CM Club: Advice on school girls play please!

[NumberFour]

In my dress up box I have an old sheet that my mindees use almost every day for play - it is used as a tent, shower, bridal gown, sea, etc.

This is going to sound really really odd, but I think that the 6 and 7 year old girls I childmind are "snogging" under it! I am quite sure that they are trying to kiss or they are kissing or playing around in some way under the sheet. I have put the sheet away for today and as soon as we got in they ran outside with their coats (it is not cold here), then they huddled under it faces very close. Yesterday they were rolling around on the grass under the sheet, right up against each other.

I am not sure how to handle it! I appreciate that kids experiment, but I would rather stop it happening here or at least try and deal with it in some way that is not embarrasing to anyone.

Should I ask them? Should I ignore it and wait for them to lose interest and stop? Am I making a mountain out of a molehill if they ARE pretending to kiss or kissing? What else could they be doing? Am I imagining things??

Ho hum. No idea what to do. Help please!

Oh dear. They started crawling into the play tent tunnel, each from either end, head first. When i went outside, I asked them what they were doing they told me to go inside. I asked why, and I was told that they are playing "Barbies and Bratz" and that they did not want anyone watching them. I asked them what they were doing under the sheet and the coats and they said they were playing babies!

Oh dear. Mountain out of a molehill???

Should I just leave it alone? whatever it is??

Hmm.. tricky one.

If you leave it, the play goes too far and one girl speaks to parents you may have a CP issue on your hands if they are worried for their daughter.

Are the parents approachable? Could you mention their games? To see if they play them at home? Also guage their reaction.

I do think you should mention it purely to cover your own back.

My cousing works in a children's centre, and soemthing very similar happened there, one girls parent's were very irate about it and kicked up a huge fuss.

Thanks, Sammyk. I asked the girls what they were up to and the more brazen of the two answered first saying that they were playing "Babies" ( not BaRbies). The other girl, who is quite immature, looked very sheepish and just followed what the first was saying.

I usually believe my gut instinct but with something like this, I feel too uncomfortable at the moment to say anything more.

I appreciate that I must, though, for my and my family's sake if nothing else. One of the mums is far more approachable than the other so I think I will probably have to say something if it carries on.

Let's see how today goes!

Thanks again for your help.

This is a tough one, I hope the more immature of the 2 isn't being coerced into something by the other. I've never had this problem so can't offer advice (never had school age girls!)

Hi NumberFour. I think I might be a bit concerned about the older girl wanting to 'snog' the younger girl. You dont think that the behaviour is because of another issue IFSWIM. Has her behaviour changed in any other way or do you think its all innocent. Definately mention it to both parents before the younger girl says something to her parents and could land you in an awkward position. Always cover your back

If you haven't already heard of them, Kidscape have some great resources for dealing with stuff like this on their website.

You can buy story format books to read to the children about stranger/ secrets / etc, which could be a useful way of broaching this in general with school aged mindees. They also have the keepsafe code.