How much educational stuff do you do with them?
When I had my littlies, we did the usual 'themes' and lots of little bits of learning mixed into the play. I have to be honest, I didn't do any of this long/medium/short term learning goal stuff, as quite frankly I didn't know about it until covering it on my nvq. I do plan to start incorporating a lot more things like this when I take on under 5s again.
The older kids sometimes got involved, sometimes not, I generally left it up to them. We always do a bus load of crafts, cooking etc and mixed in with a bit of tv/computer/outdoor play and outings days are easily filled.
I've really noticed the lack of educational stuff this holidays though - ironically so has dh! I only have my ds who is a toddler, and two mindees (8 and 10 years old) for the majority of the summer - which for me is only another week and a bit before the last 2 weeks which I have as holiday.
Their parents have never been too fussed about educational stuff, we've chatted but the consensus was that after a day at school they don't want to do anything even remotely school-like. This is the first holiday without my littlies though, so it's the first one where more educational stuff hasn't been 'discreetly' in the background.
We do at least a craft or cooking stuff a day, usually a trip out or a walk or the park or people over most days too, but the rest of the time I mostly leave the older ones to free play - suggesting activities and joining in and instigating things with my ds they will join in with - but it has just occured to me on a post with dmo that one in particular has watched rather a lot of tv....
The thing is I cut down on indoor activities (usually do a lot more than one or two a day but thought with it being summer they'd want to be out more) and I've just noticed we aren't really doing anything educational at all - so I'm wondering what everyone else is up to with their older ones????
So far this week, Monday we had another childminder over, my big lot played with their little lot, plus played in the garden, played some games etc, mostly free play but with half a dvd in the middle (for the other CMs littlies benefit as they don't nap anymore but still get tired.) I think my two might have had an hour ps2 in the morning, and an hour tv before going home.
Tuesday they played ps2 for an hour, before we went to the local park/picnic/lake doo dah for just over 6 hours. They had an hour of tv before going home, but both were shattered.
(this falls into a bit of a pattern.. they usually play ps2 first thing when they get here, and the tv shows they love are on just before they go home, so it follows that mostly!)
today, neither wanted to play ps2. One mindee, my ds and I sat down and did colouring and chatted for about 2 or 3 hours, we then went on a big walk into town, and the mindee who was colouring spent the best part of the afternoon outside playing with local friends with toys I'd got them today, bar about an hour of cooking we did together, and 30 min of tv (yep in the afternoon again!) The other, while he spent about an hour or so playing outside, and the same time cooking, had spent the rest of the day watching tv. COuldn't coax him into crafts, puzzles, colouring, more outdoor play (local kids only come out in afternoon) games, books, nothing.
And this has brought up the thought of educational stuff...
Having said that, what strategies would you other CMs use? I need more structure really to get him more involved, but the structure we had on the days with the little ones (eg 9am arts, 10am small world, 11am dressing up) the older ones won't follow.
I know I wouldn't be happy with my ds watching tv all day, but then parents are different, and I'm trying to follow the parents wishes whilst encouraging more... and I suppose it isn't all day every day.
Argh, why does childminding make me feel like more a failure than parenting does? And parentings the one that is meant to make you feel guilty!!!