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[MUM2BLESS]

I am a childminder of SEVEN and mother of FOUR.

During 2011 I had to really do some serious thinking about what was taking place. Sometimes changes are necessary but some time not easy.

I was working from 7.30 to 18.00 five days a week. I felt so tired at times. When I finished at 18.00 things did not stop there.

To cut a long story short I decded to reducse the amount of hours I was doing. It had nothing to do with the kids I was looking after but that I was constantlly on the go.

It must be hard when you have to do long hours because you need the money. Is there anyone in this situation?

I feel previleged to be able to reduce my hours without struggling finacially.

For me to continue with quality care I needed to do this.

This change took place last month.

Has any one made any necessary changes this year?

I will make sure I take four weeks off not 2! I feel exhausted already this year and I had a week off at Xmas, I get up (or at least am
Awake at 5am as dp is so loud), then start working between 7 and 7.30 til 6.30/7pm. I don't really have the option of reducing hours as I would loose all my mindees.

This year I have decided to work 4 days a week instead of 5. I asked a parent to swap her day from Monday to Friday and luckily she said yes. I do a 55 hour week (without paperwork) and all I do over the weekend is sleep!

I need this extra day for my sanity.

Thanks. I am amazed how early you get up South345. Have you kids of your own?

At present I have folders and papers on my dinning table.

I am more to take on school age kids rather than younger. I am doing two Learning Journals at present. Did my tax return just before the deadline. Its not that I meant to leave it so long, but rather due to the workload.

After 6 and half years I've now decided that although we could do with the extra money, I'm having much quieter Fridays now. It started when a change in circumstances happened around August/Sept with children moving to nursery/school and then one parent needed to stop childcare altogether (2 days a week, one of which was Fridays) as were going to nursery attached to siblings private school. I had been having major difficulties keeping up (plus many personal problems which made it worse) and the timing of it all happening made me think it was a 'sign' to eventually stop workings Fridays (as Fridays were my quietest days anyway).

As I don't want to loose the mindee I have every day of the week, I decided to continue with them but gradually cut down so in another year I wouldn't be working much of that day. Then the parent added a lunch club to their nursery sessions and then last week we changed it so that mindee and my ds2 go to nursery all day that day (8.30-3.30) and miss one of the afternoon sessions in the week (making up the natural 5 free sessions), this means I now just have my 2 boys and this one mindee on the morning school run, am home (childfree) by 9am and don't have to leave again til 3pm so have some time to catch up with paperwork/coursework. This also means I can actually get to the Drs, dentists etc. when needed, am able to take ds2 to his speech and language sessions without having to worry about inconveniencing anyone, can do bits of shopping and so on :)

Eventually the idea is I shouldn't need to be using my precious weekends to catch up and may actually get some quality family time - not had for a VERY long time! I also finish at 4.45pm on Fridays and although I've taken on another afterschooler that day recently, my children are still happy as they get that evening with me and no mindees :) I've got vacancies again from September when ds2 and mindee start full time school but I'm staying strong and making sure I turn down any Mon-Fri requests!! It's so hard when you need the money and/or feel for the family who really want to use you HOWEVER I've learnt that my children are growing up way too fast and right now this is much more important than the extra pennies!!

Thanks looneytune,,

You learn very quickly when you become a childminder.

I kinna have an idea of the hours I would really like. 08.00 to 5.oo would be great. There are some changes taking place this year with the school kids ie full time recption and some going to senior school.

When you first start you are excited and quick to take on. After a while you get to know what you would like and what you would like to change.

I have done 07.00 starts and I have also done evening finishes.

As my own family circumstances change, I will look at any changes I need to make with childminding.

I am in a lucky position that although my income is important, my DH is the main earner.

I have worked for 8 years at full pelt, I have always had a variation of one form or another, I have no real social life, hobbies or anything out of the house without kids. I have felt constantly exhausted.

My own DD's are now 10 and 15 and I am determined that this job has to fit me, not the other way around.

When I lost some children to school in Sept last year, I started to jump up - thinking "I must fill all my spaces". I didn't get many enquiries, then started to enjoy not being on the go all of the time. I enjoyed the quieter pace of just having mainly 2 - sometimes 3 a day. And although I was initially concerned about money, I found parents started taking some extra hours and 2 of my current parents have recently taken an extra day each, making it more workable. I have been adapting my paperwork, and am considering looking at Nobel Minder to make things even easier with invoicing, tax and diaries being done on the laptop as we go then E-mailing them to parents.

I am also trying to keep a day free, although at the moment it hasn't worked because of emergency cover for one of my parents, but I am hoping after half term I won't work (during school hours) on a Monday. I was hoping for a Friday initially, but have found Monday is nice, as it gives me back my Sundays, as I found myself starting to prepare for the onslaught of children on a Sunday afternoon/evening.

I have just completed all the accreditation paperwork, as I was going to loose 2 children to nursery, so have taken on a bit extra on that score, but want to make sure I balance it with having time off.

Its very difficult, isn't it, I have found it very hard to say no, and obviously circumstances may change, but I am hoping to at least start something for me this year.

Yes I have my own 2 ds' but they don't get up til 7.30ish dp is so loud when getting up I'm usually awake. I don't always get up though. This morning he slammed the door so loud ds2 woke up at 5am. It's nice to half a bit of peace in the mornings though before they all get up/arrive!

I have my own 3 children and mind 5 children across 5 days. From the end of this month I am cutting down to 4 days (same amount of children).

This will give me a day to catch up with paperwork, coursework, housework and maybe even a lunch or two with friends. I can't wait!

I have had to cut down abit this yr as both my boys are doing their GCSE,s and i want to be there for them to quiz/help them

Before i would work 7am until 6.30pm i would then go to at least 2 training courses a week, plus scouting business and PTA

I now work 7.30am till 6pm and go on courses about once a month, i have reduced my scouting postion to just paperwork but still on PTA but i do feel alot calmer

Yes, after 3 years of 8 till 6, full time I am quitting minding in June. Having summer off( so lucky I no) and looking to reassess career In sept but defiantly not cming.

Loved it but now enuff, dh back in work now and finances steady.

Can't wait to put dd first for a while and not feel bad to add some me me me time too.

All the above threads tell the same story to me!

We all find it hard to turn down work,

We all find it hard to say no to parents,

We all feel guilty putting our children last especially in their own homes

We all are knackered

We are all too nice for our own good!

Working from home is not all its cracked up to b

Im sort of happy with life as it is at the moment,
My mindees are all after schoolers, term time only,
and I also work in Pre School 4 sessions a week.
I will probably give up CM when my when my youngest is 13 so another 2 1/2 years.

Thanks everyone.

The hours have to right. If you are overtired can you really give your best to yours and the cm kids.

Things are more manageable now. It was not an easy decison to reduce my hours buth rather a necessary decision.

There are more changes I would like to make with time. I will know when the right time is.