"After schoolers"

[mumofone]

I was wondering if you take or don't take after schoolers and why you do or have decided not to? My first customer was an after schooler but I would make more money if I took a full timer in their place.

[FussyElmo]

You have 3 under 5's places so taking on schoolies shouldn't affect these. Unless you go down the route of just doing schoolies.

[JCrakers]

I have a lot of schoolies as a lot of the children who started with me 7.5yrs ago are still with me. The main thing is they all get on as some evenings I have 6 plus my 3 little ones.

I'm not 'raking in' money but the schoolies do help to bulk up my monthly wage, otherwise it wouldn't be worth me working.

It can sometimes be hard work if the children don't get on or are hard to control but a good set of ground rules and respect both ways works for me

[mumofone]

Everyone seems to have so many mindees, how do you all cope?! I have a LO myself and can only manage two mindees on top of that

[Lal]

I only have one or two afterschoolers in addition to my daughter who starts school in September. On one day I had 3 plus my daughter- it was ok but a bit of a squeeze! There is not enough physical space in my house.

[Mouse]

If you're just starting out and don't have much experience of childcare I would stick to one or the other (younger children, or school children) while you find your feet.

Once you've got experience of both you would have a better idea of what works for you, which you prefer and whether or not you feel confident to combine the ages.

[AliceK]

The only schoolies that I have apart from my own children are the ones that started with me as EY's children and then moved to school. I always said when I started that I wouldn't take on any children older than my own oldest child who at the time was 5. I find that schoolies that haven't grown up with me can cause upset and trouble. I have a lot of children some days and I need to know that they all know my rules and can get on together. I also have a rule that I wont take on any child from the same year as my own children at school, it can cause too many problems if they have a fall out.

xx

[natlou82]

I love the combination of both and the variation it brings to the job. I find it easy to entertain the older ones as my own children are 5 + 9 so this comes naturally. I also love having babies around again :-). It's funny how you get used to having more children, I now think of 4 children as an easy day lol ;-)

[AliceK]

[QUOTE=natlou82;1396984]I love the combination of both and the variation it brings to the job. I find it easy to entertain the older ones as my own children are 5 + 9 so this comes naturally. I also love having babies around again :-). It's funny how you get used to having more children, I now think of 4 children as an easy day lol ;-)[/QUOTE]

Gosh yes I agree lol. This morning I have had 5 but with others arriving throughout the day, by tea time I'll have 8 children here. (we are still on school hols here)

xxx

[mumofone]

You all must be making a small fortune?!!

[AliceK]

You all must be making a small fortune?!!

God I wish - seriously

xxx

[natlou82]

I earn a wage I'm happy with, tbh I spend a reasonable amount of my income providing meals for the children, and improving my resources. My expenses are roughly a third of my income each month. Raking it in is a bit extreme as I know I could earn more working full time elsewhere but i know I would be miserable doing a different job and away from my children full time. I usually have 2 mindees for full days and then after school I have my own 2 children + 3 mindees (so typically 7). The most I have had is 8 all day (inset day). It's hard work but tbh I love it :-)

[JCrakers]

No, not making a small forune...just making a small annual wage.

For working a 50hr week with all those children I managed to earn myself £12k last year...Whoopy Doo (that was before Tax)

[loocyloo]

I don't earn a fortune, but enough.

I used to have lots of Schoolies who had been with me years and everyone got on really well. They were generally older than my children.

When I moved I started minding again and have only taken in a few Schoolies, having made sure they would get on with my children and other mindees. My children are older and I'm finding their afterschool activities are making it harder to have Schoolies plus they are not so keen. I'm not planning on actively taking any more on and sticking to my LOs, but I've been working here for coming up 4 years and so my first mindees are now starting school and slowly moving into Schoolies so I'm not quite sure what I'm doing! Children who have been with you a while are better as Schoolies as they already know the rules!

[lozzy23]

I am exactly the same as Jcrakers and AliceK, the children have grown up with me and understand the rules I have in place. I am already looking forward to picking them up from school today as they will all be in the garden playing, mostly brilliantly, together. I will have 5 after schoolies aged 5 - 11 and 3 under 5's. I love the chatter and games they play and miss that about having my own grown up children - so this is the next best thing!!

[JCrakers]

Everyone seems to have so many mindees, how do you all cope?! I have a LO myself and can only manage two mindees on top of that

It comes with experience as I've been working with children since 1993. Only have what you're comfortable with. I find myself twiddling my thumbs if I only had 5 mindees..lol

I love the hustle and bustle although by 6pm I'm dead on my feet and go straight for a lie down with the TV after i've made tea for the family and I stay there until the next morning

[faydin]

The only schoolies that I have apart from my own children are the ones that started with me as EY's children and then moved to school. I always said when I started that I wouldn't take on any children older than my own oldest child who at the time was 5. I find that schoolies that haven't grown up with me can cause upset and trouble. I have a lot of children some days and I need to know that they all know my rules and can get on together. I also have a rule that I wont take on any child from the same year as my own children at school, it can cause too many problems if they have a fall out. xx

I have two school children same age as my son. Sometimes they get on really well but sometimes my son hates her because of her smell and nits on her head all the time. He doesn't even want to be in the same room with her. Her mum cleanes her nits but after a while they are on her hair again. She is a very good child and very respectful other children and adults around but I don't know if I need to give notice because my son gets really angry about her smell and nits. What would you do ?

[hectors house]

I don't do any school pick up or drop offs as I don't any children of my own at school, don't live near a school and don't want to have to buy a 7 seater so i can pick up in the car. I just try to make sure that I am working to my full capacity of 3 under 5's.

[vintagechick]

I have two school children same age as my son. Sometimes they get on really well but sometimes my son hates her because of her smell and nits on her head all the time. He doesn't even want to be in the same room with her. Her mum cleanes her nits but after a while they are on her hair again. She is a very good child and very respectful other children and adults around but I don't know if I need to give notice because my son gets really angry about her smell and nits. What would you do ?

Faydin, we had almost the same problem with a little lad, in the end I gave notice, at the end of the day my kids come first, and my son was starting to go to his grabs on the days this lad was coming.
In the end it worked out really well for the little boy, his mum got him a nanny and he is much happier now x

[faydin]

Faydin, we had almost the same problem with a little lad, in the end I gave notice, at the end of the day my kids come first, and my son was starting to go to his grabs on the days this lad was coming. In the end it worked out really well for the little boy, his mum got him a nanny and he is much happier now x

Thanks for your comment x