How many mindee's do you all have ??

[miss mopple]

Gosh some of you have loads I take my hat off to you I really do!

I have 2 part time (3 days a week)
1 full time
1 occasional/school holiday

One of my part timers is going to school in sept and will stay before/after school and I have a baby lined up to replace.

I have another baby lined up for February next year

[Lady Haha]

I have seven schoolies scattered throughout the week averaging around five every day. I only want schoolies, so I am happy with this and have no more space in the car for more!

But I wasn't always this full! It was a very slow process getting started. I had one when I started because she was a friends child who was waiting for me. It then took another two months to get another one. I then went a year before I got a couple more. In all it took two years to fill up to the point I had no space left (for schoolies).

So, give it time. If the other childminders in your area are saying they arent' full then it may take a while before you get a mindee. This is a very 'shaky' job sometimes as you can be full one minute and then have two or three leave in the space of a couple of months!

Can you do schoolies? Its this time of year that you get the last minute parents trying to sort out childcare ready for Sept!

Hope you get some calls soonx

[katie78]

Blimey you have all got such a range, Eddisonsmum I have no idea how you managed to find mindee's soon your so lucky ! How did you do it ???

I know its very early but it feels like we are never going to find any, i have been leaving my cards as many different places as i can, my partner is going to be dropping some of his work load soon which is good for him about a gabillion less stress for him but its about £250 a month we will loose and it would be a real weight of our shoulders if i even had one full timer by then

Very big plops but fingers crossed my hard work pays off soon

Katie

[Rubybubbles]

I have 2 full timers under 2 (did have another 2 yr old 7:30-12:30, just finished due to mum finishing work)

Thats it, and my baby is finishing end of Aug gone from having

There are 5 childminders in the area all looking with full time spaces coming in Sept, I didn't want to take on school runs again, but looks like I may have too

I am reg for 5 children!

[Mouse]

I currently have 6 part time EYFS children who fill the 4 days a week I work (3 children per day). I also have 3 school children who I pick up from school approx 4 times a month and occasionally have for full days in the hols. As a rule I don't take on school children, but these are children I've had since they were babies, so have kept them on.
I have to be honest, I rarely have vacancies. My mindees tend to start with me as babies and stay till they go to school. If I do get a space it tends to get filled pretty quick, usually by word of mouth. But it has taken me a long time to get to this stage, so you do need to hang in there

[katie78]

Does anyone know if i can start to claim job seekers till i get some work ???

My maternity allowance has now run out but even though i have asked them nicely our bills wont stop till i have some mindee's on the books to pay them !

Katie

[Eddisonsmum]

Blimey you have all got such a range, Eddisonsmum I have no idea how you managed to find mindee's soon your so lucky ! How did you do it ???

I know its very early but it feels like we are never going to find any, i have been leaving my cards as many different places as i can, my partner is going to be dropping some of his work load soon which is good for him about a gabillion less stress for him but its about £250 a month we will loose and it would be a real weight of our shoulders if i even had one full timer by then

Very big plops but fingers crossed my hard work pays off soon

Katie

Just very lucky. Out of 5 parents 2 came from childcare.co.uk, 1 I met at library, other 2 came with very unhappy experiences from previous childminders but needed someone ASAP who found me on net. I did google place page, website, delivered 1000 business cards etc... Just lucky I was in when the parents called!

[appleblossom]

I have 2 2 year old girls and a 4 year old boy. The boy leaves me in September as he starts school and will go to the out of school club like his 9 year old brother. I'm hoping to fill his place with an under 5.

I used to have a lot more mindees but am supporting my 15 year old DS at present with issues and my brain needs some space for that. Have no family around except my DS so no support there for him. I'm trying to keep things reasonably calm and quiet at present; and happy with the LOs I've got. I also get Mondays off at present which is very helpful.

[handeme]

I have been minding since April and currently have 1 EYFS (15 months), full time plus my own boys 16 months and 4 years.

My little boy starts school full time in September and I will then have a 10 month old coming, Tue, Wed (full days) and Thursday till 12.30 and a 20 month old on a Friday.

I have also booked a baby (roughly 12 wks old) to start in early 2012 for 1pm-6pm Monday and Thursday but mum is hoping that I can increase it to 4 afternoons a week.

I dont currently do school runs and have had no enquiries for school runs, the out of school club by me is VERY cheap I couldn'y compete with it.

I roughly get around 1-2 enquries a month but I have no space.

c x

[BuggsieMoo]

Hi
At present I have 5 - but it is soon to be 4 due to one going to a school I cannot pick up from.

3 are wrap around school care (4 - nearly 5, 5 nearly 6 and 9 years) and a 1 year old I have full time.

Lisa x

[sandy64]

hi ive 3 fulltimers and 2 2 days a week all under 5 but have an assistant working when i need her

[Pixie dust]

I have two in the EYFS 1 does 1 day a week the other 22 hours a week days vary depending on mum's shifts. I have 1 7 year old (sibling of the 22 hours) plus 2 before school ones starting in sept but only 2 mornings a week. It is really quiet here

[janminder]

I have:
1yr old tues, weds, thurs where one week no tues/weds and another week no thurs during a four week cycle and due to shiftwork sometimes goes early afternoon or arrives late morning.
2 x 5yr old
7 yr old (nearly 8yrs)
8yr old
2 x 9yr old
10 yr old
12 yr old
13 yr old

Only 8yr old is every day before and after school, others are part timers with one being morning only and one afternoon only so works really well.

And as my daytimes are mostly free I am hoping to start:
1yr old weds, thurs, fri
21mth old mon, tues and fri no school holidays and goes home either before I leave for school in afternoon or when I return

I also have a Childminding Assistant soon to become co-childminder (my daughter)

[flowerpots]

I work with dh (assisstant) and we have 9 at the moment plus our own 2 children. The work will come eventually, just keep advertising hun, keeping my fingers crossed for you.

[Cammie Doodle]

I have the least amount of children, and work the least amount of days / hours I have ever done, but Im loving it. Mind you it has taken me since 1994 to realise I cant please everyone and the world, so for the first time I have chosen my days Tues Wed and Thurs and I now have

Tues 1x 1yrs and 1x 2yrs
Wed 1x 9mths and 1 x 20mths
Thurs 1x 1yrs and 1x 2yrs
And in Jan I will have a sibling start on Tues Thurs (so full those 2 days)

I also have 1 x 5yrs on Tues Thurs afetr school and holidays
1x 5yrs old Tues Wed and Thurs after school (term time only).

This has been a big change around this year as 3 moved school and 1 moved onto nursery nearer home. I did worry about the money side, but to be fair when I looked at it I have condensed everything into the 3 days instead of 5 some times only working with 1 child, so financially Im not worse off and not as worn out lol
Its a funny old game this Childminding , you just never know what's around the corner .

[Rain or Shine]

Non at all currently. I am starting to think there is not a need for me as there are other minders struggling in the area. I don't know why the council sign so many of us up when there isn't enough children. They opened a new after school club in the area a few months ago and its taken all the children, they even take nursery age children.
Its madness.

[katie78]

Oh no poor you Rain or shine ! I hope you can find some kids soon!

I had a parent contact me yesterday about a part time place starting september and i think she wants the place so fingers crossed it comes off as its enough money to cover my bills whoop whoop

Gonna do a leaflet drop tomorrow through doors local to me and hope that comes up with something too :-)
When dd1 starts back at school in september im hoping to hand out cards then and hope i can get a couple of schoolies too

I have got everything crossed i can find some more work

Katie

[debs1]

I'm registered for 4 - I have a 3yo and 6yo of my own. Don't quite understand how some of you manage to have so many at 1 time.
Not that I begrudge you the business, I think it's great if you can get the business.

[Katiekoo]

I only have 2 mindees but they are both under 3 and almost full time, up to 42 hours. I feel satisfied that my bills are paid and I feel busy enough. I have a waiting list and I will have an additional vacancy in september when dd will be a rising 5 and I have decided initially at least not to fill the space as I feel busy enough. So it's what suits you really. Hope things pick up

[kellib]

I only have 2 mindees on my books just now but I'm more than happy with that, it pays the bills, buys the food and pays for holidays and my season ticket, all I need in life