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Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Childcare

work from home.childminding or anything else

34 replies

ivet83 · 07/02/2006 14:11

hello everyone i want to ask you about childming and work from home in general.i have an eight months old daughter and i stay at home looking after her.we are getting a mortgage soon so i want to help my husband with the money.i want to register as a childminder or anything else i can do from home.i can see that many of you work with their computers from home but what do you actually do?i have come across many websites offering work from home but its all crap.pay us money and whatever they are just not real.i want to actually do smth at home and get paid for it.and i am not sure if childminding is a good idea.scared of designing my home as a nursery.help

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Isyhan · 08/02/2006 10:08

ivet83- I think you are asking yourself the wrong questions. instead of asking what can i do that will prevent me paying out 1000 a month ask yourself what will i be good at. only be a cm if youll think youll be good at it.I decided to do it when i had bad childcare experiences and i thought i could do that much better. as a parent you want the best for your child not someone whose doing it primarily for monetary reasons although we all need to live.

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ayla99 · 08/02/2006 11:09

Childminding is not for everyone. You need the support of your hubby & child(ren) who will have to share both you and their home.

You need to consider the extra wear & tear on your home (I'm on my fourth settee in 5 years and I don't allow jumping/climbing or eating on any of them) and extra cleaning (potty training, spilled drinks etc on your carpets).

You need to provide a safe environment for all the children - they don't need access to the whole house but you need to ensure sufficient space for play, eating, naps etc.

You need to buy books, toys & equipment for the age-range you intend to care for and these will get lost/damaged/worn out & need replacing more often than you might imagine.

You need to register with Ofsted, do a first aid course & an introductory course in Childminding. There are lots of other optional workshops/courses you can take.

Income is irregular - parents can give notice to quit at any time eg, change or loss of job, maternity leave etc. If you (or your family) are sick or have to go to a funeral, for example, you don't usually get paid.

You need to put in a lot of time, in addition to the childminding hours, for book-keeping & doing your tax return (or get an accountant), administration & contracts, training, planning activities/meals etc, cleaning up & preparation.

You need to cope with children from different families who may have very different ideas on how their child should be raised.

That said, I love being my own boss. I can choose which families to work with. I can plan my own day & change my plans as it suits me. I have been able to take forgotten homework/violin etc into school for my dd. I have met & worked with families from all walks of life, people from Scotland, Ireland, Russia, Lithuania and China. I love helping the children learn new skills & making them laugh.

I've worked in retail & administration where backstabbing & gossip was all the rage and there were no thank yous for hard work & dedication. I find my working day as a childminder much more enjoyable & satisfying. There's nothing so rewarding as a child's smile & laughter.

But if its not for you, other things people do to make ends meet are: typing/secretarial, website design, ironing, sewing/tailoring, evening babysitting, cooking (eg birthday cakes), selling home made veg, jam etc, hand crafted greeting cards, book-keeping/accountancy, dog walking, ebay/car boot sales.

As well as usborne books, avon, betterware, kleeneze, chocoholics, tupperware etc.

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ivet83 · 08/02/2006 13:52

to ayla99-what did you mean when you said other workshops/courses you can take.you mean in connection with the childminding oe else?and all the other things at the end of your message,are they from home?

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HappyMumof2 · 08/02/2006 14:19

Message withdrawn

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spykid · 08/02/2006 16:38

Sorry ivet, only just caught up with this thread.
If you want I can send you details.
It is only £38 pounds start up fee which provides you with the books and all you need to get going.
No targets to meet so no pressure.
I can tell you in more detail if you like,
email me at h d robinson 2003 at yahoo dot co dot uk.
Lots more info I can give you

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spykid · 08/02/2006 16:40

bump

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Skribble · 08/02/2006 16:57

I think you have to really stop and think about what you would like to do, especially if you are working from home as it can be very isolating.

What have you worked as previously?

What hobbies or interests do you have?

What have you always wanted to do?

What skills/ qualifications do you have?

I sell pocket money toys from home and will be back trading at the Sunday market in March and at Summer fairs and Gala days, I have a newish website that I am trying to expand and I am considering doing it through ebay even if just for the advertising. I tried party plan before Christmas (my own products) and the one party I did was very sucssesful so I will do more next year.

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diddle · 09/02/2006 08:17

ivet83 - I started childminding 3 yrs ago, I have no children of my own yet. I use the lounge for playing, with the toys tidied away at the end of the day into storage chests, we also have a dining table in the liunge for meal times, messy play etc. we don't use the garden at the moment but do have parks and fields nearby for outdoor play. I use the spare room for nap time and obviosuly the bathroom, the children are not allowed in the bedrooms or Dh's office, and they know and repsect this.
I have never had anything in the hosue damaged byt he children (wallpaper ripped, coloured on etc) nothing like that at all.
The only thing i needed to do, was make the house child friendly, which involved blocking some gaps in my banister on the stairs, putting certain locks in certain places etc, as you may do for your own children.

It is very hard work, but you can set your own hourly rates, working hours etc. You can earn enough money to live on. If we needed to manage on my wage solely, then we could. Plus it will mean you can still earn money and see your child grow up, this is the main reason i started and now have our first child on the way, i'm really looking forward to seeing my baby grow, and being able to experience someone elses childs firsts etc is very special, and very rewarding.

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ivet83 · 09/02/2006 11:34

to diddle-thank you for this nice message.i have decided to go to one of the briefing sessions to find out for myself and i am going to look for a childminder whose home i can visit and just get an idea of what is all about.i live in central london.if any of you live in central london i would be greatful if you let me come and maybe spend an hour with you and the kids.

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