New kind of childcare...honest opinions wanted

[twiglett]

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Twigglett ...

I would love to know a childminder who would do that on an ad hoc basis ...

I am seriously struggling finding a time to have my hair done at the moment as my hairdresser doesn't work on Saturdays and the two hours that DS goes to kindy is not enough for a colour what with the 20 minute drive there and back!
What a great idea ....
If I lived near you I would use you !!!!

that is an excellant idea!! i need a 'babysitter' during the day maybe once or twice a fortnight if ex isnt available. i would love it if someone here ran that scheme.

If you're based near me, I'd use you! I don't want to put him in nursery yet, but I would dearly love a day away from him every now and then.

brilliant idea, I have to go on a training course so would need some-one to look after kids after school til i got back about 8.Ok I can ask school friends but I don't always want to be asking favours.

I agree, a brilliant idea. I think you'll have lots of takers.

The only downside I can see is that you will get so booked up that some of your clients will never be able to get their kids in with you, exp if you only take one. Would be a good idea to do it with someone else maybe so you had more capacity/flexibility?

A great idea. How many times does a one-off situation occur like hospital appointments, court appearances, needing to shop for something big etc. Your service would be ideal. Also a fabulous way for mums to shop in peace or have a day off to enjoy lunch with a friend or to get their hair done.

Well done on being so enterprising.

sounds like a good idea to me too. I only work 3 days pw but sometimes need to go to a meeting or similar on one of the other days - it's always a juggling act to arrange childcare for DS so something like your service would be really useful.

I too think that sounds like a super idea, Twiglett, good luck with it. Just a shame that someone with such initiative is opting out of the f/t market as there is a big demand for good f/t childminders!

We came across someone on holiday who was filling in as a nanny in the Esprit creche for a week or so who normally operated on a similar basis. She ran her own business in the Chester area as an ad hoc nanny/mothers help. Some of her clients were regulars who needed a few hours casual babysitting whilst they went to hairdresser, dentist etc others were more intensive such as to help out when new baby arrived for a couple of weeks, few hours per day, or to cover a weekend away when she would move in and house/babysit.

I thought it sounded like a great arrangement, to find someone who you could really trust to be there as you needed them, especially when so many mothers have moved away from their own families who would probably have done this in the past.

good luck with it,

Brilliant idea - go with it, my advice to you is start off small and build up gradually as this is the best way to see how you cope - I run a small business alongside working 3 days pw and have a small baby so I know what its like!!!

I know lots of mums in the NW would go for this idea - whereabouts in the country are you??

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I would have found this sort of help invaluable when I was a SAHM. I live 4 hours from my mother and 6 hours from MIL. so I have no family support with the children, and dh is ofren away from home for weeks at a time. My friends have always been very supportive, but sometimes you don't want to ask for a favour from a friend. It would have made doctors/dentist/hairdresser appointments so much easier to organise. Good luck, this is a terrific idea.

twiglett - sounds a great idea - I don't have relatives near enough to help and all my friends are on school runs etc. so it's not easy for them. But any chance you could take more than 1? because I'm near enough to you (just), but have 2 children that would need looking after.

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twoglett, I have been offering this type of service for the last 15 years as a registered minder. I find it fits in well as I have a before and after schooler, so I can use those free hours in between.

Are you sure that the number for which you are registered for does not include your own child, that is normally the case? I can take 6, as I have no under 8's of my own. I too very rarley work to full capacity as I like to make sure every child has enough attention, particularly younger ones.

Good luck to you, if you want to chat or ask any questions check out my website here , I am a mentor for new minders in Herts

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Sorry about that, twoglett does sound good!

Must remember to preview!

Our childminder offers this service too, although she doesn't advertise it. It may simply be worth people who want this service asking their childminders if they provide it. They may be surprised.

Twiglet. Agree it is a great idea. But like others wonder if you will need to take more than one child at a time so that you don't have to regularly turn people away. Good luck.

I have 2 CMs at the moment, one of them only childminds during the holidays & 12 weeks in the summer; it's terrific! Means my regular CM can take hols & I don't have to worry about scrambling for a sub. Regular CM is solid-booked, hard to get places with her, but holiday CM can take us at short notice, juggle days, do extra here and there. She's flexible with me & I'm flexible with her, I work flexitime, anyway.

That said, we are her only client, which maybe says the demand for this flexibility isn't high. I don't know why not. I think it suits the holiday CM that she isn't over-subscribed because she gets some holiday days, too. She also takes both my under 4yo children, too, as opposed to just one child which twiglett suggests, but only 1.5 days/week usually, so plenty of time with just her own 4yo & 9yo sons. The kids just all play together & have a good time.

If you extended to taking 2 children, Twiglett, you'd be that much more popular, because getting occasional CM spaces for 2 siblings is jolly difficult. I have even asked my regular CM to let me know when the 2 siblings she currently minds go on holidays; I would be only too happy to give her mine to look after on those days, too; but she never remembers.

Think it's a great idea. DS2 and 3 are at nursery. I have to book a full time place for both. I work flexi time which could be 10-3 5 days or 9-5.30 for 3 days. Depending on what needs doing and how urgent. I plan next week this week and would love a flexi childminder like you.

I'd be all for a flexi childminder too. And one that takes two siblings at a time would be even better. Many regular childmiders ask for a retainer if you don't need their services when you have reserved a slot - I can see the justification, but it can work out expensive if the parent is around to care for their children more than usual.

Twiglett, one thing you could consider possily: When parents sign up, tell them you'll expect to have their children for a minimum number of hours a month, say 4 hours for instance, and they will be billed for this each month regardless of whether they have contacted you. Then you know you will get some regular income (even it it's not much) and will get parents who intend to give you regular work and are more likely to honour arrangements. I'm sure only a tiny, tiny, minority of parents would do this, but if you are so flexible and accommodating and charge no retainer, some parents might think nothing of cancelling your services at short notice and generally messing you around.

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I really hope this catches on! I'm freelance and so is my husband and I'm having to find a f/t job so that I can fit in around the very inflexible childcare options in my area! Talk about the tail wagging the dog.....