CM Club: Another question from a new childminder!!

[becksmummy]

Hi, sorry I am asking a lot of questions at the minute but I am only recently registered and just starting to get enquiries.

Tomorrow I have a mum of a 7 yr old girl coming to see me about after school care, as it is half term I assume she will come with her. This is my first enquiry from a school age child and am wanting to have something ready to amuse her while I speak to her mum so needing some ideas please?????

Hama beads
Lego
Craft
DVD/video (last choice imo)
Pack of cards?

How old are your children? SHe might be happy to play with them

Doll's house
Drawing, stencils
Playdough
Jigsaws

When she visits, talk to the girl as well as her mum, ask her what sort of things she likes/dislikes.

my dd is only 8 mths old, although she still may like to interact with her as she is quite entertaining at the moment!! Thanks for your ideas and advice, I know I can always rely on mn for help!!

9 yr old pospective mindee came to ours last week and played with three 3 yr olds, games designed for younger ones, snap with cartoon cards, my learning talking globe from elc and colouring equipment etc
good luck

Has she been yet? How did you get on?

paper and pens or pencils , i have 3 before and after school 6 to 9 years and between dd 6 and ds2 we have most of toys r us but all mindees love drawing !!hope it went well x

It went really well thanks, she was a lovely little girl and I had put out a colouring book, pplenty of paper and colouring pencils. She drew me a lovely picture!!

Her mum has already phoned me back and wants me to have her 3 days a week to take to school and to have after school until 6pm so i have my first mindee!!!!!!!!!!

I have another question now if anyone could help - I have also seem more parents today who have a 3 mth old, I had already explained that until my daughter is 1 I couldnt have her but they want to reserve a place as they arent happy with the nursery they had chosen.

Mt question is do I charge them anything as they arent reserving a place I could currently fill as cant take on a baby at moment but in my over all numbers I have to keep one down to allow for her????

well done for gettin yr first mindee
they'll all start coming now!
Tricky one about chargin a retainer! U could do but your right about not having that space available.But what if u had another enquiry and had to turn down because of this 3mth old baby??
Mmmm im newish too so the pro's can answer this one

Yes - you should charge something to save the place. You might well have to turn down a 2 year old tomorrow if you say you'll save it. It would either be a retainer (which you keep) or a deposit(which is returnable when the place is taken up). When is the 3 month old due to start nursery? It might be worth you asking OFSTED if you can have 2 under 1 if the only other child is a 7 year old before and after school 3 days a week.

Thanks for the advice, the 3 mth old is due to start nursery in 2 weeks time, do you think this would be something Ofsted would consider? Worth asking I suppose??

Definately worth asking IMO. Explain the circumstances, (ie. how disruptive it would be for the 3 month old to do 3.5 months at nursery then move to you, continuity of care so much better etc.). You may have to write to them and explain how you would manage the 2 babies. Tell them you need a VERY URGENT DECISION! Good luck

Hi,

When I was starting out last October, I had two babies of six months, one come on tuesdays and wednesday, the other on Thursdays and fridays. There was mention of them overlapping occassionally, so i wrote to ofsted to request this allowance and they come out to see me to check i could do it/equipment etc. It was all a waste of time actually as it never happened, they never did overlap, but hey I just wanted to be covered if it did.

I did as you suggested and phoned Ofsted today, they said I needed to put the request in writing which I have done so will wait and see!

We will 'watch this space' then!