aibu to drop the CM for a full time but temporary post?

[MateyMooo]

i need advice

I have a small cm business that i started at christmas. so far i've made less than £300 in fees, and its afterschool only at the moment. My bills are due and i have no alternative form of income.

A temp company has called me today and offered me the possibility of one month worth of work for £1000.

do i take the job and let down the parents that are using me?
or do i keep the faith and hope that more CM kids will come along?

Sincere advice is needed....

the temp job will start as soon as i am available and will run for one month from when i start.

i only have to give a weeks notice

I suspect that once you drop your current mindees you won't get many recomendations when you try and restart.

You have to look after yourself and put you and your family first. Do what you think will be best for you and your family.

Will you need childcare for your own DCs if you take the full time post?

no my DH works till 2 and i can drop DD off at the school and still be at the placement by 9.15

I'm worried about the word of mouth thing tbh
but both of my CM mothers seem worried for me, and both have expressed concerns about how little i am earning. i cant charge anymore cos that is the going rate.

I'd stick with the CM if I were you. It's one of those things that you have to be patient with until you build up a client base but the two CM's I know are both always really busy.

Could you speak to the parents, explain the situation and try and find another CM to recommend that could cover the month?

Is your DH registered too/how long would it take to get him on the books as it were? Could he take over the CMing for the month? Otherwise, bring it up with the parents that you CM for, see if they would be ok with it, or whether it would be a very difficult situation for them.

thanks for all the responses... i'll speak to the mums tonight

op

I am wondering why you don't have much interest, where have you advertised? Is there a lot of cm's in your area?

When I started I did loads of advertising and had a few full timers straight away

There's childcare.co.uk where you can pay £20 for a 1 month subscription, this site is fab. I joined and messaged everyone in a 10 mile radius to me looking for a cm.

I then looked on my local fis and called every childminder in the area to introduce myself and ask them if they have no space to pass my details on.

Then netmums have a childcare board, not much luck from this but worth a go

Do you have business cards? Get yourself some off vista print if not, carry some everywhere and put up whereever anyone will let you.

Childminding is tough to start with (still is) but it gets easier, patience is the best option you have, you can't really let these parents down but if you really need to for the sake of your bills + income it may be hard to come back from.

op

I am wondering why you don't have much interest, where have you advertised? Is there a lot of cm's in your area?

When I started I did loads of advertising and had a few full timers straight away

There's childcare.co.uk where you can pay £20 for a 1 month subscription, this site is fab. I joined and messaged everyone in a 10 mile radius to me looking for a cm.

I then looked on my local fis and called every childminder in the area to introduce myself and ask them if they have no space to pass my details on.

Then netmums have a childcare board, not much luck from this but worth a go

Do you have business cards? Get yourself some off vista print if not, carry some everywhere and put up whereever anyone will let you.

Childminding is tough to start with (still is) but it gets easier, patience is the best option you have, you can't really let these parents down but if you really need to for the sake of your bills + income it may be hard to come back from.

there arnt any cm in my area and thats why i thought about starting up. i am on all the local sites, in the window of the local shop, registered with LA on wightbay and mumsnet boards.

I had two kids lined up when i started but they both let me down, and i havent been able to attract anyone else.

I am understanding that if i take this job it will possibly mean the end of my CM career. I feel so torn, but i'm shopping at Lidls at the mo and cant even afford that! my next stop is the food bank, UNLESS i earn some money

Is there any possibility you could do the temp work during the school day? Then you could do the work (possibly over more time) and keep your CM business going?

Worth asking the agency at least?

that was the orignal idea of signing up with the agency to get part time hours.

I have just spoken to the monther of tow of my Mindees and she has been very gracious about it.

I feel like a heel though

Is that £1000 before or after tax? Will you have to pay any child care yourself?

thats after tax and wont need to pay child care myself