Calling all childminders for advice please...is this allowed?

[JolieGirl]

Hi all - I need some advice please if anyone can help! My lovely CM has my 8 month old twice a week from 8am until 6pm each day. She also has two other mindees as well, one aged 2, the other is 3. Additionally she has 4 children of her own aged between 6 and 16.

Before 9am and after 4pm (school hours) there are then 7 children in her care. Is this allowed??

Whilst I am fine with this during term time I guess as she seems to cope OK but can look harassed loading them all into her car, what happens during school holidays when she has all her own children there as well for the entire day?

I am just concerned my little one won't get a look in (he is quite wilful and needs a fair bit of 121 interaction and attention) and won't get any quality time with her at all - as great as she is, she is not superwoman! Can anyone shed any light on this one for me?

I don't know how many she's allowed, but if her family are anything like my childminder's then your ds will get far more attention when her children are at home!!

My c/minder's kids are, 9, 7 & 5 and the 9yr old dotes on my ds.... she reads to him, pushed him on his truck... it's brilliant

Just to clarify the standard numbers are
3 under 5
3 5-7yrs
and really as many over 8's as u can cope with! {hmm]

She would be allowed
3 under 5 (of which 1 may be under 1)
a total of 6 under 8 (including the three above)
Plus any over 8's providing they do not affect the care of the under 8's

7 would be fine in those ages ranges

I know a cm who has 9 children don't know how she copes!!!! I wouldn't be able to watch all of them

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I don't think that is bad at all. I mean how much attention will she really need to give a 16 yo - who surely doesn't count as a child anyway.

only this woman had 8 of them under 8 years and 1 was 10 !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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i have 9 in the hols 9mths,3yrs,5yrs,7yrs,8yrs,8yrs,9yrs, 9yrs,10yrs
and i'm sure the 9mth old will get the most attension

Agree with DMO, in my experience it is the older children who get less attention (as they need less attention, due to being more independent) and the youngest who gets the most attention.

There is usually a really great camaraderie and "team spirit feeling" around when minding a larger number of children. It can be stressful having so many, but that doesn't mean that it can't be fun.

You have to be organised, and you have to ensure that you really do meet the needs of all the children in your care, but it can be done. Most of my older ones have been with me since they were babies, and they enjoy having younger ones around, but I do make sure that they have their own space.