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View Full Version : need some help getting mojo back please



newandlearning
30-03-2010, 07:32 PM
hi everyone...

I'm beginning to worry about how secure my business will be in the next few months..

my full time mindee .. has gone from part-time, to full-time, to 8am-6pm every weekday, to now 8-3.00 and as parents have now got a chance to move away will probably be going if sept in all works out for them or jan. if it doesnt. I feel totally exhausted with all these changes and in some ways feel that as the mindee is 4 on sept 1st that probably he's now best moving into a pre-school setting any way rather than being full time with me.

one of my part-time mindees is lovely and may/may not be back in sept and is term-time only so I'm getting paid nothing during each hol. which seemed okay when I first took him on but it means for me to bridge the gap I'm having students during all hols now...

and finally my after school mindee has a lot of behavioural probs. but with me and at school and so to be honest I think he also is best in another setting come sept.

Now... this could leave me with no-one come sept. and I feel stuck in knowing how to move to a better happier place. Today I just had my own kids and it was great just being us.. I bought my eldest a magnetic abc and 123 board and he happily played on that this afternoon and my other on our train set we got to have some loving time as a family which I've missed very much recently (with actually working to much)....

firstly I feel nervous about advertising.. have started but havent got much back in return to date ... please can someone help me with this?

secondly, I feel run ragged with working and giving soo much time to kids that aren't mine and feeling my own are not really getting a good deal as of late...

I feel I need to find a better work life balance.. I've got a 2 & 5 yo and live on own so am feeling very responsible for bring in the mula... Its 8.30 again.. and I'm still thinking about work.. please can someone help me figure out how to get back to being good.. is it possible I've somehow burnt myself out?


xx:) :o

margimum
30-03-2010, 07:57 PM
Sory you feel like this hun.....
It's a lot of responsibility being the sole provider, for financial and emotional and practical needs as well.
Not really got any logical ideas to help, but sending hugs anyhow.:blush:

venus89
30-03-2010, 08:03 PM
I came into this job because I thought it would give me the time to spend with my own children and, like you, I've found that I probably see them less than I would in an out of home job ('see' as in 'spend quiality time with....'). I've actually booked a week off in the Easter holidays to spend with them so I'm not always worrying about having to have the house spotless or ctaching up on obs or all the other million little niggly bits that take up the weekend time I so dearly wnat to devote to them.

Like you, I'm not sure aboutt he security of this job in the future. Two of mine, part timers, start school next year and my full timer starts preschool, leaving me with one two-day-a-week. I he's still around!

BUT tomorrow I may get a call - you never know what's around the corner and it's just as likely to be good as to be bad. I think that when we start it's easy to grab at everything. As time goes by you learn to tailor the hours you work to your own needs and the needs of your family.

Your children are bound to appreciate the time that you spend with them, whether your attention is fully on them or not. And then there are days when the mindees aren't there fo whatever reason and you can do just what you did today and enjoy your childre. You don't get that with a out of home job.

Our job has so many wonderful things to it. My kids are older than yours, both at school, and I can go to their assemblies and plays and things - mindees in tow. They're not the poor kid whose Mum couldn't get time off work. If they're ill I can pick them up from school and, so long as it's nothing huge, I can still work. They can go to friends' houses or after school clubs and it's not a problem at all.

Being a single parent is tough - I used to be one myself. HAve you got relatives around who might have your kids once in a while during the week so you know they're getting some one on one time?

As to advertising, have you tried netmums, childcare.co.uk, yell online - they're all free. Just remember that you don't have to say yes to people.

I hope things look brighter for you soon!

suzyblue
31-03-2010, 08:26 AM
Im single too and struggled for a while. I looked at going out to work, but that meant not being here when my daughter got home from school (shes 13) and I wouldnt see her in the school holidays. For mums that have to work this is a good job as far as being their for your kids is concerned but, your right, the uncertainty of whats around the corner is a worry but, as said, it could be something good! Stick to it and remember tax credits will top you up! Something even better could be about to land in your lap. Enjoy your kids and dont beat yourself up about being the perfect parent. Your doing a great job and your kids will love you forever.