whats your favourite age??

[dmo]

just wondered my favourite age is pre-school and beyond i love it when they take an intreast and do arts and craft with joy

my friend a cm would rather have 5 babies than 1 pre-schooler

18 - 30 months - just love it! they're so inquisitive!

Hmmm, well I've had 1 x 5 week old and 2 x 8 week olds start with me and I LOVED that age but yes, more restricting with routines and things. I find it much harder when they start at that separation anxiety age, some find it so hard and it breaks my heart plus can be upsetting for others.

My 5 pre-schoolers (incl my own ds2) are now aged 2-3 and I find it a lot more challenging in some ways with their behaviour (I do have 4 at a time and think it's definitely harder because of ds2! ) but also GREAT to get out and about a lot more, arts and crafts etc. Their vocab stretching all the time and the little conversations are great. If I had vacancies, I definitely wouldn't want a baby at this stage. When ds2 was 10 wks old the rest were 8 months, 17 months and 19 months and that was hard for quite a while and I'm happy now that I can actually sometimes get all 6 kiddies to walk to school without the need for a buggy (let alone triple lol).

So for me, I love all the ages, just depends on the mix :)

How's your niece btw? x

I am currently going through hell with a mindee that started when she was 7m, she had a month of settling in which was hard work, then she has been extremely demanding for the last 4 months, from 10-14m, it's been such hard work that I'm considering never getting a young one again as I much prefer 16m+ to be honest.

niece doing well thanks looney might be home tomo x

At the minute - no age is best

new born to 6 months, cant move or speak just cuddles,sleep and feeds... and give back at the end of the day for a lovely nights sleep!!

Oh I feel for you, this is why I like older or MUCH younger. The tiny babies are soooooo easy to settle. Yes, they've all been through anxiety stages but at least they knew me well enough that it was about ME going away from them rather than crying for mummy. I had one who screamed every time I went to get her milk or if I dare move my leg when she was sat on my lap lol but we got through it. Would have been MUCh harder if they'd started around 'that' age.

Not because I have planned it that way, but in the last 15 years, I have only ever minded pre-school children. Only once have I had a new born baby - otherwise they tend to start at around 7 months which I find is the worst age for separation but is when most Mums seem to end their maternity leave. I might then have them through until they start school.

I'm a nanny, not a CM but I love working with the under 2s They are just so little and cute and LITTLE! hahaha. My youngest charge is turning 2 soon and even though I love her to bits and we have lots of fun I am kind of glad this is only a 12mth position (maternity cover for their last nanny, plan currently is she will come back with her little one) as I would LOVE to find another perm position with a 6mth baby or something with lots of travel. In an ideal world of course

varies - all ages are good

nb babies sweet but boring

9/18mths fun

2+ terrible twos and fun

3/4+ - often at nursery/pre school so never see them to do stuff :(

all ages are lovely, worst thing is when you have from a little baby and they grow up and you leave as at school :(

I used to love pre schoolers age the best. Not any more

Blondes - that must be hard :( My babies aren't allowed to leave me just because they've started school, I've made that clear to parents!! I often grab my almost 7 year old mindee (had since 3yo), hold her tight and say 'I'm never ever letting you go, you can't go, I won't let you!!' hehehe - it's ok, I'm not some fruitloop (although I guess I could sound like it from my name lol), they all know I'm messing and basically telling them I love them. Their parents know what I'm like :)

Saltire - I'm not surprised you feel that way but remember, what you have to deal with is not normal. I personally would have TOTALLY lost the plot by now, no way could I keep working with that family!!

Thanks looney - it's been a long few weeks.

21st birthday

FEW WEEKS - it seems to have been going on for MUCH MUCH longer!!!

I saw this and initially thought 4.5y. Just a lovely inquisitive age where they are in wonder of everything around them.

Then I thought that actually, all ages are wonderful as each brings a new level of understanding to it and they alter ever so slightly and you begin to see the adult they will become.

Looney - well actually I say a few weeks but it's been since July

it is hard looney, its the worst thing about nannying - when you leave :(

must admit any child which is pt is nice as well, so you can leave house with just keys/purse and phone is fab :)

I couldn't decide ultimate fav. age either but if I had to be in a room full of them right now (actually not at dinner/tea time) it would probably be 2.5 yrs olds (like when I worked in nursery).

They are eternally enthusiastic. Developmental progress, especially social, is rapid and dependent on environment/people (so I feel I'd have a quick return on my input).

Just love reading their ernest little faces: planning, presisting, thinking, realising, surprise, pride, success. Observing them communicating/negotiating with each other, you and objects. Their language, creativity and emotions are by turns unwittingly witty and wise, comedy genius and sincere.

oh gawd

babies - sweet but boring

once they get moving then I love the treasure basket/exploring with their senses stuff

then when they get the explosion of language it's brilliant fun

then the preschool age, when they are independent learners, love it when you can stand back, hands-off and let them at it

then reception when school is new and exciting

then the world weary 8yd olds with their wannabe bad-ass attitude who really secretly like to hunker down with the tinies

heartbreak when they move on

there was a thread here recently about this

here

If it's what you were implying with your sadface blondes? I agree the system takes them from us too early...nanny 'free (pre-)school' anyone? mixed ages? home pick up? optional attendance? bespoke ratios and 'discipline'? consistent carers? lots of trips? nanny days off cover? share music/sport tuition fees? environmentally friendly mass children's laundry, ironing and batch cooking on premisis (rota system/assitant nannies)? complicated bureaucracy? oh, maybe not then.

How can we keep our 3/4 year olds?!

oligo - yes and no - some children NEED school from 4ish - depends on their birthdasy

last 2 dc in jobs have had sept/oct birthdays as didnt go till nearly 5 - present dc is eldest in year and missed last years school by 2weeks

tbh he prob wasnt ready last sept but def was jan this year but as schools dont do jan intakes he drove mb and i insane mainly due to boredom i think

0-4 probley my favourite, if they need chastising they still take notice of you (mostly)

World weary 8yr olds, I like that ,
I find that from about 6yrs too tho, talk about attitude and disdainfull looks,
I mean what would I know!!