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View Full Version : Who doesn't offer before/after school care?



greenfields
18-07-2012, 08:26 AM
I was going to but now I'm thinking I won't.

First of all, due to small house, I can have no more than 4 children at any one time. I already have 3, potentially 4 children registered with me, and I don't want to take on an after school child for the sake of a couple of hours, potentially taking up a space for a full timer.

I have a 4 seater car.

I don't want to spend all of my time back and forth to the school.

The crèche next to the school offers after school care at £6.50.

I think the exception would be a child who's already been in full time care with me, then going to school and requesting me to care before and after. Even then I'm going to need that playroom and bigger car!

Just thinking aloud really as I've just turned down an enquiry for before and after school care.

butterfly
18-07-2012, 08:34 AM
I have done up till yesterday but now I've stopped!!

My reasons were:

parents' attitudes (dont care really as long as you have them)
too many children in the house
my chn are older now and didnt want to be forced to play with school friends at home
the older ones i had were rude and didnt respect me or my house
i love little ones and was upset that they werent getting the best care after school because of the older ones!

marian
18-07-2012, 08:37 AM
I don't 'do' before and after school care at the moment.

I used to when my own boys were at school because I was going anyway.

Like you I may consider it if a long standing current mindee who then goes on to a LOCAL school needed it - especially if I was caring for their siblings.

Parents can actually prefer that you do not have a school run - not having to disturb younger ones from afternoon naps etc, the days out are not broken by needing to be back for the school run etc

Marian x

eddie
18-07-2012, 08:42 AM
I don't and never have. I have two school age children of my own so didn't want to impact on them. Plus older children are harder to entertain, it impacts on the care of the little ones and I prefer the 0-4 age range.

I do however do occasional school holiday cover for one of the little ones I used to look after, purely because I had a very strong bond with her and her family and her baby brother is now with me. But it is not the odd day here and there such as Friday pd day.

Mouse
18-07-2012, 08:44 AM
I've never really done before & after school care.

Years ago I tried it, but it didn't suit my own children. They liked to come in from school & chill. They found it hard to do that with other children from school being here. They loved having the little ones around, but not the ones their own age.

Over the years I have done before & after school for holiday cover, which worked out fine. I also did it for siblings who I'd had from babies. It was only 2 days a week & as the children had been coming to me forever it seemed natural to carry it on when they went to school.

From Sept I will have none of my own children to collect from school, so am stopping before & after school completely. I won't do holiday cover.

I am full with lo's during the day, often having 4, and that suits me. It's going to be lovely to have full days with them & not have to plan sleeps and activities around going to school :thumbsup:

LittleLegsCM
18-07-2012, 08:50 AM
I do but am currently trying to fill my daytime spaces so that I can give my 2 schoolies notice!

I really do wish I hadn't taken them on in the first place and tbh, unless you are very lucky with schoolies you get, I would say stick to your plan!

I would say the messing about getting toddlers ready to do school run twice a day can be a nightmare on its own. mornings aren't so bad if they're in a good mood as they've not long been up and therefore happy to get out & about early etc. but afternoons, if they for some reason, havent napped when they normally do or are just not feeling up to it it *can be* like hell on earth (not always but you definitely know it when it is!

I would like to think I have just been slightly unlucky (for want of a better word) with mine but I'm sure there are a few here that would also wish they didnt have schoolies.
1 of them comes out of school in such a foul mood most days (understandable to an extent as he gets here at 7am every morning so has probably been woken about 6am) barely talks but then complains he's bored even when he is offered activities to do and turns them down.
2nd schoolie (I only have a few days every other week) is ok in himself but is a terrible eater he very rarely eats a full dinner, his 'dont like' food list is now probably about 3x the size of his 'like' list and a few times he has made such a fuss about what he doesnt like at the table that the others then refuse to eat it too! His mum now pays for school dinners and if he starts to complain about his dinner here, its taken away straight away & put in the kitchen to stop the others being affected. He still sits at the table until the others are finished though.
I think I've had to have more 'chats' with my school parents than Ive had to with my full day parents!

Bridey
18-07-2012, 08:51 AM
I just do before & after school care - up to 10 children at a time! It works really well for me but I don't have any little ones at all.

I couldn't comfortably cope with both at the same time because of the age differences, the amount of toys & equipment that would be needed to hand at the same time etc. With just the older children I can easily cook a meal for them every evening and base my care around their own particular needs. They behave beautifully for me but again, I don't think this would be the case if I were occupied with toddlers or a baby while they were here. I wouldn't be able to give either group the attention I like to give when I am working - its either one way or the other for me.

I'm loving working with the older children and am very happy but eventually I expect I would like to move back to working with little ones - just to keep things interesting!

Little Pickles
18-07-2012, 09:05 AM
I only do it for brothers who have been with me for over 4 years now , I go to the school to pick up my kids and the schoolies are only here till 4.30 pm so it's no problem , they are good boys too which is great.
I wouldn't want any more or any who haven't been with me before school .... The ones who have been with me for years know the rules of the house etc:)

Chimps Childminding
18-07-2012, 09:19 AM
I have 3 before and after schoolies aged 5, 6 and 7. TBH I would love to stop doing it, i find it hard work, particularly when the weather is like it is as I have littlies as well, BUT all three of these children have been coming to me since they were babies, so I would find it really difficult to stop having them (plus I have baby brother of the 6 year old).

I don't "take on" schoolies and as these move on to middle school (or before) I wont replace them, but having said that the littlies I have now will be going to school then - at present there is no after school club (tried it once and it didn't work out) but I'm hoping they try again at some point and I can lose them!!! :blush:

Kimmy050983
18-07-2012, 09:53 AM
I don't! :) I simply prefer working with littlies. Even once my son goes to school I won't be taking on any school aged children. But I think it comes down to prefering working with little ones. The money side would certainly be great :cool:

louise
18-07-2012, 09:57 AM
I only have before and after schoolies from Sept. At the moment it works perfectly for me. My ds is 8 and he is the oldest, the youngest is 4. In Sept I will have 8 max one day a week, I currently have 7. Yes the kids have an argument at times but there is always someone else to play with. I love how they have all made up their own games that only they know/understand. I don't think I will get any younger ones for awhile due to have so many older ones but to be honest I'm really enjoying the way it is at the moment. I'm also looking forward to changing all the toys around in the summer. I think it also helps that they are all TTO so when they all get a break from each other every 7 weeks or so. I then have a different mindee.

I wouldn't really want to do it if my son wasn't at school though as I didn't start minding shoolies until he was in year 1.

loocyloo
18-07-2012, 12:12 PM
i used to have lots, then moved and for the past 18mths haven't had any on a regular basis. from sept i will have 2 sibling schoolies 3 afternoons a week TTO. i'm hoping it will work, nice children who get on with my children ( not best friends, so none of the falling in & out stuff that goes on with close friendships but friendly enough to be pleased and happy that they are going to be together after school! ) my own children miss having older ones to play with!

hopefully my playroom will be finished over the summer and so i will get that totally set up for LO and am thinking of leaving a unit of older games/puzzles in the conservatory for the schoolies to access! ( reminder to self, DON'T tell dh that idea ;) )

usually by the time we get home from school there is half hour max for an activity, then tea/snack and hometime! at least one night a week, if not 2, the schoolies plus DD will be doing an afterschool club! ( deal is ... all do club or none do club! ) Ds does his own thing as walks home alone!

The Juggler
18-07-2012, 12:49 PM
i used to but the car was never an issue - we just walked everywhere.

Now I don't EXCEPT the siblings of a baby I took on (she is now 3 1/2). They are here for breakfast and leave 5 mins after we return from school.

Have just taken on 2 more before schoolers but they are ex-mindees I had as babies so again no hassle and I won't do afterschool.

If you don't want to hon, there are options out there and I always point out to mums that breakfast club is cheaper than me :thumbsup: as is after school club :thumbsup:

smurfette
18-07-2012, 01:33 PM
I haven't up until now but will have one in September.The littlies I have are an 18 month old and 3 2 year olds,.most days I have three. I am off every second Monday and the other Monday I only have the 18 month old, and my own girls are 6,9 and 11 so I enjoy this one afternoon with them. To be honest the summer is quite difficult (ours finish end June here) managing everyone with different interests, but I think even a whole day of schoolies would be better as long as you could actually get them out and about and let them run, but what kind of a car would you have to have to make the same money in term time as with full days of littlies (unless you could get extra ones in the hols). I always felt my girls prefer the littlies they like to help and don't get jealous, they just go do their own thing and don't have to play with them if they don't want to... with schoolies it would put a whole new dynamic on it. The little fella I am taking on in Sept is the best friend of my middle one and they all get on great, his mum and I spend a lot of time together. It will only be around 8 days a month for a couple of hours after school, and he is well used to being here and my rules, and his mum and I have similar parenting styles. But I have said I will tell her if I don't think it is working out.

I think like Bridey says, all one way or the other is probably best for giving everyone the right attention and being set up for it properly. Maybe when mine are older I will look at it again...I kind of like the idea of being off in the daytime to do my own thing,make dinners etc. And I am up anyway with my own in the morning. Only one of my littlies is likely to go to the local school so will lose them when they start school anyway.

The thing i think about schoolies is you need at least 2 for every 1 littlie to make the same money, so it depends on your space, energy and set up I guess. Don't feel you should do it if you don't want to :thumbsup:

greenfields
18-07-2012, 01:34 PM
Wow, really interesting replies, thanks! :thumbsup:

At the moment I don't think I can justify doing before/after school care. With 4 spaces only a schoolie would potentially take up space of a full timer. If I had the regular ratio then maybe I would consider. Also I can't afford to change my car yet (it's too far to walk to the school) and I'm sure you all know how little you earn at the start of childminding. :rolleyes:

My plan is to put a small conservatory on the house, acting as a playroom which would give more house space/more children to care for.

The car would have to come some time after the conservatory. :rolleyes:

clareelizabeth1
18-07-2012, 01:54 PM
I didn't because I didn't want to do the school run but then two families desprate for after school care asked if they organised the school bus to drop off outside my house then would I. I couldn't say no as I did need the money. All I have to do is wave to the bus they let them off and by the time we have done drink and snack it is home time. At most they might have time to do a drawing. The only downside is they want school holiday care but I make them bring lots of toys they life to play with from home and some how we make it through the day.