What do your husbands/partners/family think......

[clorogue]

of you being a childminder......especially all the courses you have to go and the paperwork as well as trying to keep up to date with all the new things that come in for us childminders.

Interested in your views. Do you feel a lot of the work is going into your family time or are you able to accommodate it in your working day.

Clorogue

[Gherkin]

I think my husband like the fact that I am home with our children but does not like the fact that I let it stress me out (I'd be the same in any job though).

He does get ticked of with the chaos and mess is can create.

I am struggling to keep up at the moment but am trying to find better ways of getting everything sorted.

[RachelE]

Hmm, we had this conversation on Sunday! :rolleyes:

Our youngest starts school next Sept.

So, I said how I'd be able to have another full timer and be better off, try to clear our debts etc etc- to which he said he wants me to get a 'proper job'!
he said he's sick of the clutter and mess - most of which I have to say is created by our own two children! (we dont have the luxury of a playroom at the moment)
I did point out we'd need childcare b&a school and holidays!

It doesnt really eat into our family time as most days I'm done by 4:30pm, so am really lucky. Dh does work on the laptop in the evening, or parish meetings, so I get stuff done then (or procrastinate on here or fb!).

Its hard as I guess they need a nice home to come home too, and dont fully understand.

he doesnt moan too much though! - I dont let him!! :laughing:

[Lady Haha]

This reminds me of when one of my mindee's parents first came to visit.

After looking around and being really impressed with the fact that my house is actually a house cleverly disguised as a nursery, the dad said 'So what does your partner think of you childminding?' to which I repled 'Oh, I haven't got one!' and then after a pause I added 'thats probably why!':laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

[mississmoomoo]

My husband is really happy for me to be doing it as I earn more doing this than I would going back to work (or at least employed work) full time, and I get to look after my 3 children at the same time. The house is actually alot tidyer and organised as I have a check list of everything I need to clean etc prior to starting the day so he likes it even more because of that.:littleangel:

We are lucky at the minute to have a dedicated play room, which I will be losing once we move in 5 weeks so it will be interesting to see how tidy it will be then:p

[Polly2]

Mu hubby is really proud of my being a cm :blush: He loves to tell everyone what I do in detail (I have trained him well!)

When I first started he didn't think much of it and thought of it more of a hobby and that it would never "take off" he was quite negative actually.

Now I am full to bursting and earning more than him he thinks its really cool :rolleyes:

The kids are fine with it except for my daughter who is a cleaning freak and stresses about the mess :laughing:

[MarpleJollytots]

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: Im Pre reg and worry about this alot. Self and partner will be Childminding together so im hoping that will make things easier. Im a very organised type of person anyway,have a list of Jobs that get ticked off everyday,i do the same jobs on the same day of the week eg Ironing Monday,Kitchen Tuesday etc etc.When it comes to paperwork on a Monday nite Mike is going to do any accounts and im going to do any planning for the following week,any other bits we are going to to while mindees are sleeping or havving quiet time. Im determined to stick to a routine,dont want work taking over family time.Mike and the kids are always priority,thats why i wanted to do this in the first place more time together and being there for the children( We have 3 children between us)Ive spent alot of time over the last few weeks setting up files and doing admin so its all ready when we get our mindees.Is it all wishfull thinking??? Will it all go to pot???!!!! Tracie xx

[mama2three]

my Oh just sees it as babysitting and pin money - all fine as long as it doesnt impact on his life in any way! i have to take all my notice boards , posters etc down before he gets home and put all the toys away so its just our home in the evenings. it means getting up at stupid o clock every morning to set up though! i would absolutely love a playroom but theres no chance of that happening - so i just do my best! The thing is he wants the extra money coming in but doesnt like the thought of me working as he would feel guilty about not helping out more! - wouldnt help out more just feel guilty!

[Pipsqueak]

Brian is very accepting and supportive and tbh he has not adopted the attitude 'if you can't beat them...' lol. He comes up with all sorts of creative ideas and makes, builds and does.
He is also proud of the work I put in and my study.

Of course he gets a bit grrr at times with kids, toys, parents, me of onto courses etc from time to time but he was the one who has recently talked me into doing Saturdays for one mindee (whom he adores). lol he even helped one parent move house!

[Chatterbox Childcare]

My husband supports me in childminding because he likes the money but doesn't like the mess but puts up with it. We have older children so it isn't so much of a family issue

My children enjoyed having others around to play with when they were younger but now are not so tolerant but would rather I was home than out working.

[sarah32]

My husband supports in his own way:laughing:

He understands why I chose this job but does moan about the clutter with buggies, travel cots, toys etc.

Especially as I would have most of this stuff as my children are 6 and 9.

I agree with him but its part of my job and I dont have a separate room to childmind from which I would love.

[nic76]

my hubby doesnt mind me being a cm but i think he wishes i would stop moaning about eyfs paperwork

[Twinkles]

Like debbie mine likes the fact I can earn as much as him. But he hates all the mess and clutter of buggies/high chairs/garden toys.

When he starts moaning I always say ' Ok I don't mind giving up work and being a full time housewife. That's the only way we'd ever have a tidy house.'

He soon shuts up !

[youarewhatyoueat]

My dh is just glad that i'm earning some money, i've got 4 of my own, 2 at high school and theyre not cheap. I make sure that when I finish work it is all tidied away, i've also bought a huge shed as we don't have a playroom and the toddler toys were taking over which drove me nuts especially as I don't have toddlers of my own now. I'm also quite careful about the playmobil and lego is just for my own children and not for mindees except the older mindees who I can trust.
The whole family were made aware of the fact it was me that booked the summer holiday and me that paid for it.My dh and children are all supportive but it is definately easier now they are all at school, personally I found it very hard when I had them at home.
My dh is also very supportive of all the training that I go on as its all good experience and doing the nvq3 for free is a huge bonus as I hope to use it in a few years to do a degree course, childminding is a good stepping stone to further ed and a good confidence builder while being at home with the children, personally if I got a 'proper job' I would lose all the tax consessions that cminders get. I could not earn the amount I do on a part time job between the hours of 9-3 and term time only.

[Playmate]

As mine works with me full time he can't really moan!:laughing: :laughing:

[ruby]

mine was the same thought it was easy but since he has retired he has changed his mind.
we are lucky that we have a play room so can shut the doors at night
the only thing with him being home is that before i use to buy things over the internet etc and have them delivered, he never knew because he was in work otherwise he would say 'more rubbish' :(

but i have trained him well now and he now understands and laughs now when another parcel arrives. asking what is it now?

Cathy

[Blackhorse]

my dp has been really supportive of me becoming a cm....he knows there is a lot involved but he thinks it is also better for your dd.
He kept encouraging me though all the time I had delays with my registration process and the long months I had to wait for my first mindee...
now that I am nearly full he is really pleased for me.

I do a lot of stuff in the evening but he also likes some time to do his own stuff...we try and do more together at the weekends and keep them cm free.
He said he is very proud of what I am doing..

only thing he sometimes complains about is the dinners..as I try to make them childfriendly as some of the mindees have dinner with me...he says he has to eat childrens meals..but in a joking way more than anything...but I am not prepared to make 2 meals each night....

oh and as I got a car again he is more than happy!!! LOL

[TheBTeam]

My husband was not so supportive when he had a full time job, he is better now that he does the job himself too, he enjoys most of the kids being around, but is a bit less tolerant of the 'quirky' kids than me, he will withdraw a little!!:rolleyes:

He gets fed up with all of the stuff around the house, i have managed to get it in such a way that it doesn't impact too much on our family and day to day stuff, the toys are boxed behind the sofa under the stairwell, and a lot stored in an offsite garage, which we rotate.

I personally get fed up with the garden toys, which is a bit ironic cos we had the artificial grass put down so that the outside could have a lot of the similar toys to indoors as well as the ride ons etc, but as much as i like the provision we have, I like the garden better without it, as it can't be hidden!

He thinks i have too much paperwork and spend too much time on it, because it really isn't his thing!

[singlewiththree]

Well my ex would never let me do it when he was around so I'm doing it now as its easier for me with the 3 children and my ex just says I need to go out and get a "proper job" even though when I did it meant putting them in childcare.

My BF thinks its a great job and is very proud of me. He doesn't like here though so not sure how he would be if he did!

I think its a great job as it makes me keep the house clean and tidy otherwise I'm a lazy slob

My mum thinks its great, she was a childminder when we were growing up. She thinks I attend too many courses though as she has to babysit for me!

[grindal]

My DH was not too impressed when I first suggested the idea, and was even less impressed when i kept spending more and more money to get the house and garden OFSTED proof :eek: However I am now earning more than I was when i went back to teaching after having DS2 (as we have no childcare costs) and he is a lot more positive about the whole thing.

[helenlc]

My husband can be very negative at times - moaning about all the stuff around etc but is getting better.:blush: But he likes the money I make!!

I am lucky in that we have a conservatory which I have all my toys in. Before, they were cleverly hidden behind the front room door on a big book shelf. I do tidy up each night though so the floor is clear and the toys are back in their boxes.

We have an armchair in the conservatory and DH likes to sit out there hence I tidy it. As it is not used for childminding evenings and weekends, DH doesnt want it to look too much like a nursery when I am not working. I would like more display type things up but am looking into ways of doing it that can easily be taken down at the end of the week.

My children are 9 and 11. They sometimes moan but the fact that I am home and they can be indoors too usually wins them over. If they do moan, I tell them that I will go out to work 40+ hours a week to make nowhere near what I make now. They will have to go to after school club or a childminder. They wont be able to chat to their friends on Messenger on the PC/laptop, lay on their beds and watch TV, eat what they want when they want etc.

I have one mindee 8.30 to 6 - she is 16 months and an angel. The other 2 yr old is picked up by 4 at the latest. I have a 9 month old starting next month and he will go by 4 at the latest too. My children struggled when I had a couple of kids here til 6pm before. They were getting tired, wanted me to help with homework etc and I was trying to cook dinner. Now, with just the 16 month old here til 6, its not so stressful for them.

My paperwork is in the cupboard under the stairs. I bring it out occassional evenings or weekends but I make sure everything else is done first. Having read on here that some do their paper work when mindees are sleeping/playing nicely etc I think I am going to do that. Tomorrow, for example, I just have the 16 month old and she sleeps for 2 hours. So I think I will use that time to get up to date with my planning and obs.

[The Juggler]

I think my husband like the fact that I am home with our children but does not like the fact that I let it stress me out (I'd be the same in any job though).

He does get ticked of with the chaos and mess is can create.

I am struggling to keep up at the moment but am trying to find better ways of getting everything sorted.

pretty similar. loves me home with kids, helps out with things but hates the mess, the toys and the amount of paperwork.

[PixiePetal]

I was a nanny when I first met my now husband. Began registration when pregnant with DD - registered now for nearly 15 years.

He moans a lot, usually when I moan about paperwork of him leaving stuff about :rolleyes:

To other people he sings my praises and, when he sees an 'unruly' child with parent, always says a few days with me would sort them out - I guess thats a compliment :)

Our new house has a playroom so toys are now out of the way and he has fenced a portion of the garden off for mindees. He is also great when he calls in during the day - mindees love him and he builds great duplo/brio train sets :thumbsup:

[Daftbat]

I think its hard to do this job if you don't have the full support of your partner. My hubby was registered himself at one point and used to help at weekends. He comes in from work at 430pm usually to a mad house full of children and noise and he doesn't mind a bit - he gets on really well with them all (well most of them). If he has had a bad day at work he will disappear i]upstairs on to the PC but thats quite rare. My own children didn't like it much when i worked at weekends but thats changed now and i only work mon to fri normally now.

I feel that i am very lucky now - i get weekends with my kids and am there for them when they come home from school every day. On top of this i earn a reasonable income so its all good really.

[Annie_T]

my kids love it - they have someone to talk to/play with

my fella dont mind me doing it as it what i want do but he hates the noise and the mess lol

i enjoy iy just dread paperwork - once i get use to it all

[Chimps Childminding]

My husband supports me in childminding because he likes the money but doesn't like the mess but puts up with it. We have older children so it isn't so much of a family issue

My children enjoyed having others around to play with when they were younger but now are not so tolerant but would rather I was home than out working.

Sounds exactly like my house!!! DH likes that I am at home to be able to run round after our boys, ie doctors, dentist, off sick (when they were at school), but hates the mess, the things on walls (have to say my boys were never allowed things stuck on the walls when they were little :blush: ) and every room having something to do with cm in it!!

Also seems to think that because I am at home all day, I don't need any help with housework :angry: same applies to my mil :angry: :angry: she commented once that my brother in law is a great help, but then of course my sil does go out to work every day - but thas another thread :laughing:

[manjay]

Think? Do you allow your husbands to think????:D ;) :D

No seriously I don't think I could have a more supportive husband. He is registered too but only steps in if I have to be somewhere else. He is self employed too and often works away for a few weeks and then is at home for a few weeks. The children love the fact that he is around and for some of my mindees he is the only male influence in their lives. He doesn't moan about the amount of time I spend on here in fact he will often just get his laptop and sit with me. He does however moan if I clear the display wall in the kitchen ready for the next one. He says it's bare! He has supported me greatly whilst I did my NVQ and when I attended evening classes to learn Welsh. He is also seriously made up that I am starting Uni next week as he knows it is something I have yearned to do for 20 years.

Don't get me wrong he has his faults but then again probably not as many as me;) Ah how mushy do I sound? Better pull myself together:D

[FussyElmo]

Think my dh would sooner have the house a bit tidier but we have four children anyway so not like thats happening:rolleyes:

As for training he is fully supports me and swaps shifts so I can go. Chuffed to bits that I want to continue my studying!!! Plus he is registering as my assistant as my LA has put alot of training on during the day.

[daisyboo1980]

my dp was supportive until social services messed up his vetting which means he is not allowed here when children are here so this week he is on lates he works until 11 and then has to leave the house at 7.30 am the next day ive a tired grumpy dp at the min

normally he is so supportive as i was a nanny before and he thought they took advantage of me i was there nearly 9 yrs ao was a part of family i still look after the youngest who is 9 i have looked after her from 3 months old. though her parents sometimes forget im not the nanny pa anymore and im running a business

fingers cross his vetting get sorted asap

[little miss chatterbox]

Sounds exactly like my house!!! DH likes that I am at home to be able to run round after our boys, ie doctors, dentist, off sick (when they were at school), but hates the mess, the things on walls (have to say my boys were never allowed things stuck on the walls when they were little :blush: ) and every room having something to do with cm in it!!

Also seems to think that because I am at home all day, I don't need any help with housework :angry: same applies to my mil :angry: :angry: she commented once that my brother in law is a great help, but then of course my sil does go out to work every day - but thas another thread :laughing:

My hubby and MIL are just the same! They think I sit around drinking coffee all day! grrrrr!

[jeanybeany]

My hubby loves me CM and is so supportive, although he says I do far too much in comparrison to other minders in the area. He always sings my praises, which I don't mind. He does say I stress and worry over minding too much, but knows thats how I am. He doesn't mind that I buy loads of toys etc and even will go and collect them for me. He loves my mindees and gets excited when they do new things and he feels really proud when they ask him what he's doing etc (some haven't got a father figure). He was the one who said why don't I Cm and he has been brilliant and still is.

We are now in the process of seeing if he can become registered, so he dare not moan about anything. He always thinks of things to do with OFSTED and the safety of my mindees. He came in the other week with soft flooring from a junk yard for the middle level of the garden (cost a fortune)but says it will be brilliant for mindees and our children to play on with the bikes, balls etc and he's right. We already have soft matting at the top. So he can't moan can he when he's just as bad :laughing: