louby loo

I'm glad it went well, I've been thinking about you/mr s today

Mine too!

No sanitiser on children. We bring the children in 2 at a time and they wash hands with adult supervision. Works for us as the walk from carpark allows time Home time we spray magic spray (soapy water) and the children rub hands, then rinse off on the way out. Much quicker, parents can then use sanitiser once collected if the want to.

I think they need to be on certain benefits to get the £500, so it's not just anyone that can claim.

I have a parent that emails every Sunday evening and says 'I think we'll start back next week, I just want to give it another week' To be fair she is a good parent and the child will not be just left in front of a screen all week. I thinking of preempting this weeks email by suggesting she waits until half-term, but I can't think how to word it without sounding mardy about it 🤔

Thank you I tried it and it said they weren't eligible 😳, mind you we've been on 80% during the whole of lockdown which I guess effects the figures. (no staff furloughed) I think I'll just pay this time, but will need a serious think if this keeps happening.

Not sure to be honest, I think you need a Drs note? (I may well have that wrong!) and this staff member didn't seek advice. Not sure it's worth the bother for us as a term time preschool. I'll pay this time, but will need a rethink if it keeps happening as it's not fair on the staff that do come in.

Well I guess as long as they line up it's the same as queuing for the supermarket? (Do people still queue to get in shops?... I'm still sticking with online for most things) Our parents do space out nicely - but they do huddle rather than queue though😳 Sorry I can't think of anything funny, but I have developed a strange habit of counting groups of people in the park recently ! 🤣

Our week started bad, but ended good I think they are settling back into the routine now, and the initial wild excitement about being back is calming down. I have a staff member who decided she needs to self isolate as she had a sore throat- no other symptoms, surprised me as she was one of the more positive about coming back . I'm really not sure what to do about pay. I'd pay if SI is genuinely needed, but I'm not sure I can afford to pay for every sniffle staff have. I might suggest unpaid leave if she really is worried.

I've found my people 😁😳

Never to early for the word in my book .............🌲 (well to be fair if they're asking me to book meals, and flog me tacky decorations etc, ... then to early- but to just talk about it fine, and us crafters have to think early )

Hello and welcome form me too

Free range...... ours are decidedly feral!! We were discussing this today, the returners have missed out on the summer term of the leavers being 'top-dogs' and I really think this has affected them

We're certainly struggling a lot more this week. I think the honeymoon period is over for our returners. One thing we've noticed is our children that are now doing full days, are doing them from the off. every other year parents build up the sessions over a few weeks- not this year! I think six months at home and the parents want them out for as long as possible. We've had to phone parents to collect early today as the children were just not coping well. Tired, tears and very ratty.

Well we've had a result today. One of our returners that became toilet trained during the summer... finally had a wee with us today!🤣. It's been as stressful few days!

OMG!!! I had one of those many years ago. We had a small group playing a board game the other side of a glass door.... up-chucker walks to door and projectile vomits again the door..... it was like a comedy horror movie the children and adult the other side of door screamed in total shock. I can't remember how we dealt with it in the end I think told mum he wasn't ready, and she very quickly stopped giving him a full bottle of milk before he came in🙄 He did settle and became one of our well behaved pleasant children in the end. Oh, yes and a couple of full changes of clothes for staff!!

Can the nervous child do shorter sessions and build up? This is how we've handled our screamer, and it's woking well- as he goes home just as he's really getting Pack-away problems- We have actually put so much less out now, and we are also trying to go with things that can be dumped and the end of the session -like anything that can be recycled, lots of boxes and paper bags for 'shopping' etc! Our best new resource so far this year is ........4 rather large roadwork cones! We have a big hall and they haven't made it to the outside yet- they children love them. We just stick them outside the fire door at the end of session -quick and easy. Are there things already in the hall you can adapt? Our children love it when the 'big tables' are out! We use them to make dens etc, again quick and easy. Mushroom trays are your friend!......... particularly now, if you can get a few . They are light, stack together and we use them to get small amounts of our usually free choice bits out. Added bonus is they are great for washing resources. I guess if your 3rd staff member is able to return and do very light duties- i.e. just watching, supervising this could make a huge difference, as you can put less out- and have a 'staff runner' if anything else is needed. For drying paintings we just hand a bit of string and make a washing line across the windows. We use the park a lot as we do not really have an outside area, small yard type thing, so not sure how that will work from Monday. x

Oh my, that is not a good start 😢 Pack-away: not the best but look at it as free gym membership. We have a lot less out now, but the children seem happy enough with less resources. Technically we can leave our stuff out until the scouts start up again, however- I have not told the staff this as I think it will become difficult when we need to again. We 'semi-packaway' which is a treat for us. We've had no new starters yet, so we are certainly expecting more tears as we move forward, I am glad we did this week with just the older ones. Although that said we do this every year anyway. Does being a staff member down have a huge impact on staffing for you? Obviously very hard work with just two setting up/down each day, can you compromise about leaving some bits out- even if it's just for a few weeks until you get into routine? I'd already decided to step back this year, and I have a staff member that would like extra hours which is good - but we'll still be balancing on a knife edge if staff need to isolate etc. I think it's going to be a difficult year for a lot of us really. Take care of yourself, and treat yourself kindly this weekend. 💐🍷🍫 xxx

Friday again. I'm back to having Fridays of again 😁 Our first proper week back with children, and I have to say it went so well. (hope they're having a good day today too 😳) The children settled back unbelievably well, and as we only had our returners in this week -with no new children it felt like we had never been away, the children seemed genuinly happy to see all the staff again. We had our first C-19 query on Wednesday when a sibling was sent home from school, and Thursday with a staff members child who was almost not allowed in school. Both sorted and no issues thankfully. However I do feel it's going to be a long winter could and flu season!

Maybe this is his actual game plan? It will be far quicker and easier for him if you give him the child. I know our parents are actually loving our new system, for us it works well- but I can see this is not practical with multi rooms full day care though

Do you have a local Round Table/Rotary Club that will help? (or whatever those type things are called nowadays)

I guess maybe if you're a full daycare with various rooms that act as bubbles it might cause an issue ? For us, as a one room big bubble it's not really an issue as we do don't really have them in now (drop at door). The odd one that needs to come in we do not make them wear mask- we already have the children in who are the super-spreaders anyway! Visiting prospective parents wanting a show around I guess we would ask- but as we're currently full we're not doing show arounds anyway.

Yay 😊 Just get back to 'playing with children all day", and stop trying to get ideas above your station !!🤣🤣

Yes, and you ask the child how they feel once the parent has gone- and they burst out crying saying saying .... I want my mummy/daddy 😬