If you were to give up childminding what would you do?

**Jelly Baby** · 13-12-2012, 10:09 AM

I get ok money for what i do but am finding it all hard work at the moment in terms of the children and unreliability. Haven't had an enquiry in over a year and am feeling like i should look at other options. I have another part time job which has just been chnaged around and doesnt sound very secure but am unsure what else i could do.

So what would you do if you had to give up this job or just got fed up!

**eddie** · 13-12-2012, 10:16 AM

I don't know to be honest. I have worked for myself for 7 years and don't know if I could go back to working for someone else. I would have loved to be a teacher but couldn't afford to do the training. I do think about this because I don't think I want to be doing this job forever. I agree that enquiries are slow for me as well.

**heidilunn** · 13-12-2012, 10:22 AM

if i was to give up nannying i would go into retail.
i worked in a corner shop part time up untill july this year, i was there 2 years and absoloutly loved it!!

sometimes i wonder why im in childcare because retail was so much fun

**TNT** · 13-12-2012, 10:28 AM

I was a teacher for 10 years and I can definately say that I wont be going back to teaching a class of 30 children, or a nursery of 60!!! Ever!!!

I have thought about working in a teaching capacity somewhere else though, maybe at a sure start centre (if they exist by the time I have had enough of childminding) or children with special educationsl needs.

**Bear23** · 13-12-2012, 10:38 AM

If i could afford to i would be a dog walker

I use a dog wealker now and she earns well, but it would be the building it up, couldn't think of anything betterthan walking around the countryside walking my dogs while earning some money.

I am in the position now tho that i earn well, and couldn't afford to risk it all x

**little chickee** · 13-12-2012, 10:41 AM

If I was to give up childminding the only jobs I could see myself wanting to do would be something within a school.
I would quite like to be a dinner lady.

I would be very loathe to have to work during school holidays!
My oldest 2 are nearly 16 and 13 so are old enough to be at home on their own but i wouldn't want that for them all day every day for 4-5 weeks in the summer holidays. My youngest is 9 and although i leave him with his brothers if i am popping out locally i really don't want to have to leave him all day.

And i really like being at home - although i do get lonely.

**Mouse** · 13-12-2012, 10:45 AM

If I gave up childminding I'd open a shop selling all my resources. I seem to have enough to keep me going for a year or two

After that I'd still want to work from home and with all the extra space that wouldn't be an issue. I'm not sure what I would do, but whatever it was, I'd have plenty of room to do it

**little chickee** · 13-12-2012, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Bear23

If i could afford to i would be a dog walker

I use a dog wealker now and she earns well, but it would be the building it up, couldn't think of anything betterthan walking around the countryside walking my dogs while earning some money.

I am in the position now tho that i earn well, and couldn't afford to risk it all x

A friend of mine was recently made redundant and did just that. She also has dogs to stay over at her house. She has been doing it about 6 months now and keeps busy and earning a good wage. Its just biting the bullet though isn't it. She wasn't left with a choice as she was made redundant but i agree it is super hard to actually give up a job to branch out on your own.

Maybe put out a few feelers and see!

**Ripeberry** · 13-12-2012, 10:49 AM

I help out at a local school on a Friday lunchtime as a volunteer but it would be great as a paid job.
I used to home caring for the elderly. But it was quite hard emotional work. I would like to be a helper for the elderly doing shopping or even a home help for a young family.

**loocyloo** · 13-12-2012, 10:53 AM

I'd quite enjoy being a school cook.

But I don't think I could work for anyone. I don't even want a full time assistant to work for me! I like doing my own thing too much. Can't think what else I would do though!

That said, I'd quite like to work with the animals at the local zoo!

**adele1985** · 13-12-2012, 10:54 AM

i was thinking about this last week as im really quiet at the momoent and my only mindee starts school in september next year ans i haventhad any enquiries for ages

i think id want to do a "9 till 5 job" in a shop or something where i can just go and do my job and come home - hopefully it wont come to that tho as i really do love minding just need more kids lol

**lilac_dragon** · 13-12-2012, 10:54 AM

I've done this job for 28 years, and I agree, I don't think I could now work for someone else, especially at my age (going to be 61 in a few days).

I have 2x2yr olds on 3 days a week, 3x2 year olds on Thursdays, and 1x2 year old on Fridays. I have 6 children before school every day and 2 after school every day. So, at the moment my wages are quite good, but it's not always been like that, and in the New Year I will be losing 2 before schoolies. At Easter 1 of my lo goes to Nursery for her free sessions and the other 2 will do the same in Sept, so unless I can fill the places I will be earning peanuts.
This job isn't reliable, has no holiday or sick pay for most of us, and frequently involves working with ungrateful parents (and children).It has high stress levels, lots of paperwork, intrusive inspections of our lives, ways of working, and of our homes. Our homes are not our homes, they are our "settings", our place of work.
At the time of starting this job, I was able to earn a wage while bringing up my own children which was fantastic, and obviously there was a lot less pressure. Now, I have to weigh up the fact that my own children are adults and have children of their own, so if I need a toy or piece of equipment, I can't just use my daughters dolls, or my sons cars or share my childs buggy with other peoples children, I actually have to buy things from scratch.
If I worked in an office or shop, I could walk away from work every evening and not think about it til the next day,, no obs, no planning, no preparation, I'd have a lovely tidy home, sick pay, holiday pay, lower heating bills, less paperwork, no-one raising an eyebrow if I didn''t wash the kitchen floor EVERY day or if I leave last nights washing up in the sink or if I didn't run a duster round until the weekend - it wouldn't be my place of work, it would be my home.
I could read a book that had nothing to do with childcare, leave my sewing and embroidery (which has been packed away for I don't know how many years) laying around with a needle in it and scissors next to it. No potties in my toilet, no stairgates, flowers instead of climbing frames. It would be heaven.
Don't get me wrong, I love my job and always have, and at my time of life it's unrealistic to think that I can change careers, but if I coud do it all again I wouldn't choose this - but then that's the benefit of hindsight isn't it?
If I knew then what I know now....................................

**gegele** · 13-12-2012, 12:09 PM

I'm going to study to be a midwife. I love pregnancy, I'd love to help French speaking mothers to have babies in england, expecting mother who are depressed or at risk pregnancy.. I'm interested in so much I'm not sure where to look.

It's going to cost me an arm and a leg to do the access course and GCSE I need BEFORE even applying to uni but I want it that much.

**Jelly Baby** · 13-12-2012, 12:20 PM

Very interesting thanks for the replies!

In answer to my own question i would LOVE to own and run a cattery. There is a massive need for one where i live with only one nearish BUT we rent and so there is no way i think my landlady would appreciate me turning her back garden into a building full of cages!! Can't see it ever happening unless i win enough money to buy my own house with land!

I also clean part time and would love to start this on my own as a business but get put off seeing every van/car/ad advertising the same and worry thats just as unreliable. I used to do part time inbetween looking after the kids on days off but got busy so lost the work.

I cant really do anything else! I used to waitress and did that for 8 years and LOVED my job, wouldn't want to do it now though, however staff changed and i decided the childminding was the right step while my dd was young.

**miffy** · 13-12-2012, 12:31 PM

I think I could learn to enjoy doing nothing!

Miffy xx

**Toothfairy** · 13-12-2012, 12:47 PM

My after schoolers will be leaving me to go to secondary school in september and over the next 18m my little Mindee's will be leaving me to start primary school. I'm going to take this opportunity to gradually cut down the Childminding (not taking on anymore as the others leave) and build up my second job which I do at the moment evenings and weekends, into a full time job.

Before childminding I was a Dental Nurse, I worked with a Specialist in Oral Medicine and Dental Inplants (mainly in theatre), I then moved on to be a Practice Manager for two Private dental surgeries before giving up to stay at home with my DD's. In the evenings I also worked for the NHS running an out of hours Dental Emergency Unit (I did this for 20 years).
So with all my Dental experience and contacts, I have teamed up with another Dental collegue and we train dental staff in CQC and CPD. We also go into surgeries which are having financial & staffing problems and turn them around. At the moment I am doing it in the evenings and weekends but as the CMing tails off, I can give more time to this venture and hopefully turn it into a full time job.

Wish me luck

**dette** · 13-12-2012, 12:57 PM

[QUOTE=

That said, I'd quite like to work with the animals at the local zoo![/QUOTE]

isnt that similar to what we're all doing now..or is that just my house

**Bananabrain** · 13-12-2012, 01:05 PM

If I were to give up childminding I would go and live in Ireland with the sheep. By myself preferably. If Christmas doesn't come soon, I may just do that

**Jelly Baby** · 13-12-2012, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Bananabrain

If I were to give up childminding I would go and live in Ireland with the sheep. By myself preferably. If Christmas doesn't come soon, I may just do that

lol!!! sounds interesting!!

**Jelly Baby** · 13-12-2012, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by Toothfairy

My after schoolers will be leaving me to go to secondary school in september and over the next 18m my little Mindee's will be leaving me to start primary school. I'm going to take this opportunity to gradually cut down the Childminding (not taking on anymore as the others leave) and build up my second job which I do at the moment evenings and weekends, into a full time job.

Before childminding I was a Dental Nurse, I worked with a Specialist in Oral Medicine and Dental Inplants (mainly in theatre), I then moved on to be a Practice Manager for two Private dental surgeries before giving up to stay at home with my DD's. In the evenings I also worked for the NHS running an out of hours Dental Emergency Unit (I did this for 20 years).
So with all my Dental experience and contacts, I have teamed up with another Dental collegue and we train dental staff in CQC and CPD. We also go into surgeries which are having financial & staffing problems and turn them around. At the moment I am doing it in the evenings and weekends but as the CMing tails off, I can give more time to this venture and hopefully turn it into a full time job.

Wish me luck

Good luck wish i had something to fall back on x