Young childminders

[Stanfield]

Hi,
I am 23 years of age, I live in a gourgous barn conversion in a well respected area, I have extensice gardens and am planning on having a fantastic play area in the field at the back of our home ( costing around 2,500 pounds, an investment for my children and my role as a childminder).
However, I am worried that people may feel I am too young, or donot have the experience of more mature childcarers...
I would love to hear from young childminders about there experiences starting out, and if there age has caused any problems?

Thanks.

[chubbymummy]

what do you class as young i still consider myself as young but i don't think others would!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LittleMissSparkles]

Hello and welcome to the forum :D

Not jealous of your barn conversion or the size of your garden one little bit :rolleyes: :( xxx

[Blaze]

We have much younger members, so I wouldn't worry!
Blaze:)

[littletreasures]

I was just 22 when I started childminding. That was 18 years ago.

I don't think people worried about my age, they just wanted to know their children would be looked after properly.

Welcome to the forum

littletreasures

[Pipsqueak]

I think that if you have a good setting, the relevant qualifications and the confidence all of this comes across to the client - so no i don't think age matters. Some parents may prefer a younger minder with lots of fresh ideas and ideals others may prefer a minder with more experience etc.

We are lucky that we have a big garden and a great play area done by my hubby and that is a good selling point for me.

[Stanfield]

If you feel young, then I am referring to you!!!
I just worry because I have a 1 year old son, I suppose I would pefer someone who was mature with years of experience to look after him ( although everyone has to start somewhere, experience doesnt come overnight)

[miffy]

what do you class as young i still consider myself as young but i don't think others would!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You aren't taking this seriously Cathy - I can tell :rolleyes:

miffy xx

[Lou]

I was 25 when i started minding.

I am now .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ....................30

Sorry it hurts to admit it lol

I am younger than all my "mums" and they dont bother at all, they are only interested in my experience, my setting, and most of all my love for their children x

[Rubybubbles]

I was 25 when i started minding.

I am now .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ....................30

Sorry it hurts to admit it lol

I am younger than all my "mums" and they dont bother at all, they are only interested in my experience, my setting, and most of all my love for their children x


same here, only I'm only 28 :p roomy

[Lou]

oohh i dont know f i can be roomies with someone young and beautiful :(

[Pipsqueak]

I am still young (I amstill young, I am.... I still think of myself as young, I am 36 and can still behave as a drunken / stroppy teenager quite well!:D
I asked my 10yr old recently am I embarresing - he reckons only when I am really trying (to embaress him), apparently I am considered quite cool amongst his friends!:cool: :cool: Result!

[chubbymummy]

You aren't taking this seriously Cathy - I can tell :rolleyes:

miffy xx

i take everything on the forum with extreme seriousness....it's just that i have had 2 large glasses of wine

oh i'm only 35 years young

parents want their minders to be caring for their children so age is not a problem they will look at you as a person not the age you are

[Rubybubbles]

oohh i dont know f i can be roomies with someone young and beautiful :(

haha not sure on the beautiful thing!! haha young yes:D

[Lou]

haha not sure on the beautiful thing!! haha young yes:D

im sure you are beautiful too.

[miffy]

Whatever happened to "age is a state of mind"

I'm beginning to feel a right old fogey :laughing:

miffy xx

[jaja]

I am 27 but started childminding when i was 22, its never been a problem with any of my parents at all. :clapping: You are as young as you feel inside, and ive met people who are 50 who act like a teenager and a teenager who was as mature as a 50 year old!!! xxx:clapping:

[brit_chick]

I was only 19 when i started & i was like you thinking that i might be to young but 'touch wood' there has never been problem with my age so i am sure you will be fine :)

[Stanfield]

Thanks for all the replies, I feel I have what it takes to do this, and currently supervise 20 under 4's everyday.
But it just helps to hear everyone's advice,
Thanks

[chelle]

Oh my god i feel old now! i turned the big 4 0 at christmas but i dont feel it still feel like i am in my 20s ( i wish):) :)

[Pipsqueak]

Oh my god i feel old now! i turned the big 4 0 at christmas but i dont feel it still feel like i am in my 20s ( i wish):) :)

40:eek: omg - that is ancient - NOT!!! lol:D

Age is definately a state of mind.

Glad you are feeling a little more confident about it MrsB:)

[chelle]

40:eek: omg - that is ancient - NOT!!! lol:D

Age is definately a state of mind.

Glad you are feeling a little more confident about it MrsB:)

LOL :laughing: your right it is definately a state of mind :)

[ajs]

i don't think your age is a serious consideration to be honest
i think it's all in the mind i started nannying when i was 19 and now i am a lot older in fact older than all of my parents

[buildingblocks]

Age doesn't come into it so long as you can cope with the parents. I know of someone who is around your age but parents seem to always take the mick with her and I think they do this because she feels her age is an issue. If you start of and lay ground rules and don't let it be a problem then it won't be. I am an oldly with no children and I sometimes think that young parents won't choose me as I am older then they are so we all have worries in one way or another

What is it they say

Age is a case of mind over matter - if you don't mind it doesn't matter

and as Groucho Marx once said you are only as old as the man that you feel
( actually it is A man's only as old as the woman he feels.)

this of course makes me ancient

[Twinkles]

40:eek: omg - that is ancient - NOT!!! lol:D

Age is definately a state of mind.

Glad you are feeling a little more confident about it MrsB:)


The state of my mind is bl**dy ancient :D

[cher25]

Hi, I'm 25, been registered for over a year but only started working last september. I only have the 1 child at the minute and her mam is the same age as me. But i do worry sometimes that i may be too young to do this, especially after getting an enquiry last week where the women commented on how young i sounded. Knew straight away i wouldn't get a call back. But im not going to let it put me off.
Age doesn't matter and it's up to us young people to prove that! :)

Cher.x

[RedDragon]

Funny how we all have to abide by the "rules" - unique child, anti-discriminatory policies etc but as soon as a parent phones and hears a young voice on the phone the childminder does not hear back.


All I would say is make sure you have lots of policies in place so no one tries to take advantage.

[mrsbumbles]

When i started out as a childminder i was younger than all the parents of the children i cared for, and it has never been a problem :thumbsup:

Now i am old enough to be one of my parents mums :eek: But to be fair she is a young mum, but all the same it is making me feel old.

Good luck with your minding, i Wish i had a bigger garden, I envy you, my garden is the size postage stamp!

[Mollymop]

I am 28 and it doesn't worry me about being one of the younger ones.
My friend started minding when she was 20 and she has had no problems. You'll be fine. X

[angeldelight]

Well I am STILL 21 and it does not affect me

My daughter was 19 when she started and its always been fine

God that makes me only 3 when I had her haha

Good luck

Angel xx

[Banana]

I started minding at 23. Only been doing it for 16 months but have been full for the majority of it

good luck

xx

[miss muffit]

Hi I started minding in my twenties...no not the twenties!!! I think the children keep me young at heart, its just the face that has changed!!! oh for a face lift!!! :)

[Lottie]

Agree with the other girls.

Age is just a number. Just have the confidence in yourself and remember that we are all human, no-one is 'better' than the next person.

I am 33 and the prospective parent when I told her yesterday said that she was older than me... 34 :D ! It's all about confidence.

[littlesprogs]

I was 20 when i got registered and i'm now 21 but i also had no experiance whatsoever and it was never a problem.

Good luck with your registration x

[smithya85]

Hello!

Im 23 and am currently going through the process of becoming a childminder (not registered yet) I also have the same concerns as you about people's views of a young childminder but I dont think I would consider age relevant when choosing childcare for my own daughter (Many more qualities would come higher in my checklist) so hopefully others will view me in the same way!

[tulip0803]

Age is not an issue in this job really. You are definately older than most of the Nursery assistants I have seen AND having a baby of your own you have experience with children:) . Some parents may think you are too young but most would think you are perfect. Some parents can always find a reason not to want to use you, trick is to think that you wouldn't want those parents anyway and not take it personally.

Age shouldn't be relevant it's your attitude and the level of service that you can provide and with a lovely outdoor area you have a great selling point so make the most of it. GOOD LUCK:) You will enjoy itX

Unfortunately I no longer have to worry about being young:( .

[Alibali]

I think everyones ideas of what they want in childcare is so different. Some parents prefer experience, but others find this intimidating, as if the childminder thinks she knows everything iyswim, also every minder is different, I will be 40 on my birthday and I have much more knowledge and patience than when I had my 1st daughter at 24, however my bones do ache sometimes!!! It's just a case of building good relationships and we can all do that regardless of age.

Good Luck ps, I am sooo jealous of your home and garden, you must be doing something right!

Ali :) :)

[Trouble]

no one cares how old we are as long as we do a good job and the kids have a good time

and were cheap!!!!!!!!!!

[deeb66]

I think age is irrelevant!

I am only 24...

Yeah right....you believe that you will believe anything :laughing:

[manjay]

I think age is irrelevant!

I am only 24...

Yeah right....you believe that you will believe anything :laughing:

Hmmm! Not sure about that one!

I think parents can have objections to lots of different things. Personally I would prefer to go for a younger minder (albeit inexperienced but willing to learn) instead of an older minder who maybe was not willing to move with the times!

[deeb66]

Hmmm! Not sure about that one!

I think parents can have objections to lots of different things. Personally I would prefer to go for a younger minder (albeit inexperienced but willing to learn) instead of an older minder who maybe was not willing to move with the times!

Are you saying I am old Amanda?

:laughing: :laughing:

[manjay]

Are you saying I am old Amanda?

:laughing: :laughing:

Do you know what? I thought I would get into trouble with that one! Of course I didn't mean anyone on here but I am speaking from personal experience as a parent looking for a minder:D

[angeldelight]

I asked one of my parents today what she looked for in a childminder and did age come into it

She said .......

" Age would be the least thing that she would look at and that how the minder interacted with her and her children would be one of the most important"

She also said when she had minders for her older child in the past that she had been to minders who had heaps of paper work but did not have a clue how to " play and have fun with a child " yet the minder who had basic paper work concentrated on the children - hugs- fun - messy play etc and the children loved her and were always happy

She said that she has used old and young childminders in the past - but it was always the ones that made the children happy and interacted with them that won so to speak

So age did not come into it !

Makes you think

Angel xxx

[deeb66]

Do you know what? I thought I would get into trouble with that one! Of course I didn't mean anyone on here but I am speaking from personal experience as a parent looking for a minder:D

I know what you are saying but I have had several mums come to see me and have admitted that they have seen oither minders but were worried they were too young and inexperienced.

Like everything else in life I think it depends on the parents way of thinking and what they want.......

Some want older minders with experience and some want younger minders which is really good for us all!

[angeldelight]

Must also say I have been a younger minder and now an older one

Its never ever affected the way parents have looked upon me

I do think if you have the right personality and you really care for the children then age is just a number

Angel xx

[deeb66]

Must also say I have been a younger minder and now an older one

Its never ever affected the way parents have looked upon me

I do think if you have the right personality and you really care for the children then age is just a number

Angel xx

My thoughts exactly Angel.

I started minding in my early 30's now in my 40's.

The childminder I used for Jack was quite young.....i didn't even take her age into account to be honest I just went with my gut feeling.

[manjay]

I suppose parents are just like OFSTED inspectors, no two want the same thing:D

[Lincsminder]

I am 27 but started childminding when i was 22, its never been a problem with any of my parents at all. :clapping: You are as young as you feel inside, and ive met people who are 50 who act like a teenager and a teenager who was as mature as a 50 year old!!! xxx:clapping:


Ditto, allthough i'm nearly 28.

[buildingblocks]

I have only had one parent question me nothing to do with age though.

Parent was around 19 years old (and bearing in mind I have 25+ yrs experience in child care). She was worried about me caring for her child as I have no children and asked me why I was a childminder when I had no children of my own!!!!!