How likely are full time bookings?

[becki21]

Hi I a very newly registered childminder, and havn't yet started to advertise. I would like ideally 3 full timers 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, but really how realistic is this. Is there anyone who has full timers or do you have to slot people in ie one comes Mondays and Thursdays and the other comes Tuesdays, Wednesday and Friday and that makes up the full time space
Any advice would be appreciated

[angeldelight]

I think it is difficult to get what you want and if I were you I would not hold out just for full timers

I am lucky enough at the moment to have full timers myself but most people do seem to want just part timers I think what with shift work etc

I also have part timers and children who just come term time and children who just come holiday time

I always used to only want full timers too but it does not work out like that

I take what I can and work around that

Good luck

Angel xx

[singlewiththree]

I think there is quite a split. I have had 8 enquiries and these I have been

1 full time term time only (starting Sept with me)

1 every morning term time only (have 1 day now but have variation in)

the rest 1-3 days or half days.

So in theory I haven't had any full time all through the year. I think more and more people have family to help with childcare or are working part time to spend time with their children.

I would take each enquiry on its merits and not hold out for something that might not turn up.

[huggableshelly]

mine are all part timers evn though i class 2 as fulltime!

- have 6 children from 7:30 - 9:00 and drop them all off to school
- 2 children 9:15 till 2:45 theses I class as my fulltimers as they are my main earners but are really only part timers
- 7 children after school most days 8 on a monday
then school hols i have 2 regulars and 3 others who book in when needed around parents shift work

I love the constant change over of children, it helps keep me busy and active and also if i've had a mad morning before school it doesnt matter as i have a fresh set of children for the day then a change again after school, so I never have a day starting at 7:30 with the same child through till 6pm who maybe clingy upset or cranky ... I only have shorter hours to deal with such days luckily they do not happen often and when they do its usually my own daughter lol

[melanieabigail2004]

I've been a cm since 2005 and I have never had a full timer! All my sessions are taken up with part timers

Mel

[Chimps Childminding]

3 full timers would be great, but rare round here! i have the following:

A Mon, Weds, Thurs (9.30 - 4.30)
P Tues, Thurs (8 - 6)
J Mon, Weds (7.30 - 4)
M Mon, Thurs (8.30 - 2.30)
R Tues, Weds, Fri (8.15 - 5.45)

I was a little worried at first taking on the odd days/hours, but it has worked out that others do seem to slot in. It depends whether you can afford to wait for full timers.

Good luck with whatever you decide :thumbsup:

[Mollymop]

I have been minding a year and I have never had a full timer. I have had about 13 children on my books since starting, some left and some still here and none of them have been full time. I haven't even had an enquiry for a full timer yet, so I suppose they are quite unlikey to occur.

Besides I like having part timers, it is great as you never get bored, you always have different children coming at different times of the day and different day sof the week.
it also means that I get Tuesdays off, as no one needs me 9apart form before and after schoolers) on Tuesdays. xx

I hope it works out how you want it in the end

[wendywu]

I have always been lucky to have all full timers for the 11 years i have been minding.

I would not mind 2 or 3 full days but would not do part days. Too much hassle when you want to go out and about.:)

[FussyElmo]

At the mo one full timer but never in the holidays.
One after school for 2/3 hours - 2 days in the hols.
One holidays only for either 9-2 or 1-4 depending on shift.

Full timers are getting increasingly rare I think with shift and the way jobs are my advice take what you can at the start and see how it goes.

[brillminder]

i have full timers , but judge each enquiry on needs and think about it , depends how much u want to work and situations change all the time, spread the adverts far and wide good luck

[sarah32]

Its pot luck what you get, I got 3 full timers when I started out but I know alot of childminders that only get part timers.

[Jules27]

I presently have 2 full timers - but one is term time only and the other is only temp basis. I have another full timer starting in May and will be having his older bothers in the holidays too so makes up for the term time only one as I don't charge for school hols as would prefer to fill space with holiday only children.:)

tbh, I take what I can get as was very hard to get started at first. Have had to turn down a couple of full time enquiries just lately.

[Polly2]

tbh I love having part timers - it means variety for me! I love it that I have to plan for different children each day and different combinations of children.

I have only one full timer and the rest are part time but I am full

As long as you fill your spaces it doesn't really matter - plus if one or two leave you are not left with half your income gone :thumbsup:

[Buzz Lightyear]

When I started out, I thought I wanted a couple of full-timers but not one enquiry has been for full time. To be honest though, I love my part-timers as I get variety with the kids. I like the fact each day is different and each of my children come every other day which is nice rather than two days together.

Like others have said, it's rare and as long as you can fill your spaces, it doesn't matter whether they are full or part-time.

Good luck with filling your vacancies! :thumbsup:

[Hebs]

my very first enquiry was for a full timer and his sister after school and full time in the holidays - have since left due to mum being made redundant

i have K on a friday only

now i would prefer to fill my spaces with part timers as if a full timer leaves it's a lot of money to lose :(

believe me full timers have their down sides too :thumbsup:

[Heaven Scent]

I had a brother and sister under 3 F/T and two sisters 4 days one under 5 and one at school and they all handed me their notice in the same week - I was devistated I lost my main income all in one go I did have other part-timers after school and in the evenings and even lost most of them around the same time - all just before Christmas then lost the last one after Christmas. Which only left me with a new starter one afternoon after Christmas and the I got a new part timer another after schooler 3 afternoons (but she built it up starting with 1 day pw for 2 week then 2 and now 3). I've got a new f/t starting next Mon and a 4 day pw in Sept. I hope to fill the rest of the spaces with P/timers come september - have had an enquiry from a childminder who has recently given up and returned to nursing and am hoping it will work out. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that there is no point keeping all your eggs in one basket and hoping for what seems like the easiest option - When I started out I thought it would be the best thing too - but my main sets of parents were nightmares and were horrible to me and my only light relief were my P/time parents they were all lovely.

[Pudding Girl]

Started with two that were almost part time, then took on a part time shift working, then they left and I now have 2 fters 45hrs a week which is fine and dandy but then it's all your financial eggs in one basket plus sometimes as been said up there ^ sometimes it's nice to end the day with diff children that you started from esp if they are being little wotsits!!

Not planned this way just take what comes along and who fits in. I have one under 5 space left now and would rather have two pters than another fter tbh.

[cuffleygirl]

Full Time enquiries are likely after you've filled with part-timers! its called ****law!

The other way of looking at it is that if you make up 3 full time places with say 6 mindees doing 2 or 3 days each. If you lose one, its not so much of a dent on your income.

If people particularly want you to look after lo then you find that they can flex their days to fit your space!

Also if 2 mindee's have a personality clash you are not stuck with it 5 days a week!

[westbrom44]

Hello.

19 years ago, my childminder had 3 full time children, all from 8am until 6pm.

I have been childminding for 5 years and have only had 1 full timer for 12 months and I now have another full time child.

I find most of my enquiries are for just a couple of days and I have to work around them somehow!

[helenlc]

I have been a child minder for 18 months and always had part timers. I now have a full time 3 yr old and have had since November. His 8 yr old brother comes in the holidays.

Most of my enquiries have been for part time.

I do want to get some others as if my full time mindee was to stop then thats all my money gone in one go. I would feel more comfortable with a couple more on my books either full or part time.

[ORKSIE]

Mine are now all part time...just lost my full timer.
I like it how it is now cos i get every friday off, so i get a nice long weekend:clapping:

[Lady Haha]

As long as you fill your spaces it doesn't really matter - plus if one or two leave you are not left with half your income gone :thumbsup:

This is SO true! I started getting worried about my job when the 'credit crunch' started getting talked about so much. Then I realised that I have 8 sets of parents, so even if one of two had to leave or reduce hours, it's not such a big blow! I have all part timers and they all slot in around each other. I only have a vacancy now for one after schooler, but no holiday space for them as I have between five and six each day durng the hols!

As everyone else said, the variety is fun too!

[estrelas]

i have 4 part timers at the mo, one going full time in may, works better for me, as it varies the week. Nice to have a different persanality every day.

Obviously money wise loosing out a little bit but i'm happy enough :)

[Angela234]

I have only ever had part timers trouble is i never have enough space to take a full timer would need 2 part timers to leave

Angela

[madasahatter]

So far no one has mentioned the effect of the childcare tax credits. Before the childcare element of the tax credits came into being my LO's tended to be all full timers. Since childcare tax credits they've tended to be part-time. I think that this is because (usually) mums no longer need to work full time to earn enough to (not only) cover the childcare but give them an income (after childcare) that is worth having. Personally I see this as great for the families. I began childminding because I didn't want to spend huge amounts of time away from DS. Now many parents can have the best of both worlds, time at work earning an income and time with their kids because the government is contributing to the costs of childcare.

[Lottie]

I have had full timers to the point where I don't do before or after school care anymore. However I have decided I prefer part timers because it's more flexible for me, and if a full timer leaves that is a massive and noticeable cut from your income! I guess it's to do with the area you are in.

[becki21]

Thanks everyone for your replies, I can see how P/T is better, does anyone ever have any problems with cross overs, say you have 3 under 5's from 8-1 and then another 3 from 1-6pm and the first lot of parents are late, you are then over your numbers, what do you do

[Lady Haha]

Thanks everyone for your replies, I can see how P/T is better, does anyone ever have any problems with cross overs, say you have 3 under 5's from 8-1 and then another 3 from 1-6pm and the first lot of parents are late, you are then over your numbers, what do you do

Yes, this is a bit risky. I personally wouldn't take on hours that were so close for the exact reason you gave of parents being late! My part timers are schoolies, so I have one, for instance who comes every morning and five full days in hols and another who comes after school every day, but not in hols at all, so thats what i mean by slotting in around each other, these two kids are using up ONE full time place between them and there is no chance of them coinciding!

[tulip0803]

I have only ever had one full-timer when I first started for about a year. But I have been as full as I wanted (before I moved) with part-timers.