CM Club:Just done my Accounts

[KatyMac]

Gulp

I don't know why I do this job

Have done mine this week too, mine are not too bad, have had a slightly better year this year.

Its bloody hard work though for little monetry reward.

Well I made an "on paper" loss - I know it isn't real but it is very annoying

Ah well at least I don't pay tax (& I should get some back)

I think I want a job where I am financially rewarded for the amount of effort/work I put in

I think it would be good if I got say....minimum wage?

So around £15K a year

I know what you mean.

I am a lone parent so need to earn a decent wage. I work 50 hours a week actually minding then there is all the paperwork and I am doing my nvq 3 so I dread to think how many actual hours I work in a week.

I feel the same sometimes. It is endless hours of work, for very little pay.
I love it though, and feel sad at the thought of doing anything else.
I have decided though that when ds starts school in a few years, that will be my deciding point for the future.

I know

I only used 'time on duty' hours not all the other ones (like x hours on Easter Sunday doing accounts)

It's depressing isn't it

At least Chatkins you have a child at home - my DD is 11

But I am not sure I could go back to being an employee - I like being boss too much

Yes which is why it would pointless to do anything else now, as I would have to find childcare for him. I'd also need a job that still fits round picking my dds up from school, as I wouldn't fancy sending them to after school club or anything.

I feel the same, the thought of working for someone else in any job does not appeal to me either! I am too used to doing it my way, making the decisions etc. I think I am in a comfort zone, and it would be hard to shift me from it.

I know lots of cms giving up at the mo. One has just quit and got a job working for Barnardoes at a childrens centre. She has to offer activities and play, support sessions etc to vulnerable parents and kids. Sounds great !

Hmm - I don't think I could do that either

I like childminding (although I think it should be called something else) - my OU essay was about how government policy needs to change if they want more women to return to work & how nursery workers can't be expected to be degree qualified & still be paid minimum wage

Totally agree. They want workers to be level 3 qualified and above now. I'm doing my level 3, and as I have a degree, after that I'll do the Early Years Professional Status. Hopefully it'll be worth it in the long run if I don't cm forever.

But I know fora fact if this job was better paid I would do it forever. It takes over your life though!

I only just started my degree - if my essay was OK I will have completed my first year

I think there should be some way of allowing for your own child when childminding - perhaps by way of an increased tax allowance? or additional tax credits?

My DD is not in the age range (indeed I started after she started school) but I think it is unfair the way it is structured atm

I think they will have to improve things if cms keep dropping out. However, I know an old cm who is utterly convinced the government want rid of cms, in place of nurseries! Think she may be a bit paranoid though!

I'm not sure she is tbh

They are moving the goalposts frequently atm

On the voluntary part of the register you have to have a new bit of training (must be level 2) & they snuck it in without people seeing as it's for over 8's - so an average childminder without a level 3 can't do over 8's anymore

Under 1's are becoming scarcer as maternity leave lengthens & over 3's go to nursery - when that changes to over 2's.........

You can see where she is coming from can't you?

So you can have children between 1 & 2 plus after schoolies between 5 & 8....doesn't seem much point does there?

In that case she speaks the truth!

Unless we all get accreditted of course, which seems to be the current trend in my area. Think it is because people are worried they will lose out even more when the funding increases to 2 yrs.

That's why I accredited

I was always about care not education - learning just happens imo

But here I am accredited

Oh gawd, I've got 6 months of receipts to catch up on and my new born baby to deal with. Just got the tax return in the post, eeeek! I was supposed to catch up on the receipts before he was born - oh craaaaaaaaaap!

I did a whole year (value=£8K) in about 3hr to sort & 2hrs to enter

Did you find you kept or gained any work because of it Katymac ?

Well this is the first term I am offering it & I have 1 child who only wants the 12.5hrs ( that will lose me money then)

But my babies say they will stay once they are 3.....who knows they might

Because it pays less per hour they cms normally charge, is that right ?

Well partly but also becasue she only wants 2.5hrs in the afternoon....so what do I do with the rest of her day? 7:30 until 13:00 & 15:30 until 18:00?

I can't really sell it to anyone else, at least not easily

Hmmm, I see. Not easy is it ?

I think the only benefit for being accredited is that your existing children might stay with you longer as long as their parents don't think the need to acclimatise into larger groups too soon

Even if I potentially had 3 morning & 3 afternoon children that would still only be £250 a week for all 3 F/T spaces & I can make £175 out of 1 F/T space - so i won't be offering many 'education' spaces tbh

Well whoopie dee I get £695 tax back