Childminders- keeping a daily diary for babies

[Amylouise]

Hi
I'm new to mums net. I've just registered as a childminder and start looking after a 6 month old baby in a few weeks.
I've said that I'll keep a daily diary but what should I include and how should I lay it out?
Is there anyone who keeps a diary that can help me out?
Thankyou

sleeps (times) and feeds (quantities and times)

also include nappy changes (and what was inthem!)

and what you did during the time!!

also include nappy changes (and what was inthem!)

and what you did during the time!!

I include just about anything that I can think of, feeds -amount and times, naps- times and duration, whether they've been happy, crying, neee lots of cudles, anything we've been doing/singing/playing with. Whether we've been out anywhere, Nappy changes-dirty,wet, how often etc.

I set it out like a dairy, giving the times and then the activity etc.
I probably put in way tooo much but it's the sort of info an amount of info that I'd like about my own children,

We get a sheet from nursery and it has meals - what it was and whether it was eaten (also included milk at that age). Time/duration of nap. Time of nappy changes and whether wet or dirty. Then there is a section at the bottom for activities.

Obviously because DD is 2 and at nursery this is slightly different but hers will be something like "play out with balls, sand, singing, painting, puzzles". There is also a book kept at nursery that gives more detail than the individual sheets.

If you have a good diary system going with the parents it can make drop off and pickup alot easier,(you can send messages through it) it can record their prgress throughout the time with you. I really like to do a diary for the parents and it also stops the calls in the evening saying 'did he have an icky bum' or whatever as you tell them what they need to know such as last thing drunk, eaten, changed etc.

I know that the parents like them as they always tell me how thorough it is and when their lo had to go elsewhere for a few months they didnt do one and the parents missed knowing what was beign done.

I just use a blank sheet of A4 with pre-printed wallet-sized photos of our day on and start writing a potted history of our day. It goes into a plastic cover and gets handed over with baby and belongings on pick-up.

I have an exercise book and often stick in photos (digi camera printed on ordinay paper) I try to include plans and what we hope to do - but often that just goes in a newsletter

I used to do this when I was a nanny and have kept a daily diary for all my 3 children. As a Mum I would like to know what the child has eaten and slept that day, where they went, if they saw any friends, any new words/developmental progress, if something made them particulary unhappy or if they tried a new food. It is so lovely to read my first child's diary now. I remember things as soon as I read them that I know would have gone from my memory over the years. I also kept a word book for my oldest two children of any new words they said. I also put photos in too.

I would ask if the mother wants to know about nappy changes!! I would only want to know if they were sore (and why) or if they showed that the child wasn't well.

My minded babies are very clever and write their own daily diaries ... they tell their mummies and daddies what they've eaten/drunk, about how many rank nappies they've produced, where we've been, what/who they played with, stuff their lovely childminder has done with them (nursery rhymes, stories, favourite toys that day) and what mischief they've been up to.

Sometimes they tell their mummies and daddies if their childminder is worn out by the end of the day.

my childminder for dd used to write me a diary, and I found it invaluable. It included what had been eaten, and when. Nappy changes, where they had gone and what they had done etc. I really missed it when she eventually had to go to a nursery as my cm cut her hours down. Especially with me having to work full-time it didnt make me feel as if I was missing out totally.

I include lots of the things already mentioned but a diary is also useful for parents to write in to let you know if maybe mindee was up very early, been awake in night so might be extra tired etc. Sometimes drop off time can be very busy trying to remember everything so jotting things down can be easier to make sure you know whats gone on at home.

I also use an exercise book and I do diarys for all of my pre-schoolers, not just babies.

I do diary's for all my under 5's and it's basically the same as everyone mentioned here with time I did nappy changes (wet or soiled - was told not to put 'dirty' or 'poo' ), bottles & food (time, what had and how much), naps (time and how long - how i.e. cot, in car etc), what we'd done, where we've gone, any achievements (i.e. baby sat up etc, mindee went to toilet on their own, mindee drew really good picture/practicing with pen and followed the dot to dot perfectly etc.), any problems i.e. baby upset more than normal/teething. Normally the older ones ends up being more of a summary of the day but for the babies, my layout is a bit like this (this is made up btw):

xxxx - nappy change (wet)
xxxx - bottle (left 1 oz)
xxxx - napped in car for xxx mins
xxxx - nappy change (soiled)
xxxx - lunch (ate half of main, little dessert)
xxxx - nap (in cot)
xxxx - woke up
xxxx - nappy change (wet)
xxxx - bottle (had all)
xxxx - dinner (had all)

Then after that I do a summary of the day like.........Today we went to baby/toddler group, they really enjoyed playing with the other babies. xxxx is doing much better on front, lifting head really high, sat up and played with toys by themselves, lots of rolling around on the floor etc etc. Then I might say either.....we've had a really smily and giggly day today with lots of babbling, very cute (and I quite often draw smily faces or winks) or we've had a lovely day but poor xxx has been suffering with teething today, poor love, which has put them off their food a bit. (that type of thing)

Probably gone too far there but I wanted to give you an idea of what I put in mine

my cm didn't use this system before I started but persuaded her it was a good idea.

As a mum I write in it too - giving a brief summary of the days away from cm; late nights; early mornings etc also developmental stuff (i.e. is standing up now) - I'm useless at remembering everything so this helps and it definately shortens the hand over time in the morning.

Its nice record of their year and if like me stopped filling out those baby record things before they were 3mths old - will be full of memories.

as well as everything mentioned here, cm would also record behaviour issues and how these were dealt with.

I know that I've said this on an old thread somewhere, but will repeat it now for anyone who might be vaguely interested - I don't put anything into the baby diaries or activity sheets (done daily for toddlers) that would be unsuitable or unkind for other people to read.

For instance, if granny likes to read the diary at the weekend, I don't think that it would be appropriate to read about "problem behaviour" or similar. These diaries will probably be kept forever!! If I have any important issues to discuss with parents, then I will talk to them.

Looneytune - I was interested in your comments about using the words "wet" or "soiled" regarding nappies. Who said you can't use "dirty" or "poo"? I describe nappies in a variety of ways (stinky/rank/gross/power-blasting/skanky/smelly) - I am going to be in big trouble with Ofsted ...

TP - I think Jellyjelly said Ofsted don't like it??? (did you Jelly?) If not, it would have been Ofsted themselves!! I used to put 'dirty' or 'poo' or 'stinky' and someone corrected me but can't remember who

oFSTED have said that dirty/smelly etc is very negative and shouldnt be used. Poo wee is fine. I am sure that i have read it in who minds and other stuff about children behaviour.

pmsl at power-blasted
I had to deal with a similarly explosive, textured one this week. It shot out, missed the nappy and glued itself to a trouser leg and sock.

Hi

Thankyou for all your replies.
That's really helpful

Referring to a nappy as "soiled" is just not the same as calling it a "power-blaster." There is no way that you could call a power-blasted nappy just "soiled". And I think "soiled" is a horrid word. Have I got to stop telling them if it's full of sweetcorn too?