just being nosey really...

[AnneS]

wasnt sure whether to put this here or in the regular lounge but...

how kids do you have as your own, do they enjoy your job and how supportive are your ohs with your job?



Me and my oh have 5 between us, 2 live with us and 2 come over sometimes while im working... our older 2 sometimes like to go upstairs for a few minutes peace, the babies love more kids around.

my oh is amazing, hes registered as my assistant and helps with dinner or cleans up while i do things with the kids. he has his first aid training soon so if the babies asleep i can leave them with him while i do school run.

[sarah707]

I have 2 teens - dd left home earlier this year to go to Uni and ds is doing his A levels.

My dp works with me as a part time childminder - it's lovely to bounce ideas and he comes up with some great activities.

Any time I get a bit down about the job I remember I could be dragging myself out to an office every day and working for someone else... it keeps me grounded

It sounds like your oh is really helpful with the minding as well it makes such a difference when they are supportive!

[mum22]

Mine are 6 and 7
I have been childminding for 6 years so it is pretty much all they know, one day we were down to no mindees for tea and thinking my own children would love it they said "this is boring", all their friends are jealous thinking they have friends around for tea everyday, but it does mean we have military precision to have their own friends over tea, but we manage and I dont use their bedrooms for minding so they do have somewhere to go but on the whole they mix in with the little ones. What willl happen as they get older.......... who knows......... but for now it works x

[Ripeberry]

My DH is out of the house before mindee arrives and gets back after they have all gone. So in effect he never sees my work, apart from all the paperwork My own kids aged 10 and almost 8 enjoy helping out with the little ones but its a different matter with older kids. Depends if they get on with them. It's my kids home as well and I would never have a mindee who was being unkind to my own kids in their own home!

[Happystay]

I have been minding for over 23years so my 4 children have grown up with it.It has made them very caring responsible adults,1 son works on a dairy farm looking after the animals,another son works as a care worker in an old peoples home,my eldest daughter is manager of an Estate agents my youngest daughter is at uni studying physiology All are very happy well adjusted adults which I think is all we want for our children.

[eddie]

My husband moans about me constantly doing paperwork/activity planning/the garage being a mess/toys in the conservatory/parents being a pain etc - supportive, mmmm no!

My kids are I think, both better for me having done this for 7 years (14 and 11 yrs old). I have been there for school runs, sports days, school holidays etc. They are both caring with the little ones and enjoy (occasionally for my 14 yr old DS) playing games with the LO's after school. They are more tolerant of little kids than they may have been without a constant stream of them in the house. And when it all gets too much they have the sanctuary of their bedrooms which no LO's are allowed to enter!

[loocyloo]

my DH is quite supportive ( ie,he has just converted the garage into a playroom, and built all the storage, plus built shelves in the garage for car seats, buggies etc. ) and if he is at home, he is happy to chat to and play with the LOs and they all love him! but he does get fed up of all the toys everywhere ( hence the playroom ! ) and also the fact that i always have some paperwork to do/lying around, and that i'm always picking bits up as resources! he does like that i am at home/around for our children.

my children ( 10 & 7 ) have grown up with me minding ( i was a nanny prior to that, and ds came to work with me until i started childminding when he was 18mths ) and on the whole they enjoy it. the LOs adore both my children and its always a great excitement after school and even more so in the holidays! occaisonally they get fed up that we can't do particular things in the holidays as i have the LOs, but i take days off so we can.

i didn't have schoolies for 18mths, and its better now i do, as although mine fight, they don't fight with schoolies, and ALL the children get on like one big family and look out for each other at home and at school.

if my children want some space, they can play in their rooms ( no mindees allowed ), plus they both do quite alot of afterschool activities.

its my mother & mother in law who can't seem to get their heads around the fact that although i am at home, i am WORKING,and can't drop everything to chat, or to visit!

[fionamadcat]

I've been minding for 18 months, my oh is very supportive (mainly!), although he is out most of the time mindees are here he does help out when he is here and actually offered to have 1 of my schoolies today as I had a funeral and mum was struggling to find someone to have him (all ok as he is registered as my assistant). I have a nearly 11 yr old ds who doesn't really enjoy me minding he does have a soft spot for a few of the lo's but will mainly go up to his room while mindees are here, he does however understand that if I wasn't minding we would have to go back to either having no money or he would be going to after school club etc etc. My dd who is nearly 9 however loves me minding she is great with the babies and helps loads. Hope this lasts! Ds has become very much teenage in his attitude so am hoping she doesn't become like this too in a few years!

[DickDock]

I have 5 children and my husband is my assistant.
My family are really supportive for the most part, they have their moments.

[samb]

My oh leaves for work earlier than the first mindee comes and returns after the last one leaves - I don't think I could work with him here. Saying that, he is supportive in terms of helping me to sort shelves, having things up, letting me buy a people carrier etc.

My children are 7 and 4. They have a love/hate relationsip with my childminding. They often think the little ones are cute and funny and help and play with them especially dd. However I think they would sometimes prefer them not to be here and they do enjoy having Fridays off (so do I!)

[FussyElmo]

4 children and one dh

When dh is good hes very good but when he is bad he is useless

[Roseolivia]

I have 2 children aged 2 and 5. 2yr old obviously no clue whether he likes having others around, 5yr old likes to have others around but also likes it when we have no kids as i then spend time with her. DP on the otherhand supports me but not actively, he basically puts up with it. I think he'd rather me do this than go out to work but as long as it doesn't put him out he's fine.