Think i might've over stretched myself!

[MilkNoPoisonPlease]

Im a f/t nanny to 3 kids ages 9, 7 and 5 months. this week is half term and we have days out planned.

have offered to have 7 year olds friend for 3 days as mum is V pregnant and tired etc and shes a lovely girl.

But have also agreed to have eldest 2s friends (aged 10 and 7) and their sister aged 4 for 2 days this week as mum was let down by her childcare and was v upset over no childcare etc and she does huge favours for me and BM if running late etc...

2 days overlap with other friends days...me being a moron didnt clock this until i was going through my diary just now...7 kids including a 4 year old and baby, for 2 8 hour days...right now is seeming like a stupid idea!

Its not a q of not being able to cope...i can cope BUT i just have a feeling ill be grey before wednesday!!

Any ideas before i quit? (joking btw )

Just think like a childminder & you will be fine

now that was why wine was invented by God!! good luck.. bet you will be fine..

Argh science museum on tuesday too!

ok ill keep calm........what time is to early for wine tomorrow?

If you have other 'nanny friends' ask them for help. In fact any friends will do.

Katymac is right. To think like a childminder. Get the oldest children to help you with dishes, and keep the youngest entertained with you.

If your a true Mary Poppins you will sail through the day (although you may need a stiff drink and a hot bath by the evening)

good luck

Sometimes more is easier - they entertain each other, and its more about crowd control.

However if they are upstairs and you hear a lot of giggling DO investigate...or else they may be putting dolls down the bog as mine were - UUGH

Dolls down the bog?! that is pretty gross! although i did find her putting one of her sisters nappies on her doll once....wasnt a clean nappy i hasten to add!!

What is it with kids and their obsession with the loo??

I shall come back and share my wine with you later

Good luck. As others have said it's like being a childminder. Thinking of which, don't go around telling too many people as you are probably in breach of the Childcare Act 2006 and probably are not insured to care for 7 children. But hey, you will have fun and it will probably go better than you imagine.

Are you taking 7 children to the Science Museum?

def easier to have a friend for both age group

yes you will have 7 children but 5 of them will go and entertain theirselves

so you only have 4yr and baby

hopefully 4yr will also play with sister of 7 (my 4 and nearly 7 play well together)

tbh i prob wouldnt do science museum with all 7

but stay in house/go to local park

other thing to consider is that if you have nanny insurance (which hopefully you do) you wont be covered as have 3 from a different family but on the same day

you can have 7 children but from 2 familys not 3

good luck

Ive got week off as my family gone to their holiday home

Sounds like Blondes is available to come with you.

Have a party at home. Invite three more nannys and their charges. The numbers will be far more manageable.

pmsl athene - that did sound like i was offering to help milk

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

7 children or lying on my sofa catching up with sky+

what a hard decision!!

Ah I see, your true colours are showing now.

time for wine is when you have just shut the door on the last child to be collected.. any earlier might be regarded as un professional methinks

milk hasnt returned

do you think she survived?

I was wondering

I think today is the big day so no surprise that she didn't get to the PC tho'

good point katymac

when i had ill dc all last last week,no peace for me to fiddle on mn

good luck milk

Hope she didn't just open the wine and climb into the bottle.

I can fondly rememeber a weeks temp job in village, family had 9,7,5 & 12m + ap, with different children asking if x,y could come play i landed up with 8 dc from 5 to 9 including mine( excluding 12m + ap) one afternoon.

So in the morning my lot made cakes and biscuits and in the afternoon 8 kids sat in a rough circle on a pvc table cloth with a named plate of cakes and biscuits and all manner of icing colours and sprinkles in the middle, the quietest 2 hours ever had, then it was tea, play and deliver them all home again with plates.

Hello! i survived!

374 bottles a glass of wine this evening to relax though

yesterday was fab! the kida were completly mental completly hy[er but so much fun

today was good, didnt go science museum though...thurs or friday now

Went a bit pear shaped in the arvo and i feel horrible about it- was at the local fields with 4 of them and youngest mindee (5 motnhs). i was changing youngests nappy on a bench (needed doind asap due to nappy rash and no frigging loo's!) and in the split second it took for me to out her nappy in a bag (already opened not tied up etc so v quick) she rolled of the bench onto the floor and bumped her head...we both burst into tears!, she was abso0lutely fine 2 secs later...she has a huuuge bruis and a bit of a bump on her head...is absoolutely fine and no lasting affects...

but i feel absolutely awful about it...cant believe i did such a stupid thing, taking my hands off her...god it could have been so so much worse...nanny of the year my arse!

aoart from that have had a good time with them...mums are so so grateful...and ive got them all again tomorrow and friday!!

oh and thinking like a childminder works!!

WOOPS! thank you all for your help....i will be back here before science museum day

dont beat yourself up about the bump

it happens

sounds as if you coped - well done

Well Done.

I happens

Blondes / nannynick - sorry to hijack, but can I just clarify what you said about nanny insurance. I use a self-employed nanny 2 days a week who not infrequently looks after mine and children from two other families on the same day - is she not insured to do so? She has mentioned this is the reason she can't register with Ofsted to enable me to use childcare vouchers, but didn't realise it was an insurance issue too.

Get your nanny to check her policy. I would be in breach of my insurance in the situation you describe, but remember that if she's not registered with OFSTED it's equally possible she's not insured as it's not actually a requirement unless you are registered, altough a good, professional nanny will have it anyway.

Incidentally your nanny, whilst she may not be invalidating her insurance (if it exists), is probably not complying with the Childcare Act Nick also mention further up the thread. The exemption for in-home care only applies for up to two families. Care provided for more than 2 families becomes subject to OFSTED's regulations.

"Exempt childminding

3.?(1) The circumstances referred to in articles 2(1) and 2(3) are where a person makes the provision(2)?

(a) for?

(i) a child or children for particular parents, wholly or mainly in the home of the parents, or

(ii) a child or children for particular parents (?the first parents?) and, in addition, for a child or children for different parents (?the second parents?), wholly or mainly in the home of the first parents or the second parents or in both homes; "

from here

My Morton Michel adapted policy would be breeched if i worked for more than 2 families, but I can care for upto 6 children without a problem.

You will need to see the policy wording, but I would expect it would not be covered... MM are the most popular provider of nanny insurance (in my view), you could e-mail them and ask if they would cover a nanny in such a situation.

As Frakula says... it is also likely to breach Childcare Act 2006 if the care is provided in one home (thus two families bring their children to that home), as may not fall under exempt provision. Thus why your nanny isn't able to register with Ofsted as it may highlight that situation occurring.