Childminder with no car

i'm also i childminder who doesnt drive
i'd say 4yr old mindees nursery is 1.5 miles away not quite sure -
it takes us 30 mins to get there it is nearly all uphill and very steep with me pushing 2 x 2.5yr olds only takes 15/20 mins to get home again

his session is only 2.5hr so home for 1.45mins then off up the hill again!!!

at first i thought it was gonna kill me but we soon got used to it and i really feel so much better for it lost weight and toned up.

sometimes i get the bus but it's more trouble than its worth with a double buggy tbh

Hope it goes ok on Monday TuTu!

Hi Tutu - I wouldn't worry too much - as mumslove said send waterproofs and wellies when raining and they will be fine; think of all that wonderful fresh air your LO's will get

I am a childminder, I do drive but car is used mainly by my son for work (well it is his car!) I used to do a school run, morning and afternoons - 30 mins there/30 mins back twice a day; did this with 5 year old triplets, 7 year old sibling, and my two regular mindees - I live in a very hilly area and uphill was hard but hey I had all those little hands to help push the double buggy - the worst for me/mindees was the seemingly endless rain during January/February but providing children have appropriate wet weather clothes, I think the walk and fresh air is great for them. I have to say too that I certainly toned up somewhat . Quite a few of my mindees parents use their car so its a nice change for them to walk and use a bus with me

Just make sure you send them with a waterproof coat and trousers, also in the winter when very wet send wellies that will keep them dry.

I am also a childminder who does not drive and it is a nightmare getting work through agencies because of this. I work through recommendations and am lucky as I have excellent references ranging over 13 years. I looked after two wonderful children for two years and started work at 8.00 in the morning, would get the bus into town, walk 25 minutes to the school after this to drop the eldest child off. Would return home to care for the little one until 13.00ish when I would do the same to collect the older child again, back home.....cook dinner etc till the parents came home. They were very septical at first but the kids enjoyed going on the bus and found it strangely exciting plus I got my figure back with all the walking which was great. If she is good, they will be fine, hope this helps!

I don't drive and we wander down the back alleys and lanes, fighting off pirates and dragons on the way.
We do a weather chart and talk and read about all the wildlife.
I was only thinking yesterday that's it's one part of being a CM that I really love.

MrsWho, I didn't think it was far either. Can't understand why the cm would want to get the bus either, with double buggy etc.

If she's happy to take it on the kids will get lots of exercise and it sounds positive to me as lots of others have said.

Am I weird 0.7 miles doesn't seem that far to me ?

I don't use my car during the day either. Like others have said, by the time you've got everyone in the car, strapped in and buggies in the boot, you may as well have walked. The only problem I can foresee is if the bus is delayed for any reason and your dc is late for school. I think that would bother me.

My cm doesn't drive - tbh, I think I'm happier that way (I don't drive myself). I don't see that it's a problem if your cm doesn't think it is.

our school is 15 mins walk away(not sure in miles..we do it 4 times a day(there and back twice), we then usually walk on to park which is another 20 mins walk, or into town, 30 mins walk or bus ride if not using double buggy, sometimes supermarket/library 40 min walk away..dd usually walks with me as we always have and mindee either walks or gos in buggy when tired...i have not had a problem!and dd gets merits from school as were prob the only ones who walk everywhere

i drive but dont use the car as ive found it more hassle than its worth, kids getting wet getting them in and out when they could hae been in nice warm dry buggy/ewt weather clothes all along!, only one who gets wet is me and thats ok!
we walk miles every day to parks, groups, soft play(younger mindees in double buggy) but older one and my dd both walk.we have fun, they are sensible crossing /walking along roads.
i actually had option of having my own car(we bought a nice one between us instead), but after 2 days of having ours as test run i was begging him to take it back!

I've been a CM for over 6 years and don't drive. it's never stopped me. I walk to school, admitedly not 0.7 miles

I think it's good for children not to be driven everywhere, we have a car but often leave it at home and walk or go on public transport, dh is a bus driver so we get free travel, so it works out cheaper than taking the car.

We do all outings walking/bus/train. I prefer it anyways.

10 kids? crikey dmo you've collected even more!

I mind 3 boys after school, and have my two (both under 5) during the day. The school they go to is now apparently 1.2 miles away by car (I'm sure it's less walking as we cut across a field/alley ways). I walk there with my ds on a buggyboard, and dd in the buggy, and the three boys walk back with me. I don't drive, don't have much interest in it either. Sometimes the boys have a tiny bit of a whinge but mostly they're happy

i'm a childminder and i do drive but dont use the car during the day as i cant fit all my mindees in the car (have 10 b4 school and 10 after school) think its nice to walk and you can chat and look at things you wouldnt in a car

Well if you go by car you have to load 4 kids into the car getting wet & cold, then get out, get the pushchair out, load the kids out of the car etc!!!!!!!!! It's about 10 mins quicker and you still get wet!

If it's very heavy rain I will drive so they don't have to sit in wet clothes at school, but only because dh will stay at home with the rest until I get back!