Childminders Club: How do you know if childminding is for you?

[childminderinhiding]

I really enjoy a lot about childminding but am starting to have doubts about whether or not it's for me. Not sure I'm good enough

How do you if you're just having some bad days or whether it's time to quit?

Sorry but I'd love to hear your comments.

Thanks

Hi,
I often wonder the same thing, you need to look at what you get from your job, do you enjoy looking after the kids, is it more than a job or are you more than happy for the kids to go home every day. Do you wish that you didn't work such long hours etc.

I sometimes wish i could have a few weeks off, this is such a tiring job, But i know i truly love it, i don't rush to get my invoices out I don't always remember to charge for extra hours, and this job is definitly not about the money to me, although its a nice bonus. The children are wonderful, i care for 16 over a week. I love my job. It does get lonely, not having adult company very often, but thats my own choice.

How long have you been minding?

I think alot of people feel this way when they start minding as it is such a hard job and so much responsability to boot. Give it a little while a review it.

I should have had an 'and' in the last sentance.

I did it for 3 years before deciding i need a job that took me out of the house.My husband works away in the week so i was lacking adult conversation.I always have a personal rule that if i started to not enjoy it i would moveon.Unfortunately i have had a reallly bad run of dodgy parents recently -non payers late payers and very demanding parents to the point where it wasnt like working for myself anymore and decided enough was enough.
I have spent today wrapping up i formally resigned 3 weeks ago but finished my accounts and cleared the toys out as my own are bigger now. I was offered a job in school on a temporary basis and I took it for me that was the best move I have made in ages I feel like I have claimed my life back and my house.

childminderinhiding i havent actually started to childmind at the moment so dont really know but have worked with children for 13 years before i has ds. I feel im going into childminding because i love working with children and also want to be there for my son. I'm sorry to say though i dont agree with Diddle about the money issue. I will be chasing up late/bad payments etc. I really do feel that because a lot of parent feel childminders do it 'for the love of the job' then they can take the pee. If i didnt need the money i would quite happily not work till my ds was off to school

Well, I want to remain in hiding so I have to be careful not to give too much info away as you may guess who I am

Been minding less than a year and started as LOVE children and always have. It's more behaviour problems that are letting the rest if it down. That and some circumstances with my setting/transport that are giving me 'cabin fever'. I really enjoy a lot about my job but feel that these problems are getting me down. I think I expect too much of myself - one of my parents says I do - I'm a perfectionist and hate it when it's not working how I want!

Think I was just having a bad morning - half term and all that. Felt better when we got out this afternoon. Think I need to give it more time.

As for money.......I certainly don't do it for the money but need the money iyswim. I'm struggling financially as it is so can't afford the parents letting me down - I have to get payment but am a big softy and certainly don't do it JUST for the money.

Hope all that made sense!

OOOpppsss - now I've really done it - how stupid am I

Off to hide now

DH is PHSL now - not funny, feel like a right plonk - and I tried soooo hard to hide - doh!!

That's sooo funny HellyBelly, that's just the kind of daft thing I'd do!

Why did you want to keep your identity a secret anyway?

TS

So much for hiding - can't stay away can i . Really embarrassed about how I feel and didn't want to quite put wording like that until I knew how I felt and I know a few people on mumsnet (in real life) who know my 'hellybelly' name!!

Oh well, too late now - I had such red hot cheeks when I realised what I'd done - silly me!!

Haven't been well the last few days so I put it all down to that!

Give it a little while mate and then see if you are just having an off day as we all do. When you getting the wheels sorted, did see a nice one on oxford road, under budget, looked nice if you want details give me a call.

Hi Helly

I thought it was you, even when you were hiding you werent very convincing bless you !!!

I am new too, newer than you and Im quite in awe at how sorted you are.

Like you, I LOVE kids, people call me mary poppins and the baby whisperer but I tell you what childminding has knocked my confidence a bit. I used to be pretty certain that I can connect with any child, give me a child and Ill find a way to play and make it laugh. Well,one of my mindees Im really struggling and it made me feel crap

hope your feeling better - childminding world would be a worse place without you in it xxx

Message withdrawn

Thanks guys. I've had a nice long chat with jellyjelly and I feel much better. I know what I have to do and I do love my job, it's just some situations need addressing!

Peckarollover - thanks again for your lovely comments, I do want to do this job, just have some troublesom mindees to deal with. Am I that unconvincing that you realised who I was??? I'm rubbish at all this! Must try harder to hide next time

Alibubbles - I do love it when my mindees give me big hugs and one always says she loves me and it's so cute and makes me all warm inside I think my problem is these situations. I've promised jellyjelly that I will deal with them and I will - just need to be stronger

Off now to chill and prepare [worried emoticon]

HellyBelly xxx

Glad i made you feel better and give me another shout if you need too. We all have bad days when things are not going well.

Helly - I've been minding for 12 years now. I've had times when I've wondered why I'm doing it, usually because of behavioural problems with a particular child, or trying to pacify 10 children in the middle of the summer holidays when it's pouring with rain outside! And I think we definitely all have days when we don't think we're doing a good job.

However, I do this job because I love being with small people (although I wouldn't do it if it wasn't financially worth it), but I often feel as though I'm being paid to play!

I have a good social life with adults, albeit connected to my job - it may only be toddler group or whatever, but I have an escape like that every weekday. I would find it intolerable to be housebound all day, or have no adults to talk to. I think that this is one of the most important things for me. I didn't stay indoors all day with my own children, and certainly don't intend to do this with other people's children.

I know many minders are giving up because of the ever-increasing demands made by OFSTED (it often feels like we're not supposed to have fun with the children, but that we should be teaching them rocket science). I usually chat to my minding parents about this, and they always make me feel better!