zigzag

Veg garden half planted. Dwarf sunflowers and giant sunflowers gone in today and tomato plants popped into grow bags. Loads of petunias to prick out and pot on tomorrow. I only got five cosmos from my packet but to be fair it was a very old packet! At this current moment in time everything in the front, back and veg garden is up to date and looking fab! If only I could confidently say it was going to stay like that! I have now asked to stay on until the end of July! The person who was going to be interim manager has proved over the last week that they are in no way ok to be in that position and it I just can’t leave the children and other staff in that situation. We have someone interested in the position who would be great and I would feel confident in handing my precious group to them in September. Keep telling myself I am doing the right thing and this way will wrap it all up properly. So need to keep,being polite and holding my temper with a certain couple of parents for just a bit longer!🤐

The paper forms are ridiculous, I don’t let them go home either. What annoys me is when they have changed a session and you have to complete a whole new form, it’s really wasteful. Have had a truly lovely day, it’s been the hottest most beautiful day of the year down here so far. We had a lovely lunch then came home and sat outside chatting all afternoon. Very relaxed and lovely. Hope the weather has been kind to all today.

Jolly glad Friday is upon us again. Really need to crack on and get my veg garden planted up this weekend. Off out to lunch with my son and his girlfriend tomorrow which will be lovely. No TDL this weekend (apart from learning journeys) Worked hard yesterday to make a real good start on the handover book so my head space is starting to free up! I am a bit concerned that when it’s free of pre-school stuff it’s just going to be an empty vacuum!🥴 Have a job offer on the table already, and another I have turned down as already do changeovers on that day and three more offers! It’s absolutely amazing what is out there if you are prepared to work. Just want to make the decision so not rushing in to fast. Have a great weekend all. Xx

Exactly!

Two out of three of my staff work in a few other jobs to make ends meet, they have to. Don’t worry the chairperson is absolutely against the idea and we literally cannot believe that it was a serious suggestion by a supposedly sensible person! I have to admit my filter has come off a little as I have no need to be polite or fight anymore. At least it’s all justifying my decision.

Thank goodness our closets one is about 150 miles away!

I have had to swap a session at the end of term from Friday to Thursday due to a staffing issue. This has caused uproar and a committee member is going berserk about lack of cover staff. We have one (who can’t work) and the other person is no longer interested. This parent has told the chairperson that we need to get all staff to sign a contract 9-3 everyday regardless if the work 3 hours or 15 which then stops them working anywhere else so they can be available at all times just in case! 🤯🤯 That is the only way any of the assistants can survive by having other work as well when hours drop in Autumn. I cannot believe the selfishness of some people, the child goes to another setting which can offer 30 hours which we can’t so why does she just not take him there!

I was asked if I would stay on until July but I just can’t. Now I have made the decision, the sooner the better. And that shows just how low it has got me because I would never normally do anything that may affect the smooth running of the group. I have started to fill a book with the TDL and how to do everything and my goodness no wonder my head has felt ready to explode most of the time! The parent who was the final straw in all this had a go at me yesterday because I didn’t answer her email on bank holiday evening. The email did not need a response unlike her other ones. And when questioned why I didn’t answer I said because it’s a bank holiday weekend and didn’t need to be responded to she got really 💩 with me. Which actually just confirmed that the decision to leave is the right one.

4 working weeks.

When a new manager is appointed, what process do they need to go through with Ofsted checks etc?

I would love to stay on as I would miss you all so much. X

I don’t want to leave the forum and you lovely regulars, so am hoping I may be able to stay on here somehow.

It was a really heart wrenching decision to make and not one I have taken lightly. But enough really is enough and I have to think of my well being, which has been suffering. I am going to come out of childcare for now and see what comes up. I just want something part time and that I can walk away from, so am happy to give anything a try.

Well I’ve made a huge decision today and have handed my notice in! I’ve gone for as long as I can, but decided enough is enough. Early years and parents in particular have changed so much in the last 19 years that it has drained my passion and that’s not fair on the children. So onto pastures new, whatever that may be….

He is gorgeous. You are very talented.

I have never had so many children in nappies and parents so uninterested in toilet training. It’s quite shocking.

A really full on week here and I am literally so on the verge of handing my notice in. We have a full on group at the moment made up of four year olds who are ready for school and two year olds who just want to destroy the place! We then have a new starter who Screams the place down (quite a shock as we usually have no trouble settling them in) and is taking me away from the session as she needs constant 1-1. To add to this we have another newbie who is fine once in session but doesn't want to leave Mum and will try to run after her if given the chance at drop off time. Then for whatever reasons we have two of our other children who are playing Mums up and need peeling off Mums to get them in, then literally seconds later are all smiles. So my poor little chap who does need my attention at the moment so that I can get a early help referral in for him is just drifting through the session not achieving much. I really feel torn in a million pieces and that I am totally failing them all. Then to top that I have announced that we have to drop our extra session that parents pay for in September as we just don’t have enough children to break even for it and a parent has just become demanding, critical and nasty despite my endless efforts to make her understand. It’s just all too much. Thank god it’s a long weekend. FM glad your Ofsted is over, it’s a great feeling isn’t it! We have had beautiful dry weather but a very cold east wind, but at least it makes mud free dog walks! Enjoy the weekend all.

I’ve been doing two holiday cottage changeovers today! The weather has been thick fog and rain so didn’t bother me! But I would like to order some sunshine tomorrow please! Have a lovely Easter all. Xx This is my working cocker (who hasn’t done a days work in her life) This was her chilling on the swing seat yesterday watching me scrub the picnic bench!

Hands down, best dogs ever!

Oh wow I wished I worked with you, it all sounds delicious. What lucky colleagues you have!

Ahh, that’s a shame, be much nicer in person!

Yes, both my boys were great big Rowers and have attended the world champs on the Scillies for many years. Sadly due to work commitments now they have had to stop. You must be on holiday? Have a great one.

What are people doing about the bank holidays that fall in half term? Am I right in saying that two bank holidays will fall in the half term (Thursday 2 and Friday 3) So are people taking two additional days off at another time. I can’t help think I am being thick on this, but I’ve been looking at it and going around in circles!

They make it so complicated, it makes my brain (alright it’s a tiny brain) ache every year!

We have one more week, hoping we might actually get a full house again next week. Can’t remember the last time this happened, what with Covid and then a D&V bug doing the rounds. Good job we have a two week circuit breaker very soon! Beautiful sunshine here, just a couple of flakes of snow/sleet this morning but it had finished before it had started. Buts it’s so chilly 🥶 Hope everyone is well and has a lovely weekend.