Like others, I found the forum by 'accident' whilst I was surfing the internet 'researching' becoming a childminder again.
Things had changed a lot from the first time I'd registered!
I started off as an observer at first, like so many of us, reading the highlights, and lowlights, of minding.
At the time, I was also dealing with some pretty heavy personal stuff, when I saw the Grannygate thread, and the subsequent comments had me in stitches.
That post was the first thing that had made me physically laugh out loud for a long time.
The more I read, the more information I wanted, and I got it all right here.
The basis of my policies came from here, some specifics of my fees policy came from a number of posts from one member here, my paperwork has grown and developed from the basis of several other members hard work and the sharing of that hard work here - I only wish I'd made a note now of who contributed what before I re jigged it to suit me and my setting so I could thank them all :laughing: (Yes Sarah, I shall be doing that in future and putting it in my SEF :laughing:)
I've also been fortunate enough to meet some members recently, and that's been such a pleasant experience, especially as I've then been able to thank them personally for help they've given either knowingly or unknowingly through the forum.
I now have a 'childminding' bookmark, with several sub folders so I can go back to the various links posted by members, things like DofE/EYFS stuff, Blogs, Crafts and Activities, Shopping sites, Colouring Pages, Recipes, etc.
I started off wondering how I was ever going to fill the day keeping the LO's occupied, now I want to ask parents to collect later so we can fit it all in!
The biggest feeling I have here, is the sense of community. No one understands or 'gets' this job in the outside world, or the effect it can have on our home life, so when it's been a bad day, we can offload with people that understand, when it's been a good day, we can share with people that also appreciate our joy, when we get 'political' we can come here to find the most recent information, when we need direction over paperwork, rules or regulations, someone always has an answer or something to share, when we need support or advice in our personal life we can pop into the lounge, and when we just want to 'switch off' .....
....we end up on a childminding forum where there's always an idea or two to add to the growing list of 'must do's' :thumbsup::clapping: