nissan micra for childminding?

**sarahc88** · 25-03-2014, 01:09 PM

I am in the process of registering at the mo, and have a Nissan Micra. My daughter is 5 month old and her car seat goes in one of the back seats. There are 3 seats in the back and obviously the front passenger seat as well- do you think it is ok to have a child in the passenger seat and from what age is this allowed?

Can't afford to buy a new bigger car just for childminding, so hoping this wont be a problem! Hoping to have 2 full timers once I get going.

Advice much appreciated!

**shortstuff** · 25-03-2014, 01:11 PM

It depends on parents views amongst other things. Which car seats will you have across the back seat? will they all fit in combination with each other?

Also full timers are hard to find, so be careful about waiting for the perfect child as they might not come along for years.

**mama2three** · 25-03-2014, 01:30 PM

Its ok to put a child in the front - Id probably put my daughter next to me in the front freeing up the 2 back seats for mindees. If you get an older child a small booster seat should fit between the 2 baby seats in the back.

**sing-low** · 25-03-2014, 06:34 PM

Don't forget to turn the airbag off (if possible) for a child in the front.

**Natalierose** · 25-03-2014, 09:26 PM

I have a Nissan note. I only ever have a maximum of 3 children who all go in car seats. I put 2 in the back and the heaviest child in the front with air bag off ( I say heaviest as the the eldest of the 3 is smaller than the middle aged child). In my car policy I have a section for parents to sign for permission to ride in the front seat. I used to have a mixes and loved it x

**Natalierose** · 25-03-2014, 09:27 PM

*micra not mixes

**sarahc88** · 26-03-2014, 12:32 PM

just spoke to nissan who say that my car (a 2004 model) is not the kind which can have the passenger airbag turned off

so no car seat in the front, which means potentially that I can have only a maximum of 2 children (1 be be old enough to sit in the front and 1 in the back- I doubt I'd squeeze another in the middle!

Oh dear... feeling a bit clueless now! could this seriously limit things for me or do parents not mind public transport being used now and then?

:S

**joannes** · 26-03-2014, 03:30 PM

I've just sold my car to start childminding (that and costs). There's too many idiots round the retail park I live near and I'd need extra insurance etc. and the hassle of potentially getting 3 very young children out the car and into the house without any of them going out of my sight, getting any shopping/childrens changing bags/ pram etc just adds to it. I'm going to get fitter this year! lol. Will be walking with pram to local areas or using buses for the rest, my son and nephew love being on the bus and I have two primary schools in walking distance. I may regret it next winter when the weather's poop but you could use can when you have 2 mindees and then walk/bus when you have full numbers? That way you wouldn't have to sell your car. Also in future, if you trade your car in for the purposes of childminding you can claim a proportion as expenses.

**sarahc88** · 26-03-2014, 08:40 PM

wow, thanks joannas- that gives me hope! I tend to overthink potential problems- I suppose using public transport and walking, etc, can really be a positive point to sell to parents, and of course it's helping the children achieve in the area of 'physical development' too. Feel so much better now! phew!

**shortstuff** · 26-03-2014, 08:46 PM

If its any consolation I have a grand voyager which stays on my drive most of the time as we prefer to walk. My 2 school runs are 15 minutes each way and the preschool I collect from twice a week takes 30 minutes each way. provided we dont call into the park that is lol

**Muddy Puddles** · 26-03-2014, 09:59 PM

MuddyPuddles

I have very limited use of our family car and include this information I send perspective parents .I walk every where and use public transport.It dose make me "different "from other childminders in our area.
I have invested in good quality waterproof jackets and trousers for the youngest children and loads of umbrellas.
Masses of learning from travel by bus and from walking to school library etc. Children currently matching shapes in the environment and reading 2 digit numbers. We have made picture maps to navigate our way to the common and took our magnets for a walk on the school run!

**joannes** · 26-03-2014, 10:47 PM

Well, I haven't got my DBS through yet so trialling things with my 2 year old son. Realised he can't walk as far as he seems to be able to run in our house :-/ had to carry him to our further bus stop the other day, arms were killing (decided not to take pram as we were meeting dad from work so we only had to walk to bus stop). Will take pram next time lol. But it was nice, he sat so nicely on the bus and we could go upstairs which he thought was amazing. It was nice to also be able to focus on him and talk to him a lot which I don't like to do too much when I'm driving as I need to concentrate. But I'll be the first to admit I'm a fair weather walker if given the chance so will be forced to walk more when I'm minding in rubbish weather. Will be nice to not have to de-ice the car at daft oclock though. I've been without my car for a month now and I thought it would be a lot harder as I've had one since I was 18. Just annoying trying to get a pram on a bus and being told theres already too many prams on and having to wait for another. But swings and roundabouts I guess!

**auntie lisa** · 26-03-2014, 11:38 PM

I had a 3 door astra when I started and u can put car seats in the front as long as there front facing ones (I normally put my lil boy in there he's 1) but I'll warn you it is hard work getting them in and out clambering over them and the seats etc but if your only taking them all out every so often it's fine just another 'perk' of the job lol. Just have a plan who you put in and what order because obviously once you have a car seat in the front passenger you can't move the seat to get another child in the back.