Childminders Club: About to apply

[Lmccrean]

I have sent away for forms so it'll be a while before I start (6 months...is that the same in england too?? - Im in NIreland)

Anyway, I have had a look through a few of the posts, but its hard to find exactly what Im looking for

I was just wondering, do most parents prefer to provide their own food for kids? I cook well balanced, mainly organic meals for my dd and I and feel I would prefer to cook for all mindees, but do you think some might prefer I didnt?

I want to use cloth nappies (Ill provide and wash them) on mindees - do you think anyone will object?

I started using the Montessori "method" with dd a few months ago, and her behaviour, including concentration, has dramatically improved. I would like to keep up this method with mindees, but it does include helping with housework (help with sweeping up, washing dishes, hanging out laundry etc) I can see how some people may think it sounds like I would only be minding them for help round the house! Do you think people would object? Im not trained in Montessori methods, and therefore wouldnt advertise as a Montessori directress - do you think it might put people off??

Thats it for now cause lunch break at work about to end...but any help would be appreciated

I think you just have to be flexible, it sounds as though you have good intentions, but I don't think you can tell parents you will be using cloth nappies on their child and getting them to help around the house!
Also you may find you are out of pocket, if you are going to be making all meals and providing and washing nappies you are going to have to charge a slightly higher hourly rate in order to accomadate this.
HTH.

not that there's anything wrong with cloth nappies, but it's the parents choice at the end of the day........

Message withdrawn

I would imagine that most parents would jump at the chance of not having to provide food for their children, especially if what you are using is healthy.

Not sure about the nappy issue - I used terry nappies on my own children (it was a long time ago!) and most people thought I was mad. I can imagine some parents might not like it, but if it doesn't cost them anything, they might accept it. What would you do if a parent wanted you as their childminder (and it was full-time for ever and ever) but they didn't like the nappies idea, would you refuse to have their child?

Do you intend to charge a slightly higher rate per hour to cover all of this?

I know that it is supposed to be acceptable for childminders to involve mindees in certain aspects of "housework", but it is something I don't really do (apart from sometimes helping put toys away!)

I would give them a choice - your reusables for free, or you use their disposables and give them the dirty ones to take home and dispose of themselves.
I wouldn't insist on your meal or leave it as that isn't giving the choice that parent's prefer and often need (thinking specifically here of children with allergies or special needs). But I would continue to promote your own freah, organic cooking and provide it to those who request it.
People can get put off by all sorts of things so if you want to promote the methods that you use then great. But don't be too rigid and I wouldn't personally mention Montessori in any way except as a vague verbal reference to how you admire and make use of certain aspects of it's methods. Montessori methods suit some children very well but are not the answer for every child.

thanks for all your replies -

ThePrisoner - I wouldnt refuse a child whose parents dont want me to use cloth on them, but the disp nappies would go home with them. I used cloth on dd, and still have some, and used to volunteer at local eco shop who have promised me a really great deal on prefolds and wraps (and discounts on purchases and laundry for mindees parents who decided to swap over). Doubt I would need to charge anymore for using them, as TP says, its not much extra work really. Did think about the clothing aspect though - not all mindees clothes may fit over the prefolds!

In regards to the housework, I thought that dd and me would carry on as we do now, with mindees jusat helping put away their own toys. If they wish to help do more, I wouldnt stop them.

In regards to the food issue, I would ask for a small allowance if I was making the food myself, and if they prefer to bring their own all the time, or only sometimes, thats fine too.

can i ask what the general rate is? Ive heard some are up to £5 an hour - here its about £2.50 ft, or £2.74 pt, though i did hear a CM say she charged more for the special needs child she cared for (think it was £3.20 an hour) because she had to be trained to deal with epilectic (sp?) fits and administers injections and the child feeds through a tube into her stomach. Is that normal?

Charging more for caring for children with special needs on those grounds is almost discriminatory. I charge double my normal fee for ANY child who requires one-to-one attention as that means I either cannot have any other children present and so cannot earn a basic hourly rate, or it means I need to emply an extra person on a basic houtly rate.

she looks after the little girl and the girls sister only, and cant take on more (CM has few of her own at school) So maybe thats why she asks for slightly more? Maybe really what she was saying was that the little girl needed so much attention and care she couldnt take on her max quota of 3 - it just sounded harsher!

Have you cared for any SN children before (wether they required 1-2-1 or not) And did you need to go to any special courses etc? I may choose not to take any on as I dont drive and could cause problems if anything were to happen. It does sound really horrible of me to say that, but it would be in the childs best interests, I think!

I've look after many SN needs children (Down's and Asperger's Syndrome, hearing/sight/behavioural/learning difficulties, etc.) I didn't have to go on any special courses, but have chosen to do some (eg. Makaton signing), and have had training to do with specific health issues. I've never charged more for a child with SN, but have only ever taken on children who don't require one-to-one attention.

I know some childminders have specialised in caring for children with SN, and will often charge more. Some of the children have been Social Service placements, and they have paid the bill (rather than the parents).

I remember my aunt saying something about writing off stuff you bought for childminding at end of year...so does that mean you pay for it all and keep the receipts, then get all the money back afterwards?? Or do you just have to pay for it all full stop?

You buy stuff you keep the receipts then you take the total amount off the money you earn to get your figure to pay tax on (lots of C/mers don't earn enpugh after expenses to pay any tax at all)

is that a hint KM?

Not really

thanks KM, was very helpful - hadnt thought of loads of those things!