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Paid childcare

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

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Original poster

Any childminders want to chat?

105 replies

Snap8TheCat · 20/09/2017 19:43

Thought it might be nice to start a thread for childminders to gather and chat. Who would like to join me? It can be a lovely job and I think there are quite a few of us on here.

I've been minding for 8.5 years now, recently taking on an assistant as business is doing well. We currently have 13 children on our books.

I love my job and love talking about it (mostly). There are plenty of down sides but mostly positives. It allows me to raise my lovely children alongside looking after fab mindees.

Come join me!

OP posts:

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Gottalovesummer · 26/09/2017 14:55

I think we're all striving for that perfect work/home balance, which of course doesn't exist! But childminding is pretty good especially when you're own kids are young

Mine are older now but I was able to do every school run at primary school. I never had any issues taking the little ones into assemblies/ sports days/nativity plays etc so I never missed a single one

I've been around for every inset day/school holiday.I agree with above posters that there are drawbacks, and it's definitely easier when your own children are younger as they all join in the activities together

Now mine are older and getting more homework, I do have to start thinking about how noisy the house is after school and whether I cut down on after school care

However, I absolutely don't regret becoming a childminder and it's allowed me to work and be around for my own children.

Original poster

Snap8TheCat · 26/09/2017 15:58

My youngest is still needing school runs at the moment but in three years when she’s done I’m not continuing after school care. I know I’ll resent trekking out in the rain when I don’t have to.

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teaandbiscuitsforme · 26/09/2017 16:41

I definitely don't think childminding would give me the perfect work life balance! But with no family around and DH away mon-fri, I just can't help thinking that it might improve that balance. But I take all the negative points about sharing mum/toys etc. Ofsted and paperwork don't worry me too much but my big worry is how to manage 3 children and their routines/napping etc. It's hard enough with my own two!

Thank you for your insights. Lots to think about!

snugglesarethebest · 26/09/2017 17:28

thanks Snap -that does help x

fudgesmummy · 26/09/2017 18:39

Hi all! Would love to join in with some chat

I have been a childminder for 23 years. I work full time with my Dh who is my assistant. We are always full with 6 under school age every day with older children before and after school and in the holidays.
We drop off at 2 schools in the morning and pick up from 3 in the afternoon. We currently have 54 children on our books. Our own children are 30 and 27 and are both married with homes of their own!!

glenthebattleostrich · 26/09/2017 21:40

Wow fudges, that's a lot of children, I get confused with 12!!

Another thing to remember tea, if your husband is away a lot, it can be very isolating. You are on your own, especially if the littles are a bit under the weather but not ill enough to exclude. One week when everyone was a bit coldy and grumpy and we hadn't made it out for a couple of days I made the Jehovah's Witnesses back away slowly down the drive as I was keeping them too long and they'd made the mistake of calling at nap time!

I love it, but it is exhausting and with ofsted looming, quite stressful.

Original poster

Snap8TheCat · 26/09/2017 21:43

54? Bliney! Are some of them very part time? Your register must be massive

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fudgesmummy · 26/09/2017 22:15

Yes lol! For example we have 3 siblings who only come for 1.5 hours every other Monday, one 1 yr old who comes for 4 hours once a week and 2 lots of 2 siblings who come after school one night a week, term time only- you get the idea!!!

Doglikeafox · 27/09/2017 17:44

I'd love to join! I've been a childminder for just over a year. No children of my own and absolutely love my job.
Today has been tough though as I've had 11 month old twins, a 2 year old and a 3 year old. The children are fantastic, but the twins have been teething and the 2 year old is potty training and the 3 year old is the worlds biggest chatterbox so it's been very eventful
A thread like this is a great idea

Gottalovesummer · 27/09/2017 17:53

Hi doglikeafox, that does sound busy! I've got some chatter boxes too and it certainly keeps me on my toes!

Yes this is a great group, I think our role is so often misunderstood. I love my job too, and pride myself on being extremely flexible for parents. This is my USP over nurseries.

Fab to have this group to chat!

Original poster

Snap8TheCat · 27/09/2017 17:54

Welcome dog! Gosh 4 under 4 is intense, do you have an assistant too? We have 4 under 3.5 between us both and 5 after schoolers and I’m still shattered!

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Tilly35 · 27/09/2017 22:19

Hi! Lovely group I'm just starting to make plans to begin childminding in the new year. Can I ask if any of you are members of Pacey, Morton-Michael or PSLA and what your opinions of them are? Why, as a few of you have said, is having lots of part timers better for business than a few full timers? Also, do any of you have a dog and how has that worked out for you? Thanks!

jannier · 27/09/2017 23:46

Tilly35

When I started 25 years ago everyone returned full time and part time work as rare, but in the last 10 years I've never had one full time child everyone is part time in some way. You used to have children from 3 to 6 months to 5 plus years and then as school places now its from about 1year to 3 or 4 then school. So holding out for full time is not always practical. Then again if you have 3 full time and 1 leaves you loose a third of your income whereas a part time leaving is less risk. Most tend to charge a slightly higher rate for part time too.

I like MM and left Pacey when it was NCMA as it was too expensive vs the benefits. Both have membership benefits and training mm allows you to use any contract and will give legal advice PACEY only do this if you use their contracts. PACEY are a representative body and more into policy making, having said that I don't think they have done much to promote us to the public and the media in an open way ( they may well do more behind the scenes) I would like them to be a public voice for things like the portrayal of cm's in soaps etc as I think that is responsible for us being viewed by many as a poor alternative to nurseries. If you are interested in policy making it may sway your choice.

Doglikeafox · 28/09/2017 07:07

No assistant, the twins are under COC as they wanted extra days, hence there being 4!
My DP is an Ofsted reg childminder too but he works full time in a different role so is only around on days off/ for an hour after work.

toomanykidstocount · 28/09/2017 07:14

Excellent thread! I've been minding for about a million years - seen so many changes, but still mostly love it! Settling in a new little one today so wish me luck!

Tilly35 · 28/09/2017 09:02

jannier thanks that's so helpful!

Tilly35 · 28/09/2017 09:03

Good luck too many kids to count

jannier · 29/09/2017 08:09

Has everyone seen yesterday's news on the DBS update service?

HSMMaCM · 29/09/2017 09:39

Jannier no. What did it say?

Original poster

Snap8TheCat · 29/09/2017 10:56

Yes I did. It’s now only ‘strongly advised’ not mandatory to be on the update service. Apparently there was a test case.

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badgerhead · 29/09/2017 12:58

Jannier it is no longer the case that t* have PACEY insurance that you must use their contracts. You can use any contracts you want. Also PACEY are nowadays very good with their support and training for childminders.*

Please look at their website to see what they offer for members now.**

I’m a long term PACEY member and a key volunteer with them and think they do a fantastic job on a limited budget.**

Original poster

Snap8TheCat · 29/09/2017 21:49

Does anyone find it hard to reply to enquiries when the real answer you want to give is ‘actually I’m full enough right now. However if you are model parents who pay on time and all that jazz plus you have a baby that eats and sleeps well then I can squeeze you in’.

The holy grail I know but I wonder if there is the perfect response to enquiries for spaces that you are not actively trying to fill but could help out if they are a good fit for the current children.

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jannier · 30/09/2017 09:16

Badgerhead....

Glad to hear finally things have changed I used to attend their regional meetings they would ask are opinions on stuff and what were our problems like publicity to tell parents our real role and nothing would ever happen. Do they now have a press office that responds to stuff in the media like news articles and incorrect story lines? It still seems common to get articles like Child-minder leaves child in car...then you read it and it was a baby sitter or in a few cases a Nursery where things happened, yet on the online follow ups and comments you never see a Pacey statement. Wouldn't it be fantastic if they had an advertising campaign if they would use our money promoting us a bit I would re-join. Te last time I had one of the member magazines most of it as directed at come to our conference in Blackpool (or similar) at a cost of a months income for me in those days which really made me feel like they understood how for most of us money is tight. So I switched to MM and cut my cost of insurance by more than half.

Doglikeafox · 30/09/2017 10:47

Haha Snap... I know exactly what you mean! I have one space a couple of days a week as one of my children has just started school, but the other 3 days I have 4 under 3 all day so at the moment it is lovely to have that one day with only 2 mindees who happen to be the same age. Therefore yes I do have a space... but only if you're child isn't going to give me lots of hard work
Also the two mindees are starting school in September so I had best fill the space before I end up with no mindees!

Original poster

Snap8TheCat · 30/09/2017 11:34

Exactly that situation! I’m really not looking to fill my one day a week because it’s just 1x1 spot and it’s nice being quieter however a lady has contacted me asking for one day. It’s not something I’d usually take on but technically I could. Argh!

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