Mouseketeer

I’m pleased to hear it Louby 😊 We gave up on our traditional Nativity play and now have a children’s party, inviting (telling) the parents to be back 15 mins before we want it to end and sing a few festive (😉) songs. We change our role play into a stable for the last couple of weeks with all the Nativity costumes, props and story books, take photos, putting them together in the story order using iMovie with Away in a Manager playing over it.

A grandparent made us a knitted nativity set years ago, it still comes out every year, someone else did the donkey as it didn’t have one ….it is so big in comparison to the figures they could have all rode to Bethlehem on it 🤣 A good first ‘half a week’ back, only a few tears, easily distracted, and no red flags so far 🤞

I’m sure it’s due to the 30 hrs funding, when it was 15 hrs working parents had to pay to put them somewhere in the holidays anyway or use relatives & friends, now they can stretch the hours in nursery I know we lose a few locals a year due to that, or they do shared care so they have the hols back up, I know what the answer is but don’t have the inclination to start that now and my staff work term time because that’s what they want 🤷‍♀️

I’m with you there Louby, a less challenging year would be most welcome 🤞I think we’re starting back with the lowest number on register I’ve known.

Crumbs how is it 4 weeks ago I last looked in? How have 5 weeks of the holiday gone already? I have mostly spent eaten my way through it in one cafe or another …that will be a shock to the system when back at work 🐷 I’m actually sat here thinking I need to find top 😱 We finally have a hosepipe ban, though I’d given up on watering most things weeks ago, a few spots of rain this week but nothing to shout about, It sounds like we will make up for the dry spell soon. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer, hope your mum makes a quick recovery Zig-Zag, and best wishes to my co-workers starting back soon x

Love this louby! It’s pretty chilled isn’t it, it’s lovely to see all the families getting together and the chn love it, our laminated faces stuck to tuff trays with water shooters was their fav activity, the staff love it as they can just chat to families too with no pressure of being responsible for the chn …win, win really 🙌 We finished last Friday, lots of TDL paperwork done this week but love being able to come and go as I want. have a good break, and enjoy the rest of the summer everyone ☀️

We always did a traditional sports day to end the year but gave that up a couple of years ago as we could no longer manage the children’s behaviour between races, they used to sit on mats and watch/cheer but not any more, we now set up some little sports challenges like goal shooting, hurdle jumping, assault course, throwing balls in to buckets, parents take them around the activities, they have a card with each activity on, a staff member or committee mans each activity and stamps their card, when they’ve done them all they collect a medal ….way less stress 🙌 I have mostly spent this week being sworn at and having the heaviest thing available thrown at me by a 3 year old 😔

Thanks Louby & sunny, I’m not sure I’d stop ranting if I started 🫣 I do still catch up regularly with what you’re all up to and making 😊

I all, hope every one is ok, and yes bring on the real spring, though today doesn’t look too bad here. I try and look in for a read still, but don’t want to bore you all with work stuff, I do miss when the forum was about sharing thoughts, ideas (moaning), I need to retire, everything about early years just gets more and more demanding/depressing….the (lack of) funding, the behaviour, the parents, staffing (lack of) 🤯 I’m spending the day with my funny 4 year old GS which always brightens things up. Have a good weekend all ☀️ 🤞

Hi, Hope everyone is well and not getting too flooded ….ridiculous amount of ground water here, will it ever stop? ☔️

Hi Emma If coming from another setting I check where they are with Safeguarding (role dependent) and PFA, I then expect them to already have covered or will want them to asap: Prevent FGM Introduction to Sendco (our LA offer this) Behaviour Management WellComm - yes as we use it

We got away with anything other than high’ish winds, thanks Sunnyday, I think zigzag will have been in the worst of storm? It stayed a bit to west for us before hitting across the midlands. It seemed like a long first week back, only 5 till half term 🙌

No snow but freezing 🥶 So looking forward to the Monday morning -4 degrees conversations … Me - “you must be cold, where is your coat”? parent - “they wouldn’t put it on when they got out of the car” (no of course they wouldn’t) Me - “do you have it”? parent - “I left it in the car, will they need it?” 🙇🏻‍♀️ hope you all manage to dodge the real stuff ❄️

You’re welcome, good luck with it, search Early Years curriculum Cumbria, not my county but it had useful information on creating an EY curriculum.

Hoping everyone had a happy & healthy Christmas and wishing you all the very best for 2026 x