It's Friday!

[Mouseketeer]

Wow, a phone call is something Louby...I just get patronising emails 🥺

[finleysmaid]

I wonder if they have been on twitter....lots of threads going on about contacting people in person or by face time rather than by email. Making people feel valued and recreating connections.

[sunnyday]

'tis Friday again folks!

Hope everyone is well

Have a good weekend y'all

[zigzag]

How’s everyone doing? I am finding only working one morning a week incredibly hard!  I feel quite lost and aimless at the moment without any kind of focus.  Thank goodness for the dog, who needs long muddy walks each day. If only the weather would dry up and then I could get on with preparing the allotment but at the moment you can’t even walk on the soil let alone dig it. Anyone else lost their mojo?  Don’t get me wrong I am incredibly grateful to be safe and well and living where I live and I really do thank my lucky stars each day for this.

[Cait]

Yep. Mojo completely gone, even for sewing!  I got fabric out and cut ready and I’ve just walked away and left it.  I had to move it to iron a couple of masks on Wednesday morning

[Panders]

Yea, doing ok, much more difficult lockdown this time, but some hope today regarding vaccinations for over 50's💪.    Family are all ok, thank goodness, as you say, so many reasons to be grateful, that's always worthwhile focussing upon

[Panders]

Just now, Cait said:

Yep. Mojo completely gone, even for sewing!  I got fabric out and cut ready and I’ve just walked away and left it.  I had to move it to iron a couple of masks on Wednesday morning

exactly the same Cait, I bought some lovely fabric, it's sitting by the machine, I walk past it several times a day - doesn't move me though😱

[louby loo]

58 minutes ago, Cait said:

Yep. Mojo completely gone, even for sewing!  I got fabric out and cut ready and I’ve just walked away and left it.  I had to move it to iron a couple of masks on Wednesday morning

 

56 minutes ago, Panders said:

exactly the same Cait, I bought some lovely fabric, it's sitting by the machine, I walk past it several times a day - doesn't move me though😱

Well, that's the problem.... the Mojo for 'buying' the fabric never goes!!!!   Doing something with it, well that's a different matter altogether 🤣

I bought some fabric (online) at the weekend, it arrived and I just looked at and though   Why?..... and put it with the bits I bought a few months ago!

[louby loo]

1 hour ago, zigzag said:

How’s everyone doing? I am finding only working one morning a week incredibly hard!  I feel quite lost and aimless at the moment without any kind of focus.  Thank goodness for the dog, who needs long muddy walks each day. If only the weather would dry up and then I could get on with preparing the allotment but at the moment you can’t even walk on the soil let alone dig it. Anyone else lost their mojo?  Don’t get me wrong I am incredibly grateful to be safe and well and living where I live and I really do thank my lucky stars each day for this.

I'm currently just working 2 mornings - and it's playing havoc with my brain. I don't usually work Fridays, but am now doing Weds + Fri, and I now haven't a clue what day of the week it is anymore!

We're doing home learning pack for our funded children, I'm in charge of that and it seems to take all my time up though😳  I don't even post them, I just make up the packs and staff share out the delivery as they are more local.

[Cait]

2 hours ago, louby loo said:

I'm currently just working 2 mornings - and it's playing havoc with my brain. I don't usually work Fridays, but am now doing Weds + Fri, and I now haven't a clue what day of the week it is anymore!

We're doing home learning pack for our funded children, I'm in charge of that and it seems to take all my time up though😳  I don't even post them, I just make up the packs and staff share out the delivery as they are more local.

Does that enable you to keep the full funding? 

[zigzag]

We are only open one morning, started with two children and have now increased to four.  We have just put out a message  to find out what people want after half term and the majority want to keep their children away until the schools go back. With only four children I don’t feel inclined to offer normal hours so this is a compromise. We are being funded for all our children still and this is continuing after half term. I have also made the decision to not start the new two year olds until after Easter when hopefully we will be back to normal numbers, hours and operating.  My priority is getting all existing children back and settled again before newbies come in. 

[louby loo]

2 hours ago, Cait said:

Does that enable you to keep the full funding? 

Yes.  But we also do more than we probably need to - to reward the parents that are staying off, (if you understand what I mean)

It's quite funny really as some of our attendees [parents]  are a little put out that they haven't been given to packs as we encourage parents to share their child's 'work' on Facebook. Talk about FOMO!

I must say we I had my well-being call from the LA she was really pushing to fact we should be claiming for ALL children that would normally have attended.

[louby loo]

1 hour ago, zigzag said:

We are only open one morning, started with two children and have now increased to four. 

But doesn't the day just dddrrrraaaaaaaaaagggggg with such low numbers!    

We are only doing mornings- and I think we will continue with this until Easer now.

[louby loo]

12 hours ago, Mouseketeer said:

Wow, a phone call is something Louby...I just get patronising emails 🥺

I only got the phone call due to my well-being grant application wording - I should have just applied for a spa weekend rather telling them how I felt!  🤣

[Cait]

49 minutes ago, louby loo said:

I only got the phone call due to my well-being grant application wording - I should have just applied for a spa weekend rather telling them how I felt!  🤣

I think you did right! It’s important that they know the impact that their decisions are making 

[sunnyday]

1 hour ago, louby loo said:

Yes.  But we also do more than we probably need to - to reward the parents that are staying off, (if you understand what I mean)

It's quite funny really as some of our attendees [parents]  are a little put out that they haven't been given to packs as we encourage parents to share their child's 'work' on Facebook. Talk about FOMO!

I must say we I had my well-being call from the LA she was really pushing to fact we should be claiming for ALL children that would normally have attended.

Had to google FOMO - I have learned something there 😄

[finleysmaid]

well after our start with 2 we are now down to one for next week. I have invited the three from the next group in and they are not keen yet....so i have one little one with two staff for 2 and a half days next week!😱🤪 ....thinking long walks and cookery !!!!

I'm finding everything strange ...i seem to be really busy but i don't know what with! and lots of angst all around me 

On another note has anyone found themselves thinking about joining a union ? I'm not a union sort of gal. but i really don't feel well represented at the moment

[Mouseketeer]

26 minutes ago, finleysmaid said:

well after our start with 2 we are now down to one for next week. I have invited the three from the next group in and they are not keen yet....so i have one little one with two staff for 2 and a half days next week!😱🤪 ....thinking long walks and cookery !!!!

I'm finding everything strange ...i seem to be really busy but i don't know what with! and lots of angst all around me 

On another note has anyone found themselves thinking about joining a union ? I'm not a union sort of gal. but i really don't feel well represented at the moment

Oh gosh that’s low, we are around 15 a day but this has caused a problem with staffing as one feels strongly we should have only taken KW chn probably as we only had a couple last time and they wanted different sessions so we closed with all staff at home on full pay whilst I was the only one working for mine ...which wore a bit thin in the end (does that sound selfish?). Also busy and now wondering how it will get done, I think there’s the same paperwork regardless of one or one hundred children.

I did think about a Union but to be honest I’m not hearing them shouting very loudly to support their EY members are you? If they seemed more pro-active more of us might join (catch 22 maybe?)

Edited February 6, 2021 by Mouseketeer

[Cait]

Yes I know what you mean about bring the only one working.  My summer holidays were always like that. Doing all the paperwork and cleaning everything, prepping everything for new starters, doing policies etc.  If I suggested that they might want to come in and prep their key children’s trays I was met with ‘no I’m on holiday’ or some such, or they come in with very bad grace.  So no, absolutely doesn’t sound selfish! 

Edited February 6, 2021 by Cait

[finleysmaid]

Mornings update...we have doubled our numbers !😂 It's low because we closed due to vulnerable staff (to which one of my parents asked if we had employed some new ones then!! she was being serious!)

I suspect you are right about the union thing..not enough of us, maybe because you have to pay and we already work in a low paid industry?

[sunnyday]

25 minutes ago, finleysmaid said:

Mornings update...we have doubled our numbers !😂 It's low because we closed due to vulnerable staff (to which one of my parents asked if we had employed some new ones then!! she was being serious!)

I suspect you are right about the union thing..not enough of us, maybe because you have to pay and we already work in a low paid industry?

What an absolutely awful thing for that parent to have said - what is wrong with some people

[sunnyday]

35 minutes ago, Cait said:

Yes I know what you mean about bring the only one working.  My summer holidays were always like that. Doing all the paperwork and cleaning everything, prepping everything for new starters, doing policies etc.  If I suggested that they might want to come in and prep their key children’s trays I was met with ‘no I’m on holiday’ or some such, or they come in with very bad grace.  So no, absolutely doesn’t sound selfish! 

Sounds familiar!

[sunnyday]

Yay! Mr S has been 'jabbed'!

Feels like a huge step in the right direction

[Froglet]

Hello all,

Just wanted to send you all lots of love - at the moment I feel a bit guilty for not being in an EY setting with all you have to deal with, trust me you are very definitely valued and appreciated by me!

I am just exhausted - I'm in school full time, teaching all day to the 21 children in my class in school and delivering remote learning to the children at home.  Plus this week my governor school had Ofsted so I've done the governor interviews for that.  Today I am focusing on fun stuff (reading, knitting my latest pair of socks) and the necessary (sleeping as needed and restoring order to the kitchen - it's been a while since I did any dishes...)

I'm also trying to think of some fun virtual stuff I could do with my niblings over half-term; the lockdown side of things is affecting them more than me (in some respects my day to day life isn't that different) and they need some things to look forward to.

Take care everyone.

[finleysmaid]

 

Just now, sunnyday said:

Yay! Mr S has been 'jabbed'!

Feels like a huge step in the right direction

AMAZING ...woohoooooooooo!

[Froglet]

1 minute ago, sunnyday said:

Yay! Mr S has been 'jabbed'!

Feels like a huge step in the right direction

So very pleased to hear that!

[Panders]

There are plenty of Associations to join, Small Businesses, Day Nurseries, PLA, but none of them appear to have the "clout" needed to support our sector

[finleysmaid]

1 minute ago, Froglet said:

 

I am just exhausted - I'm in school full time, teaching all day to the 21 children in my class in school and delivering remote learning to the children at home.  Plus this week my governor school had Ofsted so I've done the governor interviews for that. 

well that makes me feel like i am useless !!! perhaps i can put up with stupid parents, seems minor in comparison !

[finleysmaid]

2 minutes ago, Panders said:

There are plenty of Associations to join, Small Businesses, Day Nurseries, PLA, but none of them appear to have the "clout" needed to support our sector

I would agree we are EYA members but never really sure why now!

[Froglet]

Just now, finleysmaid said:

well that makes me feel like i am useless !!! perhaps i can put up with stupid parents, seems minor in comparison !

Please don't say that!  It isn't, I truly believe that at the moment everything is hard for everyone in different ways.  We all just need to borrow strength from each other!