being a nanny and a mother

[nannyvik]

Hi does anyone look afer other kids with there own? I am a qualified nanny and have just had my own baby girl and will be returning to work in september taking her with me.

[oxocube]

No, but my ex-childminder used to do this with her 2 girls. She said it was quite tricky at times as her 2 would play up when she gave attention to the baby she was nanny to, usually in front of the baby's parents. She managed for a couple of years though, I think, but def. found it easier looking after kids in her own home.

[Bootyful]

Hi

I'm a childminder and I also have a DS (4.5) and DD (16 months). At the moment I only have a baby of 9 months to look after, but come September when my son goes to school i'll be taking on more (school runs).

It's been great for me, although I find DD does get a bit jealous of the baby if I'm holding her -but on the whole it's been absolutely fine. I do sometimes feel a bit guilty that I'm not spending as much time as I should with DS, but he has adjusted to the situation really well. I try very hard to share my time with all the children fairly.

The beauty of childminding in my home (besides the absolute hassle of trying to get registered with OFSTED, but that's another story!) is that I can manage my own time more effectively, it is flexible, and I feel at ease in my own environment. I also feel that in my own little way, I am running my own business (which is quite satisfying and does have it's advantages), as well as providing an essential service to the community as there is a real shortage of minders in my area. Infact, since being registered I have had about 5 mums approach me for minding services, which has just been through word of mouth.

[Dida]

Bootyful,

How long did it take you to get registered with OFSTED... I'm expecting my baby in Jan '03, and would like to start childminding when it's 3-4 months old. I've got plenty of experience looking after babies and children, (though none of it full time professionally), with brilliant references. I'm really looking forward to this life and career change - didn't think I'd leave Project Management so soon but I believe right things happen at the right time... Also, do I have to be a 'registered' childminder before taking on a child? And if I did take on a child and then applied for OFSTED registration would that affect it adversely... Many thanks.
Dida

[Dida]

Bootyful,

How long did it take you to get registered with OFSTED... I'm expecting my baby in Jan '03, and would like to start childminding when it's 3-4 months old. I've got plenty of experience looking after babies and children, (though none of it full time professionally), with brilliant references. I'm really looking forward to this life and career change - didn't think I'd leave Project Management so soon but I believe right things happen at the right time... Also, do I have to be a 'registered' childminder before taking on a child? And if I did take on a child and then applied for OFSTED registration would that affect it adversely... Many thanks.
Dida

[Bootyful]

Hi Dida

If you are minding a child for money, it is illegal not to be registered. It took me about 5 months to get my certificate, and I returned everything really quickly and without delay.
OFSTED anticipate 3 months for registration!!!!!

You will also have to do your own police check through the CRB, which seems to be taking up to 6 weeks at the moment (this will be for any adult over 18 living in the property) - You have to get the OFSTED inspector to verify your identity when they do your home visit so make sure you get the appropriate forms before the visit is arranged.

I really had to keep on at OFSTED to get registered, they just did not have any sense of urgency about them, and they kept losing my paperwork. So do allow yourself plenty of time.

You will be able to mind up to 3 children (including your own) under 5 yrs of age - only one of which can be under 1. You can mind up to 6 children in total (including baby). There are some really good websites - One to look at is
www.childcarelink.gov.uk - this also has a link to the OFSTED website which tells you about the national standards you'd need to adhere to to become a childminder.

Good luck, and give me a shout if you need anymore info.

[MiriamW]

nannyvik,

Not quite your situation, but I've had a nanny who brought her own daughter with her - worked wonderfully for us as ds was very attached to the little girl. In fact it worked so well that we deliberately looked for a nanny with own child thereafter. Not sure if there were other factors, but I always seemed to prefer nannys with girls for some reason - partly I think because the boys were just a bit too boisterous.

I never had any concerns that ds was not being well looked after, even though at times he was being ferried to pre-school as part of the girl's routine. But I think that the age gap worked well for us - the girl was 2 years older than ds, and ds was a great imitator.
Good luck with your plans in going back to work.