PDA

View Full Version : Just wondering?



celdemorg
16-07-2010, 05:24 PM
I was just wondering what you all did before you all became a childminder, do you miss your old job, ie: friends, a lunchtime etc.

I felt a bit lonely today, just needed someone to talk to about nothing really, I miss my old work colleagues sometimes and I dont get time to see them anymore:(

I'm enjoying minding and being with my own lo's but I do miss adults and of course gossip!!! Not that I ever gossiped:littleangel:

Anyway, hope you all have a good weekend, me personally am not, as I'll be doing a mountain or ironing the size of Snowdon!!. But next Friday i'll be :clapping: as I'm off for 2 whole weeks.

xxxx

caz3007
16-07-2010, 05:28 PM
I was a pub landlady, in a highly social environment to a sometimes lonely existance.

There are similarities, cos dealing with drunk men is similar to dealing with toddlers :laughing:

Will be joining you climbing that ironing mountain on Sunday :D

Tribe_mummy
16-07-2010, 05:29 PM
I'll be doing a mountain or ironing the size of Snowdon!!. But next Friday i'll be :clapping: as I'm off for 2 whole weeks.

xxxx

So glad I am not the only one with an ironing pile this size lol ;)

I used to work as a childminder previously and am looking forwards to do it again as I actually got to see and meet more people when I minded, do you go to groups and things with the LO's? They are great for meeting new people and you can never have too many friends :)

I did miss my "regular" friends during the working week, but just had to make the effort to see them more at weekends and evenings!

Would rather be childminding than working in retail management as I did before...I NEVER had a social life at all in those days lol

Hope you feel alot happier tomorrow, and from my experience you will never be lonely on here :)

Jac x

TheBTeam
16-07-2010, 05:34 PM
Me, I worked as an Administration Manager for an Investment Banking company, managing the client portfolios and running the department, and then sidelined when i had my first child to work from home as an IT system tester for the same company.

I miss some things about my old job, especially the home based one as i did very little work had loads of free time and a huge salary!

I dont miss the travelling to London and the train journey, I was my own boss largely but had a director above me who was fantastic, and a team under me, that is worse than working with kids!!!!!

karensmart4
16-07-2010, 05:44 PM
I worked in a children's nursery, before that I worked as a classroom assistant and in their after school club. Before that I worked in shops and restaurants.

I'm lucky I work with another childminder and if she's off we have an assistant so I'm not normally on my own.

My sister was against me becoming a cm as it can be very isolating, she even got me application forms for different jobs including one for a managers post in Sainsburys.....she's got to be kidding me!! :eek:

Do you meet up with other cm's? we do but it's only once a mth for activities with the mindees. We have just started having nights out with other cm's in a 10 mile radius, usualy to an Indian. These nights are a chance to make new friends and let our hair down a bit. We have a good gossip ( we are careful about confidentiality) and a good moan :)
Perhaps you could suggest this if you don't already do it.

Anytime you fancy a chat, come on here I'm sure someone will be available :thumbsup:

Karen :D

loocyloo
16-07-2010, 05:45 PM
i used to be a nanny (and also worked in a nursery for a year at the same time (whilst nanny charges attended !!!)

i loved it, and i loved being able to leave all the mess at someone elses house!

but i don't miss being told what to do and when to do it ( had a nightmare last family! - think that was why i gave up being a nanny to childmind! )

i still do pretty much all the same things i've always done, but this time I'M in charge and do what i want when i want!

funemnx
16-07-2010, 05:49 PM
I worked in an office, then had my babies, than Tesco. I liked all my jobs and found childminding lonely at first until I got to know other childminders and mums at toddler groups :)

sarah707
16-07-2010, 05:52 PM
I was an educational audiologist and then worked in typography.

I can't imagine not being a childminder... I love the freedom of choosing what I want to do and where I want to go! :D

Stillgoingstrong
16-07-2010, 06:21 PM
...:D :jump for joy: :clapping:

Stillgoingstrong
16-07-2010, 06:21 PM
Hello everyone,
I was a pole dance teacher.:eek: :) Have a nice weekend :D

Donkey
16-07-2010, 06:25 PM
I worked as a customer relations executive for a telecommunications company.
basically I sat down all day while people ranted and raved at me. hated it!!
pay was fantastic though..

now I get paid to sit in the sunshine (or rain) read stories, make crafts, love it:thumbsup:

I go out as much as I can but its still isolating at times. need to broaden my group horizons as I hate doing the same things all the time!

heatherw
16-07-2010, 06:35 PM
I worked in a factory for 5 years, a bit boring but the pay was good and got on really well with the people i worked with. Technically i still work for them cus im waiting for my redundancy pay to come through.

SaijaM
16-07-2010, 06:47 PM
This is a really interesting post :)

I used to work in a media agency doing online marketing ... then got my first baby and swooooooooooooooosh - my world changed drastically. I really love my life and being active and don't miss the office one bit!

I've already met so many wonderful people (childminders) in my area and I'm very much looking forward to working closely with them (and perhaps sometimes having a little gossip too!)


I cannot wait xx
Saija

jaja
16-07-2010, 06:53 PM
lol, love this thread, i worked with disabled young adults, loved it but then i had my lo and couldnt do both things so started minding been doing this for the past 7 years and never want to stop, took a 6 months secondment working with disabled children through the council and loved the children, didnt like the hours or times and was really glad it ended and the amount of information and courses i have done through that time has proved invaliable.

I had a complament today the new head of school said me and hubby suited having lots of children around us :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: only had 2 mindees and my 2, lol, lol

LOVE THIS JOB xxxxxxx

moljak
16-07-2010, 07:00 PM
I 've worked as a cleaner, playgroup leader, creche superviser, nanny.
I'm happy working on my own but make sure I see friends regularly and have a life outside work :)

huggableshelly
16-07-2010, 07:09 PM
I've worked in the following:
Mcdonalds and party entertainer
Nursery
Creche
Lesuire center Drop in care
Porta cabin nursery was the best one ever even though extremly shabby, staff and parents were wonderful
Nanny to 3 children
4 years off as a stay at home Mom
childminder for 6.5 years

now a lazy bum contemplating on what to do next with no real plan of action in place!

celdemorg
16-07-2010, 07:41 PM
Glad I started this post now, very interesting and nice to know what you all did before you started childminding.

I used to work in Investments for a very well known High Street/Financial Organistion, I wanted to spend more time with my children but somedays I just feel that I don't iyswim, but I don't think I could ever leave him untill at least he starts school.

There are childminder's where I live and we used to meet up, but everyone just seems to busy to do it anymore. I do go to toddler's/playgroup, and chat to mum's, maybe it's just the juicy goss about co-worker's I miss, :laughing: I'll just have to start some rumours:eek:

Well at least I know your all here if I get lonely somedays and thank you :)

nelly
16-07-2010, 08:03 PM
i was a bus driver for 8 years, before that i used to drive lorrys n then before that post lady.:thumbsup:

wendywu
16-07-2010, 08:28 PM
I was a beauty therapist, or rather i still am as no one can take away my city and guilds.:D

amanda1309
16-07-2010, 08:30 PM
I was an Analytical Chemist for a major pharmacetucial company.

I don't miss the adult company as I met 8 childminders on my ICP/DHC course and we still see each other 3-4 times a week. All our mindees are a similiar age so we get together to do crafts and activities. (easier with more adults) The mindees ask for each other if they don't see each other for a few days.

The minders I met have become good friends and we socialise together on weekends and even our hubbies now play golf together.:laughing:

miss mopple
16-07-2010, 08:37 PM
I worked as a photo processor mostly doing professional photographers pics for 13 years before getting into childminding. Loved it (as Im nosy :laughing: ) but love this more :clapping:

Luckily I have good friends who are also childminders so I dont get that isolated feeling :thumbsup:

Ripeberry
16-07-2010, 08:42 PM
I worked in a call center dealing with car insurance adjustments, selling car insurance, dealing with post so basically sitting down all day in a stuffy office tied to a headset!
Did this for 14yrs and dreamed about being out in the sunshine during the summer. Then I got pregnant and escaped :D

When DD1 was 15 months old I put her with a CM for one day a week whilst I did 'Meals on wheels' for the elderly, did this for about 8 months until I got pregnant and could not stand the smell of the food in my car.

After DD2 was born I did voluntuary work for the elderly with Age concern, mainly gardening but most of the old dears wanted someone to talk to.

Then I decided to get some paid work so tried my hand at 'Home care' and it was hard, emotional work, but I met some lovely characters and I still find it sad that some of them have died since :( .
I left that work as the conditions were very bad...working quite late into the night with no support and in quite 'rough' areas, some of the relatives were quite nasty and one day I visited one elderly lady and her whole house was stinking of gas.
The drunk son had turned on all the gas taps and gone upstairs to sleep off the drink, it was summer time so luckily no-one turned on any light switches.
The office were not bothered :mad:

After that I went on the pre-school committee for 5yrs, first as a general member and was a regular parent helper and then in the last 2yrs as the secretary as I was basically the only one left apart from a new treasurer and it took quite a lot of work to keep the place going.

Then I applied to be a CM in 2008 and her I am :thumbsup:

angiemog
16-07-2010, 08:46 PM
I worked for a telemarketing company.... the company closed and I was made redundant. I really miss my work friends. We do meet up but not very often as we are all busy. I do miss adult company and feel lonely at times but I love this job too for different reasons. I have thought about getting an assistant just so I work along side someone else...... Hmmmmm. x

kellywestie
16-07-2010, 08:59 PM
I was airline cabin crew previously, got pregnant and was about to start maternity leave when 9/11 happened so took redundancy. Childminded whilst my son was younger then start of last year a job came up at our local infant school, part time, so I applied and got it. Still had after schoolies until March this year when my job at school became full time and there was a natural parting of the ways with my last schoolies.

Have finished today for my first summer holidays without any kids, apart from our own son, and off to Spain next Friday for 4 weeks to stay in the apartment we have just bought - can't wait.:clapping: :jump for joy:

Enjoyed some aspects of childminding but found it terribly isolating when we moved from England to Wales as in England I was part of a childminding group and we met up a couple of times a week but there was nothing like that in the area we moved to.

The Juggler
16-07-2010, 09:01 PM
Human Resources - bit of everything, recruitment, training, disciplinaries, appraisals, training, management guidance.

all very good practice for dealing with parents and children:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Trouble
16-07-2010, 09:07 PM
i am a childminder for now
childminding assistant :)
nursery assistant :clapping:
home care :) :(
Worked in a home for the blind in the day centre Loved that job :( :D

worked nights in the home for the blind :clapping:

Roseolivia
17-07-2010, 06:07 AM
I worked as a nanny, nursery nurse and my last job was as an NVQ assessor/trainer which was my favourite job. I loved the girls i worked with, we all got along greatand there was never any bitching. Was made redundant whilst on maternity leave so decided to become a childminder so i could be at home with Rose and do what i want as i knew if i found another job it wouldn't match up to my assessors job. I miss the girls i used to work with but keep in touch via FB although don't get to meet up as much as i'd like. Have met some great childminders and have started to go out at weekends with them.

maisiemog
17-07-2010, 06:36 AM
The job that I had last was as a team leader in a residential home for adults with learning difficulties. I loved that job and had planned to step down as team leader and go back as a basic minion but got made redundant as we had a new manager and I wasnt there to fight for my job. This happened just as we moved house so I figured I'd try my hand at CMing now we had the space and here I am!!!

Some days I get very tempted to look for a job in the 'real' world but then I remember it would mean leaving DD and probably involve pretty rubbish hours and christmas so I soon change my mind!!!

manjay
17-07-2010, 08:44 AM
Wow! What diverse backgrounds we all come from!!!

I worked for a High Street bank straight from school and lasted 12 years. Took voluntary redundancy as morally I couldn't do the selling that was required of me! Not all bad though as that is where I met my lovely dh:D

I then moved on to another financial institution where I worked underwriting life assurance claims. There is only so many medical reports of poorly people you can read without it getting to you and understandably there were alot of very devastated relatives to deal with. The whole time I worked there I was undergoing fertility treatment and it finally worked after 7 years. there was no way I was going back to work in an office.

I am afraid I am one of those who kind of fell into childminding. It was never my passion or something I had always wanted to do but I can now say it was definitely one of the best decisions of my life. It has allowed me time to spend with my own children, I love being my own boss, I did have time to do some voluntary work, I was able to give my time to pre school to help them out and it has allowed me to fulfil a lifelong ambition to go to Uni to gain a degree.

It can be isolating especially as my dh also works away but there are other minders in my village who I get together with for a cuppa once or twice a week and most of my lo's attend playgroup so I always help out there for the morning if I need some adult company.

Happy days xxx

VINASOL
17-07-2010, 12:51 PM
i was a commissioning editor for a publishing company, then took redundancy and worked locally for council and probation service (dealt with very nasty child abuse cases)....

...couldn't bear to go back into an office now though!

suzyblue
19-07-2010, 06:55 AM
I worked in accounts in Westminster and spent 3 hours a day commuting. I now childmind for parents that work in Central London and I wouldnt want to change places for a second! When I had my second child I gave up work for about 4 years (did cleaning in the evenings) and had another child. I then went to work in a nursery, then opened a playgroup at my house, then opened a full time childminding group.........and Im still here, 18 years, 4 daughters and 2 grandchildren later.......:thumbsup: