Part-time childminding

[Melly]

Interested to hear what others think. I've been registered now for 3 months and look after one little girl on Mondays & Tuesdays. I have two children of my own, dd is 4 and goes to school in January and ds 2.5. I have been offered some work on Fridays only back at my old job which I am really keen to do. I realise that this will limit my childminding to Mon-Thurs only (with exception of school runs) but personally feel I need the day of working back in an office environment to keep my sanity!

Do you think this makes me less committed as a childminder? I am already very fond of the little girl I mind, she is a dream, so well behaved and my two love her and are quite happy to share their things etc, but I just don't want to mind 5 days a week.

Does anyone combine childminding with another part-time job, and if so do you find it works out ok?

My friend only minds 4 days. Started doing 5 but realised she needed a day to herself, it works really well for her.
I am considering minding term time only,not sure if I would get any takers though!

Hi although I mind fulltime Monday to Friday I have several frineds who only mind part time 3 or 4 days a week. A couple of them also have other jobs & find that this works well.

If you want to do it, why not.

Hiya I only mind 4 mornings a week (Till 12.30) term time then work monday to friday in the school holidays till 3.30 monday to thursday and till about 5 on a friday and then its only occasional. I find it better for me as it means I get to do all the boring stuff in the afternoon (housework shopping etc) and get all after school with dd which is important to me as she's only just turned 3 and is at school fulltime. Some of the childminders I've met on courses work less than me and others do about 60 hours a week just find whats best for you and whatever it is it wont make you less comitted as a childminder

Yes, I childmind and also work 24hrs per week in another job. I love the childminding and want to do it as a sole job when I get older but for now it doesn't provide the sickness/holiday and pension benefits of my other job (which I also love), so I do both. The childminding is by no means part-time though as I still do well over 40 hours per week of it (including some overnight care) and am studying for my NVQ3 as well.

Thanks for those replies. Hopefully things should work out ok.

I know plenty of minders who don't work full-time for various reasons, and some who are having to look for alternative "grown-up" jobs because they don't have enough minding work. Choosing to work part-time certainly doesn't make you less committed (probably more sensible than the rest of us!)

I didn't plan to work part time but since all my contracts got revised, I decided to only work til 2.30pm on Friday's and not to fill the 1 left over space I have for Friday's. I'm looking forward to having a shorter day on Friday's when this starts so that I can work on my website business and all the other stuff that needs doing. This may change in the future but will do me for now!

Good luck whatever you decide