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

[careerchangemaybe]

Just that really. I've recently returned to my job from maternity leave and I'm just hating the time apart from my DC, who is only 9 months. It's inspired me to consider a change of career to enable me to look after my child myself whilst earning a living. I know I'll make nowhere near my current salary but I'll be with my baby, so surely that makes up for the loss of money? Would this be an insane decision?? I do feel like I'm basing this more on emotions than logic. So happy to be told it's insane...

Could you go part time?

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.

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.

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?

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 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.

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 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

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

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

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?

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.

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

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?

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?

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?

Oh and how will you feel when you can't only concentrate on your child because the others are taking up a third of the attention?

Can you go back to work part time? You could do 3 or 4 days and still earn way more than a childminder and have more time with your DC totally focused on them. Working in a low paid job you will be working more hours for much less money and as other PPs have pointed out you won't actually be getting that one on one time with your child as you'll have other people's DCs to look after.

I was having the same wobble as you going back to work (again high paid but boring/stressful/long hours). I went back 4 days and was very strict with my working hours which was a good balance. As it happened after a year I found the day "off" with my toddler much harder than working and missed the extra money so upped my hours back to full time. I'm on mat leave with my second now and planning on doing the same.

@Rivermonsters

Gosh no, I’d kill for 50K

Pretty much! Insane.

Retraining, getting all the documents and official recognition is no small task. I totally sympathise with your feelings but wonder whether a year out wouldn't be less hassle, fix the immediate problem and then go back to work a year later?
I took time out of my career for this, don't regret it for a moment, and am heading back into my career now which is going well. I've regressed slightly but don't envisage that being forever. Depends on your field though.
The development and security I was able to give my kids was better than they would have got in nursery imo, and seeing the people they are today I am still happy with my choice, and now enjoying getting stuck into work without feeling that I should be somewhere else.

I used a CM for 10 years . She was amazing and did it as a career choice (was previously a nursery teacher) but I remember thinking on one more than one occasion at pickup how ironic it was that she moved to CMing to spend more time with her son but that he often got very little attention as she was focussed on the other children’s safety and development/deaiing with parents.

I would be considering part-time/compressed hours if you can. I worked 4 days compressed into 3.5 and my dh 5 days in 4 so dds were only in childcare 2.5 days a week and knowing that I was spending some of my week with them was enough for me and enabled me to enjoy the days I was in. You then keep your options open for going back to f/t when they get to preschool/school age if you wanted to (although I didn’t, I still do those hours and dd are 11 and 14!). Plus if you are planning a 2nd that’s a big chunk of time you’ll be at home again. You’ll be amazed how quickly the few years they are at home goes. I’m really glad I kept my career going personally.

Insane decision really. You must be used to lead and call at least part of the shots on that salary. You are not going to take it well be patronised by others who you may consider not to be as knowledgeable as you even when moving into a new profession you know little about.

You will loose a big part of your identity on the move and although you love your kid, you may not find it that easy to put up with other people’s children, especially if they start being not so nice to your kid.

I became a SAHM working side jobs when DS was little, thinking I would be ok and could come back to my profession when I was ready. Sadly, I worked in a fast moving industry and by the time I wanted back a couple of years later I was trapped in a circle where I couldn’t apply for jobs at my previous level because I didn’t have recent experience and I was not getting any junior jobs either because I was overqualified.

So here I am, 15 years later, still doing jobs I hate where I am patronised everyday. But what I resent the most of my stupid decision is that if I had stayed in my previous professional job I would have been able to provide better for my son, instead we have had to scrap by for years just to keep a roof over our heads and also… DS doesn’t remember ANY of all those days and activities we had when he was young, the only thing he has and will not forget is that we have always struggled financially.

Can you compromise and work fewer days?

I took long maternity leaves and went part time after DC. For a few months before mat leave with DC 2 I went full time and it was hell. Emotionally it was really difficult for both me and DC1, and I haven't returned to full time work since - I'm on 30 hours now as the oldest is in school, middle in pre school and it fits much better around our lives. WFH on top of that with no commute and being able to pop up and see the younger 2 at lunch time etc is just bliss. I take them to school, I'm there when we get back, it's what I always wanted.

I would negotiate reduced hours ic you're happy to earn less, that time when they are so young really it worth it.

10.months isn't a long mat leave. Before walking away, I would look at your options carefully. See if you can work less or fewer longer days. Potentially ask for a unpaid leave whilst think things through.

You are not just giving up q job you enjoy, you are giving up a decent pension.