childminders club- are you paid enough?

[Isyhan]

Whilst my cute little dd is asleep I want to start a contentious thread! I must be in that mood! Do you think childminders charge enough i dont! Having worked in the NHS and care homes sector a while I think parents actually get alot for their money out of childminders. If anyone was looking for a place for their elderly parent they would be paying £350 per week for residential care and that is for a fit and active person with no nursing needs. If a person was receiving one-one care in the NHS I dread to estimate the cost yet parents want one-one full time care of their child it seems for less than £150 per week, they want you to be trained, to be flexible and the rest. If this was a male profession I dont think it would be this way. Im a trained nurse who wants to childmind, I think Ill enjoy it but can I afford to do it? Im not sure?

I would never iron around any small children - but hey I don't iron anyway except for collars when totally necessary.
But yes I do cook as I do a proper cooked meal for the children at lunchtime and make it in large quantities so that myfamily can have it for diner in the evening too.
I also do my washing as with the size family I have I can't allow it to pile up. But as this only entails trips between washing pile, washing machine and tumble dryer - and the children love to help sort the warm fresh stuff from the drier - I don't see it as a problem and wouldn't dream of stopping.
Yes, I sweep mucky floors often and can frequently be found with an ecloth in one hand. But if I didn't work from home with a house ful of children I wouldn't create anything to clean - so it's job related housework iyswim.
I'm sure nursery staff too clean up as they go including wiping around toilets and sinks where small children need to be kept safe from slipping and cross infection.
I have even been known to slip in a quick Tesco online shop during nap times

im normally on mumsnet during nap time

This is an interesting thread - I too am with TP comment - all housework and washing are done in the evenings when mindees go home - some evenings at 7:45! paperwork etc all done evenings and weekends; courses at weekends but that already been said . Still need to get up at 6:15am for first arrival at 7:30am. A comment was made to the effect that we, as childminders, should not price ourselves too high so that parents are unable to afford childcare - we are surely all trying to make a living and I would have thought that with the help that is offered from the Government for Childcare costs it is more affordable today than it ever has been.

I became a childminder over a year ago - both my children are young adults now; I became a childminder to earn a living like everyone who works in this country but decided I had a choice to either go back to working in an office doing something that I didn't really enjoy or do something that I knew I would love and that was childcare.

And please don't forget we childminders are also working mums!!

thats a point so many people forget. we may be at home all day, but we are working....in what is sometimes a very hard job. very few minders charge min wage ok it x however many children but not all minders have the room for lots of children.

thats a point so many people forget. we may be at home all day, but we are working....in what is sometimes a very hard job. very few minders charge min wage ok it x however many children but not all minders have the room for lots of children.

thats a point so many people forget. we may be at home all day, but we are working....in what is sometimes a very hard job. very few minders charge min wage ok it x however many children but not all minders have the room for lots of children.

thats a point so many people forget. we may be at home all day, but we are working....in what is sometimes a very hard job. very few minders charge min wage ok it x however many children but not all minders have the room for lots of children.

and not all minders are full either, I'm not.

Yes Hennipenni - we are working mums - my youngest (although technically young adult) is still at college & I will still be supporting him financially for the next 2.5 years as I am sure many other chidminders are; I set my fees at a rate that earns enough to;
a. plough back into/run the business, b. make sure that I am able to pay my rent/mortgage, Council Tax, bills etc c. support my children through their education.

A contentious thread indeed Isyhan

Yes, Isyhan - just look at what you started!!!

oops! - I was 'that way out' that day.

Got any more bright ideas then?

Why arent there more black and Asian childminders? I havent met any at mums and tots yet!

DH is a black Childminder.......

Katymac - do you and hubby work together or does he just help out now and again. My hubby wants to be registered so he can help me during school hols. The only thing is doing the ICP course will be a pain for him as he is teaching full time. If he works as an assistant are there alot of restrictions?

we have lots of black and asian childminders in croydon

He initially work P/T (job share with me)
Then F/T
Now P/T again - he is quite a bit older than me and has been medically retired for over 12 years

There are two non-English-speaking Asian minders near me - as Vacancy Co-ordinator for this area, I can't give out their phone numbers. There is some other arrangement in place, but don't know what it is.

Isyhan - my dh is registered as my assistant (doesn't have to do any courses) and, if he is here (occasional working-from-home or days off) it means that I can have up to 6 children under the age of 5 years. He sometimes deliberately picks a day to work from home if someone has asked me to have mindee an extra day, or someone wants a one-off day. I am the one doing all the work, to be honest, but he is still here (in study) and makes himself available if I need him.