What do you think of this childminder’s routine ?

[Sharkinthepark1]

Hi !

I’d like to have your opinion if you think this childminder is good or not :

She only does craft a couple of times a week,
She takes the children to playgroup 3 times a week, one day they go to softplay or farm, park etc
at the moment, the children in her care sleep from 1 to 3.
in the afternoon, they go to different playgrounds.

No tv

3 meals included in fees, wipes and nappies too, all outings.

Would you be put off by a childminder who is mostly out all day ? Not doing lots of activities at home ?

Thank you !

Children need to learn to run, climb jump etc in order to later master the skills to hold a pencil, thread a button etc.

Small children shouldn’t be indoors most of the day.

I’ll be the devils advocate here.

I have seen a lot of childminders at playgroups and soft play ignoring their charges and chatting to other childminders. That would concern me.

1-3 is far too late for many toddlers. Nap time here is about 12-2. Waking at 3 would push bed time back to 8 and I wouldn’t like it regularly.

Getting out and about is important but my main concern would be that it’s a busy and frantic pace and no quiet time built in. If the weather is bad as well the playground thing would be a concern, especially in winter.

My main ‘worry’ would be - does she actually like spending time with the children?

Sounds fab and what I did as a mum

My daughter always slept 1-3. My choice and bed 7pm and slept 7/7

12-2 is too early. Means lunch is 1115/1130. Far too early

Sounds lovely to me, if you are not sure it’s right for you chose a different childminder? There will be some that are “at home” and some that are more “out and about”.
when I was a childminder I was more the latter and explained this to parents and if they didn’t like it they chose a different one😊

Most kids that small are having lunch around noon.

I think it sounds good as long as she is flexible about nap times, my eldest didn't need that much daytime sleep after around 18m or she wouldn't sleep at night.
My youngest would have struggled to stay awake until 1pm!

Of course it’s your choice, but it would be way too late for us. Some flexibility is good. If you can’t accommodate flexibility due to always being out then it wouldn’t be the childcare setting for me.

Sounds pretty normal.
There's usually craft activities available at play groups if you are worried about not enough craft.

I'm a childminder and normally go to a playgroup, music class or the park in the mornings.
Naptime here is usually 12.30-2.30
I probably do a craft or baking activity once or twice a week, otherwise it's free play
We go to the library at least once a week
School run in the afternoon
TV is on sometimes after lunch for non sleepers and from 5pm for those that are here late.

I meant my choice as in what I did. Not what the cm did as didn't have a cm 😀

I know - of course it’s your choice. I’m not saying it’s wrong, just that it wouldn’t have worked for me.

She sounds amazing!

My kids are older now but they were always happier, and easier to manage if I got them out and about, ideally twice a day. They got serious cabin fever/zoomies cooped up in the house no matter how much art and craft/ baking i did with them. Lockdown was fun hmmmm.

And nap 1-3 and bed by 8 sounds great to a FT working mum. I'd get to spend a bit of fun time with them and not having to rush the bath and bedtime routine if I picked them up at 6.

Hmm, just sounds a wee bit that it's easier to take them out to groups etc than spend more time at home having to entertain them.

Being out a lot is brilliant.

The only time I ever had an issue with this was with one childminder who had an older child of her own and literally all of the activities during school holidays were geared toward their age.

Being out a lot at age appropriate activities is absolutely brilliant for kids. DN's nursery take them out three times a week and it's just fantastic.

Yes if course is nicer to be out, have you ever met toddlers 😂

realistically it’s not even that much time out, it takes ages to get small kids together to leave, have meals, change nappies etc.
her schedule could be like this:

8-9am breakfast and arrivals
9.30 gets everyone ready and leaves for playgroup
10-11.30 playgroup
12-12.30 lunch
1-3 pm nap time
snack time
3-4pm park or playground
4.30pm dinner
from 5pm collection

Absolutely 🤣🤣
I must admit I pulled my child out of a childminders who just kept them at home all day however this CM would also never communicate what my daughter had done that day or if there was any activities. She never came home with crafts etc so felt like the kids were just left to free play all day and I wanted more variety.

My exact day today was:
8.30-9am arrivals/playing
9-9.15 nappy changes and getting ready to go out
9.30-11.15 playgroup (which included a craft, snack, story time and singing)
11.30 arrive home, nappy changes
playing, reading books
12-12.30 lunch time
12.30-1.30 nap/quiet time
more nappy changes
playing in the garden, painting
2.45 walk to school
3.15-4pm play park after school
more nappy changes
4.30pm snack time
playing - magnatiles, kinetic sand, cutting and sticking
5.30 everyone went home

It sounds great to me. They have good routines & go home presumably around midday to eat followed by a nap at the house. I think it’s similar to what I did as a parent & also what my child minder did. Children like a routine!

That's good she's not lazy off out and doesn't sit at home watching tv while they play.