PDA

View Full Version : why did you become a childminder?



peach
11-05-2011, 09:26 PM
Just curious as to why you decided to become a childminder?:jump for joy:

carebear25
11-05-2011, 09:28 PM
I did it so I cud b at home with my ds, an it was goin 2 cost me 2 go back 2 work an now ive had dd its the best thing i ever did. :)

nokidshere
11-05-2011, 09:29 PM
I became a childminder after I had had my son (now 12).

It took me 15 years to get pregnant, then, when i returned to work, I was leaving him in one nursery and going to work in another. It seemed a bit pointless after waiting so long for him to leave him to go and look after other peoples children.

Trouble
11-05-2011, 09:29 PM
because my dd needed private tutoring and had to pay for it

Pipsqueak
11-05-2011, 09:29 PM
Some days - no blooming idea:laughing:


I sort of fell into it. the lady across the road was a minder and when she was giving up she asked me if i wanted to take on her mindees. I thought why not - so I registered and here I am 9 years later. I worked for about 18months of so and then took a break due to various reasons and then resumed at full throttle - am now accredited, just finishing up my degree, have been a support minder for 4 years, seem to specialise in children with communciation problems and single mums.

I loose my mojo occasionally but all in all i love it

The Juggler
11-05-2011, 09:44 PM
went back to work after both my 2 kids. 2nd time had the most lovely CM. I had childcare help with work but was due to finish when he was 5 and started school PLUS CM moved and her getting ds to school was gonna be a mare. Also had been bullied at work for ages (but worked in HR so nowhere to go for help :rolleyes: ) was getting depressed and tried and failed to find a job nearer to home so didn't have to commute anymore (live in London) So I looked into registering. Then told my CM. She was one of my ofsted referees on my form. Ds was nearly 5 and dd was 2 1/2.

My CM also had 2nd baby under 2 at same time I registered so think for both of us it all worked out for best. Haven't looked back. Been some tough times but mostly have loved it. In 6 1/2 years have studied for 4 1/2 of them :laughing: :laughing: Like Pip, My Level 3 then my degree - but mostly was funded due to being a CM so can't complain.

Thought it would be weird job once both my kdis were at school full time but actually easier as my dd is real challenge :blush: but love that I can take them/pick them up from school, be there in the hols and when they are ill. when I was working that often meant cancelling interviews, massive recruitment assessment days which didn't go down well:(

Pauline
11-05-2011, 09:46 PM
It was going to be a temporary thing until my children started school.

'Temporary' seems to have run on a bit :laughing:

Trouble
11-05-2011, 09:47 PM
It was going to be a temporary thing until my children started school.

'Temporary' seems to have run on a bit :laughing:

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

flowerpots
11-05-2011, 09:49 PM
i registered after having dd, ds had attended nurseries for few years while i worked afer having him and then when dd came along i just couldnt face leaving them anymore :blush: (very clingy mummy) :p

The Juggler
11-05-2011, 09:56 PM
It was going to be a temporary thing until my children started school.

'Temporary' seems to have run on a bit :laughing:

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

JulieA
12-05-2011, 06:15 AM
I was made redundant three weeks before I was due to start maternity leave when pregnant with ds. Constantly told I was good with children, so thought I'd childmind til ds started school. He's almost finished his reception year at school now and in that time I have almost finished NVQ level 3, bcome accredited and am a support/mentor for new childminders. :D

Trouble is hubby remembers the original conversation where I would go an get a 'proper' job when ds starts school. :eek:

Toothfairy
12-05-2011, 06:56 AM
Although my eldest DD was grown up and had left home I still had 3 DD's left at home. They were 2.5yrs, 9yrs and 11yrs old. I had worked full time up until then and just decided that I wanted to be around at home for them more, especialy my youngest as I went back to work when she was just 5 weeks old!
The only job I could think of that bought in enough money and still allow me to work from home was Childminding.
I said to myself that I would just do it until my youngest DD started school but nearly 5 yrs later I am still doing it!

sweets
12-05-2011, 07:01 AM
i was a nanny for 19 years since leaving college (NNEB). The last family i worked for were great and i stayed for 10 years, started when there little one was 3months old and left when he went to high school. it was a mutaul decision for me to leave, they just didnt need me anymore :-(

i was very much my own boss with them and virtually ran the house, i couldnt face starting with a new family who may have 'told' me what to do.
as i a few friends were minders i saw how the job worked and loved the fact that i wouldnt have to travel to work at unsociable hours! so i registered :thumbsup:

that was 3 years ago and i love the job :D

PixiePetal
12-05-2011, 07:04 AM
I was a nanny before - natural progression when I had my own children. Left nannying when 7 months pregnant with DD and registered and working by the time she was 6 months - 16 1/2 years ago!

Monkey26
12-05-2011, 07:11 AM
I was a private nanny for a family. When mum had the 4th baby money was a lil tight and at that point they couldn't claim tax credits for using a nanny so asked if i'd consider registering as a CM instead... 4 and a half years later and i'm still here but now only part time :D xx

Splodge
12-05-2011, 07:23 AM
I had been nursing since i left school and had been quite ill with what turned out to be coeliac disease and one or two other little things.

Once i started to feel better became bored and decided to do some retraining and settled on childminding. Thought it would be easier than nursing and a gentle return to the world of work after two years off sick!!!!!!

Not sure what planet i was on as it certainly isn't easier, but i love it, although there are days when i could give it up in a heart beat!!! :laughing: :laughing:

maryp0ppins
12-05-2011, 07:32 AM
Worked a horrid twilight shift as it fit into hubby's work pattern from when both kids were 3 months old, then his work hours changed & I paid a childminder to have my kids for the half hour loop until hubby picked them up.........

Hated twilight wanted to become a childminder/not have to work till 10pm every blooming evening (especially when the weather was nice cuz it used to make me really :angry: knowing they were going for nice walks etc!!

Been minding for just over 4 years. :thumbsup:

Like pipsqueak said I also loss my mojo, then realise I am very lucky to still be home when my kids walk through the door (now 12 & 13)

snufflepuff
12-05-2011, 07:46 AM
Mainly because I wanted to be at home with my son. It seemed like the obvious choice because my qualifications are in childcare and i'd always worked in childcare- as a nursery nurse and a nanny. Plus it didn't make sense for me to care for other people's children while paying for someone else to look after mine! On nursery nurse wages there's no way I could have afforded childcare anyway!

Leanne59
12-05-2011, 08:07 AM
Mainly because I wanted to be at home with my son. It seemed like the obvious choice because my qualifications are in childcare and i'd always worked in childcare- as a nursery nurse and a nanny. Plus it didn't make sense for me to care for other people's children while paying for someone else to look after mine! On nursery nurse wages there's no way I could have afforded childcare anyway!

I was in the same situation as you. I went back to work for 12 months and left to have ds2 and never went back! and then registered when ds2 was 17months.

peach
12-05-2011, 08:10 AM
thank you for sharing.
Its nice to here why people registered x

I would love to be a nanny, its what I wanted to do.

I used to help my mum out with her minding as an assistant after I had ds1 I went back to work when he was 9 months old and hated leaving him even if it was with my mum.
After I has ds2 in the jan I thought bugg*r it ill register as a childminder as I didnt want to leave him and ds1 and I have been registed ever since lol

I love it, although I did al;so plan to do it till my ds3 goes to school but he will go soon and Im not ready for giving up lol I even bought my house spech for minding asd its got an extenshion thats perfect lol

gegele
12-05-2011, 08:23 AM
we moved 1h away from my work when i was pregnant with DS. DD was 2.5.

between travelling cost and childcare cost i would have been out of pocket at the end of the month.

so staying at home and becoming the childcare was the solution.

with DD i went to work and ended working full time to be able to pay the bills with the £300 i had left after paying minder.
i refused to do the same with DS.

Tina O
12-05-2011, 08:28 AM
Friend of mine (nurse) had a childminder who just stopped one day and she couldn't find anyone else, (this was over 10 yrs ago in military enviroment) so I helped out as a was a stay at home mum at the time and was allowed to continue to care for her child as registration went though because of the shortage of childminders at the time, and it was only after school for couple of hours with no pay! once registered grew from there.....

have had a break for 9mths and went back to work as an accountant (pre-mum job) after my own children in school but hated being in an office and missed the little ones so went back and now will not give up as I LOVE IT xx:jump for joy:

RachelE
12-05-2011, 08:34 AM
I am a qualified nursery nurse, worked in nursery, then as a Nanny and then fell pregnant - seemed to be next step.

I too said I'd do it til my 2 were at school. - Dd now in reception and I'm not stopping!! ;)

I love being able to be around for my 2 and take them to school and pick them up.

I wouldnt be able to get a job that earns this much money as I'd have to pay childcare.
I also wouldnt get the perks of being at home - like days off like today!

Dont think that I could go back to a 'normal' job again!

Rachel x

karen m
12-05-2011, 08:35 AM
To look after my grandson i had been lucky enough to be able to stay at home when my own children were little my children grew up i decided to go out to work ,daughter gets pregnant and says really would you like you to have baby while am at work she really didn't want to leave him with anyone else so here i am nearly 7 years later and thouroghly enjoying my work 99% of the time

Ripeberry
12-05-2011, 08:38 AM
Before children I worked in car insurance call centers for over 14yrs straight out of school, so I was determined to NEVER work in an office again once I went back to work.
Then I went on maternity leave and never returned!

In the meantime, my DH loved the fact that I was at home and dinner was on the table (before children, he had to do the cooking as I had a 2hr commute every day), so of course when I mentioned working again he thought it would be daft to be paying someone else to look after the kids and anyway we have no relatives that could look after our kids.

He did comprimise on me doing voluntuary work, just a few a week, so I weeded old people's gardens and did meals on wheels whilst my DD1 went to a CM for 6 hours once a week.

It gave me a chance to be doing something different and to meet new people.

After DD2, I still did voluntuary work on and off and a few of the old people had homecarers so when DD2 was 3yrs old I did Homecare work for 11 months.
But ended up giving it up as the office would ring all day and night pestering me to come in even when it was not my shift and I did not like the way their clients were being treated :mad:

Then I went to a CM course and the rest is history. It just suits me as I'm my own boss and I'm still doing 'caring' :)

Blaze
12-05-2011, 08:57 AM
I was a SAHM, & every time one of my friends had a childcare problem they'd ask me to help out...I looked after a relative's baby as she had severe PND & then one of my friends got pregnant with her second & asked me to care for both of them...at the same time a CM (ex) friend of mine kept on at me to register & was a reference to OFSTED for me...(when I got oustanding we fell out & she got nasty):rolleyes: Anyway the friend that asked me emmigrated to Australia just as I registered LOL started registered CMing when my youngest (at the time) had turned one...that was nearly 5 years ago...I doubt I will mind more than another 3 years but that's because my area CMing politics rather than because of the CMing itself!

loocyloo
12-05-2011, 09:09 AM
i was a nanny (NNEB & montessori) for 14 years, and whilst nannying for my last family also worked at the nursery school one of 'my' children attended! i had DS and carried on nannying for this family. i was with them for over 5 years, BUT LO now at fulltime school and they really didn't need me ( as always had an aupair too :D plus parents worked from home ) i worked for another family for a while, ( and still did a couple of days with my 'old' family ) but although they were more than happy for DS to come with me ( in fact, i think he got me the job LOL! ) i really didn't enjoy it, and so registered as a childminder and once regsitered and 'ready to go' with children lined up, i gave notice! ( my old family came to me one night a week instead of me going to them! )

and haven't looked back! had DD and carried childminding.

finding it a bit hard currently as moved a long way away and am building up my business from scratch again!

Vickster
12-05-2011, 01:02 PM
Because I am crazy!

My friend had registered as a childminder, but could't stand the paperwork so then told me that the course was free and would I register to look after her children. I had been made redundant at the end of my maternity leave with my second child, so I did. I NEVER want to work in an office again. I love childminding it has its moments, but i love the children I mind and the freedom this gives you.

mrs_scottydog
12-05-2011, 01:22 PM
I used to work in an office and left my permanent job and became an office temp instead. Then found I was pregnant. There was no point in going back to work after DS was born as I wouldn't have been earning enough for childcare. I felt bad not working (even though I was looking after our son) so decided childminding would be good for being at home with DS and bring some extra money in too. Plus I don't have to be full as my DH earns a decent wage so when I'm not working I get quality time with my DS. Hx

karensmart4
12-05-2011, 07:39 PM
I worked as a supervisor in a children's nursery, my manager had no childcare qualifications and I felt she interferred in what she had no experience of (SEN) and she constantly undermined me in front of the staff and commitee.

After we had a few words she dropped my hours down to 2 a week :mad:

I handed my notice in, reg as a cm have become accredited, work with a co-minder and have an assistant.

The nursery on the other hand closed down :thumbsup:

janminder
12-05-2011, 07:51 PM
Decided not to return to work after my second child until she started school so registered as a childminder in the interim, she is now 29 years old, just could'nt give up a job which I find enjoyable and rewarding and go back to packed trains etc.

karensmart4
12-05-2011, 07:52 PM
Decided not to return to work after my second child until she started school so registered as a childminder in the interim, she is now 29 years old, just could'nt give up a job which I find enjoyable and rewarding and go back to packed trains etc.

:thumbsup:

Daisy1956
12-05-2011, 08:12 PM
Wanted to stay at home with my own children, still doing it 28years later, only now I look after my grandson.:)

Carol M
12-05-2011, 08:31 PM
My children went to a childminder whilst I worked full time. When I had had just about enough of my demanding job I quit and ended up working with horses whilst my 2 were at school, something I loved doing. When a friend went through a nasty divorce and wanted to move back to this area and work she asked if I could look after her 3 whilst she worked. All children at the same school so no problem. She then suggested I register so she could pay me. Good idea I thought, just till she and children get settled I thought, this was 10 yrs ago. I didn't ever want to return to my demanding full time job so now I do THIS demanding full time job, but I'm the boss :thumbsup:
Carol xx

tulip0803
12-05-2011, 09:46 PM
A few reasons
* I got made redundant from a job working at home
* DH worked shifts making it difficult to get a job & childcare to fit
* My friend who was a childminder persuaded me that I would be good
* She then decided that she was stopping
* Having had a job at home before I enjoyed being there for my children

mushpea
13-05-2011, 06:13 AM
i started because the women who used to live next door to me was a childminder,, she looked after a 3yrold and a baby, the baby had cerbal paulsy and she just used to lay him on the floor all day or stick him in a baby bouncer and the only entertainment he got was the tv, she had a child of her own which she rarley disaplined yet the 3yrold she wold come down on quite hard,, she never did any activites with them or took them anywhere and again they had the tv on all day then she wonded why they got bored, her child would wind the boy up and being a boy he would lash out,,, I felt really sorry for the children and could see the potential in them both especialy the baby and when she said she was going on maternity leave I registered so I coudl take the the children on,, I had them for 18months in the end and they 3yrold who she said was awful was as good as gold and got on with my son lovley and the baby flourised, I went to physio with him and they would come to my house too so I knew what to do with him,, it was the most rewarding start to my job and I still miss them almost 3yrs on.

Tink
13-05-2011, 06:43 AM
I worked in a nursery for 10+ years and trained to be a nursery nurse.
When I fell pregnant with my DD I asked the nursery manager about returning to work and she told me the cost of childcare for my DD and I was shocked, no discount after working there all those years:angry:
I couldn't go back as the money I would have been earning would have had to pay for DD's childcare (silly I know)
So I decided to look aftre her myself and become a childminder, I already had the experience and qualifications and it was the best decision I ever made:clapping:

breezy
13-05-2011, 08:09 AM
I did it for an easy life so I could watch daytime tv, drink coffee and eat biscuits all day and get paid for it ! Oh and I forgot facebook and the forum!:goodjob: :ROFL1:

Demonjill
13-05-2011, 09:27 AM
I did it for an easy life so I could watch daytime tv, drink coffee and eat biscuits all day and get paid for it ! Oh and I forgot facebook and the forum!:goodjob: :ROFL1:

ha ha :laughing: :laughing:

hollyvilla
13-05-2011, 10:01 AM
I decided to become a childminder approx 21 yrs ago, as I had 3 children of my own 3,4 and 10 and I had worked 8yrs as a night sister at out local hospital. Nights were beginning to take their toll, and someone asked me if I could care for their daughte. I intended to go back to nursing when my children were older but here I am, 21yrs later, still a childminder and loving it.