How many of you have your own children under five?

[JennyM]

I have a daughter aged three and a daughter aged nine months.

I have managed to almost fill all of my spaces although some of that time is with my nephew. I have never been inundated with enquiries though and I wondered if having children of your own who are under five can put parents off.

What do you think?

[FussyElmo]

Until ds this year moved into being a rising 5, I was in exactly the same boat as you. Whether or not it put people off well cant really say as if people rang for a place I would have to say no.

[lisakeast468]

I have a daughter who will b 4 this summer. I have had a few calls and enquiries doesn't seemed to have put them off. Good luck

[marnieb]

My dd is 28 months, and all my parents (all mindees under 2) love that they have her to play with!!!

[Zoomie]

when i needed childcare for my children, one cm i met, who had children ... well i just didn't click with her.

then found a cm with adult children and she was lovely.

but when we moved, had to find another cm and this one had 2 children, one at school the other a toddler. she was absoluately the best and i sometimes wondered (beforehand) if a cm with children would treat her own children better than mine. this wasn't the case as i feel that cm mums take children out often as they are doing things for their own children as well as mindees (and being a cm, myself now, i see that cms children sometimes have to take a back seat :( ).

(these are just my own views, so please, nobody take any offence).

[skytvaddict]

I have a 4 year old and a nearly 3 year old. I have been minding for 16 months - I had a temporary little girl for a couple of months but then was lucky enough to get an almost full time baby (he is now 21 months) so have never had a space if I did get a call. Having my own DSs (and 2 older DDs) didn't put his mum off. He is an only child and she loves that he gets to play every day with my two. DS1 goes to school in September and DS2 to pre-school every morning and I think she is a little sad that he won't be with them so much. Maybe I have been lucky and she is a one off?

[The Juggler]

my dd was 2 1/2 when I started out. I didn't have any problems. I had a baby I took on straight away and then a 2 year old and was turning away lots of requests but had no more spaces.

[singlewiththree]

I had a 3yr old and 1yr old when I started minding, I think what put people off was my 3yr old was hyper and my 1yr old clingy with strangers so sat on my knee the whole time they were here! I was full a few days though as I only had 1 space. Now all my children are at school (10,6,4) I'm completely full but in the holidays my children go to their dad and I have to make sure I go out with other minders as I didn't realise how much my children "work"

[miffy]

My youngest was two when I registered and I looked after his closest friend. Most of my work for the first few years was looking after my children's friends so having young children of my own was a definite plus!

Miffy xx

[flowerpots]

ive got ds 4 and dd 2, im full to bursting, with an assistant and have been from day one really, i think its been a plus to my business. The very first contract i signed was ds's friend. :thumbsup:

[singingcactus]

My son is just ageing out of the young child stage, and having him definitely never put anyone off. He is very bright and outgoing and wins the parents over much quicker than me lol. I have always been full and always been turning people away.
I also have 2 teens, and as soon as prospective meet them they love them, so they have never turned anyone off either - if anything they are a very positive plus to my business cos they are so fantastic with the little ones, parents and little ones love them :)

[rickysmiths]

My two were nearly 3yrs and 11mths. (now 16.5 and 18) I took on a 16 week old baby every afternoon. Had to have a Variation from day one :rolleyes: The parents chose me because I had my own children. They liked that I had had the experience, albeit not much! They liked their child coming into a family. I have found that to be consistanly the case with parents choosing Home based care. Being part of a family, being in the comfort of a home, family who came to see me last Friday and start in Sept, said 'the local Day Nursery was cold and functional'.

Filling vacancies was not an issue, so I don't know.

It never occured to me to fill all my vacancies from day one, I think I would have found it very hard with with my children that young, to have filled all my spaces.

I only wanted one, it meant we could still have a holiday and I could pay for all the presents for birthdays and pay for Christmas. I don't think it occured to me that it would be more than part time because the idea was it allowed me to be at home and spend time with my own children.

I had this little boy and his brother and didn't increase numbers until my daughter started at playgroup. I had the two little boys term time only and took on a friends dd in the mornings. The two boys left and then my dd was at school, I took on before and after school children and then some in some of the holiday for a couple of years. I had been a cm for 7yrs before I filled my daytime spaces and realised I could make this childminding into a money making business that I enjoyed and still allowed me to be at home for my two!!

Over the last 10 years I have always aimed to fill all my Vacancies and in the last five have has an almost continuous Variation for 4 under fives. I earn much more and actually work less hours, in that there is no going to and getting home from work, than I would if I went back to being a Catering Manager.

I take my hat off to those of you who go straight into working full time and have your own young children, I couldn't have done it that way.

[Cammie Doodle]

When I first started minding I was also a Foster carer, I did worry that it would put Parents off, but it never did. The Foster children loved the little ones. My own son was 10 when I started minding and 5 when we started Fostering

[lulubelle]

my boys are 2yrs and 1 yr and it hasnt put anyone off. so far i just have 1 toddler mon/tues who is 2 wks older than my eldest and i am going to be full of after schoolers come sep!

[2littlelegs]

Hi There,
I have a dd of 6 yrs old and one of 2 yrs old. The reason why i actually thought about childminding in the first place was because so many people, including staff at our sure start would mention that i should think about childminding as my now 6 yr old was a credit to me and i had a way with the other children around me, so i'm hoping and praying that my slightly more robust 2 yr old dd makes people think the same thing as ive took their advice and am in the process of becoming registered :panic: :laughing:
Jo :)