CM waiting for pre-registration course, what can i be doing in the mean time?

[YourHandInMyHand]

Unless lots of people cancel this month's pre-reg course I am looking at waiting until Jan/Feb for the next one!

So I thought in the mean time I'd try and get my first aid and safeguarding done, and start to prepare my setting.

I've child minded before but shut up shop in 2009 so it's been a while!

I have already started eyeing up ikea trofast but what else could I be doing to get prepared?

personally, in your position, I would be doing absolutely nothing childminding related and just enjoying my last months of peace and quiet and having my home to myself

Hee hee that is a very good point!

I've been a cm before so obviously I am aware there are bits i haven't missed (think paperwork and the parents that are in no rush to pay), but I have missed working, I've missed the mindees too and running my own little business.

I was thinking I could start on my policies and procedures but looking at the list on bromley's site put me off so I've been window shopping for toys on ebay instead.

If your local authority will accept it you can do your CYPOP5 online, rather than wait for their course. That's what I did, but you'd need to double check that it is ok in your area first.

I did mine through NCMA - now PACEY

Did you fund it yourself runoutofideas? I've had a look but it's £189, can't see the LA funding it and it's a lot for me to lay out at the moment. Glad you mentioned it though as at least I know it's an option, hadn't realised you could do it online.

Yes I did because my LA funding didn't cover my postcode so I would have had to have paid to do their course anyway.

That's terrible about postcode and funding Runoutofideas!

I think I am going to be patient and hold out for the next course in the new year that's run by the LA. In the mean time I can sort my house out (am in middle of decorating living room, kitchen needs a fresh coat of paint, I want lino in bedrooms, and also wouldn't mind redecorating my bedroom). I will also do the other little courses I need to renew, and maybe even start writing my policies.

Plenty to keep me occupied!

Yes yes to decorating, once you are up and running you'll struggle to find the time.

Yep I remember! That's why I'm thinking I may as well get it all done now. I've putting it all off for months through laziness TBH so this will give me a good time frame to get it all done by. When I moved in here 3 years ago everything had just been painted and it's all starting to need freshening up now.

I figure the few months waiting to redo the pre-reg course I will find plenty to keep me busy now I think about it.

Remember you dont have to have written policies any more. Although it may appear easier to hand parents an info pack because of the number of suggested policies they are actually rarely read by parents.
If i were you id be thinking risk assessments (although these also dont have to be written for cms but ofsted are keen on them), permissions, signs round the house, templates for fridge temperature checks, fire drills etc, how you are going to observe, plan and put learning journeys together.

Its just none stop fun once the paperwork starts!!

Have a look at Orbit Early Years website. It's a great system for recording observations/ progress etc and has an iPhone app.
Set up dummy children so you can explore what it does.

I wonder if I still have my old risk assessments and other templates on my old laptop...... that's if I can get it going mind you!

I'm thinking get all the paperwork I can set up and have a nice regular system to keep on top of it (ha ha ha ha - famous last words!).