Childminder for 2-4 hours per week

[fiodyl]

Can I get a childminder to look after my 2 DC just a couple of hours per week or do they mostly need you to send them for more than that to make it worth their while?

The reason is I'm trying to learn to drive atm but I have to keep cancelling my lessons as I can't always find someone willing to look after my DC. My lessons are 2 hours long and I would be doing 2 per week if I could find someone willing to mind them.

Also would I find it hard to get a childminder if it was only going to be for a short time i.e until I pass my test- I have a date booked for end of august.

I did this for someone who was learning to drive. I had the space for a couple of hours and it worked out fine. You just need to ring round. I'm sure if a c/m has space they will help you.

Yes I do stuff like this quite regularly. I charge £1 an hour more for short/ ad hoc work. Just call round some local cms to ask.

LS

Yes I do this, again I charge more for it though. Eventually I hoping to do this for a living rather than full time minding

A lot of nannies will do this sort of thing as well.

Your best bet for ad-hoc childcare would be netmums.co.uk or gumtree.com. These have both chilminders and nannies

Thats great to know that other people do it so I might be able to find someone and Im not gonna be asking them something unheard of.
Ive printed a list off the internet of local childminders so Im gonna have a ring around tomorrow.
Im not too bothered that it might cost more as I was thinking of offering extra to take them for me, and as I preboked my driving lesons in advance Im actually losing money everytime I have to cancel.

Where are you fiodyl?

I am a childminder and all my work is made up of this type of short term minding rather than full timers.

There's every chance that there might be someone doing the same as me in your area!

Good luck with the driving!

Just being nosy but why is all your work made up of short term minding mawbroon?

i also do part time minding, the reason ive done it is because i had alot of calls for part time and not really for full time, but i would be pleased to help, im in coulsdon.

Im in Lewes just outside of Brighton, East Sussex.
Im not very good with geography but isnt Coulsdon in Eassex, so I think it would be a bit far unfortunatley.

MindingMum - I was doing it full time before and then we moved to a new area. I was ttc and didn't think it was fair to take on new mindees and then possibly become pregnant and have to let them go after only a few months. However, a year later, I am still ttc, but have found that I quite like doing it this way and have built up a few "regulars". I did full time minding before and it was a bit too much like hard work!!

That's interesting mawbroon, I think it was very thoughtful of you to consider the long term affect of a new baby to the mindees as it's all to often the case that childminders take on the children and then finish them for convenience.You are right though, it's deffo hard work!

The reason I asked you was because I have recently reluctantly given up two full time mindees as the parents were requesting even more hours (children were already here 50+ hours )

The other three children I mind are here only 1 or 2 days per week and I cannot believe how much more I am enjoying my job, not to mention how less tired I am since the full time siblings left.

Obviously money-wise I cannot afford to not take on any more children and luckily work is plentiful here so I am considering emergency care, temporary minding and ad hoc childcare so that I have extra money coming in when I need it but still have lots of time for my own DC when I don't.

I have heard that some childminders are doing this to avoid EYFS so that makes it even more appealing

I do hope your much longed for baby doesn't keep you waiting much longer

What's EYFS MindingMum?

as said some CM are happy to do this or look on www.netmums.co.uk or www.nannyjob.co.ukand see if anyone can help you

this is the kind of thing I would be happy to do, on my days off - I only work 3 days a week in my perm job, and have days and half days booked up by mums who want some me time,or if nanny is ill etc

'I have heard that some childminders are doing this to avoid EYFS so that makes it even more appealing wink grin'

Mindingmum, how is this possible?

Mawbroon, EYFS is Ofsted's new Early Years Foundation Stage, applicable from Sept 2008.

Ah, right. Thought it might be an OFSTED thing. I am in Scotland, so regulated by the Care Commission.