17th Aug

Had my play day with my friend's little boy 2 y o for 6 hours for practise and it was such fun. It's really the nicest job I can think of at the moment although I'm a bit worried it won't make much money.

We played with the interlocking foam tiles and I was amazed at how many different things there are to do with them - line them up hop scotch style, make boxes big and small to get inside! put them on their side and zig zag down the room. Then he piled them up and stood on them and kept falling off in gales of giggles.

He loved playing with the train multi story track and the 3 trains that race down the helter skelter thing and a huige crushing ball thing too.... he was engrossed without input for the longest time so far and it stimulated lots of words and babble sounds.

I have found a link to a site on childmindinghelp forum which can make all the websites safe so I must remember to do that. I also worked out how to print out small photos from my iphone via email for the personal diary so that's useful too...next mission is to find out what to buy to connect my buggy board to the double buggy.

Ken has offered to give tips for my website so I wonder what he'l come up with as he's very thorough....

first entry 13.8.11

I feel it'd be useful to chart the development of my business as well as my own development as an early years practioner. I'm aiming at getting qualified to offer funded nursery places at my home as well as being a regular child minder. I shall see how it goes...I may love the variety of ages and not want to be tied down to nursery only but I certainly want the choice and the training. Funding is difficult and it appears that only the diploma of young children workforce level 3 (or something like that!) is available right now and not EYPS (early years prof status)

Right now I have completed the mandatory Ist Aid and ItC (Intro to childminding) 7 sessions, done 5 CRBs for the people living here fulltime, safe proofed my house, bought loads of mainly 2nd hand equipment, worked out my policies and procedures (most of them)

I spend a lot of time on the forum childmindinghelp.com which offers all sorts of advice and answers every question I have. I feel totally supported by it which makes all the difference.

I have so far only met one local child minder who is friendly and the others have not replied. I'm hoping to find a way to meet them so we can support each other in an emergency. I'm thinking of starting up a support group for NNorfolk childminders as there doesn't seem to be one.

Childcare.co.uk has been a valuable resource for finding parents and I have been contacted by 3 sets now. One for a day a week in the holidays - 2 year old with autism, 5 sleepover nights a fortnight for a 5 yo boy and a 9 month baby from Lithuania that will most likely not return as mum seemed reluctant to take the plunge. I was proud to have 2 good reviews from the other parents around my introductory talks and help I am giving them informally.

My website, cards and posters around town etc and article in local magazine seems not to have given any contacts at all so far which is baffling. I guess word of mouth is simply the best way.

My experience and job training consisted of volunteering to help at a local toddlers group and also at a friend's nursery. This showed me I had not lost my touch with children and gave me a lot of confidence.

Now playing the waiting game waiting for Ofsted to come along and give me my registration inspection. According to childminding matters Glynis local manager, everything is fine and she was impressed and happy on her 2nd visit that every suggestion had been followed up....so fingers crossed....