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To earn a good living in childminding I have discovered that you have to have the maximum number of kids I.e 3 a day. I could be a nanny with one child working three days a week for not much less.
No more EYFS, work would end at 5pm, I could still meet up with my cm friends, my home would be toy and child free, no more moaning hubby. Sounds good to me but ime sure their is negatives.
Has anybody done both and what do you prefer? Ime intrigued.
I haven't done both but one thing I would have to think about would be whether I would feel comfortable working in someone elses home....
One thing I like about CM is that I'm in my own home - but I agree, the 'stuff' is everywhere and I never get away from it!
I used to nanny but prefer childminding. Childminding you are your own boss, nannying I had set hours, parents came home late. Overtime was forced on me, holiday cancelled for school events, getting ill from looking after poorly children and what started off as a nannying job over time seemed to evolve into the parents wanting a pa/housekeeper/cook/babysitter on tap. I adored looking after the children and miss them lots but I much prefer being my own boss and not feeling so unappreciated and abused. Some families I'm sure are fantastic but I think a lot expect an awful lot more than just "nannying" duties from you. Also when the children go to school you may find your hours/income slashed dramatically which then means either earn less or having to leave behind children you adore to find another family with younger children until they then also go to school.
I changed over to nannying at the begining of the year (for a family that I was chilminding for), I am still self-employed and drew up my own contract. To be honest I'm working and doing exactly the same things that I did when minding, except for all the Ofsted bit..... its brilliant, best move that I've made in along time. But I've only done it now because my own children have flown the nest and also after 24yrs minding the time was right for me to regain my home! Minding was good when my children were at home and I've certainly got no regrets, I now look back over the years with many, many fond memories, hth xx
Also adding that at the start I said that I was not prepared to do ' nanny duties' , they asked me what they were and, when told, they were horridfied and said no way would they want those chores done, they just wanted things to remain as they were when I was minding and I have complete freedom to do as I wish. The contract is stuck to and I'm never asked to even consider doing anything extra ( but then this family have always been brilliant....this helped me to decide to make the change) xx
I had a family offer this a year ago but I wasn't allowed to do it 'Self Employed'. HMRC said the family had to Employ me and pay my Tax and NI etc if I was earning over min wage.
It was tempting at the time but I am so glad I didn't do it. If the family, who were also very nice, had decided to change their minds at any time I would have been out of work. Working for myself I have never been out of work over the 20 years I have been registered, I have had ups and downs but never out of work. I decided not to go down that route.
Fran 90 did you have the same job as me? I am so much happier as my own boss.
Haha quite possibly I adored the children but put me off nannying completely!
I nannied before childminding.
So you want to know some negatives?
- being asked to do family things for them can eventually get on your nerves! For example collecting dry cleaning or shoes from cobblers in the half hour between dropping off and picking up from a club with 2 other kids in tow and having no choice about it
- your own children in their house. You don't say if you have young children but for me I had to take a double buggy for my son and their youngest; taking high chairs as their children use theirs and you need to use one too and having no storage to keep it at their house so taking every day; your own children not being able to do any clubs or have friends over as you are ferrying their family; being totally paranoid that your child is going to break something (my dd's shoe buckle scratched a wooden chair and they were not impressed); needing to make sure the car seat you have for your child fits in their car and if not buying another one
- doing all their ironing and coming home to do your own too
- not being able to do little things around the house that you could do whilst childminding eg making that phone call to the electric company or putting a wash on or being at home to have your boiler serviced etc but having to do it all for them.
- holidays- for me I chose 3 weeks and they chose 2 weeks a year so not as much freedom with that either
- not being in control
However I loved nannying when I did it. But when I left (6 years on and after my 2nd child was born and their 4th) it was the right time for me to childmind. I would probably consider it in the future if I had older children but not with school age children.