cm: what is your weekly routine like?

[holdingittogether]

Wanted to ask other cms what their weekly routine is like. I am the sort of person who thrives on routine and routine is obviously good for kids too but think maybe my week is a bit samey?? Mondays I only have one 2 yr old so go to toddlers so she has others to play with. Tues have 3 under 3yrs, go to park if dry and stay home if too wet. Might meet up with a friend. Weds is my day off. Thurs have same 3 children again, we go to childminders group so that is a different set of children and toys to play with and a chance for me to chat to other minders. Friday have same 3 again, we go to toddler group again.
I feel I maybe go to toddler group too much?? They do love it though, and I like some adult company too. Also it's easier to do things like painting and craft at toddlers or childminding group I find. Afternoons is always quiet time, mostly they all sleep. Then it is school run and after school is free play either outside in the garden or indoors we just go with the flow as not much time until pick up times.

How do you plan your week?

Bit of a mess at the moment due to early afternoon school pickup time. Roll on reception children going full-time.

Tuesday morning: walk, or indoor play
Wednesday morning: toddler group
Thursday morning: walk or childminder group
Friday morning: swimming

I'm a nanny not a childminder, so expect a CMs routine may be a little different.

Monday - day at home
Tuesday - soft Play
Wednesday - visit out (farm, Park, sort of thing)
Thursday - Craft Day
Friday - Swimming

I have the same children everyday so it is easier, although I am doing a Reception pick up at 12 as well at the moment, so that does curtail how far we go on days out.

I don't have a routine, Monday am always NCT coffee morning, Wednesdays always toddlers and Friday am always Village cafe. Saying that I don't have any mindees Mon/Fri first thing. I do on toddlers day.

In the afternoons I plan an one activity (for after schoolers) and then it's free play that I rotate toys for weekly. Or we all go to the park. I have a small holding so I will take them over to feed the animals too if there is time.

So half routine/half as it goes really..

During the week, I go to a childminding group, library, park, swimming (although currently settling in a baby so haven't done it recently), soft play area, trip to a different park and tot-rock at a local library.

I have one large "toy" out for the week, currently a little people town and train set. This usually sets off other discussions, which today resulted in "people that help" so we did some pictures and will visit the library for books (they also sat bandaging each other up - had to stop when they were twising around necks ).

Lots of other toys are available to play with. Paper and pens are always on the table for the older ones, and a set of puzzles.

I make sure daily we go outside, do some form of craft or messy play and read some stories.

I also try and get LO's that are willing to help with different things, like setting the table or helping younger ones.

And same here I have 3 days that I do a 12pm pickup and 5 a 3pm pickup. Severely limits what we can do/how far we can stray. I am lucky that I live in a very rural country village so there is always something to do just outside our doorstep.

Thanks, good to get a bit of inspiration. I would love to take them swimming but our pool has a limit of one adult to 2 children so would only be able to do that on mondays when I only have 1. Will check with her mum and see what she thinks about me taking her swimming. We do have a soft play but it is quite expensive so that tends to be kept for a special treat. Pet shop is another place we go thinking about it. They love looking at all the different animals and it is quite a big one with fish and reptiles and allsorts. maybe I could still go to the groups but make tuesday a do something different day.

we kind of play most of week by ear... but have a cm drop in on tues mornings, a play session at library every other wednesday and a music group thurs afternoons but thats normally a no go as the children i have normally sleep then...other than that we have morning and home time school runs and if fine we go to one of 3 parks , museum, library or have a crafty day in, depends on ages of who i have..today just one baby mindee with dd on teacher training so her friends over with us...theyre having a fun day playing with all her toys that are out of arms reach due to other mindees being rough/to small for them and baby mindee having afternoon sleep...we've baked today and been drawing colouring in on our large sheets of wallpaper as well as having lunch and snacks...the days has gone quickly despite being in but is showery on and off here and nice to let dd play with any thing she wants with a friend

Check with different pools if you can, I live on a county border and in one it is 1:2 and the other 1:3, so can vary from area to area. Also check with your soft play areas, as several childminding groups used it on a Wednesday it was free for us, as long as we brought something to eat and a coffee (not difficult), they have changed recently and charge £1.50 per child but we can now go on any day, which is still good as you can spend the whole morning there, go with different children and there is a brilliant toddler area as well as the larger climbing frames. If there aren't any such arrangements get together with some other local childminders and ask, I think many places are happy for some business especially on their quiet days.

I have to confess I am quite tight when it comes to spending money on entertaining them.My fees are quite low and would have to charge more if parents expected me to pay for entry to lots of things, on top of all the craft supplies and extra toys I buy. Our soft play is £4 per child so that would cost me £12 to take the 3 of them. Fine every once in a while but not regularly. Toddlers groups are cheap only £1.50 with free tea and biscuits! There are plenty of free things to do, lots of nice walks and parks, pet shop, library. I have heard of some cm asking parents to pay extra for outings but i don't feel that is right really. If I choose to take them to soft play I should pay, parents haven't asked me to go, I need to factor those costs into my fees.