Childminders Club - Keeping diary's of mindees......

[HellyBelly]

Hi again. Can't believe I've managed to get this much of a break today

I have a book for each mindee to record things like nappy changes, food eaten, behaviour and anything really. For those of you who have the same or something similar, do you do this for your school run mindees too (i.e. 9 yrs)? I wasn't going to as I'm sure some other childminders in my area said they only do this for under 5's, as the older ones can talk to their parents themselves. What do you do? I've got lots I want to say to the mum of my 9 yr old about things like her daughter always asking me to buy things for her if we 'pop' to the shop, lying to me about what food she's allowed etc however I find it hard to say this right in front of the child. I'm very fond of the mindee but I do feel that some things need addressing that's she's got away with for ages (old childminder was a mate and is now one of my parents so she tells me things and says she felt awkward when she was minding this child)

Do I: do a book, phone the mum when she's at school, speak in front of mindee, ask for quick word when mindee in car (i.e. on doorstep)???

I would call the mum and ask her if she could either pop in and see you or call you when her DD wasn't around to discuss.

Agree with dejags. Otherwise you would have to be very careful of 9 yo not intercepting the diary/letter etc and it sounds like a quick word would not cover the issues.

You could have a 'communication' book with the parents with just notes to each other? I wouldn't do a diary for an under 5, and my friend doesn't do one for a 3 year old - he's more than capable of talking.

I'd suggest a meeting though. YOu need to tlak about these issues.

I don't do written information for older children. I do "activity sheets" for younger children (details what we've done, played with, said, outings etc). I word it as if the child has written it themselves (eg. "I managed to eat all my lunch today").

Sometimes, during the school holidays, the older children have asked to fill in one of the sheets themselves - sometimes they're truthful, other times they make up all sorts of stories (but all in good humour).

I would tell the mum that you need to have a chat about things when child can't listen. I've had conversations on the doorstep (child already in car or engrossed in something in a different room) and on the phone.

I think I'd find it hard to put anything in writing as the things I record for mindees tends to be fairly positive and the sort of thing you could show granny. I might put "I think I've been a bit of a tinker today," but nothing really negative - I'd verbally elaborate further to the parents if it had been a really bad day!

Thanks everyone.

Bozza - good point about the 9 yr old reading it! You can tell I'm new to all this can't you (the older ones that is!)

I will continue doing notes in the book for my 2 yr olds as the parents say they really like this although I also tell them everything face to face. They just like the fact they can read it properly when they get home and also make notes back to me if they want. They also mention any medicine they have given their child at home etc.

I've decided to have a proper chat with the mum when we do the new contracts which should be this week or next. I'll make sure it's when her dd isn't here!

Agree with Theprisoner about not putting negative things in the book. I'm having behaviour problems with my first mindee since I've taken on more - lying to me etc. due to jealousy etc. I don't write this in the book, I just speak to her mum. I do however write about toilet training accidents etc. as the parents want this.

Anyway, thanks for all your comments!

Written evidence of toilet training accidents will make for such wonderfully embarrassing reading when the child is a teenager

One of my mindees (now 10 years old) loves being reminded about having "baths" in my kitchen sink because of his explosive nappies. He usually brings the subject up when I'm trying to impress a new parent!!

I use a diary for my mindees. When they're babies I include what they ate and when, if they pooed and when. Also where we went that day. As the mindees get older I still mention food. This could be useful if the child is ill and the parents cannot contact you. You can't trust children of any age to give a complete account of their day. It will always be from their perspective. The diary is also useful if, for example, the parents want to ask me to do an extra day. I can then check my own diary and I'm not put on the spot. Sometimes you can plan to say something at pick-up time and you are diverted by events. Also my 3 years old mindee is so excited to see her parents, its hard to get a word in edgeways. I do make remarks if, for example, I think the child may be extra tired. Then the parents have a clue if the child is not behaving normally.

I would never write anything negative though, putting things in writing could rebound on you.

All my parents like the diary system.

OFSTED love it if you can demonstrate these wonderful lines of communication with the parents.

I was a bit miffed with a childminder network co-ordinator recently though - she was asking me what sort of information I put down for babies. I told her that it might be a particular toy the baby was keen on that day (eg. a drum which baby liked to bang) - she asked me how I could ensure that parents would take note of what I'd said, to be certain that parents would take on board what I wanted the parents to "continue at home". I tried to explain that it wasn't my place to tell parents what to do at home with their baby ... but it fell on very very deaf ears. (I have, of course, informed all parents that I will be giving homework from now on, and that I expect them to do it).

Parents also supply their own childrens' food for me, and if it's not "healthy", I am also supposed to "educate" parents on what they should be feeding their children now that I've done a course!!

I will be telling them when to have hanky panky next.