Childminders Club: HELP HELP panicking half term!!!

[lunavix]

It's only just hit me in two weeks I will have to entertain six kids for a 50 hour week!!!!

I'm really panicking here....

What shall I do to entertain them for a 10 hour day?? We do a mix of drawing/playstation/cooking/park/etc during after school but one gets very bored very easy and is only interested in playstation, which is in the lounge and the little ones won't play if he's in there, just watch him. One of the others is quite difficult to entertain, he's very intelligent and just 'playing' doesn't cut it.

Apart from the park we go to once a week there is nearly nothing to do locally, and we can't really go further afield as I don't drive. However on two days I only have one under 3 (my ds) so I am planning possibly a trip to the pool, or a local soft play, not sure which. What's standard for paying, should I, should parents or should we split it??

My main problem (well the other one!) is that 3 days of the week I mind twins of just under 3 who are rather demanding attention-wise. They do NOT like me playing or doing activities with the 3 older kids at all, and will just stand and cry or complain when I do. And this sets off my ds as well. So I struggle even more on those few days as if I do stuff with the older ones, the babies are just crying at them until I stop.. which obviously makes the older ones a bit upset.

argh. what have I done.

Welcome to my life

I have 6-9 under 5's 3 under 8's and 3 8yo's

It's Hell (well I like it occasionally)

I do lots of trips out and the older ones organise lots of play activities - for the babies

Go sick LOL

katy do you still have assistants? You have a lot of space don't you?

I only have a smallish terrace! It's a bit of a squeeze but I've been thinking of the summer and lots of outdoor play.. didn't hit me about the winter..... if they need to be seperated to do activities (eg hama beads for big uns) then I have to stick a stairgate up between diningroom and lounge and the babies howl. The big ones are always complaining that the babies annoy them but I just tell them it's not fair on the babies they're here to play too

I haven't entertained anyone over the age of 3 for more than 2 hours before! I'm soooo worried. Especially with having to do the babies too. Dh thinks I should hire a friend temporarily to help but not only does that mean we'd have her two kids too (bringing the total to 8 in my terrace!) but I don't want it to seem like I can't cope with my job lol

A fair amount of space - but I swear by trips out

Yes I work with one or two other childminders (depending on numbers)

I hate older children - they are such hard work

I think one of my problems is I'm blaming the babies but it's blatantly the older one's that are the harder work... half terms have come and gone with just the babies!

Having said that, it's the days with all 6 kids that is mostly freaking me out as I can go out on the other 2. Is it really dumb of me to consider hiring a friend? I can't do any day outings with all six kids...

so what do you do to fill up the days with the older ones?

How about seeing if your local college childcare course has got anyone looking for a week's work experience in the half term week?

Don;t know how that fits in with the regulations etc.

They do puppet shows for the younger ones
They do lots of craft
They watch some (limited) TV
They play on the computer
We go for at least one (if not 2) walks
The do Hama beads/lego/connex etc
They also do trains/cars/dolls etc with the babies

Well, of course, I'm just a perfect childminder (just in case any properly professional working mummies are reading this) because all my mindees get on tremendously well. Half-term? I will have a houseful of children aged from 11 months to 11 years, and we will have an absolute ball. All the older children love amusing the little ones, and we will do lots of arts, crafts and trips out. You lot are such a bag of moany-minnies!

Can you team up with another childminder just for that week. It will be a housefull but youll be both registered and in it together.

I hope that everyone realises that I was joking, by the way ... I will be running around like a lunatic too trying to stay in control, keeping everyone happy, and trying to prevent mass destruction of my house!

I will bet all my worldly goods that the one who gets bored is a 9 year old boy.

Luvanix - dont know what ideas you've already thought of but i've thought of a few if it helps........

the older ones could do a fashion showboard gamescatergorically speaking (where you do a grid and write 5 things down the side like "things you find in a handbag" or "things you find on a beach" then across the top write a letter and then they have to think of things found on the beach beginning with the letter D for eg. iykwim)
hang mannature walk
musical jars (get some jars fill them with different levels of water and add a drop of food colouring and tap them with a spoon)
memory game (you get a tray and put 10 items on it and cover with a tea towel and then you take an item away and they have to tell you which one is missing)
word association you say a word and they tell you a word that connects it, i.e chair - table etc
Magic playdough (make ordinary playdough and then cut it into 3 balls with a different colour in the middle of each one and then let them find out what colour it is)

sorry if i sound like im spelling it out i just wanted you to get what i meant iyswim and most importantly Good Luck

"I hate older children - they are such hard work" Glad you're not looking after my children katymac!

My older ones sometimes try to make up games to entedrtain/include the babies younger ones

Definitely separate them for at least a couple of hours each day, so the older ones can do beads, play cards, make elaborate play dough models, junk modelling, etc. I have days when I just give them a pile of stuff and some paint and glue. Get them to wash their hands and see what they can make with some eggs, flour, butter and sugar (should be more or less edible).

Out in the garden, water play always works. Get them to strip off to their pants and put on some old adult t shirts and they can get as wet as they like. The older ones can blow bubbles for the little ones. Have a picnic in the garden.

Every so often, just sit down with a book and start reading out loud. It will be jolly hard work, but hopefully most of it will be fun and educational.

Good luck

Sunny ... I think Katy was half joking

I'm not a CM I just have my own children but that stage when they still need looking after but aren't little any more is hard work and must be more so when they aren't your own.

I wouldn't let the older child have the playstation, especially not if it causes problems with the littlies. I only let my own children have screen time for a short while after the minded children have gone home. We do occasionally have a game on the Wii but only if it is something everyone present can join in.

Can you take the children out on public transport? - mine love a bus or train ride (probably more excited by that than by the destination if the truth be told!).

As for who pays, I think it is probably a bit late to start thinking about charging parents as this should have been covered in your contracts (assuming these are already in place) so if you have not already alerted them to the fact that you may be asking for money, I would say you need to look for trips out that are very inexpensive or free. Do you have friends with children who you could meet up with, say in the park for a game of football, or a nature walk? Do your local council or library offer any free activities in the school holidays?

My CM used to offer to go to soft play etc if we paid, or she'd find something free to do. We were happy with this approach

Yes jinxxx forgot nature walks, with the added benefits of sticking or painting with the junk lovely natural items they have found.

Thread is 9 years old, I'm sure she got something sorted! :-)

Thanks teddy

Wow - what happened to the zombie thread alert?