Monday Staff Room: Fingers Crossed for SammyK

[Shoshe]

Hope its over and done with for you today lovie.

Have put a big chocolate cake in the fridge for you to keep your strength up.

Morning, Shoshe

Good luck Sammyk! Hope your weekend was not too awful.

I overlsept today for the first times in YEARS.
GOT TO RUSH I AM VERY VERY LATE

(Never too late to pop into MN CM SR)

I did wonder where you were 4

Hi, Good luck!!

Morning everyone. Those childminders that have recently had babies could you answer some questions for me please?

Did anyone work right up to just a couple of weeks before baby was due?
Did anyone go back to work fairly quickly ie 6/8 weeks after birth?
Did anyone keep their mindees with parents just finding temp cover for your maternity leave?
When did you tell parents about pregnancy?

Any answers gratefully received! As you may be able to work out I am hoping to work right up to end and go back to work pretty quickly but am likely to have a section so not sure how realistic these plans are

Morning all, hope everyone had a good weekend.

Good luck Sammy.

London - I worked up to the day I went into labour with my last ds (he was 11 days early!), the parents then had 2 weeks holiday and I then restarted work. I told the parents very early on, as had had previous problems and this meant that needed alot of hospital appointments at the very beginning of the pregnancy, so couldn't really keep it quite!

Hava a good day, I'm off until 3pm - little sahm has chicken pox and is extremly uncomfortable

Ahem, London, just rememeber that I WILL TELL YOU OFF SEVERLY if you take on too much!!!!!

And BTW I want to be Nanny not granny!

Morning all.

Sammy - good luck hun, hope she comes today!!

London - I had ds2 1 and half weeks after stopped working, he was 4 days early. I was going to have 4 weeks off in total but one set of parents was worried it was too short and so I took 12 weeks off and started back on 1st Sept when ds2 was 10 weeks old. If I could have, I would have had longer. It was SOOOOO hard starting back but that was partly due to him being a nightmare baby until about a week before I started back, plus the mindees were aged 8 months, 16 months & 18 months so every day I had 3 under 18 months and it was hard to start with due to sleepless nights etc. All my mindees came back. 1 managed with family coming down to visit/swapping shifts and stuff, another left her job and started a new job a little while after I had her dd back, the other used her mum one day a week and nursery the other until I came back. One older mindee did leave as mum had new job and didn't need me but then as soon as I started back, decided to use me a couple of days after all My advice, if they are all coming back, plan to see them as much as possible whilst you are off (if they are young) so they don't have too much trouble settling back. Oh, and I told parents when I was about 10 weeks gone, after my dating scan.

In case Saz comes in - good luck to you too, hope they come sooner rather than later, let us know how you get on!!!

Thanks Looney. Need to ask, 9/10mth came this morning and has croup. Just googled it and some say it infectious just like a cold. Baby is very weezie and a cough like a bark. I took baby as Parent said not infectious to others. Got mindee's 14mth and 2 yr today. Just worrried about other mindee's would you keep her or send her home?

Well Ofsted said they woul dbe ringing this week with the days she would be coming. Done all paperwork this weekend, just got to sort obs and do my sef.

Not sure about croup as not on my list from Health Authority This is what one website said:

Croup
Croup is an infection that causes the trachea (windpipe) and larynx (voicebox) to swell. Croup often follows on from a cold because the virus has spread downwards. Croup causes hoarseness and a barking cough. It may also cause a crowing noise (called stridor) when the child breathes in through the narrowed windpipe. Croup usually lasts 5-6 days. The symptoms may be worse at night and croup symptoms most commonly occur in children between the ages of one and three years.

Most children with mild croup can be treated at home by letting them breathe in steam (mist treatment). This can be done by filling a bath with hot water and sitting in the bathroom with the door and any windows closed. Sit with your child in this steamy atmosphere for about 10 minutes or so until their breathing has become easier, although it may still sound noisy. If you still have any worries before, during, or after the mist treatment you should contact your child?s doctor immediately (for example, if the breathing hasn?t improved after the mist treatment).

Croup can be life-threatening and if breathing seems to be getting worse, if the child is becoming more tired, if there is blueness around the mouth, nose and nails, you should contact your child?s doctor immediately or else go to the Accident and Emergency department at your nearest hospital. Serious cases of croup result in hospital admission where the patient will be given oxygen, adrenaline and inhalation treatment with corticosteroids.

This link relates to croup in childcare setting but not in this country, just thought i'd post in case it helps.

BTW, my 10 month old mindee is now walking by herself. She's so tiny and it's so cute, bless her, she's well pleased with herself That means all my mindees are now walking at last!!

Hello everyone Ive got new mindee who started today. She is sound asleep (for the past hour)..

Im just off for some of Shoshes choc cake. Thanks. (Hope there is some left).

Sneaks away quietly. Have a good day

ooh fingers crossed love, hope they come today and see how fab you are

HOPE YOU ARE ALL VERY WELL-I DONT POST VERY OFTEN (oppps sorry for shouting!) My baby boy is now 10weeks old and doing fab-he is a whopper now-weighing over a stone! I hope all is well with everyone, i must read the posts and catch up! I do lurk now days but rarely post......x

London-IN REPLY! X

Did anyone work right up to just a couple of weeks before baby was due? I GAVE UP 4 WEEKS BEFORE.

Did anyone go back to work fairly quickly ie 6/8 weeks after birth? I AM OFF FOR THE FULL PERIOD OF 39 WEEKS AS MY EARNINGS WERE THE SAME ANYHOW, I ACTUALLY THINK I AM ABOUT £10 PER WEEK BETTER OFF!

Did anyone keep their mindees with parents just finding temp cover for your maternity leave? i RECOMMENDED A VERY LOVELY CHILDMINDER WHO MY MINDEE SIGNED A 39WEEK CONTRACT WITH, WITH INTENTIONS OF COMING BACK HERE-HOWEVER NOW MINDEES MUM IS PREGNANT HERSELF AND DUE IN THE MONTH BEFORE HER CHILD IS DUE BACK-SO UNSURE WHAT WILL HAPPEN JUST YET AS DON'T THINK SHE'LL WORK NOW HAVING TWO!

When did you tell parents about pregnancy? I WAS 16WEEKS PREGNANT!

Morning everyone.

I hope you did not get as wet as me this morning! Has been pouring down all morning.

Good luck with your inspection SammyK.

Ok starting a sweep on the weight of Londons Baby.

Shoshe 11lb 6oz.

Afternoon everyone.

Got wet more wet and then wet again this morning. So when I go back to school later I think we will get wet again as it's still pouring down here and the wind is so bad!

Baby weight 9lb 3oz. When is it due?

I worked up until 2 weeks before my due date and had 3 months off. Mindees went to other cm's they knew and then came back. Also make sure you see them at least 1 a week when off.

Mumlove you have met London with me, she is the tall one, whereas I am the short one (and no comments that we must look funny together, I refuse to go out with her when she wears heels!)

Sammy are you Ok has she been?

yes she has been

Sammy I will give you a big {{{{{hug}}}}} and here is the huge soft chair for you to relax in.

Sammy {{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}

Sending you hugs and here to listen if you need to vent etc

{{{{{{BIGGER HUGS}}}}}}}

I got graded overall as satisfactory -
I got good last time in all areas, and (I feel) have made loads of improvements since then and am much more professional. I got satisfactories, goods, and an indadequate(this was for my first aid cert being past time for renewal - I was booked on a course but ill, so rebooked on next one, which isn't until may!!).

I am disappointed. I put my heart and soul and every waking hour into this just to be deemed 'satisfactory'. DP has said the work I do for one person is phenomal (bless him), I guess I just wanted a little recognition. Inspector could tell I ws disappointed and said not be, tha I had lots of positive things going on.

My areas of improvement were:
working with one mindees school, who lives in another area and I don't pick up or drop off from,

having a jug of water available for my two mnth old mindees to helpselves2(in a nursery maybe - in my living room ),

having written records of next steps (inspector said she can see I do this bueed to record it).

and first aid.

{binges on chocolate cake and sobs in broom cupboard}

..thats bollocks!..a satisfactory for THAT!!!!!..i know of TERRIBLE childminders who dont lift a finger who got good same as me last time! and i was fuming!...can you appeal against it?..after all if you have proof you have plans in place (first aid) etc, then this is not your fault you CANT get on course until may??? for you, but listen chick, the fact is your business DOES run from recomendations, so you kep doing what you are this wont effect PP's at all, they can actually SEE what a good cm you are, paperwork DOES NOT prove you are good or bad!.xxxxx

Oh Sammy that is awful, how are you suppose to talk to a school you have nothing to do with.

This leiasnig with sfterschool kids schools is madness, kids come to us after school, because their parents do not want them in a school setting, but Ofsted are trying to turn us into schools!

And as long as your booked on a course was always told that was OK. My child Protection is out of date and I am not on one till January, I didn't get picked up on it, as I was booked.

My next steps were recorded but not linked to EYFS, but I still got a good in that part.

There is no set standard that we all have to work to. Those that get a satisfactory in one place get a good in another , the worst I find are those that get a outstanding, at the first working Ofsted (sorry OfstedOutstanding, I know you did, and don't want to upset you), but how can somebody who has only been working 6 months, get a out standing, when others who have been working a lot longer and put as much work and so much more experience only get a satisfactory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK rant over, and Sammy head up girl, if your parents are anything like mine, they reckon that the Ofsted is not worth the paper its written on.

All it records is how good you are at paperwork, not caring for their children.

Sammyk, no consolation, I am sure, but my NETWORK COORDINATOR (caps intentional!) said that all you need is Satisfactory. That shows that you are meeting the standards. You are providing sound quality childcare.

Please bear in mind that you were also under huge bloody pressure with your NVQ. You were told at the 11th hour that you had another section to do plus you had an impending OFSTED inspection.

All you need now is root canal treatment and you have a hat trick.

Keep your chin up. You have done extremely well considering the pressure.