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View Full Version : Being a Childminder or would you like to expand?



arly
04-03-2011, 04:25 PM
Just wondered all of the Childminders out there if you enjoy just being a childminder at home or would you like to expand to a childcare/creche where you would have a premises where you could turn the key at night and go home leaving it all behind at the end of a day?? :D

babs
04-03-2011, 04:28 PM
i would love to expand but the thing that puts me off is staff you can trust.. always been a dream to open up a nursery... maybe one day but staff issue is a biggy unless i could poach a few of you off here :idea: :idea:

Pixie dust
04-03-2011, 04:37 PM
been a manager of a nursery in my past life but even though you close the door at night there is loads of work to take home and then the phone calls from ill staff on a Monday morning. I love being childminder and part of the reason why is being a small setting that can give children the attention they deserve.
I had a 12 place baby room, 16 in the toddler and 24 in the 3-5 age group and the 3-4's only had 3 staff to 24 children!!!

would not swap back for a million pounds

linda2girls
04-03-2011, 04:45 PM
No way, I love working from home and I can close off the conservatory where all the toys are.

Linda.

Mookins
04-03-2011, 04:55 PM
LOVE CHILDMINDING:)

although... im starting a history degree in october with the view to becoming a history teacher in about 8-9 years time...littlies again not the older ones

xxx

Chimps Childminding
04-03-2011, 04:58 PM
I love being a childminder and only having a few children at a time!!! BUT ...................................... I would love to not have to use my house to do it - big shed at the bottom of the garden or something would be ideal :D be able to close the door on it all at night, but still at home IYSWIM :thumbsup:

Flisspaps
04-03-2011, 05:57 PM
Haha mookins, I've done it the other way round, did a degree in humanities and history with the intention of teaching, then registered as a childminder :D

Jacko81
04-03-2011, 06:10 PM
I have had 4 Nursery manager roles in cambridge, London and where i currently live and believe me when you lock up and come home you dont ever just leave the job at nursery. I have managed small 36 place nurseries and 150 place nurseries and the problems are all the same: staff, ratios, trust, sickness etc.

I LOVE being a childminder and would never go back!!!

That is just my opinion though and i am aware that otheres may feel very different to me.

As long as you do what you love and can do it well then your onto a winner :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping:

nokidshere
04-03-2011, 06:15 PM
I don't know that I particularly love childminding as such, but I love working with children and I love not having to get up and go out to work. So childminding is perfect for me at this time in my life.

When I was younger I would have liked to have my own nursery but the cons outweigh the pros so never did do it. I worked in nurseries from the age of 17 to 39 so had plenty of experience of them.

And I am so happy just working with the older children now, I am not sure if I will ever want to go back to having littlies.

Deb
04-03-2011, 06:25 PM
being just a childminder is fine by me.

Cammie Doodle
04-03-2011, 07:25 PM
Love Love Love Childminding and would not change it for anything :clapping: :clapping: Tried Nursery, but it was not for me. I soooo enjoy having the time for each of my mindees.:) The ONLY down side is not having a dining room fulltime , but it really is a small price to pay to allow me to do this job

Daftbat
04-03-2011, 07:27 PM
I wouldn't change from being a minder - however people have suggested it to me in the past. I must admit that sometimes the paperwork feels like a nursery since i have 24 children on the books!!!!!!

Katiekoo
04-03-2011, 07:37 PM
I really admire people who have it both way iyswim, teaming up with other minders, or taking on assistants to grow larger business but not so large as a nursery. Maybe one day I will have a large enough house for this type of expansion.

Zoomie
04-03-2011, 07:48 PM
Back home in southern Africa, a 'childminder' generally works from home, in a converted double garage or the like, so can lock up and skip up the garden back home :thumbsup:









oh and it is sunny most days :laughing: :laughing:

Trouble
04-03-2011, 08:00 PM
Back home in southern Africa, a 'childminder' generally works from home, in a converted double garage or the like, so can lock up and skip up the garden back home :thumbsup:









oh and it is sunny most days :laughing: :laughing:
Bliss:D :D

munch149
04-03-2011, 08:02 PM
My ideal role would be to be a childminder working from home but have a extension area solely for childminding and a plbig enough house to have more children and an assistant. But that's not going to happen anytime soon lol. I have nurseries so wouldn't do that but would like to have an assistant so I had another adult to chat to all the time

arly
04-03-2011, 08:10 PM
So nice to read everyone elses opinions....I love childminding only been doing it since October but know this is what I want to do...looking into finishing my night work as a carer when I have a bit of money behind me to cover the bills for few months oh and to pay my holiday abroad this year!! :clapping: it would be nice to expand but my house is not big enough for that but who knows what can happen in the future...but at this moment in time Im enjoying being at home and making money :D

Hebs
04-03-2011, 08:31 PM
yes it is something i have thought about along with another member on here ;)

Deb
04-03-2011, 09:24 PM
Back home in southern Africa, a 'childminder' generally works from home, in a converted double garage or the like, so can lock up and skip up the garden back home :thumbsup:









oh and it is sunny most days :laughing: :laughing:

I rather like the sound of that

Cammie Doodle
04-03-2011, 09:47 PM
Yes it is good to have a "buddy" to work with ie on Thursday Carolyn and I work together and its a Godsend when the after schoolies come in, we were in the garden (we have adjoining gardens, with 3 ft fence between us) so the older boys played football on one lawn the older girls on the other whilst the LO's played safely on the decking. Im not sure if I would be as happy if I did not have my co-minder next door :D

guest4
05-03-2011, 08:42 AM
I absolutely LOVE my job.... and when i look back over the day just gone I can remember how many times the children and I have laughed together or done something silly!:laughing:
However, I am thinking of stopping at the end of the Summer Hols as I get vey lonely and crave a bit of adult conversation....:(
I think an assistant would be great....:jump for joy:

Twinkles
05-03-2011, 09:10 AM
I love my job too. I have worked in nurseries in the past but I like the more personal approach we can have with childminding.

I now work with my DH and meet up with three or four other minders most days.

I'd have to say life is pretty good right now. :thumbsup:

Carol M
05-03-2011, 11:11 AM
I don't LOVE childminding at the mo and am feeling perhaps I should look into setting up a nursery!
Had my FCCERS last week and although a good experience for self evaluation I feel deflated. Apparently my space is inadequate, I use my lounge/dining room and conservatory and have a downstairs loo. I have a family house, detatched, not huge but certainly in my oppinion fairly spacious, on a lovely family orientated estate.
I also choose to have carpet in my lounge/dining and have been scored as inadequate again as my floors are not WASHABLE! Have a lovely neighbour who has a cleaning business and he regularly cleans my carpets as well as the lovely 6x12' ABC carpet rug I have.
I know this is only a small reflection about the care I provide but these low scores affect my overall score and IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE a home based childcare setting!
Somehow I feel that the LA only want nurseries!
Carolxx :( :( :(

Monkey1
05-03-2011, 08:06 PM
We have expanded....first me....then hubby joined....then we got my friend Lynn to register too. We were appointed as a childcare provider for a holiday club through our LA...which we beat big companies to:D ...........been buried under work (hence my absence from the forum) ........love it, about to launch.....would i do it if i had known the ammount of work involved?????.....well ask me again in 6 months!

There is nothing wrong with ambition!.............i have had a serious backlash from fellow minders because of it though:censored:

youarewhatyoueat
05-03-2011, 09:50 PM
Yes I'm now a creche provider for 3 county councils and I now employ 3 childminders but with the centre budgets slashed who knows whats going to be booked from september.
I also continue doing ad hoc nannying while keeping my childminding registration live, unfortunately each one needs different insurance which is a pain. But its great having a break from childminding and my house being mine again and not having to put away all the tiny bits of lego that my boys have been playing with!!

mufftie
05-03-2011, 09:54 PM
I really don't like childminding and if I could give up tomorrow then I would trouble is no where could possibly pay me what I'm earning right now :(

I was a mechanic in a former life and loved working with men and the banter that went with it , there's no way I could work with women and being alone doing childminding is worse ! But the money has me well and truly trapped

Carol M
06-03-2011, 11:01 AM
OOooo a mechanic...... now there's a good idea :idea:
Carol xx

Monkey1
05-04-2011, 06:33 PM
.............................

keatingschick
05-04-2011, 09:13 PM
Thats a catch 22 question.

To be honest I'd love to be able to walk away from my job at the end of the day. I childmind from my conservatory and when we first had it built it was a lovely room, and now is literally a play room. It wasnt so bad when my own children were younger, they would also go in there and have their own toys in there, but they are now 12 and 14, so this room is literally for my job, there is a sofa in there and there was a tv in there, but to be honest I've always hated sitting in there and pointed out to my husband it would be a little like him relaxing in his workshop.

I do often get niggled that my house isnt my home, like when parents REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY TIMES I MENTION IT, will walk across the grass/mud outside my house and not even THINK of wiping their feet :eek: my Ofsted inspector even asked if she should take her shoes off!!!

And its the safety gates and highchairs and things, and the fact that really like when it was my husbands birthday the room still is a very obvious playroom (also couple with the fact that people bring children sort of assuming I will get toys out and entertain them).

When my grandad died, my husband was going to buy the house and convert it for childminding, and it was a very tempting thought, and more recently a friend has said her husband is thinking of buying premesis and has asked about myself and another childminder considering going in and all working together.

BUT on the flipside, like today my daughter has been ill and has needed to stay at home and so I've been able to stop at home with her and carry on working.

I have been very unsettled lately, and for a long time have wanted to give up, I used to work in an office and I loved it, I loved interaction with customers on the phone, I loved my paperwork etc. but like Muftie mentions I couldnt earn what I earn now in another job.

Its a real 6 of 1 and half a dozen of the other. If I could do my old job, for the money I am earning and be able to be there for my own kids I'd jump at the chance - but I can't so am just hoping that now I have just eliminated one of my "downers" to my job, I might start enjoying it more.

newbie
05-04-2011, 10:15 PM
My dream is to open up my own nursery and am currently studying my Level 3 Children & Young People's Workforce Diploma. I must admit the staffing and 'bigger' business scares the hell out of me and I really don't know where to start with regards to setting it all up but it is my dream and hopefully one day I will get there :blush:

Jiorjiina
07-04-2011, 09:43 AM
I'd quite like to do foster care as well.

I looked at working in a nursery, and very nearly went into teaching properly, but the amounts of paper work with both really put me off, and with the nurseries even though I'm only in my late 20's I was much older and more mature than a lot of the staff working there.

I like the smaller ratio with childminding, and the fact that I don't have to commute is a huge bonus. I have done some teaching with young kids and teenagers, so I'm reasonably familiar with the obs and planning stuff, and the EYFS doesn't throw me much because once you've had to do an A level scheme of work in line with the national curriculum and all the associated lesson plans the EYFS bits and bobs hold no fears.

I've wanted to do foster care for years, and it does seem to dovetail into minding pretty well, so we'll see.