what do you all prefer?

[dollydally]

I'm relatively new at this lark and just have a question for you all! Do you prefer doing long days with your mindees (full timers etc) or prefer to fill your week up with short bursts of various children? I only ask because my first two mindees were for two days a week (9.5 hours each day) and i found it an absolute struggle keeping them entertained, stopping them from fighting etc. So now I've told myself that I'm not going to take on any long days like that and would prefer to do shorter stints with different children. I've had an enquiry today for a little one, three afternoons 12-3 which sounds good and then I work out the money and it's only £36 a week so I'm thinking is it worth it!!? What do you all prefer and does anyone turn down work if someone asks for whole days or am I the only one!!? :blush:

[BlondeMoment]

I prefer the long days. Have more freedom if you're not tied to the house because someone is due to be picked up. I have a variety anyway but they all do at least 9 - 3 on the days they come

[Bushpig]

I could not financially survive if I didn't work full days. My parents mostly work full day, part-time, so I need to fit around what is locally needed. It's up to you what you're prepared to work.

[dollydally]

Hi Blondemoment, I think 6 hours is about the maximum I would do. I have a little one on a Thursday for that amount of time and it's fine. Just wish there was enough work around so that I could pick and choose!

[WibbleWobble]

i have a mix. i have a LO who is 5 months old and she comes 5 days a week, 8:15-6:15 10 whole hours!

i have a brother and sister who come 8 -2 monday to thursday. they are 2 and 3

i have the schoolies...siblings of 5 month old 5 days a week before and after school and all day school hols.

i have another 4 schoolies over the week who also come holidays. two come two days a week, one comes three and another comes 4 but only 2pm until 5:30pm.


the schoolies bring packed lunches during the hols...makes it easier for me. i do tea every night.

thats my lot


mandy xx

[Mouse]

Hi Blondemoment, I think 6 hours is about the maximum I would do. I have a little one on a Thursday for that amount of time and it's fine. Just wish there was enough work around so that I could pick and choose!

Over the years I've found that the majority of parents want full days, so you'd be very lucky to find enough wanting only 6 hours a day.
My mindees are all part time, either 2 or 3 full days a week. I work 9 hours a day and think that's a short day compared to many!

If you don't want to do full days, have you considered more older children? You can make good money from before & after school children...and the hours are shorter!

[dollydally]

Wow, parsleypetal, you got your hands full! i think I could do longer days if it were a baby as they have a kip for some of the time! I think I've just got to weigh up each enquiry. I'm reasonably lucky in that I don't want to earn a huge amount, just the same as what i was earning before I was made redundant which wasn't much! Be nice to earn a bit more but that's my goal for now.

[WibbleWobble]

Wow, parsleypetal, you got your hands full! i think I could do longer days if it were a baby as they have a kip for some of the time! I think I've just got to weigh up each enquiry. I'm reasonably lucky in that I don't want to earn a huge amount, just the same as what i was earning before I was made redundant which wasn't much! Be nice to earn a bit more but that's my goal for now.


ha ha ha ....this one is a 20 min cat napper!!!! she is a love though. very chuckly and eats like a small horse.

mandy xxx

[dollydally]

Hi Mouse, if i can do pre-school pick ups (lunch time) till tea time that would suit me. I have considered after schoolies as I do have to do the school run but we have an after school club so there's not much around. Just got to see what comes my way really! I think the problem for me is that I've had a bad experience with my first two and they were two really long days and I've been put off! I know they're not all the same and I'm really wanting some little ones to come along and change my mind !

[funemnx]

I mind 13 children at the moment, because I'm busy, I prefer to finish at a reasonable time - I would really struggle to finish after 5.30. All my children are part-time 1 - 4 days and I really like having a mixture of different children, no two days are the same :)

[Mouse]

It is a shame you had a bad experience to start with.

I have to say, most days the time flies & it doesn't seem like I've been working for 9 hours. Other days though, I'm ready to send them home by 10am :laughing: :laughing:

[Stew....pid]

i prefer monday mornings when they are all at playgroup :D

i prefer the holidays when there are 9 here all day as it seems more relaxed and its nice to be busy doing things with them rather than clock watching for playgroup and schoolruns :)

[clio0602]

I've only really done 10th hr days. Would love to work 9 til 4! :D

[phoenix2010]

I have 8 children and they are all part time, I much prefer it this way

every day is different which is good because i get bored easily , i do sometimes worry that i will forget someone though and leave them at nursery or school , so you have to be super organised to have lots of part timers

It is harder to make it pay , but I make up for this by being flexible in the hours I will work , i have one come at 7am some days and on a friday one doesnt leave til 830 pm

I also have one every other weekend both days

so swings and roundabouts i guess , but ive never really been a 9 to 5 person , so this suits me

[Baildon bears]

I would only take on someone 12 til 3 if they paid a session fee of a min of 6 hours. They won't find anyone else to do it and they are taking up a space for 3 hours work so not worth it other wise. Maybe the answer is to take on less children but full days, so just have one a day, personally I like having more than one as they entertain each other, I find it harder work having just one. I do full days with all of mine.

[Louise0208]

all mine are part timers or schoolies, i like little hours of me or housework time,

recently one of my part timers that i have for 2 hours a week has asked if i will have him full time but i declined as he would drive me to the funny farm within a week! - high maintenance is an understatement & i think this is the reason i wouldnt want any full timers....if we didnt 'click' then its not fair on the child or me :D

the only downsides to the children i have is that most of them finish at 6pm, (with starts from 11am) id much rather start at 6am & finish at 4 so i have more family time & enjoy a family meal instead of listening to one of my mindees smacking his chops through a meal :angry: (sorry, its my pet hate)

[berkschick]

I have it all ways!

I have 2 year old every morning term time only

2 x 1 year olds 3 days a week, one is 8 hours the other is 9 per day

2 x 3 year olds, 1 is 2 10.5 hours a day 2 days a week and the other is 10 hours a day , 4 days a week

1 x 4 year old for 2.5 hours a day, 3 afternoons a week

(I have a variation for 4 under 5!)

2 x before and after schoolies 4 days a week both over 8

1 x 10 year old before school

2 x 6 year olds, one before and one after school.

In the holidays, well its pretty mad!

I prefer the longer days though. We can go out or get stuck into something fun!

[phoenix2010]

OMG berkschick

thats just greedy :laughing:

[BlondeMoment]

Hi Blondemoment, I think 6 hours is about the maximum I would do. I have a little one on a Thursday for that amount of time and it's fine. Just wish there was enough work around so that I could pick and choose!

LOL I do 12 hours 3 days a week, and 11 hours the fourth day. I live right by the train station so most of my parents are commuters. I have mondays off.
9-3 is the shortest amount of time one of them stays LOL

[PixiePetal]

I have

1 x 2yr old (O), 2 days/week 8am - 6pm

1 x 4 yr old (J), 1 day/week 8.30am - 4pm

1 x 4 yr old (L) and sibling 1yr old (P), 2 days/week 7.45am - 2 pm


with combinations of these I work 3 days :)

Tuesdays 8-6 (O), Weds 7.45-4 (J L P), Thurs 7.45-6 (O L P)

enough for now although all change in Sept as the 4 yr old are off to school and I am no longer needed there

[Ripeberry]

I would only take on someone 12 til 3 if they paid a session fee of a min of 6 hours. They won't find anyone else to do it and they are taking up a space for 3 hours work so not worth it other wise. Maybe the answer is to take on less children but full days, so just have one a day, personally I like having more than one as they entertain each other, I find it harder work having just one. I do full days with all of mine.

I've just had one child all day for almost 2yrs now and the other mindees would come on different days and never meet each other!
So I suppose I had the worst of both worlds, long days with just one child.
I used to love it when my own kids came back from school as they could help me 'entertain' him.
Now his baby brother is starting soon and in a way it is worse again as the big brother does not like sharing and the baby can't stand being away from big brother.
So not looking forward to it much, just hope they calm down and that baby learns to play with toys (mum says he does not play much at home) :(

[AliceK]

I have only ever had mainly full-timers and before and after schoolies. My littlies are usually always full-timers. Any part-timers I have had have always upped their hours gradually until they are more or less FT. I think I prefer full-timers as you can do more with them and go out without the worry of having to be back at a certain time especially in the school hols when we go out for the day sometimes.

xxxx

[dollydally]

It's interesting to see how you all work! For me, as I don't want to fill all my spaces, I suppose i can be a little more flexible. Also, come September my youngest starts full time school so i will have three under 5 spaces that I can utilise instead of just 2. I don't know how some of you do it though I must admit, I'm full of admiration for you! :)

[hollyvilla]

When I first started childminding over 20yrs ago, I seemed to have all full timers, 5 days a week 8-6. As the years have gone by the trend seems to have gone towards part-timers I have at the moment,
1, 5days a week 9-4-30
1, 2 days a week 9-5
1, 2 days 9-12-30 and 9-15-3-15
1, 2days 8-45-4-15 and 8-45-12-30
1, 2 days 8-15-4-45
1, 1 day 8-5

I do not do school runs or after school children, and this suits me fine, something different each day. Though I do have to think each morning, what day it is and who will be here.

[ChocolateChip]

I started off with one 8mth old, 8-5 1 day a week and one 13mth old who did 'school hours' 3 days a week.
Now I have-
A 4 yr old 8.45-5, goes to morning nursery, 3 days (+ hols)
A 3 yr old, school hours but goes to pm nursery, 4 days a week (+ hols)
A 13mth old, does school hours 4 days a week ( no hols)
The 8mth old is now 3, I have her before and after school 2 days a week, as nursery does flexi hours
Have another 4yr old and his older sister for before and after, approx 12 shifts a month
Then I have 2 other schoolies who do either 3 or 4 days a week.

It has just turned out that most of mine need care during school hours, and are all either 3 or 4 days a week which is quite nice, I think I would struggle with having the same 3 children, possibly 8-5 or 6pm every day :blush:

Also it cuts down to just having two in the hols, which is great as I will actually have a bit of time just for my 3 now, used to have 2 older ones that would come aswell and I would be working every day but it works out that I have Fridays off in the hols! :clapping:

[Beetlejuice]

I do 7.45 to 6pm currently but with six different children so it breaks up my week. I learned early on that I didn't want one child every day all week and prefer to have a few part time children. That way if the full time child leaves you lose a LOT of money in one go. I have a child who does 7.45 - 4.30, one who does 9-4, one who is before and after school only, and a couple who do 9.30 - 6. Breaks up my day nicely and I don't have the same children every day which is nice. I used to do 50 hours a week with one child and she felt like one of my own and I spent all the time stopping her and my youngest DD arguing as they were like siblings!