Another year over (almost)

[Hebs]

what have been your highlights and what are you glad to forget business wise over this last year?

[Playmate]

Highlight was getting Outstanding for 2nd time :clapping: . Down side has been the amount of children we have lost this year :(

[Donkey]

highlights - taking on baby mindee and other mindee going full time so full for under 5's

lowlights - been so busy that I don't know which way is up

looking forward to - starting my degree

:)

[PixiePetal]

Highlights - our first whole year in this lovely farmhouse and some great new families :thumbsup: and an inspection which left me feeling positive and not in tears like the last one

lowlights - can't think of any really - just too much paperwork :rolleyes:

looking forward - to another summer at the farm :clapping:

[sillysausage]

Lowlight - losing a family of 3 that moved to Scotland (Luckily one set of grandparents live a few miles from me so they have visited twice so far since they've moved and will be visiting again over Xmas...I do so miss them)
Highlights - gaining 2 brothers shortly after who are the most adorable children going. Being told by my 8 yr old mindee that I'm pretty good as a childminder and he loves me awwww bless. Having brilliant parents to work for.

[Vickster]

Highlight: Deciding to start my business and getting my certificate
Lowlight: Nothing as yet
Looking forward: The summer!

[Hebs]

mine are..........

Highlight - Hatching chickens with the mindees and hearing their squeals of delight when one hatched right in front of them, omg they were SO happy!!

Lowlight - 2 malicious complaints (that were unfounded but none the less stressful)..... no pleasing some people but i have learnt why i cover my back 100%

Looking forward to - Starting my degree,

[georgie456]

Highlights: Completing my NVQ 3, getting another GOOD grade from Ofsted

Lowlights: Actually struggling to think of any so that's good surely?!

[claire'scherubs]

Highlight: taken on a 2 year old that wouldnt/couldnt talk, who now talks brilliantly and even spoke to Santa today (he wouldn't even look at a stranger when he first came to me)

Lowlight: falling out with a mother who would NOT pay on time and losing 2 sweet boys

Merry Christmas to you all x

[Louise B]

The year started off with being made redundant (it had been coming for 2 years and I'd been off to have a baby), but that was the reason I made a decision to go into childminding. I was registered in July, started minding in September, and still sane!:clapping:

The low point was realising a child was stealing from me, then realising it was far more than I could've imagined. Her mother was/is a bad payer too, so it was pretty difficult, all in the first two months! I think it's made me stronger though :)

Looking forward to starting a new year with 2 new mindees (10 all together now), all the kids I have are lovely and they feel like part of the family. I want to do some more courses too. And I'm looking forward to my inspection that should've happened this week, lol!!

xx

[francinejayne]

Highlights: becoming registered and then becoming full within 2 months, and the rest of the year doing a 'job' I utterly love and being there for my family when they need me rather than going out to work

Lowlights: dealing with ridiculous parents who don't believe in discipline, who think it contravenes a child's human rights to tell them what to do and who then can't understand why their darling son was excluded from school after 3 days in reception due to his bad behaviour (they lasted 2 months before I gave notice, which was very close to being my highlight of the year!)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

[miss mopple]

What a great idea for a thread :thumbsup:

My highlight: seeing a very challenging and insular child grow in confidence, begin to play with others and slowly start to develop their speech.

My lowlight: the lack of consideration and compassion shown to me by one family after the loss of my Dad.

Looking forward to: Being part of the National Childrens Bureaus research on childminders and taking on a 3.5 month old baby in January :clapping:

[Lady Haha]

Highlights! So many really, I love my job! But the one that stands out is:

Taking four mindees aged between 5 and 8 to London Natural History Museum on the coach from Bristol and not losing any of them:D plus their impeccable behaviour even though the coach was stuck in traffic and took four hours to get home resulted in a comment from another passenger about how 'ever so good' they all are!

Lowlights: Having to go into hospital right at the beginning of summer school hols for an unexpected operation and losing all that money, then having two parents cut their hours and another not allowed back to uni cos failed an exam (going back in Jan now) so lost half my income for a good two or three months!

All in all though, it's been a good year and I love my job more as each year goes by:D

[Hebs]

What a great idea for a thread :thumbsup:


Thanks, i just think sometimes its good to look back and see what we have learnt so we can make next year MUCH better :D

[manjay]

Highlight for me is realising that I am actually quite brainy which shows in the scores I am getting for my degree assignments. It has done my confidence the world of good and allows me to hold my own now when conversing with the cynics who don't believe childminding is a worthwhile career:D

Lowlight for me is definitely not having hubby here for Christmas:( . Don't have any lowlights work wise as I have gotten way more tough this year so no one has chance to lead me a merry dance anymore:thumbsup:

Looking forward to graduating in October this year and getting to wear a cap and gown. Can't believe how long I have wanted to do that.

[Hebs]

Looking forward to graduating in October this year and getting to wear a cap and gown. Can't believe how long I have wanted to do that.

me too, cant wait for that bit and to show my kids that if i can do then they can too :thumbsup:

[cher25]

Highlights: Hmmmm baby mindee starting. Finishing my NVQ 3.

Lowlights: Having 3 5 year old boys at the same time 2 days a week. lol So WILD!!! And stressing out a lot due to them, plus paperwork that im way, way, way behind in doing. :(

[Hebs]

Highlights: Hmmmm baby mindee starting. Finishing my NVQ 3.

Lowlights: Having 3 5 year old boys at the same time 2 days a week. lol So WILD!!! And stressing out a lot due to them, plus paperwork that im way, way, way behind in doing. :(

i've said to come round one weekend and we can do paperwork together :thumbsup:

[Carol M]

Highlight.... getting baby sister of former mindee 3 days a week and former mindee after school. I'ts so good to be part of their lives and that the parents think that much of me to allow me to look after their beautiful daughters.
Low light.....Deciding to leave music group at local Church because some parents will not stop their children running riot and spoiling it for others.
Looking forward to..... Retiring:D
Carol xx

[Bear23]

well its been quite a year here

highlights = still got all the children I took on 1 and half years ago, quite full

Lowlights = Not starting NVQ due to personal stuff (wish i had now tho as it would nearly be done () other than that fab year work wise x

[RachelE]

Highlights = gaining the most gorgeous toddler boy in Sept. :) And not losing any others!
Also gaining another family and getting myself back on track financially!

Lowlights = CARE TO LEARN!! :angry: - and also trying to chose between the toddler and a baby!

Looking forward to = winning the lottery abd building the perfect playroom to expand my empire! And, maybe one day, getting on top of my paperwork! :rolleyes:

Happy Christmas and all the best for 2011!
Rachel x

[LOOPYLISA]

Highlights - having such a lovely thoughtful hubby and a wonderful dd :)

Lows this yr- loosing my wonderful nana :(

Hope everyone has a lovely Xmas and new year x

[Allie]

Highlights
A new grandson and three great nieces:clapping:
Being nearly full after a very poor end to 2009:clapping:
Doing a job I love (most of the time):clapping:
Lows
Having a new baby who was a screamer:panic:


Allie

[Blue Boy]

Two highlights, First getting an Outstanding grading:clapping: , Second speaking at the NCMA National Conference in Bristol:thumbsup: . Downside as probably many others losing mindees and struggling to replace them:panic:

[cher25]

i've said to come round one weekend and we can do paperwork together :thumbsup:

I know, im yet to kick myself up the butt to actually give up a weekend to do it! lol x

[TheBTeam]

Highlights, work related - none
private life - deciding to get my puppy

Lowlights, work related - losing a couple of the biggest payers through no fault of our own and finding out some things i didnt like about some cm friends.

private life - still needing to work, not fulfilling a dream.

[Beetlejuice]

Highlight - cracking on with my NVQ after a difficult relationship with my tutor (who tried to throw me off the course :angry: which is another story!) and taking 38 children and 13 minders on a canal boat and not losing anyone overboard :laughing: Plus the crew told us what amazingly well behaved children we had and we could come again any time :D

Lowlight - Losing a full time child in September because her parents wouldn't pay me when she was at playschool (even though I was expected to take her and collect her and be responsible for her in between :mad: )

Looking forward to - finishing my NVQ, possibly starting a degree :o and getting my paperwork in order as the NVQ has taken up so much of my time!

[flowerpots]

highlight-starting minding and finding out its actually my dream job :D

low light- losing my full time mindee a week before xmas :(

have a great xmas everybody and an even better new year. :thumbsup:

[solly]

Highlights = My Daughter achieving 3 A* in her A levels and getting into the University she wanted.

Lowlights = The malicious complaints that were made against me that were unfounded.
I was going to give it all up after that, but a big Thankyou goes to all my cm friends Beetlejuice who is on here and all my forum friends who gave me the support i needed to help me get through it and carry on the job i love :)

[wendywu]

Hightlights - going away with my family and my mum and DD boyfriend. Such a nice thing for my mum to look back on.

Still being full with full timers using 10 hour days.

Lowlights- My friend Twinkles being very very poorly. It all sounded so serious .:(

But alls well that ends well and she is A OK.

[kel1983]

Highlights -

Completing my registration, taking 2 mindes who have both settled well from the start. There parents are lovely an never mess me about (Hope this continues)

Being graded 'Good' in my first ofsted inspection

Low lights -

Not becoming a childminder sooner

Looking forward to -

Taking on more mindees

[glitzygal]

HIGH LIGHTS; my fun 40th birthday.
my DD 18th birthday.
passing my NVQ3 (never thought i would)
having minding friends who come round and we laugh over
the silliest things, we often say we are the big kids,



LOW LIGHTS; losing kids, trying to fill spaces
hearing about twinks love to you xx
trying to get paper work done,
understanding the EYFS.
thinking about my next inspection.

hope you all have a fab christmas and new year.....

thank you to you all on here,,,,,best site ever:jump for joy:

[Penny1959]

Highlights

DD4 graduating
Registering as childminder (again) and getting Outstanding
Being full with mindees
Finding out who my real friends are
Discovering the forum
Finally getting support for grandson3 in school (now has 1-1 support for whole day)

Lowlights
Having to withdraw from my degree - just 90 credits short of completion
Problems with one mindee family (now left)
Being unemployed at same time as DH - and huge debt now in as a result.
No holidays this year
On going health difficulties

Looking Forward to
A holiday
A sucessful childminding year
Less stress than this year

Penny:)

[Polly2]

Great thread!

Highlights
Completing first year of fd and getting amazing marks (though I say so myself!!). Going to the ncma annual conference with my new friend Manjay :D Oh and I have lost a stone and a half at slimming world :)

Lowlights
None really - I have had a good year and I am very grateful :blush:

[maisiemog]

Highlights: Definately getting my first mindee after almost 6mths of advertising!

Lowlights: Losing a child, and only learning they wouldn't be coming back when they didnt turn up.

Looking forward to finishing my NVQ level 3 and workign towards becoming accredited!

[The Juggler]

Highlight was getting Outstanding for 2nd time :clapping: . Down side has been the amount of children we have lost this year :(

:clapping: :clapping: wow - that is a good year:clapping:

[The Juggler]

getting a 1st class honours degree in early childhood studies and losing nearly 2 stone:) :) :) :)

[Louise0208]

every time i see the title to this thread i keep singing to myself....'another year over, & a new one just begun' (war is over, jon Lennon & yoko ono......amazing song)

just me then? :blush: