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View Full Version : Giving up schoolies....



maryp0ppins
08-03-2012, 09:53 AM
Last week I notified all school children's parents that I am as from "Friday 13th July" no longer having schoolies....(apart from 2 older boy's who depart and arrive independently due to their age)

My eldest is starting her her exam year after summer and has chosen subject which are 100% course work, and feel she will benefit from the more calmer environment after school to study as apposed to 4 4/5 years olds running around like loonies as well as all my EY group & the older boy's...

I am really looking forward to not going up to the school (first time in 11 years)

Just concentrating on the early years age group. Anybody else JUST have EY group?

AliceK
08-03-2012, 09:58 AM
Originally when I started out I made the decision not to have schoolies but then took on 2 children from 1 family and the older one was a school child so I agreed. Then one of my mindees who I used to take to pre-school started school so I kept him on before / after school. Somehow I've managed to get another 3 schoolies as well. I am so tempted to stop as they are getting older and along with my DS (7) they are becoming just a bit too much sometimes. DD starts school in Sept and I've already agreed to take on a LO who starts school at the same time but I'm seriously considering just doing EY and possibly reception year but no older. Not sure yet though :rolleyes:

xxx

buzzy bee
08-03-2012, 10:03 AM
I am always secretly hoping that all my schoolies will give me notice, because I can't justify losing them - the money is too good, especially when I have 4 - so I can't afford to lost that. But if they gave me notice then it wouldn't be my fault!!

I find them much harder work than littlies!

So good for you!!

caz3007
08-03-2012, 10:06 AM
After 5 years of after schoolies, which all left for different reasons, including age, redundancy I now only have EYFS and one before school 2 days a week, and its lovely. None of the teatime hassle and so much quieter. But my DS is 9 and think he misses them sometimes

Having said that if some came along, would probably do as its quiet around here right now.

PixiePetal
08-03-2012, 10:06 AM
Me!

when DS left primary school I stopped pick ups, it wasn't an easy one but didn't mind for my own children:). Best thing for my family and don't miss school runs in the rain :laughing:

AgentTink
08-03-2012, 10:10 AM
I don't. I made the decision from the start that I would Not take any children older than my own little girl as since she is only 2 and a half, I have got no intention of taking after schoolies. As I don't drive I also justify it by saying I would have to take three littles one out every day just to pick up from school. Once my little one is in school I will re-evaluate the situation

Milli147
08-03-2012, 10:14 AM
I only have EY.
I made this choice so that generally I am only minding whilst my own children are at school. OK it does overlap at the end of the day by a couple of hours, but
they are old enough to still have 3/4 hours of my time before bed.
I was concerned about the overlap of toys as well - I didn't want mine to feel that they had to share anything they didn't want to with older minded children, and what if it were children from school that they didn't get on with - or friends they ended up falling out with as they were fed up with them in the house all the time, or the fact that as a minded child they can't go upstairs, but as my children's friends on a different day then they can????
I really think you have to mind a different age group than your own kids or it's just too complicated!

Mouse
08-03-2012, 10:16 AM
I have no contracted school children & only have them for holiday cover & occassional care.

I enjoy having them for short periods of time, and my 11yr old likes having them here for a week or so, but that's enough for us!

PixiePetal
08-03-2012, 10:42 AM
I have no contracted school children & only have them for holiday cover & occassional care.

I enjoy having them for short periods of time, and my 11yr old likes having them here for a week or so, but that's enough for us!

actually I do still have some back for odd inset days and in hols for odd days - they are the ones who grew up with my kids :thumbsup: so now 11-13yr olds (mine are 15 and 17). I ask my two first if they are happy for them to come as they always want to be with them

miffy
08-03-2012, 11:06 AM
Never done this - I'm always sad when they start school so happy to have them before/afterwards and holidays.

I wouldn't miss school runs in the rain/snow/ice though! :laughing:

Miffy xx

mindingmummy
08-03-2012, 11:18 AM
I always said I was just going to do EY, but then my very first customer contact was a schoolie so couldnt turn it down....then he needed a friend to play with so had one more to keep him company.....Then she left and I looked for one to replace her and ended up with a brother and sister......now I have 4 after schoolies plus my pre-school daughter, plus my EY..........

There are a lot of CM in my area short of work at the moment though so id be silly to turn anyone down. :blush:

sarah707
08-03-2012, 11:23 AM
My schoolies are very hard work ... but they are all lovely and it's only 2 hours a day so we cope! :laughing:

However if it's not working for you then you should make changes :D

mushpea
08-03-2012, 11:57 AM
I had 4yrs of very busy after schoolies and now I only have 1 schoolie two days a week and to be honest I am loving just having younger children,, I sincerely hope that when somone rings me regards to school children I am strong enough to say no, trouble is those pound signs flash before me:laughing:
I wouldnt say I wont ever do schoolies again as I dont think I would turn away siblings with one eyfs and one schoolie but i definatly prefer not having them and my days are a lot calmer and a whole lot less stressful now, the only issue with my schoolie is that its just her after school so not much fun for her on her own so I am always trying to find things for her to do.

VeggieSausage
08-03-2012, 01:07 PM
I am not enjoying after schoolies and would like to give notice and only pick up my own little dd who is in reception, I have 2 older dd's too so the house is often too full after school. However both after schoolies are the sibling of younger ones so would lose everyone else too, I am struggling with so many tho - 4 (+my own) children till 6 on monday, 5 (+ dd's) till 6.30 on tues,wed,thurs and then just 2 till 5.15 on friday - I am knackered ....think someone has to give, since the start of a new family in sept with a 1 year old who screams for continual attention my life is turning into chaos


Well done you for actually going through with it....

handeme
08-03-2012, 01:20 PM
Only EY children for me too. The only school run I do is for my own child.

I like being able to spend time with my own child after school, all my EY children go home at 4.30 too x

kellib
08-03-2012, 01:22 PM
Only EY children for me too. The only school run I do is for my own child.

I like being able to spend time with my own child after school, all my EY children go home at 4.30 too x

That's the same as me, I only do school runs for my 6 year old and the latest I work to is 4pm, works out perfectly for doing homework etc.

onceinabluemoon
08-03-2012, 01:31 PM
I sometimes wish I didn't have schoolchildren. They are much harder work than the young ones and much more wilful or sneaky (and the ones I have are really very good on the whole!!).

And then you get a morning like today when child 1 can't wait to tell me about something exciting he's done and child 2 comes in with a cupcake that they made me with their mummy last night. Thats something thats good but different about the big ones. Sometimes it's hard to remember the good stuff, but its there if you look for it. :)

TooEarlyForGin?
08-03-2012, 03:40 PM
I had 4yrs of very busy after schoolies and now I only have 1 schoolie two days a week and to be honest I am loving just having younger children,, I sincerely hope that when somone rings me regards to school children I am strong enough to say no, trouble is those pound signs flash before me:laughing:
I wouldnt say I wont ever do schoolies again as I dont think I would turn away siblings with one eyfs and one schoolie but i definatly prefer not having them and my days are a lot calmer and a whole lot less stressful now, the only issue with my schoolie is that its just her after school so not much fun for her on her own so I am always trying to find things for her to do.

I feel exactly the same way. :)

JulieA
08-03-2012, 04:21 PM
I did start with schoolies, but after a couple of years I found that it was having too much of an impact on my family. Pick up gradually got later and later - sometimes not til 8.30pm and my children were shattered but, understandably, wouldn't go to bed. I also didn't feel it was good for the mindees as they were only 5 and 6 at the time. It was a hard decision to make as I felt I was letting down mum - who was going through a divorce too, but it was the right thing to do at the time. And to be honest I haven't looked back - and am even turning away schoolies. I think we are all happier as a family for it.

loocyloo
08-03-2012, 05:53 PM
currently i only have EY children ( plus a before schoolie who i don't count :blush: who arrives, plays DS or football with ds and then we go to school! )

i would like an afterschoolie or 2, as my 2 miss having them around, as they have grown up with afterschoolies, but ds is getting older and starting to walk home from school/clubs by himself and dd does lots after school ( but as its only my 2 i collect from school, it fits in) but if i had afterschoolies i could end up to & fro endlessly!

snufflepuff
08-03-2012, 06:06 PM
I don't do schoolies. I did do a school drop off for one little boy but gave it up, it just wasn't worth it, especially as taking my son out in the rain for an hour was making his asthma worse.

I'm going on maternity leave soon, then probably won't be coming back to minding until my son starts school in Sept 2013 (don't want to come back before DS is in full time school because I'd only be allowed one mindee, not worth it for £3.50ph minus expenses.) So if I can I'd like to just work before and after school, term time only. Depends what comes along though really!

Chimps Childminding
08-03-2012, 06:15 PM
I don't "take on" schoolies, but have 3 who have been with me since babies. I find it too difficult to tell a mum that once they start school I can't have them, especially as there is no out of school club at our first school so they would be stuck.

However, it will soon get to the stage where it is starts to impact on me filling my EY places as I have to use the car to do the school pick up/drop off and I will soon get to the stage where I can't fill my under 5 space as I won't have room in the car!! Not sure what will happen then, as I can't afford not to earn all day for the sake of a schoolie :rolleyes:

mumof4
08-03-2012, 06:22 PM
As mine are moving on to secondry school ive not been replacing them. When my ds starts secondry in 2 years that will it...no more school runs :clapping::clapping:

jane5
08-03-2012, 09:20 PM
I chose not to have schoolies as my dd was 2 and I hated the school run with a passion when my older dc where little. I didnt want to take her out in all weathers.

My dd starts school in September and the older sibling of one of my part time lo's starts at the same school with her so I have already agreed to MAYBE having her. I do think if I am going on the school run for dd then I may as well bring another home.

There is an after school club but there is a real shortage of cm's who pick up from the school so I have been asked a few times already but I am going to limit to siblings of lo's I have in the ey age group or chidren I've had in the ey age group.

samb
09-03-2012, 11:01 AM
I only have schoolies for a few days in the holidays - not before/after school. This is partly as I have not had any enquiries from my dd's school and can't do 2 schools at same time, but also as i can only have max of 3 children under 8 (2 of my own and small-ish flat) I cannot really take schoolies on as they fill up my spaces.

I do think I would take on over 8s too once my dd is at junior school and if they were at same school as then it wouldn't affect my numbers and might be nice for my dd but guess I will just wait and see what work I am offered/need at time and decide on that.

maryp0ppins
09-03-2012, 01:06 PM
Hmm, seems quite a few of you only have Ey children....

I must say I am really looking forward to it. Like I say I'll still have my older boy's 2 nights a week who walk to me & I will still have a 5 year old (had him since 7 months old) 3 nights whom gets dropped due to his school being a couple of miles away but other than that all Ey's.

I'll still have a few during school holidays too, but it'll be a lot calmer with the 3 of them gone :blush:.

Roll on summer :thumbsup:

SamBaker
09-03-2012, 01:16 PM
I already have quite a few before and after schools, trouble is come September I'm going to be able to take another full timer on but havn't got space in the car. I have decided not to take on any more after schools until I have filled my EY full time spaces.

Hayley102
09-03-2012, 01:44 PM
I'd love to give up schoolies. I find them hard work and when I am tiered at the end of the week I get annoyed with behaviour (and kids are very good!) so have to count to 10 because I know I am being unreasonable :blush:- they are after all only being children! Better in the summer when not winding each other up in the house! Not taking any new ones on! Just waiting for those I have got to move on!

fionamadcat
10-03-2012, 08:10 PM
I've only been minding 6 months and at present have a schoolie who is a nightmare so I have made the decision that in future I will only have schoolies who have been with me pre-school, I have 1 going up to school in august who I will keep on, he's a lovely wee boy and other than that will only have my dd's best friend who I have on a monday. Hoping life will be a bit calmer.

chez
10-03-2012, 08:18 PM
I only have EY children, we have myself and my assistant who works part time with me and between us we can have 6 EY children. The local council only allows us to have 6 children without applying for planning premission so a schoolie would use up a whole day space for us.

Shame because I live so close to the schools I can see them from my front door.

Playmate
10-03-2012, 08:48 PM
We gave up the majority of our after schoolers last September. We had 4 (part-time) and had 2 of EY's going into school. We also limited to numbers and can only have a total of 9. Our 2 going into school were going to a different school to the others and both have younger siblings with us too so made decision to loose the bigger ones. It was the best decision we ever made :D

Roseolivia
11-03-2012, 06:41 AM
At the moment i have 3 afterschoolies but all 3 are part time. Some night all 3 come other night it may only be 1 of them. I don't mind having them as i pick Rose up from school anyway, they're nice kds and great eaters as well.