CALLING CHILDMINDERS ...what do you do with mindees of 1?

[Mosschops30]

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Im about to start childminding and have a ds who is 20 months now. But when he was one we were ....painting(sponge,finger,print etc etc etc), chalk drawing on chalk boards and black paper, crayon drawing, playdough, water play, cornflour and water play, sand and im sure there is more ... we have now moved onto paintbrushes and playdough cutters etc . But there is no reason why a 1 year old cannot do all these things. I dont think there are any products(childrens paint, playdough etc)that would be harmful if injested other than in hugh quantities.

HTH

sorry huge

oh and btw we have for the past year also gone to playgroups, softplay, swimming and parks regularly

How much over 12 months old is your ds? I have four one-year-olds during the week, but there is a big difference between the youngest (just 12 months) and the oldest (19 months) in terms of what those age groups are capable of.

But TP there is no reason why a 12 month old(or a 9 month old for that matter)cant do all the creative activities ....just the outcome and the way it is explored and the material is used will be different ....no?

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Ds is 15m and is at the childminder's 3 days a week. They go to the park on one day and two different playgroups on the other two days. That's the mornings and the afternoons are songs, play, books etc. I'm very happy with the fact that he goes out every day but at the same time isn't doing "too much" and has an easier time in the afternoon.

Ok can only speak for myself i would take photos if there isnt an end result ......suppose having worked with under 2's for most of my 13 years i worked in nurseries i gained a vast knowledge of what can be acheived at what age . The main thing though is the doing and not the end result, so i suppose sometimes a parent may feel like there isnt anything to show at the end of the day though there has been a lot of learning in the process.

sorry that last post sounded rather concieted ,,,,will bow out now

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ahhh see it wouldnt just be for them ....and i dont think every single activity ....just the firsts or the event activities ...i have a whole wall that is dedicated to my ds's artwork and it has photos and all. Its just my way

My childminder took them to playgroup most mornings. They'd come back for lunch, have a sleep, and go and collect the 'big ones' from school. I think it is reasonable to expect an activity most days - I'm perfectly happy for that not to happen every day, and indeed if she packs them all off into a gang to go shopping every so often, as long as that basic routine's there! They certainly learned songs, made cards, did painting, and got out a lot.

nzshar - if we are doing something "creative" (ie. messy), I always involve the youngest ones in some way. They love to eat crayons, sand and playdough!

It is unusual for me to have three such young children all at the same time - I currently have two 12 month olds plus a 14 month or 19 month old. With the best will in the world, it is not possible to keep control over three very small children all trying to drink paint at the same time. If I had a couple of older and more capable toddlers and one "baby", then I could supervise the baby far more easily.

We go out somewhere most mornings - soft play, music group, toddler group. We do lots of fun activities at home - books, singing, cuddles, etc (all the "usual" things). The "very messy" activities are not so high up on my agenda right now unless at least one of them is asleep!

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Do you get a daily diary?
For all pre-schoolers I write a daily diary for parents, to include not only naptimes, nappy changes etc but also a rough guide of what we have done that day. You can't write everything down in it cos haven't got the time, but if we sing songs and the mindees play some instruments I would try to write it down, or if we have played in the sand etc. I also take photos of things we do and put them in a scrapbook along with some of their work that I keep back and I do for this for every mindee.

I don't do lots of craft with my children (whether 1 or 8) - it's not my thing

The children here have lots of experiences with in science, cookery, literature, music, maths & history

I would be upset to think that because they aren't producing "art" or "craft" they were not learning and growing

My childminder takes dd (21 months) to playgroup once a week and takes her swimming most weeks, but that's it for organised activities. In the afternoon they play with toys and go to pick the big children up from school. The rest of the time they do things like go to the market/shops, go to the library, and small excursions to visit friends - nothing specifically toddler oriented, but day to day things which imo are just as interesting and educational for her. I take dd to a playgroup on my day off and sometimes I really don't know why I bother going because she doesn't seem to enjoy it or get anything from it. I think all this over-stimulation is unnecessary in ones so young as 12/13 months - a good routine, love and continuity are much more important at this early age. And children in nurseries don't go for long walks/to the park/for trips on buses and trains which are things your childminder won't bother to mention but which would be much more exciting and stimulating to your ds.
I'll send mine to nursery for more structured activities later when she'll get more from it.

A good thing to do is to get good communication going about his development so that in a few months time if you are still keen that they do it you could ask about what creative things they do and then suggest it to see how she would feel. You could always try and suggest now in fact.
If you are happy with your CM then you are lucky and I shouldn't worry too much - they're the same as a good granny/aunt IMHO.

personally i dont think i over-stimulate my ds

No you are probably right, over-stimulation was the wrong term. I shall try and think of the right one.

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Mosschops30 - I still don't think that you should expect a 13 month old to be doing lots of creative "sponge painting and making cards" type of stuff as your friend's ds does at nursery. We have a very full and active day, lots of singing, reading, rough and tumble, cuddles etc. etc. Our "creative" stuff usually involves noise, not paint!

As FeelingOld says, I also send home a daily diary which outlines most of what we've done. Parents know that just because they haven't got a painted masterpiece at the end of the day, doesn't mean that we've sat around all day doing nothing.

Mosschops - does your childminder tell you what they've done during the day? Do you think she'd start doing a diary for you? (OFSTED love them!)

yup registered but just havent taken any children in yet ....but do have some idea about what its like ....have experience

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ok ...look out for this thread when i get some children in .....cos I know i wont change. Have done it before (maybe not in a childminding capacity) but have done it. I will be quite willing to take back all i have said if proven wrong

Mmm, I have a 16mth old and I have not let her do painting as I can't stand the mess! DS had to wait to go to playgroup to do it, and it was only when I was confident he wouldn't tip the paint over or glue himself to the wall (about 3) that we did arty crafty things at home. Does this mean I've permanently hindered his artistic development?

Each to their own florenceuk I do what i do because i enjoy it, and because i enjoy it my ds does too. If i didnt enjoy (as you dont) then i wouldnt do it (as you dont)