The Ups and Downs being of being self employed.
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  1. #1
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    Default The Ups and Downs being of being self employed.

    Had a really good meeting with a family on Friday. If they take my two spaces on a Thursday I would have been as full as I want to be.

    However got given notice by my Monday only boy this morning. He was blocking me taking on a full timer so I've been turning work away for January, which I could now do and I know the families concerned are now sorted.

    So now I have mixed feelings about taking the two girls on a Thursday (if they actually sign) as they will now be the ones blocking any full timers.

    Typical!

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  3. #2
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    That's the problem with this job isn't it I've been in a same situation before and its a tough decision although in 6yrs of minding I've only ever had 2 mindees who come 5 days a week and a family of 3 that do 4 days a week. The rest do 2/3 days. So part timers are more common, its just finding the right ones to fit into each other.

    For the first time in 6yrs I've managed to slot all mine in and fill all my spaces so its like a fully formed jigsaw with 6 mindees in the daytime throughout the week (3 a day) with only 1 fulltimer and the rest on 2-3 days

    Hope you can come to a decision
    Time Out.. The perfect time for thinking about what you're going to destroy next.

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  5. #3
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    Default

    mine are a jigsaw too! I have 8 EY children throughout the week ... and only a pair of siblings that come 3 days - the rest do a day each! it does keep the week interesting, although sometimes I feel my 3 day a week children may do the same activity a bit longer than I would like, as I want other children to experience it too. I just try and vary/extend it for those children.

    I think that only once in 10 years have i had a full time EY child, the most I've had is 4 days a week, and for the past 3/4 yrs its been 3 days a week max as parents either work part time, or juggle childcare between them & family to cover the week.

    I have 4 EY children leaving in the summer to go to school - so am trying to work out what spaces I will have available, but I know 2 of them will still come in the holidays! ( I think one other will want to come, but i'm going to be tough and say no, as it will affect what I can do/where I can go! as I like to try to stick to a max of 6 children a day in the holidays ( including my own children ) so we can go out in the car. i'd actually really like some termtime only children ... but not sure if there are that many around here!

  6. #4
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    Default

    It is mostly part-timers here too, however the last rash of enquiries were for families wanting all four days as I only work a four day week.

    I only have two EY spaces as DS is only just four. Hopefully it will be a bit better when he starts school as I'll have more options with the extra space. I don't really want 3 EY children all day, four days a week so planning on the third space to allow me to have a bit of flexibility

  7. #5
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    I used to have three full times and it was so easy. Now they are all over the place. One mon-wed one just Friday, one Monday Wednesday and Thursday every other week and my own daughter . It's so hard to fill the extra slots

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  9. #6
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    I have lots of part timers. I just takes what ever comes my way t.b.h. Unless I get a bad feeling about the parent or child. Can any of us afford to be choosy and wait for full timers, I know I can't.

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  11. #7
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    I have odds and ends here there and everywhere - but if one child leaves it doesn't leave me desperate - if I lost one or 2 full timers it could be tricky.

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  13. #8
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    It's all part timers here, never had an enquiry for a full timer but I look on the positive side and if one was to give notice it would be less of a shock in loss of earnings whilst I filled their place compared to losing a full timer.

  14. #9
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    I'm really lucky I have 3 full timers, never had part timers so sometimes I think it would be nice to have a mix up lol

  15. #10
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    I've only ever had part timers, I prefer it as it makes the week different, plus if one leaves it's not a massive drop in income

  16. #11
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    I like the analogy to a jigsaw puzzles, so true :-) I have always found that as soon as I have filled my spaces then a parent wanting more desirable hours appears and I have to turn them away ;-)!

 

 

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