Why do people become childminders?

[sheepgirl]

I just wondered what motivation people have to becoming a CM. You can tell the ones who really love children and the ones who are in it for the money. But I always think working with children is really hard work so surely can not be a good enough incentive?

The number of times I answer the door with an item of fancy dress on

I do occasonally hose them down

It works really well for us - we are considering turning into a co-operative

Daddy day care sounds a bit like s88...you know we all be moving to essex now and queuing up to get in, and you will have to take additional staff to please ofsted
And Katie, yes that part isd all a bit sad about Nurseries and the whole pc gone mad/childprotection gone mad...

its not quite like that but the emphasis is on fun. Quite happy with the numbers I have not too many just enough for fun and games, but if you do move to Essex look mne up!!!!

did any of you ever hear about a nursery up in scotland somewhere, that was set in the woods. the children never went inside-ever!

there was a post about an alfresco nursery recently...and I think it was in scotland so it's probably the one you talked about....I think it's designed after a lot of scandinavian ones

Blimey I am in the wrong profession...may be I should consider CMing. What do you have to do?

Little Bella - I absolutely agree with that!

IMO I think that childminders provide a much better kind of care than "generalised" daycare for pre-schoolers. I see the relationship my son has with his childminder and it makes me very happy to be able to leave him with someone who cares about him and loves him.

It's not you though S88AHG

My motivation to get registered was simply this - I felt childminding was the only job I could both enjoy and do well while still being there for my own children. (unfortunately the reality is that my own children get shoved to the back of the queue).

the longer story is this -
My previous jobs were in retail, admin & customer service. I had to put up with abusive complainants and I had problems trying to avoid a bitchy colleague and 2 perverts. I felt I was the only person who tried to ensure customers left smiling and in-trays were emptied. Other people seemed to be paid for chatting all day. I should have skived all day too - no-one would have noticed the difference, I'm sure.

NOW I am far happier with my life. I am my own boss and I choose who to work with. I enjoy planning activities and deciding how to spend my day. I can change my plans whenever I want to. My little "work colleagues" give me cause to laugh & smile every day. Every day I enjoy completing challenges such as "property negotiations", time management, mediation. I take pride in our accomplishments as I help my little friends grow & develop. I'm gaining from the training available to me and am about to study with the Open University. My income may fluctuate and be uncertain but I already had what everyone told me was a "job for life" and was made redundant so nothing is really certain.

I am a Registered Childminder. The name may no longer reflect whats involved in the job (ie, we don't just "mind" any more) but in the absence of a title that better reflects the moving times without being a tongue-twister for a young child to say - it will have to do. Many people tell me they wouldn't/couldn't do my job. So what? I most likely wouldn't do theirs either! I may be exhausted at the end of each day but I can say my time has been well-spent. I'm enjoying my life, and not only that - I'm helping many others to enjoy theirs too.

hi ayla99, i totally agree with you. i was in banking and hated every minute of it. the sales targets were impossible to meet and i felt constantly under pressure. plus my work colleges were so dull and boring i swear i would of gone mad if id stayed any longer. when i fell pregnant with my youngest 7 years ago i knew it was time for a change. when my ds was 3 i started c/m after registering with ofsted. i too, have never looked back. i love my job and feel such a sense of achievement when a baby i take on at 6 months, leaves me at 5 to go to school, happy and confident.my clients are happy for me to go about my normal every day life, (i took 2 of the children to ikea yesterday to get some new plates!) thats what parents want,a normal life for their children, and i am more than happy to provide it!

ps, 3andnomore, does that refer to the amount of children you want or the bars of chocolate you can eat in one go!

I agree about offering a sense of a normal life to children in your are but how do you strike a balance with educational stimuli?

lololola...it's the amount of children I have and I don't want anymore, lol....(although...psst....I am sure I had a broody moment yesterday, when cuddling a gorgeous little babygirl...not that I plan on acting it out, lol)

as for chocolate bars...oh, if I let myself I easily eat more then that in one go....

i have set days for variouse activities. monday we visit the recycling centre, tuesday we have story time at the library, wednesday we cook, thursday we have a free day, play in the garden etc and friday i run a playgroup. in addition to that i organise trips to museums farms etc and recently i took the older children to have a chat with my dentist on "keeping teeth healthy ". all these activities are done with the permission of the parents, in fact i have to have their written confirmation. my trips to ikea are very occasional but the kids love it!

it's nice to see the views of such passionate CMS. It makes me feel less nervous about returning to work and leaving my child with a CM

too many cooks - daycare certainly means more people involved in your childs care - i.e."your childs key worker is ..." then six names! I can tell when the kids are not well before they know it! consistent care , not factory line! we become anonymous enough when we get our ni number , lets all feel special when we're little , eh?

great, Im glad Im still up reading this lot. Its great to hear so many other nutty people who really do take as much pleasure, in earning less than minumum wage over a usually 60 hour week, have what start off as strangers traipsing in and out your house all week, and sometimes extra days. I love my job, the kids love me, I love helping them be as much as they can be, and I love the fact their parents trust me and know I would never let their child mistakenly call me mummy without a gentle but clear correction. So what If i spend more waking hours with their child than they do? it does not mean they are doing anything wrong, it just means that there even more reazson for me to meet the childs daily needs whilst following their parents wishes. Im not the cheapest and im not dearest, I know their parents picked me because I am the best suited to care for their child whilst they can not.

Just reread last comment. For the record that was all sincere, I am not against working parents, I am afer all one myself, and was employed for my first child and used a CM. Also if parents did not go out to work or studying I would not have been able to say at home to look after my 2nd child whilst still earning. In short I LOVE MY JOB!

I'm a childminder and have been for 3 1/2 yrs I love it. I started because when looking to put my own ds in childcare (then 18 months) there really was no point as after paying out for a childminder I would come home with £100 per month I'm not working for that being with my child was far more important. Then a friend suggested I became a childminder I was always arranging play dates, trips out ect between a group of us. So thats how I got started.

I love it watching the children thrive and grow in confidence. I'm lucky as most of my parents are forces so I tend to have a pick as there is a huge demand in my area. It's just so lovely when last year for examlpe the 8 yr old I loved after made me a best childminder card in school I was so touched.

It is a very hard job (but also lots of fun) paper work coming out of my ears and new thing 'Ofsted' bring in the new EYFS for example but hey! It's worth every minute of it. Near me lots of people take up childmining but give up after 6-12 months I think it is looked at as an easy job/easy money, what a shock once they start! I've always tried to help anybody but they all say how do you do it? because I love it!

well if I have another child I can not afford to return to work at £50 a day, might consider CM then. What is involved?

If you ring your local council they should be able to tell you about who runs courses in your area. Ask for childrens services in your area, or type it into the web. You do a course, mine took about 8 saturdays but some run in the evenings. Then OFSTED visit to check the amount of space and safety aspects and advise you what to do to reach the required standard. You can also usually get a start up grant for certain equipment of a few hundred pounds.

I have been a CM since March and am really enjoying it. I was a theatre nurse before that and would only see my dd for 1 hr per day due to travelling. I also only cleared £500 per month after deductions and childcare. I now earn £1,250 before tax and NI etc but have no childcare to pay for. Although I hasten to add that I also pay for all food, nappies, wipes etc so probably earn the same, the bonus being that I now see my dd.

Tori did you go to Cool Play?