To write LOADs in DS's home diary

[CruCru]

DS came home from preschool with an exercise book where the ladies at his preschool write in a few comments each day so I know what he's been up to. The idea is we write in what he does at the weekend.

I find I am fired with enthusiasm for this and was wondering how much I can write without it being show offy.

Um. Don't go mad. Just a little about what ds read/wrote over the weekend.

A single paragraph would be plenty. Would you rather they spent time reading your comments, or playing and learning with your child?

Maximum one page of A5. Anything more is boring for the reader - regardless of how interesting you think you and your child's weekend has been .

He is three and can't read or write. I think it's for things like Today, DS went swimmingly, dug in the garden, played with a friend etc.

Go for it and write what you feel like. Even if it's a bit OTT it's better than being faced with a blank diary that nobody has bothered to write anything at all in.

Thanks - I have a peculiar love of homework so need to make sure I don't go overboard.

Write what you want, I don't think it's going to sound show offy unless your weekends are filled with things which cost a fortune. I applaud your enthusiasm, I groan inwardly when I get things like this to do and do the absolute minimum if I remember at all. I really can't be bothered with this kind of thing, I'm a very lazy mummy

I think it weird, why do they want to know what he get up to at home.

I write a daily diary for a pre-schooler and I write 1/2 an a5 page about a days activites.

Fired with enthusiasm, why?

The books are just a tool for brief communication, so that both you and the staff understand your child when he's been away from you/them.

They're really not interested in the ins and outs of it all. Remember they have tons of diaries to read, so will probably just glance over anyway.

Be sure to include any new or deep interests so that they can plan for them. This helps them get the children engaged in their learning activities and yours will be the diary they take out to show Ofsted.

Also put in any special events or family activities so they can talk to him about them at news time, or just generally when chatting. It's great when you can make links with what's happening at home and also know that you're getting the right end of the stick when they are recounting something with more enthusiasm than clarity.

I see these things as a personal challenge. apparently so do a few other parents in dd's class. we have been give some bugger off and don't bother us any more special reading diaries....because we were filling up the official ones too quickly. ahh but they did ask... silly things did not think it through...

I agree with Worra. The books are for communication, the staff won't be remotely interested in reading if a child dug the garden. I taught for many years, jeez the shite some parents wrote in those books was mind numbing!

It's just to get ideas of the child's interests to engage him in activities.

I f*ing hate them. We're out of the house 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. DDs main interest is going to nursery!

I'm surprised some parents don't just write, "Check my Facebook page for updates"

The reason I mentioned digging in the garden was that they had written that he had been digging in the sandpit and told that that "I gardening" - presumably they will like to hear about him helping me in the garden. Perhaps we could get my tree book out and get him to identify the trees in our garden from the leaves.

Worra You really don't want my opinions on inane FB updates. It's probably the same as epic entries in home/school/nursery jotters

Ofsted want to see that settings are communicating with parents, that a child's learning is shared between both. So nursery want to know if child has done any firsts/achievements (ie climbed up the climbing frame independently/used the potty), what they have really enjoyed doing (enjoyed digging in the garden and doing jigsaws for eg) to help with planning.

So keep it brief as if the key worker has 8 of them to read and they are all long it will take ages.
A friend was showing me her pfb reception reading diary, they are writing about 10 lines a night about how dc is getting on with her books. My poor dc(aged 8) gets a 'completed' scrawled in when the book is finished.

I do wonder when I lost my enthusiasm for school work ( if I had any to start with).

Cru cru every child will do something different though! Do you really think they will have time to read every update on every child if you write epic entries? The nursery attached to the school I used to teach at had 150 children attending. The staff did not have time to read "homework" written by parents. What would you rather have, the staff reading your "homework" or educating your child?

Well, they have asked us to write in there. I think half a page of A5 per day is doable.

I used to work in a pre school we loved it when parents wrote loads.. Some even stuck photos, artwork, ticket stubs etc in to the book. You should do that op!

Well, I was thinking of it.