Daily diary for mindees - buy one or design my own?

[allegin]

CMs and parents - what is your daily diary like?

I don't know whether to just buy a standard A5 diary and fill in headings for sleep, meals etc each day, or try and come up with my own design and maybe get it comb bound.

Not sure what will look most professional?

I know there are some for sale online but not really happy to pay for something that might look rubbish when it arrives!

I use a normal A5 book (one with the wire down the side) & I write a little story/report of the day & pop photos/work in

I like Katy just use a A5 book, that I write an entry in the book for each day the child is with me

I use an exercise book, do list at top of page for example

9.30 wet nappy change
10.00 - 11 nap
12.00 soiled nappy change
12.30 lunch

then on bottom half of page write brief account of some of stuff done eg played with water, child blew down straw and made bubbles.

My parents and ofsted ok with this.

When i started i used ticky boxey filling in form things and prit sticked them into an A5 book, works ok for babies as need feed times, sleep, nappies etc but not a lot of room for notes. So now used A5 wire bound notebook costs about 80p from wilkinsons, can get photos lots of notes and notes back from parents, and i can get my coloured smiley stickers in for EYFS links, so works much better, still do ticky boxes for babies though on one side and notes/photos on the other.

You can see lots of examples on line (without paying for them) to get some ideas of what layout suits you best.

I've used cheap A5 books from Tesco, Wilkinson, pound shops etc. Although it takes a little time at the end of the day, I email them now - saves on printer ink especially with photos!

Great - the exercise book thing sounds like a good idea. Much more simple than what I was thinking of doing.

atworknotworking - what are these coloured smiley stickers you speak of?