Changes to my setting (CM) Please read thank you

[MUM2BLESS]

This year (Sept) I will have been cm for four years.

Looking back it been a great journey. Its been very interesting, challenging and rewarding at times.

This year will bring the biggest change since I started. Two going to Senior school, one full time reception(cm kids) . My own daughter is going to Senior school and my oldest son will be going into sixth form.

I will of course be doing less hours due to the changes. I will see how I feel about that. I do not want to rush into taking on more children. I feel previledged to be able to make this decision as I know some C M have no choice in their hours, as they need the money.

I really want to take more time out to rest and do things for me, spend more time with my own family. Sometimes you can be at home but not there for your own family.

I want to be able to give my very best to the cm children and my own family therefore I will think carefully before making any cm decisions.

What changes are you experiencing or going to face?

What do you regret doing,if you have regrets?

Do you feel overwhelmed by your workload or tiredness?

Hi Mumtobless,

I have been a CM for almost a year now and mostly I love it and other times are very stressful. When I first started out I thought that by running my own business I would need to 'take all the work I could get' and put some money aside for quieter times however, thankfully there don't seem to be any quieter times yet!

When I first began my idea was to keep Fridays free so that I could catch up on housework and paperwork but I soon found I was in demand for Fridays too and couldn't say 'no' so now I have employed a cleaner as I would much rather spend a couple of hours playing with children than cleaning my house and the extra I make by working Fridays pays for my cleaner. However I do struggle to fit paperwork in. It is a constant battle!

Hopefully one day I will be in the fortunate position that you are and can chose to be more 'selective' about the amount of children I take on. Before I started CM-ing we were just about keeping our heads above water financially and now things are much easier but I still worry about money so will keep working my fingers to the bone for another couple of years or so!

Enjoy a bit of peace and quiet - you've earned it!

In September one of my children starts reception at a school I dont cover so will either be leaving entirely or holidays only, another will be going to play school so will drop to only 3 days a week and a 3rd is moving away in a couple of weeks.
I have just started doing overnight on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday, she gets picked up at 2:30 am ish (although still here at the moment) so it pays quite well due to being weekend and middle of the night collection and only minimal paperwork as she's asleep most of the time so I can't really do obs and plan activities etc for her! But I think her mum is looking for another job so it's probably going to be short lived.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do come September, I have some health issues, nothing diagnosed yet but symptoms of ME/MS/fibromyalgia kind of thing so on the one hand I'm looking forward to my hours dropping a bit and I'd love to maybe be able to have 1 or 2 days off a week, but on the other hand I really do need the money! And the problem with cming is I feel I need to take what I can get.
I only returned to work after mat leave in January, before that I didn't have many children in the daytime but I had quite a lot of before and after schoolers. That meant I started early but then had a couple of days a week with no children between half 9 and 3 which was lovely but having all the children after school was really very stressful (I had some quite difficult ones!). Whereas now its all much calmer but I work more hours and have a lot more paperwork. I'm really not sure which I prefer and what I want to go for (if I'm lucky enough to get a choice!).
I'd quite like to do more overnight care but there seems to be very little demand for it.
Surfandturf - I have thought about getting a cleaner before but didn't in the end. We moved a few months ago though to a much bigger house which is lovely for all the children and has again reduced the stress as they've more space to run around and aren't all on top of each other but it does take a lot more time and effort to keep clean!

Best thing that happened to me was when the cm children moved on!!! It opened new doors and I earn more running creches for 2 hours than I did childminding.
I like you have 4 children, 1 in each key stage so 1 doing A levels and 1 gcse's 1 going into their final year at primary and 1 going into juniors, there is no way I could now childmind and be in the right place at the right time to meet my own children's needs.
The older 2 need the space to revise especially when on study leave they don't want all the children at home, I managed to work round it for a bit but i'm so glad I don't childmind at home, I also added being a nanny to my registration and that is a great earner for emergency childcare and I go to some lovely houses!!!
I do miss the other childminders I used to meet up with and do occasionally go and meet them, i've still got my registration as it keeps me up to date with the changes and allows me to access any training so all good.

Hi lesstalk - sorry to hi-jack the thread, but can I ask, when you emergency nanny are you still self employed? Do you get much work?

I am interested in varying what I do as getting fed up of being at home all of the time, but still would like to work with kids without going into a nursery.

TIA

Hi everyone

Im in a similar position to many of you on this thread. Ive been lucky enough to have no vacancies in my last 5yrs of minding ( been Minding for 18yrs in total ) but from July this year I will be almost empty as the children leave to go to School or Nursery. Im in a flap as Im a single parent and starting to panic about the bills etc. Ive got adverts in all the usual places and websites but to no avail. I am a well established minder and well known in my local area so have a good reputation.

From Sept Im down to 1 mindee before and after school and 2 siblings just after school on an ad hoc basis. Im presently considering my options and wondering if I should register as a Nanny to see if that generates any work. Have also thought about applying for a Matrons Licence which will allow me to act as a Chaperone for children in the Entertainment Business. I dont have the space at home to register for overnight care so thats out the window. Meanwhile Im produceing yet another set of leaflets to do a lealflet drop of the area and putting together a pack targeting the younger parents who can claim the Care to Learn Grant to pay for childcare whilst they study which has been the bulk of my work over the last 5yrs.

Im also looking for Part Time hours in Nursery / Pre School Daytime to try to boost income and still leave me able to do my Before / After School Commitments.

Any more suggestions more than welcome.

TIA

Big change to my setting was a couple of years ago when a review of my DH's options after redundancy included him CM with me. We decided to give it a go and we have considerably less income, but have a great time working together.

DD started Secondary school at about the same time, so we decided to stop doing school and pre-school runs. This worked out as good timing for other mindees as well, which was lucky, so we didn't have to give anyone notice. It's really great not being pinned down to times when we have to be at certain places, so we can go out for a whole day easily.

I never used to work Fridays during term time and we have kept it so that either one of us can have Fridays off. It's usually me and I catch up on admin, visiting my elderly parents, etc, but also means that I can work, so that DH can get to the dentist, take the car for servicing, or whatever. Sometimes we both take the 3 little ones out somewhere more adventurous, making the most of the low ratios.

Money is tight and we need to keep our spaces filled, but having a complete rethink has definitely paid off for us.

I have dropped my Monday since last October, now I am considering whether to continue cming with all the new eyfs confusion, I have infact started looking for jobs so I can go out to work but no luck yet, hopefully soon though! Then it will be goodbye messy toy paperwork filled house and hello regular on time income!good luck to all looking for a change!!
Just out of interest do any of your parents just let themselves into your house? I have to keep my door unlocked from about 3.45 ti 4.30 to allow my big ones to let themselves in and it seems that parent have taken to just walking in! Is this normal?

I cannot believe it... been typing for ages then lost it all.

Be back in a moment

Lost my text again...... Thanks for you comments everyone.

Goos idea to keep a day free, if poss.

How do you start your own creche? sounds very interesting.

I know there are changes to cm about to take place, but not making any quick decisions that I may regret later.

At present cm is convenient for now. May make some changes when I feel the right time has come.

Keep your comments rolling in.

Rosiegirl. yes I'm still self employed as I can pick and choose what work I do and work for as many families as I like, I also name my price so that all means I keep my self employed status. I have dual registration with ofsted and it is on my certificate. It only costs an extra £20 odd pounds for the nanny insurance, ofsted costs the same as I'm still effectively a childminder.
I get plenty of work, too much to be honest, I pick and choose. I do quite a bit for local councils, hotels and have a few regular parents. I have a few friends who have full crb's that can help me out when I'm swamped with work.
I recently got inspected by ofsted and got a meeting all requirements as I don't have any children on role as they are not regular. I passed everything so don't have to see her again for another few years and she said everything I was doing was fine. My dh works for hmrc so I have meet all the tax requirements as well.

I have full creche insurance and sell my service to children centre's and have been booked at least 3 times a week for the last 18 months since I started. I have the children while the parents attend courses. It means I can leave my house at 9am and be home for 12 if its a morning creche as they are only 1.5 or max 2hrs long. I'm quite lucky as i've 6 children centres within 20 miles across 3 different counties. I'm taking bookings up till the end of the year now. Its no huge money spinner but for the hours I do Its great.

Thank you lesstalkmoreaction....

Do you run the creche by yourself?

Hi, I have just ( 3 weeks ago) given up cming after working full time for 3 years.

I didn't start off full time but had lots of enquiries and then a variation and was soon doing 8 till 6 every day.

Your comment on the fact of being at home but not there for your family is so true, spot on.

As have posted before my dd was in a bad crash and that really decided me to make a change, I didn't realise quite how knackered I was until I finished or how ground down( dds injuries obviously stressful as well of course)

The joy of no school runs, shopping by myself quickly, the peace in the car, my house not a nursery, no continual coming and going in my house and the joy of not having to look for cups on the floor and risk assess all the time.

I enjoyed the job and the children ( and money) but its so invasive in a unique way unlike any other.

I am going to c

Posted to soon!!! I am going to c

Fukin hell!!! I am going to college in sept to do level 3 and got school placement. School hours and hols will be paradise,,

definatly time to change for me.