do you prefer pre-schoolers or school children afterschool?

[newandlearning]

I've really only had the birth-5 age group and am now branching into
after schoolers..

am wondering if you prefer one type of mindee over the other?
and if you feel there are pros and cons to each?

any advice would be great x

[helenlc]

I have mostly had pre-schoolers and prefer these. Maybe because my own children are 9 and 11.

I have had one holiday only mindee who was same age as my daughter. I found him hard work to be honest - was never impressed with anything I offered, clashed with my daughter etc.

But that is my only experience with school age mindees so would not rule any others out just because of that one not so good experience.

I know others who have just pre-schoolers or just after school ones. It really does depend on your preference.

Although I have had 15 yrd child care experience prior to becoming a childminder, it has mostly been with under 5s so I guess this is why I feel most comfortable with this age group.

[georgie456]

I have to say I prefer pre-schoolers.
I only have one school age mindee, and she is, quite frankly, exhausting to try and entertain during holidays!!!!! Little ones are much easier to please, but maybe I've just got a tricky one!!!!

[sarah707]

I have children here from 6 months to 13.

It really depends on the child and the mix - the 9 year old would be busy in an empty room, the 13 year old does her homework and loves playing with the little ones, the 5 year old loves helping Nige with the cooking and reading books, the 6 year old needs to be left alone to play, the 4 year old is great so long as he has some paper to cut and glue, the baby sort of gets in the way or sits on a teens knee and has a chat, the 2 year old plays trains with the 9 year old, the other baby (2 different days) screams a lot and is usually with me .... etc.

I brought a new child aged 3 into the mix who was very demanding and he was not able to fit in. We had to part company. It was sad but I have to put the established children first - that's what a settling in period is all about.

I suggest you use it wisely! :D

[breezy]

I have and like a mixture of both my lot range from 11 months to 12 years at mo. They all add to a great mix.

[mushpea]

i have 7 children from 9months to 10yrs, as already said it really depends on the children the 6yrold girl constantly wants me to play and provide activities for her whilst the 5yrold boy would be happy constantly on the wii all the time (which he is not!), my daughter the 10yrold can be lovley with the little ones and very helpful some days then others we have a serious teenage attitude problem (she has now got womens problems though so thats not helping), my 8 yearold son is happy doing his own thing in his room and does this at the weekends also, the 3yrold and 22mnth old always want the same toy as each other so are always 'fighting' over toys, me the chairs, the dog and anything else that they can get too:laughing:
as already advised go with the settling in period and see how it goes but dont think that one child will be the same as the next so if you get an awkard 7yrold the next 7yrold could be lovley.

[Louise_Oaktree]

I have had this thought several times as I have a 6 yr old boy and after school he is great with my nearly 4 yr old son but in the holidays he is constantly bored.

I have decided the easiest is to have either 0-5 or school age as I find keeping them all entertained the most difficult part which is why we have spent a lot of time these holidays at parks or soft play centres.

Baby is off on Friday so we are going to the cinema - taking my sister (who is also a CM) in case the 18 mth old runs wild :laughing: never been to the cinema with an 18 mth old but at worst there's always dummy and raisins! Besides, it should be easy knowing where the others are and only having 1 to chase after :rolleyes: am I mad?

[mushpea]

I have had this thought several times as I have a 6 yr old boy and after school he is great with my nearly 4 yr old son but in the holidays he is constantly bored.

I have decided the easiest is to have either 0-5 or school age as I find keeping them all entertained the most difficult part which is why we have spent a lot of time these holidays at parks or soft play centres.

Baby is off on Friday so we are going to the cinema - taking my sister (who is also a CM) in case the 18 mth old runs wild :laughing: never been to the cinema with an 18 mth old but at worst there's always dummy and raisins! Besides, it should be easy knowing where the others are and only having 1 to chase after :rolleyes: am I mad?

yes now i was only going to have 0-5yrs when i started up again but i then had three children from one family one of them being the hard work 6yrold and it was just to much work to turn down so you never know how things work out.

[The Juggler]

I would prefer all pre-schoolers or mostly but have always ended up with pairs of siblings. I now have a trio of siblings in September which means my after schooler numbers are up again for 2 days per week.

I am lucky though that most are term-time only. I find the bickering hard when there's more than 4 or 5 after schoolers.

[Shivvie]

I prefer pre-schoolers. We have 5 pre-schoolers to look after and our little boy, who starts school in September, so at the moment he's a pre-schooler too.

We look after a little boy who will be going into year one. He and our son get on really well together and he's a great little boy, but when they're together, crikey, they are hard work!!!! Not badly behaved or anything, just completely mad!! :eek: It's really difficult when we have so many young ones and because of the we've decided that we won't be taking any more school-aged children on whilst we've got so many little ones. Our little boy gets on really well with the younger children so will still be happy to have them to play with. :)