5 under 5

[Stella Mc]

Wow you lot are all so busy!! I am so jealous! Have been advertising everywhere and anywhere and all I have at the moment is one 2yr old for one overnight stay a month plus the odd ad hoc day, I am absolutely loving the days he does here and wishing I could fill my spaces up because its looking like I'm going to have to send my two to childminders and get an office job How do you do it??
Stella x

[Bear23]

Wow you lot are all so busy!! I am so jealous! Have been advertising everywhere and anywhere and all I have at the moment is one 2yr old for one overnight stay a month plus the odd ad hoc day, I am absolutely loving the days he does here and wishing I could fill my spaces up because its looking like I'm going to have to send my two to childminders and get an office job How do you do it??
Stella x

its took me three years to get this busy. i've always had two under five, increasing each year really.
mines mainly come through word of mouth or childcare.co.uk x

[Cammie Doodle]

My head hurts just reading it Good Luck .I have 7 in the EYFS (1 is new born so not started yet) not had to do more than 3 in a day yet, but local work place has changed Parents work hours and days so I think that will all change Trying to be mega organised!!!! but only time will tell .

[kel1983]

wow. You lot are crazy. My co minder is away for 2 weeks and I have had 3 under 5's during the day and 3 after school to. The drop off to school have been easy as I have a double with buggy board and only drop 1 to school and after school I ve had help from my cousin who we got registered as assistant. I dont fancy trying to take 3 out on buggy and 3 walking. Its easy while they are all happy and entertained.

[lizzie12]

wow. You lot are crazy. My co minder is away for 2 weeks and I have had 3 under 5's during the day and 3 after school to. The drop off to school have been easy as I have a double with buggy board and only drop 1 to school and after school I ve had help from my cousin who we got registered as assistant. I dont fancy trying to take 3 out on buggy and 3 walking. Its easy while they are all happy and entertained.

can i just ask, you work with a co-minder, that is a fully registered childminder and not an assistant. Have you worked with an assistant, if so, where do you find someone, because they need to be found and then CRB checked and first aid cert completed before they begin with a childminder. I currently have 4 under 5, one is a variation on one day and the other is continuity of care, self varified since september 2012, only certain days because parents work shifts. The 3 that are here on a regular basis have all just had siblings and the parents want them to come to me, but obviously through the new EYFS guidelines, I could argue that it is continuity of care as they are siblings of children already in my setting but am honest and am aware that I would not cope well with this amount of children, so have thought about an assistant but don't know where to start. I am only considering taking these children if i can get an assistant, it is not for financial gain that I want to do it, it is because i know the families and the new children and don't want to let anyone down. Would appreciate any responses to my plight.

thanks Lizzie

[jane5]

Wow you lot are all so busy!! I am so jealous! Have been advertising everywhere and anywhere and all I have at the moment is one 2yr old for one overnight stay a month plus the odd ad hoc day, I am absolutely loving the days he does here and wishing I could fill my spaces up because its looking like I'm going to have to send my two to childminders and get an office job How do you do it??
Stella x

We are just really lucky in our area and every one is pretty much full, and there are quite a few minders. I've been minding for 2 years and needed a variation for 4 under 5 within a couple of months of starting.

Because you never know what is around the corner in this job I find it hard to say no to extra hours ect so it can be a double edged sword at times and can have a negative effect on my family.

I hope you find some mindees so you don't have to go back to an office

[Gracie's mamma]

what does that mean ?

[AliceK]

can i just ask, you work with a co-minder, that is a fully registered childminder and not an assistant. Have you worked with an assistant, if so, where do you find someone, because they need to be found and then CRB checked and first aid cert completed before they begin with a childminder. I currently have 4 under 5, one is a variation on one day and the other is continuity of care, self varified since september 2012, only certain days because parents work shifts. The 3 that are here on a regular basis have all just had siblings and the parents want them to come to me, but obviously through the new EYFS guidelines, I could argue that it is continuity of care as they are siblings of children already in my setting but am honest and am aware that I would not cope well with this amount of children, so have thought about an assistant but don't know where to start. I am only considering taking these children if i can get an assistant, it is not for financial gain that I want to do it, it is because i know the families and the new children and don't want to let anyone down. Would appreciate any responses to my plight.

thanks Lizzie

I'm in a similar position. I could potentially have 5 under 5's some days come January because I don't want to mess people about and let them down and then in the summer am also meant to be taking on a baby of a LO I have. I need to find an assistant too. It's nice to be so busy but some days I feel like trying to juggle all the numbers and get my head around what days parents need and how many that takes me to gives me a headache. Problem is most parents are shift workers so no set days.

xx

[lisa1968]

To be perfectly honest,I wouldn't even entertain the idea of 5 under 5.I'm not having a go at anybody-we all work differently-but I'm not sure how each child's individual needs can be met,how to get activities done (especially if there's a big age range),how to deal with an emergency etc. 5 won't fit in a normal sized family car,so,if there are a couple of children attending pre school sessions that need dropping off and picking up, then is it fair on the other children to be taken backwards and forwards in all weathers?
That's just my take on it-I could cope with 5,but it's not something I would do.

[The Juggler]

To be perfectly honest,I wouldn't even entertain the idea of 5 under 5.I'm not having a go at anybody-we all work differently-but I'm not sure how each child's individual needs can be met,how to get activities done (especially if there's a big age range),how to deal with an emergency etc. 5 won't fit in a normal sized family car,so,if there are a couple of children attending pre school sessions that need dropping off and picking up, then is it fair on the other children to be taken backwards and forwards in all weathers?
That's just my take on it-I could cope with 5,but it's not something I would do.

I'm with you, from a personal viewpoint, I'm stretched to capacity with 4 under 5's I don't feel I could offer quality care to 5 of them, unless say 4 of them were already 3 1/2-4 years of age. I totally admire those who can do it. Trying to do preschooler activities, letting babies join in, assist pre-schoolers whilst making sure babies don't eat the paint, etc is flippin hard work