thinking of childminding, any advice?

[ptitemaud]

hi
I am a mother of 2. I am a housewife but i would love to get a little job on the side. I thought childminding would be a good idea as i love being a mum, i feel quite broody when i spend time with my friends' babies and i have some personality traits that seem to suit childminding : love cooking, going for walks in the park, singing with the kids, am patient and well-organised.

I am French and a former teacher so i thought some parents may like having their kids taken care by a French speaking woman who would speak to them in French and teach them songs or nursery rhymes etc...

I am starting training via the council but would love to hear about mums who are childminders. How do you get some work? how do you get on with the parents, kids?
if you have any advice, please feel free

I'm not a childminder, but I was considering childminding a friend's child when we both went back to work. I looked into how to get registered, and in my area (Hertfordshire) the whole process was likely to take at least a year - there was a waiting list even to attend the council's initial briefing for potential childminders (which was compulsory to attend if you even wanted to start the registration process), then a waiting list to go to the next stage etc etc. And a whole bunch of other bureaucratic hurdles to go through. All so I could legally childmind one child of a friend (I didn't want to set up as a business)!

I did have a couple of very useful conversations with someone at the council, and someone from the local branch of the National Childminding Association about the process. In the end I didn't go ahead with it and my friend found alternative child care.

I'm sure some real childminders will be along soon, but just wanted to make sure you knew exactly how long it will take and what it will entail (in your area). I know it's particuarly bad in my area as I think there is an over-supply of childminders already. Good luck with it all!

I'm sorry but childminding is not a little job on the side

you spend a lot of time doing paperwork and chasing parents for cash and that's after looking after the children btw 7 and 6pm a day

also at the moment a lot of people are geting made redundant so families are being forced to have a sahp
it's hard to get enough mindees to make it financially viable