Does my DS affect the number I could take if he's at school but she 4

[dingledongmerrilymysky]

I'm considering becoming a childminder, but my DS is only 4 but at school. I also have a baby who's nearly 1 so I know that affects my numbers, but was unsure about DS.

Also my dog hates children so I would have to have my parents take him on. Which I think they would like to as they have lost their own dog recently.

I live near a school, and know there is demand, but I'm not that experienced with older children. With my own, we come home and have a snack at the table and do homework, then watch TV. I would rather he played but he's very tired after school.

Also do you give them dinner ?

It’s my understanding she would count. I think it applies to the age of 8? Our childminder does snacks (sandwiches/hotdogs/pizza but then my kids don’t usually want to eat again when they get home. She does a lot of craft activities which is popular with most of the kids. They play games like bingo. There is some computer gaming. There’s really a lot to consider with getting yourself compliant with health and safety etc. It’s not as easy as it may sound.

My house is a new build, so I'm not too worried about the safety side, window catches are there, key lock on back gate etc. Would need another stair gate though. It's more if I could cope I suppose? How to make it work for different ages and the space. I have a small playroom and a lounge too that could be used, plus kitchen /dinner. I know others I similar houses do it.

I have good patience and love arts, playing games with the kids. Dinner always seems a pinch point for me though. And it would be sad to get rid of our dog, but he barks a lot at other peoples kids and that wouldn't work.

Childminders are allowed up to 6 children under the age of 8 (in England), of these, usually, 3 under school age of which one can be under 1. So, you could have 2 under school age children and 2 extra school aged children.

But you can choose the ages you want to offer care to. When I first started and had My own small dc, I didn’t do school age children and tbh, in a couple of years, I will be stopping them again. Lots of minders don’t do school runs.

After school, sometimes we come in and watch tv, sometimes they sit at the table and colour, sometimes they play, outside in the warmer, lighter weather. Depends what they want to do, how tired they are, what kind of day they have had. I don’t do homework with them though, I’m too busy. My own dc have always had to wait till I finish work for homework help too. I don’t have time to be doing lots of crafts after school, by the time we are in and had a snack, it’s Just gone 4 and theY start going at about 4.05 and I never know what time they will actually go, the majority pick up between 4.30 and 5, so I’m Permanently between the door and just supervising what’s going on in the play areas.

I don’t do tea. We come in from school and have a snack - drink of milk and a biscuit. They go home for tea. I only work till 5 and this works for my family. I did Used to do tea for one family who left at 5.30. It was a complete pain, child was fussy, so I always had to be thinking what he would eat and it was such a rush to cook and serve a meal after school, I vowed never to do it again And was glad when they finished. I don’t do big snacks. The children I have here (and my own children at that age) have always been fine with a biscuit and happy to wait till they go home for their meal.

Yes he would count in your under 8s but not your under 5s.

I collect from school, we have a snack like toast, crumpets, malt loaf and milk, then they play or we do some craft. Things like drawing, lego, board games etc are always available. Tidy up about 4.45 and then they can watch TV til home time which is 5-5.30. I don't do tea.