Childminders and play dates

[NumberFour]

I was wondering how other childminders with younger kids, feel about having children to come over and play on the weekend.

My DS is 4 and on the odd ocassion wants a friend over on the weekend. However, I work 7 to 6.30 5 days a week and I honestly don't particularly want children in my (small) home on the weekend too.

I feel like a right on mean cow, but then a hair stylist described it to me as her cutting hair on her day off!! I agree!

Am I the only CM who feels this way?? Do others also feel their hearts sinking on a Saturday when DC want playmates over??

Thing is a lot of CM cannot do it in the week due to numbers, so have no choice but to at weekends and it's not fair to deny the chidlren this chance to have their friends round.

Once in w hile wouldn't hurt surely?

I had typed a long reply and then along came my 3 year old and deleted it!!!

Basically I was saying that I know where you are coming from, but I am in the fortunate position now that mindee is on shift and so try to arrange ds3's 'dates' on mindees off days, and that for ds2 I mind a friend of his (and they are both over 8), and as for ds1, well he is 11 and can't be seen with me so as of yet (what with starting at secondary school) he hasn't invited anyone round! and ds4 is only 14mths, so not there yet!! I have in the past had to do playdates at the weekend, and did originally find i hard but then with 4 of my own what is 1 more really!!!

TOMP, yes, i appreciate that it would not be fair on DS to say no, so we do have friends around now and then. Fortunately he really enjoys the older mindees particularly, so it is like having friends over every day!
Tulip31: Yow! four plus more! I come from a family of 5 daughters so it was a case of one more won't make much of a difference.

Hmmm. I promise to be kinder to DS when he says he was someone around on the weekend. Promise!

I do have a space one day this week so a friend of his will be over then. Perhaps I can redeem myself that way!! (Please don't think I never let him have friends to play! Not like that at all!)

IKWYM - I always say to my close friends, it's like working for free!

I don't ever do the weekday playdate thing, as my house is like an after-school club as it is.

DS2's best friend lives over the road, so he pops in most weekends and DS2 goes over there too, so don't mind that. DS1 is not that bothered, but does have a friend round every now and then, about once a term.

They are each having two friends round on friday for a Halloween tea, and I will have 2 mindees here, so that will be fun.

I'm a cm, but not a mother. However, all my weekends seem to be filled with caring for nices, nephews and god children. this weekend, my last mindee leaves at 18:30. My sister is bringing her cherubs at approximately 18:45!