain who I am to everyone, apart from everyone in here!

I've got to go and see my dd's form tutor in half an hour. Its called an Academic Day. Each child & parent is given 15 minutes with the tutor to discuss how its going so far. I can get there easily, luckily as I don't have mindees on a Thursday, but fancy working in town, full time and having to pop back to school for 15 mins! I hope she's doing OK. I love a bit of proud mummy stuff! I shall report back later.

Oo, oo and my mortgage advisor phoned me this morning and he as promised our new mortgage will be sorted and money in the bank before the end of the year! Yay! New kitchen by end of January! D'you think I'm pushing it to have it done for my party on 19th Jan?

you lot are all mean, but have been to soft play today and had the BIGGEST piece of homemade chocolate cake

Oh ffs stupid slow sausage fingers

Hi all

Katy - sorry to hear you are still under the weather

Mumlove and Sweetie- Hi

Shosha - no way, not on your nellie !

Ellie -fingers crossed

Looney -

Fruitloop - VERY good scrapers aren't they ? And yes, MN is very addictive

And Mo - I am loving your name

Been to Music group this morning, mindee has had lunch and crashed out.

Madness later - school run to collect DS2, mindee collectedat 3.45, back to school to collect DS1 from football then zoom down to swimming. My mum's away this week, can't you tell ? ! That's normally her job !!

See you later

Ju

I dont like having to refresh the page all the time. Messages should come up automatically as they've been written. What a pain!

Maureen, What about 'MAURmincepies'?

Ahhhh, peace at last! Got my cheese and tom sarnie in front of me and all kids in bed.

Got some lovely freebies at group this morning. New kids yogurts and custards called 'Little Dish' - no added sugar or sweetners. Sweetened with concerntrated grape juice. I got a pack of 4 custards (2 vanilla + 2 banana) and 2 strawb and vanilla yogurts. They're YUMMY!!!! Shame they're not fat free too

Ok girls, bought that planning book from www.brightideasteaching.co.uk/epages/Store2.sf/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Store2.Shop1767/Products/950244

Its brilliant, it has weeeky and daily planning in it, and lots of extras like fire drill procedures (OK its American and had Tornado and Earthquake as well, dont need those, well maybe )

But has lots of other things in it I was well impressed with it.

What do you think? Not clever enough, is it? I'll have another think! (I'm talking about my name, if you hadn't worked it out!)

Mo - usually I'd be well stressed but I'm thinking of my bean We've been through enough worry about the pregnancy and once I saw everything was ok, I promised myself I'd be careful to not get stressed and risk things!! Just hope dh does better than he normally does - problem is, with so many people going, they're all out looking for jobs so of course more competition - he just worries about his age (he's not old but worries is age is a problem due to how things have gone in the past)