ELEANORSMUM: how is the EYPS going?

[NumberFour]

I start at Kingston on Thursday and am panicking a bit about being organised (you should see the state of my house!) and getting everything done. Plus I am due for my inspection by June this year.

On the other hand, I am SO excited about it!!!

I'll text her as I'm not sure how much she comes on these days.

thanks! from what I remember things were not too easy. please send her my regards.

hi no4
sorry not been around for a while.
am very tired tonight so can't tell you much but will log on sunday when i've more time and fill you in.
its great but hard work.

Hi
Sorry for delay!
I'm prob not the best to talk to about this considering i have just decided to give up the course! Not because its too hard or a bad course, I'm just having a dilemma about my careeer choice. Cming was only ever meant to keep me at home while dd (and any others we had!) and she starts full time tom at school (sob!). I had miscarriage in march and don't feel i'll ever be a mummy again, still trying but can always return to cming if the miracle happens. so am thinking about becoming a teacher in the long term but currently looking for a teaching assistant job.

Anyway the course, its great, lots to learn for me anyway very inspirational. Fair bit of assessment and you have be your own leader and developer of yourself. you HAVE to produce your own trainig plan and set your own taregts. lots of reading but some great courses to go on. Made some good friends too!

Waht do you plan to do with it once you've got it? This is where i fell down, i didn't know why i was really doing it! sort of got carried away with the excitement of getting out of the house! sado!

The tricky bit really is finding others to lead as a childminder. I tried to join the network round here but never got the folder done, too much else going on at the time! I had a few willing cm friends who let me do some traingin on them but you really need to aim towards a bigger group and leaing chnge with them. you may need a placement in a pre-school or day care setting too to get both experience and to lead change in that age group.

Hope this hasn't put you off at all!

Good luck and make sure you ask lots of questions and that you are getting enough support from day one. any more questions i will try and do my best!
Elliem x

Thanks, Eleanorsmum. i am so sorry about your miscarraige - now I feel as if I have been prying, but I really just wondered how you'd been coping.

I am really looking forward to it, but I do understand that finding leadership situations can be difficult for a CM. Fortunately for me, the children's centre I go to has asked me to be their Lead Childminder and I am hoping that this will help in some way (really just a go-between for CM's and Children Centre).

Thanks for the info and I am really sorry to hear about your loss and about your change of heart regarding the course.

I will definitely take your advice on getting support and asking lots of questions. I think I will be out of my depth because I have only been minding for 3 years and before that I was in a completely different field.

Thanks again
x

thanks, and what an offer from the childrens centre. you go girl!
and please don't feel bad for prying, i wouldn't have told if i didn't want to. its kinda good to write it down, makes it more real and easeir to accept my decsion and forward planning. keep in touch,