CM club: Silly question but can you leave mindees on their own whilst you go to the loo???

[Hollylou]

I know, I know...I told you it was silly but I'd really like some advice on this. I'm new to childminding...very new infact (start at the end of this month). I'll be looking after a 5 month old baby and her 3 year old sister full time as well as a 13 month old girl 3 days a week...plus I have my own child who is 3.5 years old. A friend asked me a week or so ago what I do when I need the loo...ie can I leave the children whilst I nip into bathroom (we don't have a downstairs loo!) or do I need to take them with me....and bizarrely enough I realised I'd never really thought about it. I've spent so much time thinking about all the other stuff such as space, equipment, feeding, activities etc but forgotten about some of the more 'everyday' things in life such as toilet stops for me!!!
So gang...what do all of you do??? Clearly you are not supposed to leave children alone or alone in the company of your own children but surely for bathroom stops you need to make some sort of allowance?!
Would welcome your thoughts...and once again sorry its such a ridiculous sounding question.

Thanks!

Well I wouldn't leave the 5mo anywhere the 3yo/3.5yo or 13mo can get at her/him

I don't think I'd leave the 13mo with the 3yo/3.5yo

Goodness that's a lot of children (& with you being new and everything)

how can you have that many children?
if you have the 13mth old 3 days a week that means one day you will have 4 children under 5

anyway the toilet thing i would take baby up with you (thats what i normally do) just incase the others pull her or sit on her, or put her in a pram

you can always use the potty in the corner of the room

I made it 3 days a week

Hollylou might have a variation tho'

Yes it does sound a lot I know but the two full timers I have are term time only (mum is paying me a retainer in the school hols) so there will be some breathing space there....well a little bit anyway! My 13 month old is with me only 3 days (Wed-Fri and she's picked up at 3.30 on Fridays) plus my own child who's actually 3 years 9 months goes to nursery 2 days a week (Thurs and Fri)then school in September...so I won't be playing the pied piper all day every day! To be honest I didn't expect to get so many enquiries so quickly, thought it would take me a lot longer to get set up but there seems to be a bit of a hole opened up in my area for childminders and the enquiries just keep coming in...I'm now turning people down.
I guess I just want to know if I need to take the two younger ones upstairs with me when I nip to loo so they're kept in my sight?

Hollylou - we are less concerned that you will cope and more that you are legal

You have 2 fulltime
1 3 times a week
Plus your DD

Does you DD start school fulltime in Sept or just half days?

Does you certificate say you can have 4 under 5?

Hi DMO
I'm registered for 5 children, excluding my own, under 8 - which breaks down as being able to have 1 child under 1 (this is my 5 month old), 2 children under 5 (this is my 13 month old and my 3 year old) and 2 children between the ages of 5 and 8 (which I don't have and don't intend to take on right now). As mentioned my own little girl is not counted in these numbers -I did check this with OFSTED and Sure Start as was paranoid I would make a mistake and take on too many!

& yes I would take baby with you & maybe put 13 mo in a travelcot?

Are you in England & working by yourself?

If so, that is very unusual, I am not having a go - but you can understand DMO & I recognise how unusual having 4 under 5 is

Normally you certificate would say

one under one, a total of 2 under 5, and a total of 3 under 8

Email me with your EY number

katymacb @ hotmail dot co dot uk (I think I don't use it much )

I would echo Katymac and DMO's concerns. It is almost unheard of IME foer a newly registered CM to be allowed 4 under 5.

Thanks KatyMac. Appreciate your concern. Am also concerned myself now. Will call OFSTED or Sure Start again tomorrow and run things by them. My little girl starts school full time in Sept to answer your question on that. Gosh and all this started with a question about going to the loo! Am glad I asked it.

deff not having a go
but seems stange that ofsted are allowing you to have 4 under 5
nip and have a look at your cert and write down for me what it says
i am just curois thats all as your a new minder

I would also take baby with me, perhaps in a car seat, and second Katymac's suggestion of a travelcot for the 13 month old.

I still don't understand why your own child is not included in your numbers??

I think you need to check again with Ofsted.
I asked for a variation recently so that I could have a friend's 2 children under 5, which would mean me having 4 under 5. My son is at pre-school 5 mornings and her son is at pre-school 3 afternoons, so the overlap is small. The Ofsted lady was very nice and said she wished she could say yes, because she really wanted to, but her hands were tied because it is law that you cannot have more than 3 under 5 unless it is a case of continuity of care. 3 under five includes your own children.

sorry Hollylou
bet it feels like were all having a go but were not honest
dont want you getting into troublr b4 you have started

Do email me honey - I'll check it out for you very quickly, I promise

If you ring Ofsted, please make sure you get someone senior, not just an answer from whoever picks up the phone. And get everything in writing, because Ofsted are consistently inconsistent.

Hollylou - do email me

Let me have your phone number I'll ring you (either tonite or tomorrow)

Please don't be upset with us - we really aren't being mean & we do want to help

The pickles I got into in my first few weeks (incl the toilet one)

if Ofsted have wrote on your cert 3 children under 5 then they should honner it as they have messed up not you
and as you already have the children booked it .................

your own children deff do not apper on your cert so the number of children ofsted reg you for are the number of children you can care for

hope you get sorted

Best to get it sorted out now, so that you know what you are allowed, that way you can let parents know the situation and sort out your contracts. You don't want to end up owing anyone money either.
Fingers crossed you have got it right xxxx

Don't be silly DMO. I'm glad I posted otherwise I'd have been in a right mess! To be honest it looks as though I'm in a mess already with parents waiting to leave their children with me at the end of March. Have my cert in front ot me and you are right, it says...
No more than 5 children under 8 years (OFSTED have confirmed this does not include my child); of these no more than 2 may be under 5 years, and of these, not more than 1 may be under 1 year...
Ahhhhh! This is clearly the bit I have misread..until you've all pointed it out. I thought that I could have 2 under 5, plus 1 under 1...and then my own child...which is why I agreed to take the two siblings. This is pretty serious...and even more so as I'm giving up my current job to childmind and thought I'd done everything by the book. What can I do? Really need your help as I've put so much of myself into setting up this business as wanted to be able to have more time with my own daughter.

Hollylou - email me with your phone number please

Or email me & I'll send you mine

can any of the children be put on hold until september (is the 3yr old sibling at school in sept)

when your dd starts school properly then your cert will change again

could the 3yr old go to pre-school

poor you dont worry thats why were here to help you e-mail Katy she's great or nannynick is good with legal stuff

Have emailed you KatyMac - thank you!