another riveting thread from me, cm's how do you manage "access to water at all times" without babies pouring on your tv, or without having them all communally sipping each others drinks??

[geraldinetheluckygoat]

I was talking to a cm yesterday who has just been inspected and said the inspector pulled her up on the fact that drinks arent available al lthe time for the kids. In the nurseries for older kids, they have a jug with cups. Not practical with little ones though, I dont think, she suggested sports bottles lined up on the side, but how do the kids know which one is theirs? And arent we supposed to now be giving open cups to most ages?
Confused as to how to get this to work, what does everyone else do?

Oh should say that I offer a drink regularly, on arrival at snack and meal times and take drinks out with me, but I tend to offer them regularly myself rather than leave them about as I find they just tend to get lost under sofa, spilt or shared.

A number of years ago ds2's nursery was picked up on this. The inspectors said that they could have an open jug on the side. The nursery manager kicked up a fuss (spilt water - children slipping) and the inspectors backed down and said that a notice saying 'children if you want a drink ask a grown up' could be put up instead.

I kid you not.

At our playgroup, we have sports bottles and each one has a 'tag' around the neck made from a laminated photo of that child. Even the two-year-olds know to find their own photo. We've also gone through the gamut of ideas and found this one works best.

Not sure why this is in this section though, you might have more luck putting it in the pre-school bit (or is there a childminder's section?).

oh bugger i put this in the wrong bit, meant to post in the cm topic! lol.
LOL at notice!! Maybe I could put a picture of a kid drinking and get babies to point!!

photos are a good idea for toddlers, not sure about the younger ones though.
will go and post in the appropriate topic now...

Surely water is available at all times if the CM is connected to mains system and is not such an absolute hag that the children are scared to ask her for a drink? Where is the point of having it fester in jugs?

Our highly ambitious CM got pulled up by the inspector for not offering better computer facilities for her 3yo charge . This woman has a wonderful array of toy, liberally supplied from the toy library, garden with sand and water play, lots of books and goes to every activity around. But no, it had to be computers.

Since it's in this section, no. We currently just have the one ds at home (who goes to a CM) and I think at his age - 18 months - it makes more sense to regularly offer him his water - we take him round there with his lidded beaker. He's fascinated with bottles and will pick up other bottles/attempt to drink or pour liquid out of them, and I don't think this makes sense.