i'd really like to become a cm, what are your typical working hours?and can you tell me what its like beinga child minder?

[lionbeast]

hi my dd is 6 months and i feel like im having the time of my life.never felt as happy or content in my life and i feel like im really good at being a mum

im not going back to my old job as a pharmacy technician even though i am on a good salary as its quite stressful
and i do not enjoy it.

so i decided that what i really want to do is work with children.

im quite interested in teaching,and im gonna look into that.

but think what id like to do most of all childminding as id enjoy doing educational things and crafty activities and fun stuff and caring
well all the mum type jobs i suppose
could any of you tell me what its like to be a cm?
what sort of hours do child minders work?
what is your typical week like?
how does cm fit in with your own family?
i don't think i want to do any kind of work until dd is at school.
what are the parents like?
would i need to do anything special to me house?

id be so grateful to hear from cm what theres lifes like

Chilminding Asscosiation

Scottish Childminding Association.

aww thanks scramble thats so nice of you

My brother works for SCMA so I always plug his site,

i think child minding would be perfect for me as you get to do everything really

If you like spending time at home and with kids it could be ideal, I worked as a nanny then as a nursery nurse and could never be a childminder now as I get depressed at home without adults. My non mummsy job keeps me sane .

yes i love it
although i do spnd tim visting my and dad and friends and taking dd for pub lunches etc which of course i couldnt do with other peoples children !

i love my job its the best ever
i was a nursery nurse for 12yrs and this is so much better thou i didnt do it with my own children at home (mine were 6 and 7)but most cm do have their own children under 5.

hope you look into it and welcome

Childminding is the most rewarding job I have ever had, it is also the most tiring! I find it fits in well with family life, but it is still a juggling act like all jobs. I still find my weekends are taken up with housework - people always assume I get it done during the week, but I am too busy playing working.

The only changes you need to do to your house are things you will need for your own young child anyway (stair gates, socket covers, smoke alarms, etc), the one thing that I didn't bear in mind was storage. You will need somewhere for all of your toys, craft stuff, maybe double buggy and so on.

Childminders chooose their own hours, but many find they get more work if they offer flexibility. When I started I took on a shift worker, mindee will be at senior school next year and I don't think I wll take on any more shift workers after him. Lovely lad but hours were all over the place and it messed up my little boys routine.

I would recommend you look into it locally, your children's information service shou;d be able to send you a careers guide pack for working in childcare, also there may be childminders at your local play groups you could talk to. Good luck with it all, pop into our staffroom if you have any more questions.

thanks for the useful tips
how many children do most childminders mind and how much do thy usually charge, i know nurserys around my area charge 40 pound a day.

do you think a 3 bedroomed house is big enough? we do have a nice large garden which would be lovely for the children

could anyone tell me what a typical week or even a typical day is like for them ?

also where do the children go for a nap ? our third bedroom is not that big

Good afternoon! Well, where do I start? I ama childminder in the Manchester area and at the moment thinking about trying to get a job outside the home part-time, the reason for this is that there are too many childminders, private day nurseries and Surestart Children's centres in my area and I just cannot get work.

It may be different in your area, they may be crying out for cminders, its worth doing a check with the local Children's Information Service (usualy with local council) to see what the needs are.

I charge (for babies) £25 per day or £110 per week and it goes down to £18 per day for 5 yr +. I charge £40 before and after school which covers drinks, snacks and craft materials' costs as well as fuel costs taking and picking up from various nurseries. I also do a fair amount of respite work for Surestart but this is usually only up to 4 week blocks and not permanent. You have to pay OFSTED £15 per year and this might go up to £100 if the consultation goes their way. You can take off expenses for council tax, water, heating depending on hours you work.

It is a lovely job but very hard, people seem to think we sit about, drinking coffee/tea watching the children (I wish) but in reality we have to deal with parents that 'forget' to pay, drop off early and pick up late when we are rushing about trying to get to a first aid course which has started at 6 and we have to get to it in rush hour traffic! I don't want to put you off, most parents are very good but you do get the odd few that forget we have families too. Good luck with whatever you decide.

i think it's a great job - if you wanna stay home with your kids - and earn a little money too - you can work whatever hours/days you like [in theory] and charge what you like [again in theory] as you are self employed - but as much fun as it is it's also extremely tiring!!!

hello, and thank you for the replies
i really feel i would be good at this although id rather wait till dd is a school
id prob only look after 2 children though well to start off with