GoddMorning, Staffroom is open.

[TheConfusedGhostoooohw]

and thank God its Friday, it has seemed a very long week, although it hasn't been a particularly hard week.

New baby has settled in fine, baby that is starting next month has been in for a few visits, appears to be a doll.

Just Knackered I guess

Good morning, put on pot of espresso to wake up and keep the energy levels going (now know how the tulip house is run!!).

One of my after schoolie's leaves today, so have a vacancy but no enquires coming in at the moment.

Have a good day everyone, off to Chessington today with 3 of my db's, 11 year old on inset and on leave at mo so......

bacon and fried egg butties on the hot plate...

Good morning, good morning, good morning to you! It's Friday - Yey!! Will nab a butty, thanks tulip, but taking the bacon out so someone can have an extra slice

Glad babies have been good for you Confused!

Have fun at chessington tuplip

Off to childminder friends today with little mindees which should be lovely. Then back for school pick up and all mindees go at 6 and then it's the weekend and I CAN'T WAIT!

Starting looking up about a cleaner but only made a few calls so far. Need to pull my finger out and actually get it booked up!

I lose three my schoolies in the mornings in November (still coming after school, but the brothers' Dad is back from deployment so can take them, and other one Mum is going flexitime so can take them).

A drop in money, but as I will by then have 20 month, 121 month and 11 month, full time am quite glad to be honest, only 1 school run fro the winter months will be nice.

Will still have 4 schoolies after school tho.

Morning all

No paperwork today - I'm minding this am (only one 13m old) so I'm off to the high street for some fresh air and to be 'seen' - plus this one loves all the people who will stop and talk to us, so a lovely morning all round

This afternoon, I am having my haircut (while lo sleeps) and then a short nap I think

I am much better again today, but I am still tired

Good morning all you wonderful childminders out there. It is absolutely chucking it down in this part of the world (lakes). One of the houses about 100 yards down the road from us is under water. Its right next to a river. Luckily we are up a hill where the water has never reached before (house has been here 160 years). Although with the global warming who knows what will happen in future.

My mindee has not turned up this morning. Maybe I will get the day off!

Going now to scoff a bacon and egg butty. Thanks Tulip.

Sandbags at the ready!!!!!

Morning All!

CoolJ that must be scary, hope it doesnt get to you!

Glad everyone is having a good day and hope you all get your spaces filled soon

I have 2 mindees this morn, dropepd dd and other mindee off at school and picking one up at 1pm after ive dropped another one into nursery!

was working till 8 last night..mindee had BAD diarhea but mum didnt turn up till planned as didnt get message!?..then another mindee turns up this morning, having been sick all night after eating something iffy last night!?!...wont say it!..you know what im thinking!....if anything comes of this and any of the other children are ill, or me!..i will cahnge my policy to say ANY sickness or ANY loose stools wether just upset tummy or even throwing up nasty food and i WIL NOT take them!...up to now its just if its contageous, but ATEOTD how do i know???..and im not prepared to clean sick and Poo up all day when ive got other children and babies!..i wipe bums, i clean them up ..but NOT when parents ALREADY KNOW they are ill..fume over...off to make some spooky halloween pictures now..got laods of black card yesterday adn cut out day glo/white ghosts and witches n stuff last night to make collages...we also planted two little trees outside in pots yesterday so if wind calms down we may go out and put our painted handprints on the post all ebfore tiny baby gets here!

Have a good day everyone!
x

OH MY GOD I@VE HAD IT WITH OFSTED
I am waiting to become a registered childminder and have now been waiting for 3 months for CRB CHECKS, now I have finally recieved them I've now been told that I can't register as I haven't done first aid - I've been waiting for course to come up in my area but was told by the NCMA that they provide courses free of charge but now have been told that there is no more courses - could have paid for one and have done it by now had I been told all this from the beginning- Now have to waitanother month for next course god it makes me sooo mad no one knows what they are doing (angry)
Is anyone else having similar problems or can anyone offer any advice?????

Thanks PinkChick. My mindee turned up an hour late this morning. Hes only here till about 2ish so having an easy day. Im scared to go out in case the kids get blown away. Although I need to do nursery run later..

You sound as if you have a busy day planned. Remember those spooky observations though . And photos, photos and more flippin photos.

[she says running out of the thread and back to her steaming cup of tea, hmm]

Paperwork this morning in between MNing.

Out to lunch with a girlfriend later.

Diane - OFSTED cab be a bit obstuse sometimes [understatement]

Keep plugging away

Hi Diane, sorry to hear your having fun with Ofsted. When I registered they lost the CRB check, various documentation and I had three visits from them as they kept on FORGETTING to ask me questions. Bearing in mind that there were at least 2 weeks between appointments .

Once I did eventually get registered I had a couple of German students living with me for 3 months. I originally got the go ahead from Ofsted (as the boys were 17) but then once the boys arrived, I had a torrent of letters from Ofsted asking for various references, letters from the German Embassy etc etc. None of this was sorted out and once they boys finished their stay, Ofsted were still sending letters re their suitability????

Sorry for ranting, but I have nothing positive to say about OFSTED.

I think you just have to sweat it out with them. One day (hopefully in the near future), you can look back on this experience and smile (not).

Also sorry for being of no help whatsoever, but at least I got that off my chest .

[runs away again quickly]

Morning all. I am glad it's friday too, has been a long week and feel very wrung out.

I am off to an Early Years Conference tomorrow and quite looking forward to talking shop with grown ups.

Anyone else losing the will to live writing out daily diaries? I have always done them, not a new thing for me, but now all my mindee are part timers I am writing 4 a day!! May have to rethink how I communicate.

Diane - please dont take Ofsted's word for anything. The left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. You have to take it all into your own hands. Find out what you need to do, get anything from them in writing. Basically take it all upon yourself - welcome to being self employed! Is it jusyt first aid you are waiting for? Ring round everywhere and try and get booked on one.

i am not being lax by not doing diaries for over 5's (after school onlys) am i??..mosta re only here 1-2 hours and would be such a nitemare whilst completing babies ones and getting snacks/drinks/activities sorted??

Ooh no I only do daily diaries for littlies (under fives). Not lax at all! The only exception I would make would be if an over five had communication difficulties.

phew salright then

Happy lunchtime to you all.

I have brought in cakes as a treat as I have got my DD birthday party after school and emergency baby has been helping me get ready. He loved playing with the balloons .

I was told this morning that mum of EB will be giving notice to the nursery as she has been so pleased with me the last 3 days and said that I have done more with him than the nursery have in 4 months so that will be me as full as I want to again, apart from I have to go back to a 5 day week.

Have a lovely afternoon.

mindee both napping..youngets baby mindee just been to pick her up and mum ssaid she went to popyular soft play area local through week and saw a group of cm's with about 9-10 children between them, mostly mindees age (7 months) ALL playing on their own, NOT in eye OR ear shot of said childminders while they supped coffe and chatted and never ONCE interacted with the children..even when one of the tny babies rolled over in ball pool and couldnt get back up..she said if she hadnt already met me it would have put her totally off cm's!..cant blame her..why DO we bother when people like this get good grades from ofsted just cause they get it right in those 2 hours

Afternoon all, tis me, henni I've decided to name change but can't come up with anything original!

Have an easy afternoon as mindee is asleep.

Going to fetch DD from school at 3pm as she has been on her first residential trip and i was a little concerned as her asthma is a bit up and down at the mo but i have every faith in her and her teachers.

Mumlove thats good news about mindee

PC it's really annoying that a few can give the whole proffesion a really rubbish look.

Sammy enjoy tomorrow

Boys enjoy your lunch

Katy glad your feeling better

coolj sounds scary, very windy but dry here

Hello to everybody else I've missed

Hello everyone, nice to meet you, loks like I missed a fryup then?!