For those of you who only took a few weeks off maternity leave...

[Tippy Toes]

How hard was it?

I'm due spring next yr, haven't told parents yet as keep changing my mind re mat leave.

Just wondering if you returned early did you manage?

Ill be working on my own and will have my baby plus 2 other little ones per day, also 2 afters schoolers and my own school age children.

Thanks xx

[loocyloo]

i returned after about 6 ish weeks, but only afterschoolies; 2 girls, a few afternoons a week. DS was 3 & was at nursery most mornings and then home with me. i liked getting into the routine of school runs, but i was shattered and my schoolies were wonderful at playing with DS, cuddling babe and being a distraction !!! i don't know if i could have done all day with mindees. DS slept most afternoons too!

i went back to have a mindee all day when DD was 6 mths and it was very hard, as i took on a 9mth old babe, who had never been put down, and i do feel DD missed out, as i seemed to spend alot of my time holding mindee for some peace. in hindsight ( which is a wonderful thing! ) an older mindee would have been better!

[kindredspirits]

Hard. I went back after a fortnight with just one mindee and getting out of bed in the morning after having been up a lot with a newborn is hard. Playing with other kids when you really just want to sit and stare at your newborn is hard. But it is possible.

[Tealady]

Harder on my own DD than anyone else. She hadn't yet got used to sharing me with the New baby, so was then even more upset by having to share with the mindees. I only had 1 mindee after school and two before.

[lisa1968]

Had 2 weeks off then went back full time.Had to take DS to school so thought I may as well get paid for taking the others! Also had a 15 month old at home (mindee) and coped fine.
I did tell the parents though that if I had to have a cesarean then things would be different!

[Helcatt]

When are you due Tippy Toes?

I am having a planned c section in the first week of feb.

I am very vague about time off as I really do not know how it will all go. I have a friend who thought she would be back to work by now, but her little one is a year old and she still does not feel ready - he doesn't sleep well etc and she doesn't think she could cope with lack of sleep and mindees

I am in the lucky position that dh is my assistant and we employ someone else. He will be a CM by the time I go off work, the pressure will be on them for a while, but at least I can come back to it when I am ready and not stress about loss of income or mindees

With my DD who is 4, I was ready to work again when she was 5 or 6 months - I really don't think I could have worked on my own so soon after as recovering from a c section, coping with disturbed etc etc would have meant that I would not have been much fun for mindees

HX

[k1rstie]

I actually only had a few days off!!, and then it was the Easter holidays. In my mind was the fact that my mindee's could have actually been my children, so if they were, I would have still had to take them to school, feed them, keep them entertained!!!

Hearing about the breast feeding doll out at the moment, made me remember the kids playing when my Lo was so small. I rember feeding the baby when on outings, in the park, at the group, plus others. Then seeing the little mindees playing baby, and sticking them up under their t-shirts!!!

As childminders, we are all supermums and superdads, so a new baby you will take in your stride (if you want too), and I never had any negative commemts from my parents about my pregnancy, time off, care of the kids etc.


But looking back on it now, it was over 6 years ago, and it was a crazy time, plus my DH was of very little use, as he works 60plus hours per week.

Tippy Toes - just do what ever you feel is best for you and your family, your business will be fine. Good Luck

[Devonmaid]

I'm planning on having just 6 weeks off. I'm due in April so combining with Easter holidays to give me a bit longer as I only have before and after schoolies and all are term-time only. So there's a week's break at half term and the summer holidays too. I'll be looking to take on any full-timers in September.

You sound like you'll have a busy time! With you're own older children I can't imagine it will phase you having the extra after schoolers. Can you perhaps take a bit longer off with the full-timers? Good luck with it!

D

[Tippy Toes]

Thanks to everyone for replying,

Im due the end of April, haven't told any of the parents yet as still so unsure.

Would rather not be specific about how long Im taking off but Im aware that parents will panic and look elsewhere. Also if it where the other way around then I would like to know so I could plan how I was going to manage when childminder off.

Just such a difficult decision to make!!! I should be enjoying my pregnancy but Im just too stressed about my mat leave xx