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butterfly
17-01-2009, 02:00 PM
i'm thinking of giving up having after school children in sept.

my own daughter will be going to school and i feel she may need a chance to chill out when she gets home instead of sharing her toys and having the house really busy.

without after school children i will have:

mon: 22mth am and 5mth old 9-4pm plus ds aged 21mths
tues: 22mth am and 8mth old 7-6pm plus ds
wed: 23mth 8.30-3.30 and 8mth old 7-6 plus ds
thu 22mth am and 8 mth old 7-6 plus ds
fri 5mth old 9-4 plus ds

i find after school really busy and stressful with tired children trying to share space and toys

also it would cut down on my planning and paperwork; there would be more space for the babies to play safely and my food bill wouldn't be so high!

i will have to give notice to one after school child anyway as my d will take that space.

i just wish i could afford to do it now!

marian
17-01-2009, 02:09 PM
I no longer look after after schoolers for similar reasons to you and I have never looked back!
My afternoons are so much less frantic now:)

Marian x

singlewiththree
17-01-2009, 02:12 PM
It sounds like a plan to me. I'm only going to have

everyday:

my 3yr, 2yr and 1 mindee (hopefully)
after schools: my DD7 and one other.


From Sept my 3yr old starts school so I'm hoping to have
my 2yr old at preschool
2 mindees (1 baby)

afterschool: my 2 DD ages8,4 and 1 mindee. I feel that is more than enough for me.

Jules27
17-01-2009, 06:09 PM
I only have one after schooler two days a week and thats enough for me.My own son is in year 1 and really needs mummys attension after school. Plus I have a 2 yr old son as well. I have a full time 12 month old and a 4 year old 2 mornings. Have a 19 month old starting soon 3 days a week and thats as full as I want to be right now!:)

Chatterbox Childcare
17-01-2009, 06:21 PM
I look after 5 after school and as they all come in the holidays too I give them a monthly figure. the combined total pays me more than 3 full timers. I would give them up first and be more organised for the after schoolers.

But I like after schoolers

miffy
17-01-2009, 06:42 PM
You have to put your own family first - your mindees are all very young and will be hard enough work so I think you are doing the right thing

Miffy xx

barbarella68
17-01-2009, 06:52 PM
I am giving up after schoolers as well hopefully in July when a lad I have leaves as Dad is in Army and has been posted somewhere else.I have looked after him for 2 years.
I also have a brother and sister 3 times a week before and after school and to be honest it is a nightmare.I feel my son is missing out,homework is always a struggle with him because the mindees go home at 6 oclock.
We have dinner at about 6 when they go but I would like it earlier then it wouldn't feel like the whole evening is taken up with cooking and clearing.He can't do any after school activities. because I would feel guilty about dragging the mindees out and about.
He has swimming lessons on a Friday at 5.30pm and I take 1 mindee with me but the mindee is always saying (why can't I go swimming?)and after a while he says "I'm bored"(he is 6 and a half).
Oh and all they do is fight so I am giving notice to after schoolers in July and hopefully I will replace them quickly.

childmind04
17-01-2009, 06:58 PM
I only have 1 child after school and can see how hard it can be, we have a very cheap after school club so dont tend to get much interest :rolleyes:

Twinkles
17-01-2009, 07:33 PM
I would love to give up after schoolers but they can double my income in the school holidays so I can't really afford it.

Chimps Childminding
17-01-2009, 07:37 PM
I am not taking on anyone before and after school if I can afford not to! I do have one little girl who is starting school in September and I will continue to have her after school 3 nights a week and in the holidays, but I find it easier if they have been with me since they were young.

I have lost 3 after before/after schoolers in the last 18 months just by them moving on to middle school or mum changing hours, and I have to admit I am enjoying it! I do find it hard to amuse everyone when you have such a range in ages and limited space!

Tily Bud
17-01-2009, 07:41 PM
i dont ( from bad past experiences ) take on new after schoolers but i do continue with children when they go to school x

hello kitty
17-01-2009, 09:27 PM
I'm the same, I cut down my after schoolers and it is soooo much calmer here now, I just have one 9 year old who I have had for 4 years now and she loves playing with the little ones. Also it is not such a stretch making activities fit all ages. I don't regret it at all!

Rach30
17-01-2009, 09:39 PM
:D I gave up after schoolers as my own children hated it and it is sooo much better. Definately don't regrte it

rickysmiths
17-01-2009, 09:50 PM
Well I think that is the beauty of this job. You fit it around you and your family needs.

I started by looking after 1 12wk baby 5 afternoons a week then added another part timer some mornings. As my own 2 progressed into school I had a few years of only before and after school and hols.

Then my 2 changed school and I had to use the car so I took on two full time under 5s which was all I could fit in.

Then we moved house, my 2 go to high school on the school bus. I have 3 full time under 5s, 1 part time under 5, and 2 x 4 and 5yrs before and after schoolers.

Than goodness I choose a flexible job!:clapping: :laughing: :clapping:

devoncm
18-01-2009, 01:33 PM
I only have 1mindee who's after school but have her in hols too which isnt so bad, but i wish i thought about it before taking her on, she doesnt go to the same school as mine so i have to always find someone who is able and willing to pick mine up for me, they do all argue sometimes and as mindee doesnt always eat her tea i sometimes think why do i bother?

Im hoping to have a baby start with me soon,mum just had it and needs to go back to work, so if this happens i might say to current mindee mum that im only going to do school hols, as with my baby due aug i feel will be lots of rushing about and feel its not fair on my family to miss having time with me, and id be able to pick mine up from school too.

PixiePetal
18-01-2009, 01:41 PM
I have only had after schooler who I minded from a baby and went to same school as my two. When DS left to go senior school last summer, I gave notice as I no longer needed the trek to school in the rain etc( she was term time only).

So much easier now, taking on more younger ones. :D

Oh, I still see old mindee every now and then (she's 9) and DD chats to her on MSN regularly - such a part of our family for SO long:)

mushpea
18-01-2009, 06:00 PM
all of my mindees are term time only except for one 2yrold which is lovley, during term time i also have a 1yrold, 3yrold and 5yrold . I find the school children to be more demanding and often hear 'i'm bored' a lot but there is so much on offer after school i somtimes think that its more to do with the fact they are not in their own home and are tired. i did have another after schooly whose mum was constantly 30-45mins late picking up every night but she no longer comes since christmas and now i realise just how much it was affecting both my children and myself . i was allways stressing about getting my chidren to their clubs on time andme to my courses!
I think in future i will take on school children term time only because not only do i have less space in the car in the hols to go somwhere but it s too much for my children and also the hol clubs are a lot cheaper than me anyway.

marion123
18-01-2009, 07:51 PM
i have a mindee hes lovely i only have him term time i have him 2hrs a night

Mollymop
18-01-2009, 07:58 PM
DO you know what I owuld really love?


To have just before and afterschoolers (fill up as much as I am able to make the money) then I would get the whole school day to myself! Ahhh what bliss it would be!!

LittleMissSparkles
18-01-2009, 08:10 PM
DO you know what I owuld really love?


To have just before and afterschoolers (fill up as much as I am able to make the money) then I would get the whole school day to myself! Ahhh what bliss it would be!!


I must admit I'd love to do this too, at the moment I have 5 after schoolers regularly and 2 under 5 through the week but come sept the lo i have all day mon and fri will go up to school with my dd and Im soooo looking forward to have in mon and fri between 9 and 3 to myself :clapping: . I have a lo aged 1 tue/wed/thu all day and have sriously thought about giving her up too but i love the family and the lo and it would be soo hard to do xxx

I love the schoolers can do sooo much more with them but I dont like the walk to and from schoolfunnily enough LOL xxx

aly
19-01-2009, 12:21 AM
you are doing it for the good of your family.

louloudi
19-01-2009, 04:28 PM
I can understand why you want to give them up, I only have 1 in the afternoon then 4 afterschoolers (plus 1 of my own) they usually have different days but if they're all here together I often feel like a referee.

The girls are always wanting the fuss over the 2 yr old and he just doesn't do cuddles!

If I have my way I'd have preschoolers only.... or afterschoolers if I had a huge house and estate type garden!!!:laughing: