It's Friday!

[zigzag]

Lots of colds doing the rounds for our children again! A family with a positive case (again) have insisted on the sister attending so I am making them test each day. I am still shocked that although Mum is at home each day she is still insisting the child attends. Legally I know she can but morally it is wrong.

A good and happy week for us. Managed to make progress with SALT referral today for a little one and it was good to be able to talk and bounce some ideas around with someone knowledgeable.  Still a long way to go, but at lest we are in the system. I fear there are more obstacles to be tackled so also got a paediatrician referral and inclusion referral going in.

The Ofsted document was shocking! I only speed read it, but my goodness! It really requires improvement!

Off to collect our new car tomorrow, will be the only time that it is immaculate, as soon as we drive it off the forecourt it will forever have sand in it. Cleaning out the old car, the amount of poo bags (unused)🤣 and masks was just ridiculous!

Happy and healthy weekend all xx

[sunnyday]

So glad that you pointed out that the poo bags were unused 🤣

[zigzag]

14 minutes ago, sunnyday said:

So glad that you pointed out that the poo bags were unused 🤣

Well I didn’t want to risk anyone getting the wrong idea about me!😬😛

[Mouseketeer]

1 hour ago, sunnyday said:

Ah 'the vanishing Ofsted notification document' Twitter was alive with news about that - but no I hadn't read it - was it something about notifying them about changes in staff circumstances or am I on the wrong track

That was it sunnyday ….very intrusive with what they thought we be telling them, now trying to back track and say it was for Cm’s who are the registered person but it clearly said ‘anyone working with children’ and anyone associated to settings ‘such as committee’ members amongst others 🤦‍♀️ They must have all taken medical degrees whilst ‘working from home’ 😖

[louby loo]

16 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

That was it sunnyday ….very intrusive with what they thought we be telling them, now trying to back track and say it was for Cm’s who are the registered person but it clearly said ‘anyone working with children’ and anyone associated to settings ‘such as committee’ members amongst others 🤦‍♀️ They must have all taken medical degrees whilst ‘working from home’ 😖

And don't forget the 'any regular visitors' !!!

[louby loo]

48 minutes ago, zigzag said:

Lots of colds doing the rounds for our children again! A family with a positive case (again) have insisted on the sister attending so I am making them test each day. I am still shocked that although Mum is at home each day she is still insisting the child attends. Legally I know she can but morally it is wrong.

 

Yes this was our family too! Mum at home - both mum and dad positive they didn't tell us until the child tested positive at the weekend! the child was in Thursday and Friday.  Thing is, dad collected the child ... I'm trying to believe he was on day 7 (or whatever) and had had a negative LFT before coming to us to collect child- staff think otherwise as they said with hindsight he acted shifty picking the child up quickly and trying to stay a bit distant etc 😬 I'm just glad that just before Christmas we actually stop parents coming into the setting again and we've stuck with that for the new year.

[Mouseketeer]

This waiting for 2 neg tests 24 hours apart is making life more difficult than knowing someone was off for 10 days or a family is isolating for 10 days, now you don’t have a clue when staff will make it back or families should be out of isolation 🤷‍♀️

[Gezabel]

3 hours ago, sunnyday said:

Nursery World are reporting that over 20% of EY staff are off sick with Covid - that is shocking and sad in equal measure

My grandson's nursery has been closed all week not enough staff to open. Sadly they are too far away for me to be any help - nightmare all round.

[Mouseketeer]

12 hours ago, louby loo said:

And don't forget the 'any regular visitors' !!!

Haha yeah…’can I just run through this list of questions with you incase I need to report you to Ofsted’ 🙈

[sunnyday]

I'm back from my 5k walk - it was lovely!

Apart from nearly being brained by a pheasant - we were walking around a country estate and they were having a shoot ☹️ we were asked to walk behind the guns - well doh we were hardly going to walk in front of them...they honestly miss most which is great...however one that they did get landed no more than 3feet away from me with a big 'whomp' noise - my lovely son thought that was hilarious 🤣 the 'gunman' shouted "sorry" - all good, but I did think 'how much would that hurt if it had hit me' 🤦‍♀️ 🤣

Oh and I have been 'told off' for talking to everyone - according to number one son "you just say good morning but keep walking" - yeah right!

[louby loo]

16 hours ago, Mouseketeer said:

This waiting for 2 neg tests 24 hours apart is making life more difficult than knowing someone was off for 10 days or a family is isolating for 10 days, now you don’t have a clue when staff will make it back or families should be out of isolation 🤷‍♀️

Yes!   I have staff 'could' be back Tuesday, or then again it might be Thursday 😭.  I don't actually mind either way if I knew for definite, with this system I won't know until Tuesday morning whether or not they're in!!

The conversation in our house this morning-

husband - 'are you working Tuesday'             me - 'I dont know yet'

husband - 'when will you know? I was thinking we could  meet up with  XXX for lunch.       'me - 'Tuesday morning'

husband-  walks of muttering on and on  about what a way to run a business etc.   me - refrains from throttling him!

[louby loo]

1 hour ago, sunnyday said:

I'm back from my 5k walk - it was lovely!

Apart from nearly being brained by a pheasant - we were walking around a country estate and they were having a shoot ☹️ we were asked to walk behind the guns - well doh we were hardly going to walk in front of them...they honestly miss most which is great...however one that they did get landed no more than 3feet away from me with a big 'whomp' noise - my lovely son thought that was hilarious 🤣 the 'gunman' shouted "sorry" - all good, but I did think 'how much would that hurt if it had hit me' 🤦‍♀️ 🤣

Oh and I have been 'told off' for talking to everyone - according to number one son "you just say good morning but keep walking" - yeah right!

Sounds like an interesting walk 😂

[sunnyday]

36 minutes ago, louby loo said:

Yes!   I have staff 'could' be back Tuesday, or then again it might be Thursday 😭.  I don't actually mind either way if I knew for definite, with this system I won't know until Tuesday morning whether or not they're in!!

The conversation in our house this morning-

husband - 'are you working Tuesday'             me - 'I dont know yet'

husband - 'when will you know? I was thinking we could  meet up with  XXX for lunch.       'me - 'Tuesday morning'

husband-  walks of muttering on and on  about what a way to run a business etc.   me - refrains from throttling him!

That must be very difficult

[louby loo]

12 minutes ago, sunnyday said:

That must be very difficult

Frustrating more than difficult to be honest.  It's the not being able to plan ahead.  We work well as a small team and we are always one over ration anyway- but it must be really difficult for large settings. 

[Mouseketeer]

4 hours ago, louby loo said:

Frustrating more than difficult to be honest.  It's the not being able to plan ahead.  We work well as a small team and we are always one over ration anyway- but it must be really difficult for large settings. 

This is the problem, no knowing what you’re going to be doing tomorrow or the day after and dropping it to days 5 & 6 has just added another ‘uncertain’ day to the equation 🙄

In theory I’m supernumerary (that isn’t the reality very often, even pre-Covid), so many children need a higher level of support that I feel bad just thinking ‘you’re in ratio get on with it’, I really don’t get how setting’s run to ratio …I take my hat off to them, but I’m sure no one gives a thought to the fact that a managers work doesn’t just disappear when covering ratio’s, especially if you’re the one doing all the admin as well as the childcare manager role 😞 

[sunnyday]

49 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

 

especially if you’re the one doing all the admin as well as the childcare manager role 😞 

I remember it well - it's flippin' hard work

[Cait]

On 15/01/2022 at 20:29, sunnyday said:

I remember it well - it's flippin' hard work

Sadly, me too! 

[louby loo]

On 15/01/2022 at 20:29, sunnyday said:

I remember it well - it's flippin' hard work

 

4 hours ago, Cait said:

Sadly, me too! 

I can confirm this- I'm  completely done it. I actually thought today was Friday even though I had to work a full day and we only do mornings on a Friday!

Anyway we are actually back to full staff from tomorrow, and I have the day off - well sort of... I just need to catch up on all the paperwork, funding forms, census and headcount!😂

...and not to forget doing the invoices that are now well and truly  overdue! 😩

[zigzag]

It’s the constant emails that are doing my head in at the moment! Daily one form DFE, then from LA, then staffing census, headcount, EYA updates it just seems endless!  

[louby loo]

5 hours ago, zigzag said:

It’s the constant emails that are doing my head in at the moment! Daily one form DFE, then from LA, then staffing census, headcount, EYA updates it just seems endless!  

Yes, and they all seem to merge into a blur now, everything seem to change from one day to the next - I feel I just can't keep up any more, and I'm not sure if I even want to now!

Parents want to forget is exists now as the government say send all under 5s in regardless....... Ok, they may be low risk for being ill themselves , but what everyone seems to forget is the staff are actually human beings who have families themselves which may include high risk vulnerable members.  

Staff are more stressed about passing it on- than becoming ill themselves which- it's really quite sad. Thankfully  I'm lucky that I don't have elderly parents,  or vulnerable family to worry about. 

I understand that at some point we have to live with it...... but it's so ******** stressful actually being in the thick of it! One thing going about daily life as normal when you you are in control of the situation - totally different in a setting being coughed and sneezed on all day  (and obviously some other jobs)

 

Rant over - have a good weekend everyone 😊

[sunnyday]

8 hours ago, zigzag said:

It’s the constant emails that are doing my head in at the moment! Daily one form DFE, then from LA, then staffing census, headcount, EYA updates it just seems endless!  

 

2 hours ago, louby loo said:

Yes, and they all seem to merge into a blur now, everything seem to change from one day to the next - I feel I just can't keep up any more, and I'm not sure if I even want to now!

Parents want to forget is exists now as the government say send all under 5s in regardless....... Ok, they may be low risk for being ill themselves , but what everyone seems to forget is the staff are actually human beings who have families themselves which may include high risk vulnerable members.  

Staff are more stressed about passing it on- than becoming ill themselves which- it's really quite sad. Thankfully  I'm lucky that I don't have elderly parents,  or vulnerable family to worry about. 

I understand that at some point we have to live with it...... but it's so ******** stressful actually being in the thick of it! One thing going about daily life as normal when you you are in control of the situation - totally different in a setting being coughed and sneezed on all day  (and obviously some other jobs)

 

Rant over - have a good weekend everyone 😊

I'm sending the biggest of virtual hugs to you two xxx

Hope that you can find some brightness in the weekend

[zigzag]

Ahh Louby Loo, I feel your pain and everything you just said is exactly how we feel.  Today we had a child who coughed non stop from the start of session  until the end. Unfortunately she is having a bit of a wobble at the moment and is very clingy to me so I have literally been coughed at face to face most of the morning,  despite  me telling her to cough into her hand or arm. Mid way through the morning I had to take a couple of minutes away as I was getting quite stressed by it.  Like you said it’s not me I am worried about it’s my elderly parents.  A couple of things are really getting on top of me at the moment and I came home feeling awful. But I took the dog for a nice walk and decided to let it go for the weekend and deal with it on Monday. It’s just so damn hard to switch off when it is little people that we care about so much.  It’s really exhausting.

[sunnyday]

We have been 'out' - whoop!

Seed buying - decided that we would do this before Thursday when the 'rules' change, I know that we can continue to wear masks but that is not what is needed to keep Mr S safe really...anyway we thoroughly enjoyed our little outing!

[Cait]

What a great idea!  What seeds did you get? 
 

had a totally frustrating afternoon after doing a batch of ironing.  I decided that I’d do a fancy machine stitch round my hankies to make it more obvious which are mine - yes I know once they’re laundered it doesn’t matter, but, well…….

Could I get the old Bernina to do a fancy pattern? Could I ‘eckerslike’! I even got the book of words out and checked I’d done it correctly.  Yep, all the settings were just like the picture - by the end of it, I couldn’t even get an ordinary zig-zag!  Goodness only knows what’s going on.   Grrrrr.  

[Panders]

7 hours ago, Cait said:

 

Could I get the old Bernina to do a fancy pattern? Could I ‘eckerslike’! I even got the book of words out and checked I’d done it correctly.  Yep, all the settings were just like the picture - by the end of it, I couldn’t even get an ordinary zig-zag!  Goodness only knows what’s going on.   Grrrrr.  

I feel your pain Cait.     I was given a swanky new Brother machine which I am getting used to.   So many things it could be.     My very old Singer was straight or zigzag only, however, the dial for it was - shall we say - temperamental,  in the end I removed the dial itself, used pliers to move it between either stitch and because it began to jump between either stitch randomly, I used to tape it up so it couldn't🤣   Hope your issue is simple.   Possibly google probs and some kind soul will have the answer, surprising what you can find on Youtube!

[sunnyday]

13 hours ago, Cait said:

What a great idea!  What seeds did you get? 
 

 

Cucumbers, toms, courgettes, peppers (not going to grow carrots this year - we have two beautiful visiting cats, I love seeing them, but I don't want them to 'poo' in my carrot trugs 🤦‍♀️) - still need to get seed potatoes...

Rudbeckia, Petunias, Marigolds, Asters, Nasturtium, Zinnia, Carnations, Nemesia, Sunflowers, Cosmos

Hmm - think that will be enough to be getting on with 😂

[louby loo]

12 hours ago, Cait said:

 

Could I get the old Bernina to do a fancy pattern? Could I ‘eckerslike’! I even got the book of words out and checked I’d done it correctly.  Yep, all the settings were just like the picture - by the end of it, I couldn’t even get an ordinary zig-zag!  Goodness only knows what’s going on.   Grrrrr.  

What model?

 

[Panders]

Have you got the correct foot on Cait?

[sunnyday]

2 hours ago, Panders said:

Have you got the correct foot on Cait?

Oh no - we're not going back to Cait's webbed feet are we 🤦‍♀️🤣

[Panders]

You'd have thought she would have completely dried out by now, she left wet and windy Cumbria a long time ago🤣