As a rule I don’t like rules …

So I try to have as few rules as possible, preferring to encourage good behaviour and hygiene through silly songs and fun routines.
Young, uncynical children generally respond happily to the security of knowing more or less what part of the day it is and what is coming next.

Our Rules …
We try to remember to take our shoes off in the carpet area of our playroom.
We never pick up babies. Only Cheryl is allowed to pick up babies.
We eat our food sitting at the dining room table (unless we are having a picnic outside)
We do not hurt people.
We tell Cheryl if we feel sad or upset.
When in the garden we never put things in our mouths and we do not climb on the fences.
We have FUN.

Our Routines …
Feeding our Guinea Pigs
Morning Music/Dance
Messy Play times
Morning Snack Time
Outdoor Play
Story Times
Lunch Time
Quiet Time
Free Play
Afternoon Snack Time

My Ofsted Report ...

I was inspected by Ofsted last month and have just received my REPORT.

I am very proud to have been graded as 'Outstanding' which is the highest possible grade, and only awarded (so my inspector told me) to 2% of all Early Years Settings.

Thank you to all you lovely parents who provided me with such fantastic references.

“Only teenagers yet to discover tweezers and waxing shave their eyebrows …”
Spluttered my horrified hairdresser upon my admission to 5 o’clock eyebrow shadow.
Whereupon she frog marched me to the salon’s kaftan covered beauty couch to be ruthlessly waxed and tinted.
A strangely enjoyable kind of pain.
And she gave me a lipstick for free.

I think I’ll stick to wearing shades …
I have just wasted an entire morning off in Boots drawing furtively on the back of my hand with tattoo effect lipstick.
Every now and then – invariably when I am about to fly and am facing hours feeling grey and frumpy in a departure lounge full of impossibly glamorous people – I decide with panicky conviction that I really ought to try wearing a bit of lippy. As a sort of disguise.
I just don’t do make-up very well. Never have done. It makes me feel squeamish.

Thank you Stephanie! …

My adapted version of your tidy-up song is working here like some kind of mysterious black magic.

Sung (flatly, but the children don’t seem to care) to the tune of Allouette, Gentille Alouette

Tidy Up Time,
Tidy, Tidy Up Time,
Tidy Up Time,
Tidy, Tidy Up.

(Tune changes slightly)

I can see (Pause, look around, and insert first eager child’s name, smile widely and nod approvingly) tidying up,
Thank you! …. (insert child’s name again and clap whilst continuing positive reinforcer of a grin)
Thank you! …. (As above)

Repeat and insert name of next child and yourself etc until all the toys are tidied up and/or you get face cramp.

Well, it may not be Bisto …
But a house just isn’t a home until all it’s rooms smell right.
We have finally settled into our new house … and I LOVE it.
It finally smells like MY house now that I have burned away the previous owner’s extra-doggy, eggy smell with my morning toast got stuck in the toaster trick.
Even my teenage boys’ room has that exact same aroma of crinkly socks and hormones as it did in our old house.
Lovely.

Do clouds have feelings? ...
The children have been asking me today whether the fireworks will hurt the clouds?

One for Laura and Martin ...
Here
ps - I lost your email addy when my hard drive died. Just to say that I AM open next Sat - doh!