A life after childminding..?

[smiler]

After 13 years I want to give up childminding..but what on earth will I do instead?! Is anyone else thinking of giving up? If so what do you think you will do? X

[loocyloo]

I've been minding 12 years and whilst not ready to stop yet, I do wonder/ day dream about what I might do. My children are getting older and in a couple of years neither will need care afterschool...

My favourite idea is to work at the local zoo! Preferably with the animals or maybe with the education dept ... But they have an assortment of creatures they share with visitors and I just can't do big bugs!

I may end up TA at local school as I volunteer and often get asked to help at things. It has been suggested I do a TA qualification. However, the head said if I took a TA job I already have a level 3 in childcare, so could study whilst TAing if needed to, but she wouldn't need me to!

If I came across a full time live out nanny job, then I would do that. (As long as I could involve my children!)

Failing the above, sometimes I love the idea of working in a shop and just doing my hours and going home!

I have wondered about baking/cooking/catering etc and whilst I enjoy it, I don't enjoy it enough to make it a job!

Goodness ... it reads like I've given it lots of thought and i haven't really ... Just daydreams! Anyone got any other suggestions?

[BallyH]

I often day dream of a little part-time job at my local Waitrose. No hassle. Lots of chatter on the tills with the customers then home. My middle son is working there part-time at the moment. He has just finished year 12 and will continue before, hopefully going to Uni next Sept. But I've got so use to having a 'Partnercard' at up to 25% off a JL that I'm wondering how I'm going to manage!

[FloraDora]

Lots of good ways forward suggested by Loocyloo - my favourite would be food related - we offer weekend dishes, cakes and biscuits to our families and it is Quite profitable We catered for a low key wedding earlier this year and have a naming ceremony booked in for October - with a grade 5 food hygiene that sides allready sorted.

Childminding is actually my after career life and I love it.

My after childminding plans is escape to the country or seaside.....a bit of education consulting, DH makes bespoke furniture so he will continue this as it is also his hobby and a friend who owns a farm and some cottages in Devon wants us to really retire there so that he can offer catering and childcare / hoilday fun club/ babysitting and catering with his cottages.....very tempting ...
But my current plans are to spend 5 years travelling - first year in France , then back to the UK ...Peak District, Lake District North Devon, London, Edinburgh, Shetllands, Norhumbria then decide where we want to settle in our ACTUAL retirement ...who knows where that will be, I expect it will be determined by house prices, where our sons are settled ( currently Oxford and Manchester) so the Peak District may be on the cards ...but this is not a decision we need to make ...yet.

[Simona]

After 13 years I want to give up childminding..but what on earth will I do instead?! Is anyone else thinking of giving up? If so what do you think you will do? X

There is life after childminding...the world is your oyster and you can use all your skills to start something new!

[smurfette]

I have three more years until my youngest is in secondary and have thought about play therapy in a hospitals or TA

[JCrakers]

Im hoping to give up soon. Ive been thinking about it for about a year now. At the moment I have a few bills that need paying off and because im so busy I need to do this first before I consider doing something else.

I would ideally like to work in Waitrose which is at the bottom of the hill. So I can go to work, chat with adults and come home. Simple and hassle free But finding a job there will be hard I suppose

I definitely want to move away from children. Having worked with hem for 21yrs i'm tiring and my patience is lower than it used to be. My own two children are teenagers so id love my house back!

[tess1981]

I hope to work along the lines of alternative therapies... I have reiki level 2 and embarking on a reflexology course in September and hopefully an introduction to counselling too. Would also love to do Indian Head and full body massage .

[mama2three]

I quite fancy training , still using my experience but in a whole new way..

[Ripeberry]

I gave up CM a couple of weeks ago. It still hasn't hit me properly yet. More likely in September, as I used to be TTO and didn't work in the summer holidays.

I've gone into domestic cleaning for now. Already have clients and will advertise at the end of August for more work. I'm doing this for a few years as it will still fit around the school runs for my youngest (year 6). I would like to study philosophy, but maybe via the Open University.
I'll keep myself busy for the first year or so redecorating the house and sorting the garden

Once the kids leave home, I would like to sell up everything and travel Europe in a motor caravan.

[keohane1]

I finish on Friday and start my new job on Monday. I am soooooooooo excited. I am going to be working in my local hospital as a cashier in the general office which is a five minute walk away. My hours are 830 to 130, I get 25 days holidays, 8 days bank holidays and an Nhs pension. I tried childminding for 3.5 years and it didn't work out for me unfortunately. I am so happy to be getting my house back to normal, but most important,y I am so happy to be getting my life back. Childminding just took over mine and I couldn't switch off. Ime looking forward to having nothing to think about and giving my brain a rest for a while.
Only three more days left and Ime dreading saying goodbye to the one child I have brought up since she was a baby! Looking on the bright side I will be keeping in touch xx

[redtiger21]

When my youngest daughter (now 10) is old enough to be left, I'm going to do a nursing degree