teacher to child minder

[fruitpastille]

So, I have been teaching for the last 12 years (part time for the last 6). Primary age, mostly ks2 but have done one day a week in reception covering an advanced skills teacher so have some idea of early years. I have used childminders myself for the last 6 years and have found themt o be fantastic. I did my local pre registration course and am thinking of going for it but I find myself hesitating. Althougb I am a bit disillusioned wih teaching and get a bit stressed at times I am a bit reluctant to give up something I worked hard for. Suppose I don't like being a cm as muchas I think? I have reakistic exoectations of what it will entail and am friends wih a couple of good cms locally. Wwyd? Stick with part time teaching even though my enthusiasmhas waned? Go for child minding? I have been mulling this over for months! We hace ds6 and dd4 currenly and dh is also a teacher. We thought we would go for dc3 first but ttc concieve has not been very successful sofar and I feel like I need to make some kind of decision.

Sorry terrible typing on tablet...

Apart from lower wages, what is making you hesitate?

Firstly, you need to work out financially if you can afford it.
Then you need to speak to lots of CMs who have been doing the job for 6 years or more, and ask them what they like, and don't like about it.
Personally, it's not something I'd have done - I think PT teaching gives you the best of both worlds, and have stuck with it for a lot of years, but if you really aren't enjoying it, then you know it's not a job to be doing in the long term.

Lower pay, less jib security, no pension, sick pay... if I don't like it what then? Would my own kids resent it? I know two very experienced cms who love it though and one who is ex secondary reacher and does not regret the change.

Job even... jib security sounds like a sailing term!

If you are seriously ttc DC3 then I would hold off for a while.

Firstly, because you will miss out on maternity pay if you become self-employed.

Secondly, because you will be either forced into going back to work very early or massively letting down a lot of people if you set up as a childminder and then 3 months later get pregnant. With childminding you have a much closer relationship with the children, you can't get in a supply childminder in the same way you can with a teacher.

This is the third teacher to childminder post I've seen this week though so maybe you can form a support group

I agree outraged (I am near your neck of the woods!) but feel like a am kind of in limbo while we ttc and it has been a while now. I am not sure how long we should continue. DD will be starting school in September after all. DH thinks I have nothing to lose by doing the course. The next one is in August which would be easy for me logistically and wouldn't cost much. I suppose the worst case is that I either don't end up using what I learn or I have to repeat further down the line if I become pregnant. I would not want to start up and then let people down. That happened to me with the very first cm I organised for ds age 9 months. She gave notice just as he was settled in and I was not impressed.

We are buying a new car v.soon - looking at 7 seaters so at least that will be sorted . And my house is pretty ideal. My current cm is ex secondary teacher and I have been chatting to her about it all today. She is enjoying it and has no regrets although admittedly it has only been about a year that she's been doing it. She is fab. And my previous cm has about 20 years experience and is still going. I also have a neighbour who is very experienced and outstanding who clearly enjoys what she does. On the other hand I read on here about cms who are a bit fed up and would like to get jobs in schools!!

How could you keep options open? If you took a break from teaching, could you then go back and if so, what would you need to keep doing in order that you could go back? For example, keeping up with latest developments, union membership, put pension payments on hold but not leave the scheme (is that possible). Look into what is and is not possible in terms of keeping teaching a possibility should you decide in a years time that you want to go back.

If the course is just in Aug, then sure you could do it. Then at least you have that and can then decide to register or not within a certain time period.

Look carefully at the financials, can you afford not to be earning anything? Is your current childminder full, how long did it take them to fill their places? If you become a childminder, they will stop carong for your children, so will be competing with you for families that need a childminder.

Just a point to add you wouldn't miss out on maternity, I'm currently on maternity to have dc3 and get maternity allowance.

I started childminding a year ago, from being a SAHM and for me it works brilliantly. I am a qualified TA but found that childminding suits my family life better as I don't need to use breakfast/after-school club for my own children. I would suggest you consider the following:

Would you work through the school holidays? As you are a teacher, your children are presumably used to having you at home in the holidays. (I work 3 days per week and term time only, and I am full....) If you only take on term time contracts then this clearly further limits your earning potential.

Don't underestimate the impact on your own children. Mine are 8 and 5. They cope, mainly happily, with having mindees back after school for 2 days per week, but I think they'd be fed up with any more often than that - also it curtails their after school activities and having their own friends round somewhat.

Could you cope without a huge amount of adult interaction in the day? Obviously you can go to toddler groups etc but it is not quite the same as having a staff room full of colleagues.

How many childminders currently service your children's school? Might be worth asking the office staff. My school had a distinct lack of childminders, especially as it is a 90 intake school and after school club spaces are hard to come by. Pretty much all of my (8) mindees are linked to school in some way. Either they have siblings at school, so I can pick up or drop off at school which suits many of my parents, or they are teachers' children. If there is a clear need then it will be much easier to fill your spaces.

Bear in mind too, that if you do have dc3 then they will count in your numbers and you will only be allowed 2 more under school age during the day, and not under 1 year old until your child has had their first birthday.

Good luck with your decision.

I find the job to be lonely, even if I meet with other childminders and go to playgroups. I struggle to manage time between planning, cooking and A LOT of tidying up and cleaning. I can't look after more than two children during the day because I work with little ones and I don't want to start pushing a quadruple buggy. I struggle sometimes because parents are late, make a fuss if you charge extra time. Just show up 20 minutes late at least once a week. Some are late with payments. Sending their children to me when they are not well (we lost all of last christmas as parents sent us a baby who was still ill with sickness bug, even if I made it very clear in my policy. They lied basically. I got sick on Dec 19th, both my children were sick, then my children. I lost about 400 pounds in revenue becaus of this and had basically no Christmas.

Long hours, as you need to plan, clean, tidy up, at the end of each day, plus all the paperwork for invoices, photos, daily diaries. Long hours, little pay. I have been childminding for two years and looking to change now.

Also, as previous post says, impact on your children. I can't do their homework with them if I have two babies and a 4 year old child, after school, it has to be after 6.30 by that time they are tired.

Today is my only day off this month, and I am spending all my day doing parents questionnaires and revewing observations. It's hard work, and as I said, doesn't pay that much.

Thanks for your replies. Not sure how realistic I am being but I would aim to do term time only if I can and am going to have one day as my day off in the week - probably Monday or Friday. My current cm does term time only and I know she has had to turn away some business. If it turned out that I had to do some school holiday work, DH is a teacher too so at least he would be around for our own kids. In terms of day length, it would be better than teaching where I am out of the house from 7.15 till 6 and then work in the evening (admittedly not every day at the mo). DS' best friend's mum usually runs him back after play dates so hopefully that's not too much of an issue and we will just have to receiprocate on weekends! Stuff like swimming lessons, DH can get back from work in time for, or the grandparents are often happy to help. I will ask around about dealing with awkward parents. I would worry about that sort of thing. I also worry about how my kids would feel about sharing their home. I might set up our spare bedroom as a bit of a playroom for them so they have their own space and toys as their own bedrooms are v.small. But if we have number 3 I would have to rethink!

Do you use all of your downstairs for mindees? I have a kitchen diner that goes through to our conservatory come playroom which leads to the garden. Our living room is off to the side and has a tv but not really toys. I wondered about keeping that off limits except for naps. It would keep them away from the tv too! Actually I think that is a whole other thread...

Our house sounds a similar layout to yours. I have a separate sitting room at the front of the house, which the children don't often use - sometimes we read books together in there or do a quiet puzzle etc.

The kitchen diner has the main table which we eat from if there are more than 2 children or if they are doing larger art work. If there are only little children they sometimes eat at a smaller round table, also in the kitchen. Off the kitchen we have a conservatory which is the main playroom and where all the toys get returned to at the end of the day.

The minded children do not play in my dds room, but they do sleep in there in a travel cot, which gets folded up after use. My children know if there is anything special that they want to keep away from the little ones, then it needs to be in their room.

We also have a downstairs loo off the conservatory and the little hall between the two leads out to the garden.

If you do decide to do it, make sure you are clear in your mind how many hours you want to work and when.... it is easy otherwise to end up with odd children dotted here and there throughout the week and you are working long hours for below minimum wage. I have turned away loads of families because the hours weren't right for me and my family. Bear in mind if you do someone a favour and agree to hours which aren't quite right, you could be stuck doing it for a few years!

Just a quickie re. income.
Don't assume cm'ing will be lower paid. I currently earn £2k a month and still finish at 4:30 most days! ( I am fab though and worth every penny

Is 2k a month after the cost of food, utilities/ other expenses?

And is it after tax?

Just wondering ...

Tax. Hmmm. You'd be amazed how much toddlers eat, how many ice creams I buy, and how many toys ( not for my own children of course, no siree).
Offsetting, a marvellous thing

Could you look at being a "summer holiday" cm? See if you like it?