To quit a 50k a year job to retrain as a childminder?

I don't think you are insane to do it.

However, what does you partner/husband think? Assuming you have one. Are they happy to have their home dedicated to this? Are they OK with the big drop in household Income? Will they be taking on the majority of responsibility for household income and are they OK with that? Are they OK, with having other children in the house when they get home from work, have annual leave, home from work sick? Buying a bigger car etc

Also childminding isn't baby sitting. Have you actually looked into what it entails? Are you prepared to be customer facing, with parents who are often (understandably) very picky about what you do, how you do it, their children's sleep schedule, their learning etc. Since one of your places is taken by your child, how much will you actually make after expenses incurred? Is it enough? I assume your car insurance will need changing, house insurance, cost of the bigger car etc?

Don’t do it. Yes, you’ll be with your baby but working and will be dividing your time with children who are not yours. I have CM’d and its bloody hard work for little reward. Its lovely seeing your charges grow though!

Also,m, in the long term your giving uo financial security and a career. Can you go part time?

The first few months of nursery is hard work. I'm just coming out of the haze of hating work, nursery sickness and just general panic and fog,

Don't quit your 50k job, take it from someone who did a well paid job and then moved into childcare and then back out of it again. Unless you ADORE working with early years children it is physically and mentally draining - nursery staff are machines. Huge appreciation for them especially with the pay they get!

Go part time?

I think it's a bit of a stretch to say it's hormones after 6 months! Emotions yes.

You really would be better off spending some lovely time with your baby, instead of putting the baby in the care of nurseries and the like, Obviously not financially better off though.

Firstly, I understand what you mean about priority shifts after you've had a baby. I expected to be home with my first baby for 6 months, and then go back full time. It turns out that I loved being a SAHM and no longer give a shit about any of the luxuries I used to think were so important, so I completely packed in my job and 2 babies later I still haven't gone back to work. I'll go back once my youngest starts school and not a minute before.

So if you genuinely feel that your priorities have changed to the point where doing this has become more important than going back to your old job, and you can actually afford the massive paycut, then by all means, go for it. Money isn't everything. But as others have said, make sure you're really thinking this through and not basing your decision on those pangs of mum guilt that we all get when we do the daycare drop off in the morning.

Secondly, I think 9 months old is a really tough age to leave them. They are usually going through a clingy stage and the separation anxiety can be pretty fierce. My personal experience with all of my children has been that it becomes far easier to leave them with someone else after their 1st birthday. Is it possible to delay your return to work by a few more weeks? Or maybe do part time?

What a ridiculous reason to decide to be a childminder . I wouldn’t use a childminder who also cared for her own kids at the same time for this exact reason

Currently it's your hormones.
I believe you would come to regret it.
Don't do it.

I think it depends on your financial situation, and how you’ve handled money so far. If your house is ideal, you own your car outright and you don’t have loads of debts then it would definitely be worth taking a pay cut to enjoy those precious years with your little one. You’ll never get those back!

I agree with looking at going part time in your current profession, even if it means switching companies and taking a pay cut. At least then you’ve got the option of going back to a high salary if your situation changes x

I bet being a childminder is a really tough gig. Especially if you end up with undiagnosed ADHD kids or something.

I think it sounds like a really bad idea.

I think it’s crazy but I really like working and got pretty bored staying home with only a baby to talk to so I’m definitely biased.

What has worked great for us is both parents having very flexible employers, with short full time hours expectations & permanent WFH. DH looks after DD in the morning until 9 when nanny takes over. Nanny leaves at 5:15 but usually last 45 mins of the day I’m making dinner & dd is around “helping” with nanny as support. I WFH 8-4 and usually have lunch around when the kids do. DH work 9-5 so DD doesn’t have super long hours with her nanny. I’m able to take time out from work regularly (Fridays at 2 in the summer to go to the pool for example) to spend additional time with the kiddo. I also have flexibility to get dinner going etc during the day so we don’t really do chores during the week while dd is awake.

The other thing that helps is pretty much from day 1 she’s just loved being with her nanny and pushes DH up the stairs every day or says “mummy to back to work.” Not a sign she doesn’t love us, just a sign she’s with a really great caregiver. I was the same with my nanny when I was a child.

You might consider whether there is another employer in your field who would give you more flexibility, and/ or a home care situation.

I don’t know what Nannies make in the UK, where I am, our nanny is paid close to 50k for a share (she looks after DD and another little boy but it’s organized by the families, not like a child minder) and it’s common for Nannies to bring their own child instead of a share, so you might be able to do that. That said, nannying often isn’t about qualifications so much as experience and references so I’m not sure how much luck you’d have getting hired with no experience.

How much money do you need to earn? When I was a childminder I worked full.time, with my own dd taking one of rmy places.
Total profit for my last year(admittedly 10 years ago) was less than £10k

My and all the other childminders I knew had DH who were earning enough support us whilst we did this "hobby job."

I say hobby job because it was definitely a busy full time job that requires training and dedication, but hobby due to the actual income side of it.

So if your salary really isn't a consideration, give it a go.

I would find it too awful to leave my kids so I've put my career on hold to be a stay at home mum until they go to school.
I know that isn't for everyone but it's my choice. We don't have a lot of money as I was slightly the higher earner. I'd rather live simply with my little ones at home.

I have friends and colleagues who think I'm mad but I couldn't be happier.

My career is one that I can easily return to. Could you return to yours in three years time? Can you go part time? Do you have a partner and can you live on their wage for a while or from savings?

I kept my career. It has meant I have been able to fund my child living in a different city and going to medical school. He got in as a post graduate so it has been an expensive process. Money can bring your child a lot of advantages like music lessons, riding lessons, private medical care and overseas travel. I have been poor and scrimping on everything. I don't want that for my children.

Others have said it but why wouldn’t you go part time?

I did 4 days a week, and loved having a special day just with my DD. Many of my friends are 3 days a week snd still progressing their careers.

Personally, I couldn’t do the job or easily give up the salary. Also the hours would likely be long and pretty relentless.

Could you go part time?

Is there a career path for you where you could work from home or on a hybrid model? If you could work towards something like that and arrange home-based care, it is the absolute best of both worlds.

Your child would suddenly have to share you with others. Those children might need a lot more attention at various times. How would that make you feel? Or her feel?

My mum used to mind some older children when I was in primary school, plus one little one. It had its moments but a lot of the time it was just annoying always having other children around. Your baby won’t be able to articulate this but she will be sharing you whereas if you go part time she can have your full attention on your days with her.

I did this shortly after qualifying as a chartered surveyor. I didn't think I could have children, so when I did I didn't want to hand them over to someone else and miss the milestones etc.

Childminding was good in some ways, my kids always had friends to play with and it helped them socially. Our local childminding group organised lots of fun activities and it wasn't a bad life to start off with.

Having Ofsted come into my home and find fault was hard, though. Not to mention the constant demand for meaningless paperwork which in most cases was just producing a paper trail so someone earning much more than me could check up on me. It's seen as a low status job and after a while that grates, particularly if you've left a high status one to do it. I'd say enjoy it for a few years then go back to your career. Keep up your CPD. I neglected mine, stayed in childcare for too long (hence the username) and then found it incredibly difficult to get back into the 'adult' workplace. It was as though people assume working with young children turns your brain to mush.

Re going to the toilet, you would have to risk assess taking into account the layout of your house and the age/ stage / number of children you have. My playroom is right next to the downstairs bathroom so I can usually just leave the door ajar and make it quick! Sometimes I might pop a younger child in a travel cot. You'd have to work out what works best for you.

Have you looked at reducing hours in your current job? Even if your dropped to half a week and took on a job share.

Wow, I haven't read all of this but I'm amazed about all the negativity around childminders! I'm just wondering why people think it's such an awful job.
I've been childminding for around 6 years and I can honestly say it's the best decision I've made. Salary wise, it's not that bad, especially once you factor in not having to pay your own childcare .
Of course it's hard work (as is any job) and you also have all stress of being self employed BUT there are so any positive aspects. It's incredibly rewarding and I feel I'm in a very privileged position to be able to pick up my DC from
School every day as well as earning a reasonably good salary.
Why don't you contact your local authority (they all have their own entry requirements) and get the relevant info and maybe try to meet some childminders local to you to see what the job involves. There are also some really supportive Facebook groups.
It's obviously not for everyone but an absolutely worth you looking more into
IMO.

No 50 percent of marriages end in divorce don't give up your financial security.

I think you have to really like children. How would you feel about toddlers and preschoolers bolting about. They aren't necessarily most gentle. I couldn't do long days. Childminders I know start at 7.30am or earlier and some kids dont leave until 6pm.

You would definitely be insane. Do not do this.