If you knew then what you know now about childminding.....

[yummymummy]

I being a devils advocate really and just out of interest would ask........
I suppose it's a question for childminders who have been minding for quite a while with all the changes that have happened in the last 10 years or so i.e OFSTED, EYFS
If you knew then what you know now coupled with the usual childminders lot would you still have become a childminder or would you have gone back to your old job, retrained for something else etc etc?
I know what I would do! but don't want to influence anyone else of course and also don't want this to sound exclusive only to longer registered childminders!
Just really interested in other peoples thoughts or maybe just nosey!!!!!

[Sarsar3NCH]

It would probably have sounded really scary and daunting if I hadn't been doing this for a few years. I think I would have thought twice, but then again I wouldn't have known any other way either.

I think I would have seen it as more of a profession from the beginning, whereas I was winging it for a while when I first started, thinking I would only do this for a year or two. But now with all the changes and training I have done I am very serious about what I do and am hoping that very soon the outside world will see us for the professionals we are.

Sarah

[crazybones]

I think I would still do it because the main reason I started was to earn money whilst being at home with my own. I also think it has given a lot to my children growing up with so many others of different ages and cultures. (I looked after a tri-lingual little girl for 4 years and my eldest two are doing really well at Spanish and French in school becuse of us speaking it with S).They have never bothered about sharing toys even though they were always told that if they didnt want anyone to play with something special to leave it in their room. (Mind you with 4 school runs to do today and eldest off sick its not the best day to ask )

Annie x

[angeldelight]

When I first started out years ago it was good old social services

I was still nervous back then to be honest although things were very very different you still did not want to do things wrong either

If I was just starting out then no I would not be put off at all by the EYFS
There is just so much help and advice and training courses that even if you do not understand it then there is always someone to ask

We need to move with the times

Schools - nurserys everyone is changing so we change with them

It may seem daunting at first but that is like anything new - who likes change ??

In a few years it will all be the norm to us anyway

I know at the moment it seems never ending but that is because it is new
The paperwork alone seems never ending but you will get used to it
But do not be put off everyone will be fine even if you are just starting out

I think that the one thing we all have to remember is that childminding is about looking after children in our homes

That is what we are doing with or without the new EYFS

Angel xx

[Blaze]

Well I'm the opposite...if i had known what i do now...Not on your nelly!

Having said that now i'm here...i'm glad i'm a childminder & also take my profession very seriously!

Tasha

[mrsbumbles]

Oh yes i would do it all again, without a second thought!

I love working with children, its so rewarding

I am my own boss

I can be at home for my dd

I can improve my qualifiactions, and keep on improving myself and services

I have my holidays when i want them

I chose my working conditions

Basically its the best move i have ever made, even due to all the changes, i wouldnt change a thing!

As i have said before, things were so much easier under Social Service, but Ofsted have got ther good points too, they have made minders more professional, and people now are starting to look at us as professional childcarers not just 'babysitters'

I love my job

[ajs]

i gave up nursery teaching because of the paperwork so i'm not sure whether i would have childminded now, although i have never had to say to my kids that i can't be at sports day/concerts/dentist appointments so i suppose it does have it's benefits and i earn a fair wage too. having said that i wouldn't do anything else now iafter all these years i am just having to rethink the way i do things

[Blaze]

that's my problem...I was totally oblivious to all of the paperwork!
Hate it with avengance!
Tasha

[angeldelight]

I like the paperwork ha mad I know x

[sarah707]

I wasn't given a choice when I had my dd - exdh said I had to stop working... as I was a teacher (lapsed) it seemed obvious to me that I would do something with children and childminding was the only thing I could think of!

Now, well I'm glad I've been home to see my own children grow and feel I have a much stronger relationship with them because of this. I am also financially independent which I wouldn't be if I was working for a company or back in school.

I love the paperwork so that's not a problem!

[Cammie Doodle]

I agree Mrs Mumbles with everything you have said. I did start childminding to earn pocket money when my son was little and to be here for my foster kiddies, but it has now become a more professional job(and quite rightly so ) I still love it and have had many chances to change, move on etc, but ALWAYS come back to this being the best job for me
I have my off days and moans like everyone else, but all in all this job was made for me.
And Angel you too are right we do need to move with the times if we want to be treated as the Professionals that we are
And as I have mentioned on here before ,To hear your grown up son and grown up Foster Kids say how wonderful it was to ALWAYS have your Mum there all the time when you needed her Bless them. What more proof do I need that I made the right decision?
Childminders rules ok !

[Rubybubbles]

I've only been a childminder 4 years, but love it tbh, the paperwork is a bit daunting, bit since I've found this site, a weight has been lifted, as if in doubt, I can ask

I think things are moving forward for a good thing, alot of people still see childminders as lazy people, I would love to show what I have to do, and do extra

[Banana]

I've only been childimding a year. So far it has been half and half. A lot of it I expected but the paperwork and all the bleedin rules..... would have made me think about it a bit harder if I hadnt already made my mind up about wanting to be home for my own children.

Have to say though it does work for me... however stressful some days are!

x

[miffy]

Well I loathe and detest the paperwork - I have reams and reams of the stuff - but Ofsted love it!!!!!

Childminding was the ideal way for me to be at home with my children but I didn't choose it I sort of fell into it when one of my friend's was looking for a part-time minder for her son (my youngest son's best friend) and I've never been without work since

But I would have given up minding if I hadn't felt so strongly that I shouldn't be pushed out of a job I enjoy simply because of all the new legislation and paperwork and i still feel like that but not quite as strongly

Miffy xx

[fionamal]

I always said Id be a childminder when I had my own kids so I could bring them up until they went to school fulltime.

Tried going to work for 6 months but all I was making was £30 per month after I paid for childcare and decided it wasnt worth the hassle. I am now thinking about returning to work as daugter will start school in September but will wait and see.

[Twinkles]

I think I would have felt daunted about all the paperwork. It was easier under social services but the general impression that people had was that you became a childminder because you weren't capable of getting a 'proper' job.
I hate all the paperwork and sometimes ofsted do seem to be out to make life difficult for us but that's often down to individual inspectors interpreting the rules wrongly. Having said that i think the changes had to happen to enable childminding to become a respectable/responsible profession .
On the whole I'm glad I've been able to be here for my own kids and I'm glad and privileged to have played a large part in bringing up other peoples children.

[yummymummy]

Wow, what a great response
If anyone is interested in my views.........
I love childminding as much now as when I started even with the introduction of ofsted (who are in fact a lot more lax than our Social Services used to be but less understanding) and all the extra paperwork and training which I actually do enjoy and keep up with. But for me the big problem is the absolute flooding of our area with oodles of childminders who ofsted register on a constant basis with no regard for childminder numbers in the area (unlike when our local council ran childminding) day nurseries and wraparound care. It has made it so hard to fill vacancies and when you do it seems to be on a very temporary basis whilst awaiting a funded place.
So my only regret now is that I've been out of the "working world" so long that it seems nigh on impossible to get back into it and I think in our area anyway that childminders will soon be redundant so I'll have no choice but to give up and do something else if I want to earn a living!

[Angela234]

I have only been minding 4 years a lot of change since then i like the extra training and becoming more professional shame not all parents realise we are a lot still think we are babysitters.

I wished i had started earlier love the job

Angela

[ajs]

Wow, what a great response
If anyone is interested in my views.........
I love childminding as much now as when I started even with the introduction of ofsted (who are in fact a lot more lax than our Social Services used to be but less understanding) and all the extra paperwork and training which I actually do enjoy and keep up with. But for me the big problem is the absolute flooding of our area with oodles of childminders who ofsted register on a constant basis with no regard for childminder numbers in the area (unlike when our local council ran childminding) day nurseries and wraparound care. It has made it so hard to fill vacancies and when you do it seems to be on a very temporary basis whilst awaiting a funded place.
So my only regret now is that I've been out of the "working world" so long that it seems nigh on impossible to get back into it and I think in our area anyway that childminders will soon be redundant so I'll have no choice but to give up and do something else if I want to earn a living!

where are you yummy
we had loads of childminders here for a while and i didn't think that our town could take anymore but lately quite a few have dropped out of the job and not that mnay are registering so it's not that bad at the mo although filling vacancies isn't easy

[Pauline]

I too needed more money but didn't want to go out to work so childminding seemed the best option.

Like Angel says, even thought it was Social Services back then, it was probably no different to now when it comes down to being how scared you are at the thought of someone coming out to check your home, ask you question etc.

There was less paperwork back then but equally you were not always seen as 'professional' often just a cheap alternative to nursery care but now I think that has changed a great deal and more and more parents see you as equal or better than nursery care, well in my experienced they do anyway.

I certainly don't regret becoming a childminder for one moment, it's the best thing I ever did without a doubt.