Tuesday Staff Room

[Shoshe]

Good Morning all, as it got quite busy in here yesterday, thought I would open up again today

Coffees on and Choc Brioche warming in the oven.

We are off to soft play today, although one down as had to send her home sick yesterday,

I always feel so guilty when I have to send them home (esp when D as it could be teething/too much fruit etc)

I'll pop & get bacon butties to go with.......

Morning!!!

Thanks for opening up again, Shoshe. Hope you're very well. And Hi, Snapdragons. Love the name!!

I have a busy day today with 5 littles ones for tea. Hang on, er... 4.. maybe 3. If it's Tuesday it is: A and A and J and D but L goes home before tea and other A gets dropped off at 3. Okay: what ever it is, it is definitely not just Two for Tea.

With that in mind, does anyone have one of those spread sheet thingies on which you can fill in what children are on what days and what times???

Morning all

Love a bacon butty, would rather have a choccy thingy but on a diet

I've got a spread sheet thingy Number4, will send if you CAT me your addy.

Have a loverly day all

Yum. Being a veggie, I am forced to eat the chocolate .

Morning.

thanks, atwork! NO idea how to use CAT!!

will have a look later and then send you my address. Thanks

But atwork, its virtual you can eat as much as you like (Weigh In tonight, so has to be virtual )

I need to diet. Would someone please send me some willpower

Morning all. I have a quiet day and have given dh the day off childminding duties (apart from school runs) so he can do some food shopping . Only 3 until after school and only 4 for dinner (better than the 7 last night).

I have a spreadsheet btw, more than happy to email it as it's saved me (I got all over the place with all my part timers since we got the extra numbers and I just couldn't keep up).

My email addy is enquiries at helenslittleangels dot co dot uk (with @ and . instead of at and dot )

I have different ones for Term Time and School hols plus another one for EACH school hols (as have some adhocs) so email me if want me to send

Changing the subject, do you think I was ott this morning............I have one before school mindee who's contracted to arrive at 7.45am but has been coming probably once a week 5 mins early. I know this is because the mum has to get a train at a set time and it's very tight. The thing is, she's the first one due on that day and I'm not always ready (but always am by the time I should be). And sometimes I'm on the loo (as in not just a quick one) thinking I have time then the doorbell goes. I very politely said that it was ok to come at this time but maybe we should change the hours to be from 7.30 on those days and then I'm definitely going to be ready for them. I've had a lot of overnight stays recently so these 5 mins extra makes a big difference in me sorting them out too. She did snap a bit in defense but called me later to apologise and we agreed that she can email me the day before she needs to catch that train and we can arrange a 7.30 start on those days. So we're all fine but I just want to know what other people think. Should I have just let it go or was I right to say something?

I have another after schooler who is contracted til 5.20pm and dinner is at 5pm. I explained this would be tight if they wanted them to have dinner but I got the impression she was a fast eater. Anyway, only been here a few days and NOT a fast eater. One day mum got here at 5.20pm but was here til 5.45pm and I'm worried this could become a habit. I know I may sound picky but it seems unfair on everyone else who does pay for the longer hours even though they often pick up earlier. What are your thoughts?

Hi everyone - just a fly by visit, mad day yesterday, today is a lot quieter thank goodness but working 13 hours today.

LT - no, you were right on there. She probably didn't think that it was flexible!

And I would have 5.20 start at 4.45 if you can do it?

No4 - I use a daily diary for all mine. I have so many with different days that I do a month in advance and refer to it daily/hourly/minutely. I would be lost without it, truly.

Hello everyone else, thanks for opening up Shoshe. Any word from Psychomum5?

Hello everyone,

Been a little MIA, I still pop in but rarely post. Feeling a little low, must be that time of year.

LT - I think you are quite right to want to change the hours, and if you can't bring tea time forward a little as crace suggested then let mum know that it isn't working but you are willing to provide a snack

No4 - no time sheet, I write their initials in my filofax/diary against the day and check in the morning. Either that or i put a reminder on my phone and set it to remind me before school pick up.

Shoshe - thanks for opening, how is the diet going?

Hope eveyone has a good day

hello ladies - long time no chat!

i'm still c/m'ing just one day a week - after months of silence i have had a few enquiries lately but the idea of minding babies again is freaking me out - is that weird d'ya think? It's just as mindee's get older it's like i've put that phase behind me - stair gates are down {bar the kitchen one which is more a dog gate} and i'm enjoying the toddler years!

anyway i'll just leave some crumpets for you all x

Afternoon girls ...friend has just rang me reg an enquiry shes had for achld whose mum only wants term time, child is 3yr old and is usually at nursery, nursery do not charge when mum is off(she owrks in a school so has all school hols off)...friend wants to know what she should do...ive said i would ordinarily charge half fee retainer for hols, maybe even offer a sweenter of 2 weeks free at a time when it suits friend ie christmas when all other families paying half?...what would you suggest?, shes meeting with her at tea time.TIA

Loony - I like your website, very pro. I am at the thought of having 7 for tea, I think that would put me in an early grave!

Today I had another brilliant day with my new mindee, he ate double helpings of breakfast and half a jacket potato with a load of filling for lunch where as yesterday he kept on looking at me as if I was trying to poison him, so he must be feeling much more relaxed already.

Last night I had an enquiry for full time but I have to go pick the child up - at 07:30am! And I SAID YES I'm already regretting it wholeheartedly and wish I could back out, but the mother is a final year uni student and apparently has had loads of people say yes and then back out at the last moment ... wonder why! God I am a mug! Mind you, it's only for a month, this is what I'll have to tell myself when I'm getting in the car at 07:10 every morning.

Loony - I forgot to say, yes the 5mins early one is possibly a bit harsh but if it can be easily remedied by her just sending an email then I think that's fine, at least you said something and something positive was done. As for the evening one I'd definitely extend the hours, nothing worse than having to rush tea or in this case have the child for ages more than you're being paid for - def extend the hours.

i need a cuppa.

i feel like the WORST childminder EVER. one nearly 5 yr old does not listen to me at all. well, it is getting better but it is a constant battle.

and he wets himself every now and then. no medical problem, just too busy. one day at my house when i was upstairs with two of my other minded children in the loo, the little one in question went behind my sofa and just wet himself. no reason at all.

today at pick up, he came out of class with wet trousers. then when we got to the car he wet himself again. soaking sodden wet. now i have to wash the car seat cover.

i was SO cross with him for not going to the loo. i was very very stern with him and now i feel awful.......

this is a hard job and yes, i am looking for sympathy.

Sympathy given, that sounds very tiresome. Bless you, and him. I have a YR1 that has been with been with me from reception and he's been tricky. Not with wetting but bad manners, breaking things, acting up - it's taken a year but we are getting there. Time time time and sticking to your rules. Luckily I have parental support, they are lovely and so is he. We enjoy having him - he's a lovely little boy.

Numberfour why didn't the school change him, surely they don't expect you to take a child who has wet itself, health and safety aside its not good for the LO to be left in wet clothes.

You have my sympathy, had one similar who just used to pee whilst walking around had the stair and landing carpets cleaned 2 days in a row cost £80 a pop , endless sofa cleaning (my cpt guy loves me). I decided after several months of persevering and paying for extraction cleaning it wasn't worth the agro so gave notice. The other mindees were also getting upset as they kept on standing / sitting in it not fair on them either or me running around changing everyones socks / clothes and washing feet, as well as being attached to a mop and bucket. Oh yes and washing /drying car seat covers in time for the next day.

So lots of sympathy and have some virtual chockie things its calorie free dontcha know?

thanks, crace and atworknotworking.

my LO does is not bad mannered or prone to break things, and he does not wet himself constantly but he is an unusual boy. fortunately parents, school and I are working together on the listening.

atwork, his class was rather late coming out and i had another child around the corner of the school to collect. also, i am not actually sure when he wet himself, but it was certainly before handover and definitely while he was still in the classroom.

in retrospect I should have changed him first, but i wanted to collect the other child, then take him to the loos to change him but at that stage i found that there were no clean clothes in his bag as there usually are.

glad today is over. i am going to bed soon!

Aww been a long day?

Hope tomorrow is a little better for you.