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...

I would also request to work 3 days a week. In fact that is what I did when I went back to work when DD was about 8 months. I hated leaving her and I actually did childminder training and paediatric first aid before deciding it wasn't for me.

How would you deal with another child that took against your baby? Your baby may hate sharing you and your house with other children, more than she dislikes being away from you. You and DH may hate sharing your home.

There is a lot to think about and a lot of preparation before you can look after children in your home.

I know a childminder who did exactly this. Granted she was older than you (maybe by a decade), and she went into it part time as well and only term time. Owns a lovely home as well. She hasn't looked back.

Go for it

I had this same consideration very briefly. After about 4 months back at work, I didn't feel like this anymore. You will adjust to your new normal and days off with your little one will be very precious and fun, and on your salary you will be able to afford to do lovely things together

We use a childminder and she is an Angel. I don't know how she does it but she has said she is happy to hand them back at the end of the day!

One of my close friends did this and loves it. She was a solicitor and trained as a CM after her DD came along. She has since had another DD and it’s an ideal fit for their family. She has always loved children though! She is an amazing CM and has a
long waiting list in our village.
Money wasn’t a huge issue for her though as her DH earns well, that makes a difference as she wasn’t pinning everything on to the decision.

If you're able to take a drop in salary can you not do your current job part time, so you can spend more time with your DC.

I am currently a SAHM, looking at going back to work part time. It's lovely but there are also compromises.

I think that it's great that you're considering your options. Depending on your finances, maybe you don't have to go back to work. You could be a SAHM for a few years. I took 8 years out from my career to raise 3 children. They're now all in school and I've been back working (initially part-time and now full-time) for 4 years now. The gap on my CV was not an issue when interviewing for roles and I'm now in a more senior role, earning about £40,000 more than I did when I stopped working in 2010. As shown on this thread, being a SAHM is not for everyone, but I loved it and think my children really benefited from it.

Also worth considering how your DC might be with you looking after other children.

My 15month old, would struggle with it.

Could you go part time in your career so you can spend more time with your daughter but keep your foot in the door. I stopped work when mine were born. My ex husband left when they were 2 and 3 and I had to return to work. I did supply teaching whilst they were so small and worked every day I could. It is comparatively well paid but nowhere near the 50,000 you are on. It wasn't a reliable income though. You will be in a similar position with parents wanting time/dropping you/wanting to come back . I didn't have the extra hassle you will definitely have of chasing parents for money/ not being valued as a professional because some will see you as 'doing a bit of babysitting in your living room'. You have worked very hard to get where you are don't underestimate how hard it will be to return to it once your daughter is at school fulltime. When she is a teen you will value the headspace and the opportunities a good salary brings. Having your house effectively trashed every day by other people's children will probably get very wearing for you and also for your husband.

Drop to 3-4 days. More time with DC than now, more money than childminding, and when they go to school you can probably negotiate school hours work or go back up to 5 days in your current career.

Is your job or skill set transferable to self-employment? I was in a £57k a year job but went freelance for the same reasons you've expressed. Using the contacts I had I was able to strike out on my own but I did put my DC in nursery for a couple of days a week to give myself time to work and also for their development. But I could do early pick-ups and had days at home with them so it was the best of both worlds.

Even if you quit now it’d take a year surely to get everything you needed, get the bare basic qualifications, register with ofsted etc… so by the time you’ve built up a client base (with no experience it may take longer) and started taking money you will only have a year or so before she starts school, and if you have another child in the meantime then you might only get a few months childminding her really as you’d have taken an extra maternity leave. Financially it sounds like you are better off taking extended leave or reducing your working days.

Before you no it they don’t need you quite as much and your career becomes important to you again. I wouldn’t make any decisions based on guilt, maybe give it 6 months after maternity before making any big decisions.

Er. No. You may feel this way now but she's your first. I have 3 and I skip away from nursery/school knowing that they will be having more fun than they will at home, build up their social skills and have more attention paid to them than I can whilst working and doing other house responsibilities. I can then enjoy my weekends knowing we can do have some quality family time and use my wage to do fun things. If you wanted to be a primary school teacher - retrain and do that. At least you'd get a predictable wage.

Being a childminder is really hard work! You have to adhere to the EYFS and register with Ofsted. You will be inspected. You will have to give up your own home and have a suitable space to mind the children in. You risk your own personal things being damaged or spoiled. As PP have said you won’t spend quality time with your own DC

You will need to be a lovely person who genuinely likes other people's children when you are with them but.....you will need to have absolute balls of steel when dealing with the parents of those children.If you are lucky you will get lovely children and lovely parents . If you are not you must have the ability to set boundaries and to be absolutely sure you can and will enforce them. If you are in any way easily manipulated or a people pleaser walk away now.You will have parents who quibble and delay every single payment. You will have parents who disappear off on a quick holiday and never pay you for the days missed. Can you deal with enforcing the terms of your agreement. If you waver even once you are dead in the water. They will attempt to drop off early and pick up late. Can you deal properly with that or will you shrug and feed their child at your tea table for the third time that week.Sorry to be negative Op but you have to consider all these things. It's not all hearts and flowers.

Don't do it for emotional reasons. Your dc has to be one of the gang during working hours and that can be tough for both of you. I was a childminder for a year and a bit when youngest was a toddler. It wasn't always the best for him and my older children hated it. I loved the job but didn't like my home and family being taken over by it. Once he started nursery I stopped and started a career in Early Years in schools and settings.

I know someone who gave up a senior role to be a childminder. She loves it and has branched out into writing children’s books.

DS's childminder, many years ago, gave up a secure job to start a childminding business, so she could be with her toddler DS. Her setting was wonderful, and she expanded and employed other CMs so she could run it as a mini nursery in effect. (They had 9 toddlers). It was a wonderful place, and I expect she did well financially from it.

The DC were split into two groups, but she decided to move her DS to the other group in the end as it wasn't working out for either of them having him in her group. He wanted more of her attention than she was able to give when she had other DC there too, and it was upsetting him. He was more settled in the other group, ironically.

I don't know if she would say it was a good thing she did it in the end as we lost contact when she moved. As a parent it was great for me as she was a wonderful CM, but that's by the by.

I have always avoided childminders who were clearly doing it so that they could be at home for their own children but still earn money. Happy to use a childminder with older children but not really little ones as you know which child is going to have their needs met first,

You have had some great advice from childminders. I was a childminder too.
One of the reasons I stopped was I never got away from my workplace. I woke up in my workplace, ate, relaxed, entertained and slept there. It doesn't matter how neat the storage system for the million toys etc or how nice the paintings, the posters, charts or how cute little play table and chairs and the play house are.

I have been reading alot about WFH and can only imagine being able to shut work away behind a door.
If you do go ahead, keep your dc toys locked away from your work toys. I really enjoyed earning my living from being a FT CM . Perhaps it would work for you too.

I've worked part time for years. If you're going to take a cut in your salary anyway, best to do this IMO.

You'll still be progressing your career and that will likely stand you and your family in much better stead long term.

Also, while it's good to spend time with your DC, as they get older it's beneficial in lots of ways for them to go to CMs or nurserys for the interaction, building relationships with other DC and also the educational aspect. (CMs follow the Early Years Foundation Stage, so it's not just childcare, it's also educational).

It's about getting the balance right IMO. Which depends partly on the child and the quality of the local settings available to you.

Why not work 3 days a week and spend 2 days with your DC?

Wow lots of replies, it's taken me some time to read through them. Thanks everyone.

It's cropped up a few times what my partner's thoughts would be - to be honest he wouldn't be happy as my salary is the bulk of our income. He earns around 10-15k less than me, dependant on overtime. It would be a huge cut in our finances. We'd probably have to downsize our home, which would be a shame as it's quite a large house with lots of space (ideal for childminding - but would probably no longer be affordable without my salary). I also hadn't even thought of the need for a 7 seater car! Very good point.

I do like children and helping them to learn and develop - but I hadn't thought about the dynamic of caring for my own alongside a house full of other people's. I imagine it would feel very difficult as others have pointed out, to feel constantly torn in wanting to provide for my own child but having to split that time and attention. She's 9 months at the moment so probably less of an issue, but when she's a bit older and heading into the terrible 2s, she might find it hard to share her mummy. I hadn't even considered that - I was just picturing idyllic scenes of painting and days out with her and other children. I also hadn't realised that it was off putting to other parents to consider a CM who also cares for their own child, but I can understand why. I think I'd feel similarly, and worry that my own child's need would always come second...

Someone also pointed out that you wake up in your work place, spend all day there and go to bed there too. This sounds appealing at the moment because I'm struggling with leaving my baby and just want to snuggle up at home with her. But maybe this will become wearing, when I'm struggling to draw boundaries between my home and work life.

I also currently get paid holidays and sick days, and a very good pension, which I'd be giving up.

It seems like the sensible compromise is to reduce hours in my current job. I plan to submit a request to my manager for reduced hours (4 days a week). Hopefully he will consider this! I think my workload could be managed on 4 days a week if I was sensible with planning etc.

Thank you all. Lots of food for thought!

I wouldn't do this.

You'd have to spend however long (and however much money) it takes to train as a childminder, and then you'd only do it for a few short years before your child goes to school anyway.

Plus you would never ever get any child free time.

My son is 9 months old and goes to a childminder 50 hours a week. I wish we spent more time together but I do feel like I enjoy the time we have together more because the rest of the time I have adult company, I can drink my coffee in peace and go to the toilet whenever I want, and I am using my brain doing something completely different.

Also, I know money doesn't buy happiness but you will be able to give your child a more financially secure upbringing on your current salary.

She’s 9 months so she’s still cute. One day she’ll be two years old throwing tantrums like confetti and screaming like a banshee.

This made me laugh

Could you work shorter hours for a year or two?

go part time