As they have contacted me again (prev time was march) and i've told them that i don't have any children yet.
So at least i don't have to worry about them turning up and me having to "borrow" some children to mind.
A couple of enquiries i had last week, never got back to me, so all of a panic for nothing :( .
But what bugs me most is that Ofsted keep sending me resignation forms, how can i resign if i've not even started! :censored:
I'll give it until next January then i might think about it as its getting ridiculous now.
I keep seing part-time jobs being advertised but putting off applying as it would be sods law that i would get enquiries then.
Maybe i should just got for it? :rolleyes:

Keep you chin up hun - it WILL happen.

Renew all your advertising EVERYWHERE - local post office and shops, docs/dentist surgery, back of your car - get one of brillminders bags saying you are a childminder, have a t-shirt done, visit the local toddler and playgroups and leave notices, check out any places where parents go - breast feeding group etc etc.

Put your ads on some fluorescent paper - think about your advertising - how about selling yourself initally as a before/after school, visit the local schools/nurseries and see if you can distribute some flyers - either by standing at the school gates, putting a notice up in the school somewhere or asking if they could put the notices out via the kids.

Update update update your CIS listing.

Do a flyer drop to local housing.

I think it's very common for it to take a while to get going. I was only minding a friends lo at first, for ages. Got 2 after schoolies after about 8 months, only a couple of days a week, and first under 5 started with me over a year after I'd registered. (Signed a few months prior).

Now we're full (2 of us). Lady across the road reg in Oct, and has only just got work starting next week. It's one of my ex-mindees that she covered when I was on hol. Mum lost job, so kids left me, I've filled the spaces, so she gave her a call after I said I couldn't take them back.

Get out there, and get yourself known to everyone, expecially other cm's

xx

As the other's have said it will happen! I got reg in march 07, didn't get any work till oct 07 and that was only 1 after schooler. Took till july 08 to get an under 5, then got 2 in one go plus an after school.

As you can see it took me quite a while to get going, however i am about to be back to the way things were before last July and will need to get out there myself advertising everywhere.

Keep going, it is sooooo worth it once you get that 1 child! :)

Do you have a mother and toddler group close by and a childrens centre offer to help make the coffee and do set up and help tidy away, it got people used to seeing me with children other than my own, and I dropped it into conversations that i'm a cm and people started to recommend me to others.
It all helps if people can see how friendly you are. I also used to offer to do an art session at the toddler group, I ended up running it for a couple of years, but lots of people know me now.
Good luck, Caroline

Thanks for all your encouraging words :) I do help out at the local pre-school and some of the mums want to use me but one is waiting on a job interview (3 stage), last stage is next week.
Another wanted me as she had to keep rushing back from work at lunchtime to drive 3 miles to the CM and then back to her office, she only ever had 15 mins max left to eat! But unfortunately she was made redundant also her husband :( and she just works 16hrs a week now.
But yesterday, i was looking on the internet and i've registered with a company who do emergency childcare www.emergencychildcare.co.uk, at least i MIGHT get something from that.

It will surely happen al at once. I was registered Oct 2008, not one enquiry till April 09, then al of a sudden I had 7 calls in 4 days. fied my under 5spaces in 24 hours all full time.