CCJD
12-02-2016, 10:58 PM
It's been six years since I last posted on this board sharing that it was my last day after 10 years of being a childminder. I loved being a childminder, especially when my children were young but as they grew older it just became less relevant to our family. I always had the nagging worry though that childminding and the skills I got from it wouldnt be recognised or useful, working in any other field.
But I couldn't have been more wrong and today as I was thinking back on this I remembered all the well wishers and people on here who asked me to let them know how I got on and I wanted to give courage to anyone who feels how I felt back then.
I left childminding to go and work as a family support worker for children's services. After 3 years (thanks in part to my childminding sponsored level 4 qualification), I was accepted on the councils sponsored social work degree programme and am happy to say I am now a fully qualified social worker working in front line children's services.
There is not a day that goes by that I don't use the skills and knowledge that I gained as a minder - from helping overwhelmed parents with large families, to having a really good understanding of child development, knowing how to tackle different behaviours to knowing how likely certain accidents are. My 10 years in minding gave me such a good understanding of children and how to communicate with them, that I am thankful every day of my time as a minder.
So if there is anyone out there who is worried, like I was, about what they can do if childminding no longer suits them, take heart and know there is loads!!
Xx
But I couldn't have been more wrong and today as I was thinking back on this I remembered all the well wishers and people on here who asked me to let them know how I got on and I wanted to give courage to anyone who feels how I felt back then.
I left childminding to go and work as a family support worker for children's services. After 3 years (thanks in part to my childminding sponsored level 4 qualification), I was accepted on the councils sponsored social work degree programme and am happy to say I am now a fully qualified social worker working in front line children's services.
There is not a day that goes by that I don't use the skills and knowledge that I gained as a minder - from helping overwhelmed parents with large families, to having a really good understanding of child development, knowing how to tackle different behaviours to knowing how likely certain accidents are. My 10 years in minding gave me such a good understanding of children and how to communicate with them, that I am thankful every day of my time as a minder.
So if there is anyone out there who is worried, like I was, about what they can do if childminding no longer suits them, take heart and know there is loads!!
Xx