Experienced CMs, I need coping/safety strategies for trips out please!

[LingDiLong]

The Easter holidays are looming and I'm feeling a bit nervous about managing trips out with my mindees plus my own 3 kids. I will have 2 almost 2 year olds and a 5 and 7 year old. Some days I may also have a just turned 3 year old.

What have been your most successful trips with this kind of age group? Any coping strategies you could share?? I'm not so much worried about it being tiring or hard work, I guess my biggest fear is one of the kids wandering off when I'm watching one of the others.

Thanks!

High vis vests for the kids with your name and mobile number written on them so if they do wander off you can spot them more easily/ you can be contacted if they're found by someone else. DO NOT put the children's name on them.

The 5 and 7 year old should be old enough not to wander off, if they're prone to wandering then have a talk with them about why it's important to stay close/not wander off.

Tell them where you're going and what you expect of them/how they should behave when you're there before you leave the house.

Pack for every eventuality.

Stay local if you can, don't attempt anything too ambitious it's not worth the stress!

The best trips we had when my Dcharges where this age were the really simple ones like the park with a picnic and a few other nannies and their charges in good weather or softplay in bad weather.

Good Luck! I'm sure you'll be fine.

Thanks Holy, I was thinking of keeping it fairly local until I'd sussed out how my (relatively new) mindees will behave on a trip out.

The 5 and 7 year old are mine and are really good (usually!) and don't tend to wander. The 3 year old mindee has been great on short trips to the library and park, stays really close. The 2 year olds (one is mine, one is a mindee) are going to be the wild cards I reckon!!

Where would I get high vis vests from, that sounds like a great idea!

Teach them to walk holding hands or holding the buggy and that they always stay close. If they can't be trusted to do this they go on reins or in the buggy. The older ones I teach to stop, put their hands up and shout my name (not Mum, everyone's called Mum!) if they lose sight of me or in any sort of emergency - not run around and get lost trying to find me. They all carry cards with my mobile number, the younger ones have them attached to the back of their clothes. I've never had to use them but it is a precaution.

Crowds are a headache. The best trips are where they are contained (e.g on a sightseeing bus or at a soft play) or where you can get right away from roads, crowds etc with some clear space around your group. I set up a "camp" in the middle of a park so they can run about without any danger of wandering out of sight. I take bats and balls, frisbees, bubbles, snacks, drinks etc., or we do treasure hunts, play I spy, have competitions and races etc. One park is good for building dens.

www.kidshivis.co.uk/2-kids-hi-vis-vests?orderby=price&orderway=asc&gclid=CM6ji4jGhK8CFcYntAodzE743g

or Amazon or the NCMA does a pack of 3 for £9.99.

They sometimes have them in Poundland (in the cycling/motoring section) as well.

Ikea do high vis vests quite cheaply, I have my name and mobile number written on the back in case of emergency. I also put one of my business cards in the child's pocket in case the little monkeys slip out of the jackets!

Can you assign each of the big kids 1 of the little ones to look after - i.e. 'I need you to be my really grown-up helpers!'. Ask them to each hold a little one's hand whilst walking (unless they're in the buggy of course) and keep an eye on them whilst at park etc. Also think about getting reins, so you can train them to walk alongside you whilst still knowing they're safe.

Once you've done a couple of local trips - even round the block to start with! - you'll get a feel for how they'll behave and will be more confident about it all. Personally with so many I would only take them to enclosed and safe places - library, toddler playgrounds etc... or if the 2 littlest are in a buggy then have a few trips farther afield (city farm? zoo? etc) so they have lots to see and experience, but only let them out of the buggy in places you know they'll be safe - if necessary let them out 1 at a time.

double buggy for the two littlies when you have the 3 yr old, the 3 yr old on a wrist strap for the traising around, then of course off the strap and out of the buggy for free play/running around

if no 3 yr old then the two littlies on reins

the older children will be fine

start small then go bigger/more ambitious

are you sure about your process for getting in/decanting from the car/house (ie house...>tinies into double buggy and olders standing waiting...>older children into car and strapped in...>strap in littlies one by one...>double buggy into boot...>arrive at destination...>double buggy assembled...>strap in each tinie...> get older children out...>decant 3 yr old...> move off.)

IYSWIM

Risk assess of course if you've not done so

Not a CM but regularly do outings with numbers of 2 and 3 year olds.

Playgrounds are to be avoided. 2yr olds try to climb everything, older ones go right to top of things, easy to get into a dangerous situation.

Busy softplays hideous, early in day OK.

Used to go to a park with an enclosed family picnic area with lots of trees etc, no dogs allowed, it's brilliant, kids can roam around and explore. My CM has an annual pass for a nearby country park that she says is great as kids can go quite far and be seen, lots to see and do. She also does playgroups with outdoor activities. My friend who has a huge, safe garden sometimes has people over for afternoons outside.

Reins/buggy for the little-ones, v strong discipline when out and about for the 3yo and older ones.

We 'puppy train' our littlies using running, stopping games, making it more enjoyable for them to do as they're asked. We've not yet had to use reins on anyone but I always go out with my co-minder or another adult, even if they bring their own kids. The more eyes the merrier!

I agree with Dozer, avoid playgrounds at all costs. It is almost impossible to keep an eye on that many children up ladders, down slides etc. Parks with ponds will make you feel very nervous!
I would stick to large park or woodland areas with a picnic blanket as your 'base'. The older ones can run off and explore (with boundaries) and the littlies are easier to control.
There are some lovely forest school ideas out there to keep everyone occupied (out of trouble) ... take strips of paper with double sided sticky tape on one side so all ages can create a 'woodland walk diary'. Lumps of clay stuck to trees make excellent starters for funny faces. The older ones can help the younger ones to find stuff for eyes etc.
Keep them occupied and close by, lots of snacks and little activities to entice them back :-)

Thanks everyone, some really useful ideas. I feel very reassured to know even experienced childcarers would avoid certain parks/types of trips out. I wondered if I was just being a wimp! I have a much clearer idea of where I could/should go with them now.