Problems outweighing happy minder!

[Helen Dempster]

I'm in a quandry at the mo...I've only got one mindee and he's about to start nursery in a couple of weeks. My own ds is due to start a different nursery next week and there's no way I can get them both to school (there's 5 mins difference in the timings, but it will take me about 10+ mins to get from one school to the next). I asked my lo's nursery if I could have morning sessions and explained why, thinking it wouldn't be a problem (mindee has afternoon sessions). The mindee I look after is lovely, as are his parents and I really don't want to lose him (and the money!) but it's looking like I'm going to have to give notice, which will leave me with a big fat ZERO in the numbers of mindees I have :-( How do you all manage? I know a number of childminders say they can collect from this school, and that school, etc...how the hell do you get them all to school for the same time? I really don't want to give up my business and my minding, but all the enquiries I've had recently have come to nothing...just feeling a bit down/worried financially. Anyone out there know the feeling....??

H xx

[helenlc]

I know its easy to say, but something will come along. My daughter goes to a primary school that is about a 10 minute drive from our house. I sometimes have problems because people dont realise I live as far as as I do from the school.

I dont do a pre-school run at the moment but did only have one child going so there was no conflict of times etc.

Could you not ask the parents of the mindee if they can change their sessions? Explain that you dont want to lose them and you have asked your sons nursery but they are full. Might be worth asking.

[little chickee]

Maybe the only option is to have one of the kids go into nursery late - not ideal i know but may be the only feasable solution.

I used to have 2 kids to collect at nurseries 20mins apart with only 10 mins difference in collection time - the 2nd nursery agreed to keep the child back for the extra 10 mins i needed to get there - mindee didnt mind as she got to help the teachers set up for the afternoons and made her feel special.

[LittleAcorns]

Might not help but from experience it can take a while (sometimes up to 20mins for me) to drop off/collect from part time nursey because they have to be so vigilant when getting kids in/out safely, could you go to the first nursery and be first in the queue then get to the second and be the last? pehaps suggest you can give it a weeks trial? x

[Zoomie]

i used to collect DS2 from his nursery 15 minutes early, which gave me just enough time to get to DS1's school - 15 minutes walk.

[georgie456]

I had this problem last year when my dd started the local pre-school and mindee went to school which was a 10 min drive away. I very reluctantly had to give notice.

Then mum contacted me a couple of months later and said mindee was really missing us and they were thinking of moving her over to my dd's school the following school year, and would I have her back if they could get her in!

She got into the school and she started back with me last week after a year with another cm.

So you never know - something will come along!

[Ripeberry]

I get this problem! I'm in the middle between two primary schools, they are only 5 mins drive apart but they both come out at the same time and I have to be at the first primary school to pick up my own children and if I'm parked in the wrong place I can get stuck in the car park if someone has decided to double park.
Also the second school does not have a car park, so children there would have to wait at least 10-15mins for me.
So I can really only have kids from my daughters school :(

[Twinkles]

You may get more work from your childs nursery/school when they start. Ask if you can advertise there somewhere. Some schools don't allow it but some are more than happy to oblige !

[newandlearning]

I spent all of the last academic year waiting for my mindee to show up always late.. meaning my own DC was always late getting the preschool.. on a good morning he was 15 mins. late and on a bad morning he was 30 mins late .. I began to get very wound up by this in the end and annoyed with myself for not giving my own child more importance.. I suggest look after your own child.. but if you really want to see if you can do it .. try it for a week .. hope all goes well.. I know its scary giving up busy.. hope all goes well.x