Childminders Club: How do you tell parents....

[KatieMac]

...to dress their children appropriatly.

On Friday I had 3 children with one hat between them and no gloves. My twins regularily come without coats. In THIS weather

I have suggested....I have explained that we go out everyday...I have asked for suitable clothes.

The poor kids turn blue. Is it my job as a childminder to always supply suitable clothes?

A mum at school handed me 2 hats and some gloves her ds had grown out of 'cos she was so concerned about these kids.

And they aren't broke - winter clothes are necessary - aren't they?

You just refuse to take them the next day if they aren't appropriately dressed as you HAVE to go out .. they'll soon get the message

(BTW not all kids wear gloves .. mine certainly never have and never will .. his hands aren't going to drop off so I don't push it)

Our school had to send home a letter this week asking parents to ensure children come to school with a coat every day! Some families never walk anywhere, just down the path from the heated house to the heated car, and they don't realise this is NW England, it's very cold, very wet, and very windy. (Unless it's bucketing it down the kids and the teachers need a break and some fresh air, and they will be outside for a long time each day.)

KMc are they old enough for you to tell them?

[If they came with coats etc they can go out to play in garden or park etc. if they don't then they will have to stay inside.]

If too young then I would tell the parents very strongly that they need coats hats etc.

It is the same as in the summer they need suncream and hats.

I have got DS coats etc that I could use in emergancy but that is not the point.

I can't use our suncream for cmb as he has exema{sp} and has special stuff.

I don't have that problem with cmb as he leaves home so early he comes with extra jumpers

It might be worth checking who actually prepares the kids to go to yours. If my dh or my nanny gets the kids ready they inevitably go to the childminders dressed in too small mismatched clothes, no coat, no sweater, sandals in winter etc. etc. I rarely go out for walks with my children, but I do have gloves and hats for them, but I do have to say that I don't send them with them to the childminders, but she's never asked for them either. She has mentioned that the nanny never remembers the coats, so we decided to just leave my dd's coat at hers during the week, because we don't need it. Maybe you could get them to leave the gloves, hats, coats even at yours during the week?

We walk to and from school twice a day (3 times on Mon & Fri) as well as trips out, so I can't avoid going out.

I have added a clause in my contract asking for the children to be dressed appropriatly.

I now have boxes of spare hats/coats/clothes.....I'd like that space for clothes

Apart from saying very strongly to parents don't know what else to suggest sorry

Do they live close enough to go home again to get them?

I'm just whinging really

Sorry I haven't been much help

Goodnight

You listened KM - not everyone does
nite
KMc

Well you were so kind to me last week

I don't understand why your other thread is not getting any help.

Goodnight

I really must go to sleep

Could you offer to buy some hats, scaves, gloves etc for the kids. The parents could pay you back. Keep them at your place so that the children can use them.

Thanks Cardigan - fortunatley between my DD's cast offs and the ones the other mum gave me - I have enough. It just worries me that they treat their children in that way

My childminder told me when she thought DD1's leggings weren't warm enough - and I really appreciated it.I'm really sorry you - and the children - are having this hassle!

i would send a letter to all the parents just explining in a lighthearted manner that now the weather has changed each child will need to bring hats, gloves scarfs and coats plus wellies every day or outside activities will have to be cancelled. You could also add in about summer and the need to provide sun cream and sun hats and also make it a letter about hols etc over xmas period!!!! An all round newsletter to all parents will make it less offensive!
I do a newsletter every 3 months for my parnets just explining any trips weve had or that are planned etc and reminding them about things like opening times and charges for late pick up/drop off! This way i can tell parents in a direct way with out singling out and offending!!!! Xmas great time cos you can wish them HAPPY CHRISTMAS TOO!!!!!!!

BOnkerz idea is a good one. It may very well be that the parents just forget that their kids are going to be outside during the day -- after all they are never at your house on the middle of the day. I know when I used a childminder, I would forget things sometimes, and at the end of the day, she would mention the things I forgot. Also, DD hated to wear her coat in the car seat, so I never put it on her when I drove to the childminder. Just wasn't worth the hassle in the ten foot walk from car to door. But, of course, I always took it with.

I've just started a newsletter - (only 2 issues so far) - so I will do another and put it in....just like I did with the parking.

Our neighbours are a bit and tho' they can park in the road - my parents can't.

So I asked them to park in the drive
Then I told them to park in the drive
Then I put it in a newsletter
Then I put it in the 2nd newsletter
Then I WENT OUTSIDE and chalked parking bays in the drive

and only then did they park sensibly