Making time...how??

[Willowdancer]

"Yeah go on, be a childminder" said The Brain. "It'll be easy peasy - one short college course and a first aid certificate under your belt and you can spend all day playing with kids and getting paid for it."

"Cool! Let's do it!!" said I, naively trusting The Brain.

I know I'm only 4 days in but how on earth do you find the time for planning, paperwork and housework??

I feel done in already! Every night this week I've been in a semi-coma from about 7pm onwards and have barely been able to drag my backside off the sofa to go to bed after being on the go with 5 kids in the house since shortly after 8am.

When do you manage to get things done? I've done no paperwork (apart from my register) at all for my new 7yo and 10yo this week, although to be honest I don't really know what I should be doing for them. My kitchen needs a serious blitzing, the lounge and my registered bedroom need a serious tidy up and the bathroom needs doing but my energy levels feel like less than zero.

I'm not really a morning person any more - don't know why as when I was younger I was certainly up and at 'em with the dawn chorus. I guess I shall have to try to get that back again or start knocking back the Pro Plus

Any tips??

[FussyElmo]

Im sorry hun but you just have made me laugh

That is my life on a regular basis Im sitting in the other room while my children finish trashing the house and my mindees have been older ones. Housework gets done when it gets done I try and do bits through the day but will set us all on in a min (honest) and it will get done (probably).

Paperwork is the same other people will be better advised as im looking at the pile on the desk and thinking tomorrow then.

Pretty sure you dont have to do any paper work like you do with the efys for the older children. I do a sort of learning journey but more of a photo book of us doing things no obs or planning.

It gets better (laughing again) with the organisation of everything so they tell me and ive been doing this for 3 and 1/2 years and still not organised.

Hope someone comes on with better tips than me so I can pinch some.

Have finished today so promise promise I will tidy up and do the ironing and catch up with paperwork.

Welcome to the world of childminders. In alternative universe my other self is a Stepford wife who polishing ironing etc while I sit here watching my ds (2) run round with pink bunny ears on barking.

[ORKSIE]

As time goes on you will become more organised, you are still finding your feet, it will all work out in the end. Trust me, I'm a Childminder!!

[Monkey1]

As time goes on you will become more organised, you are still finding your feet, it will all work out in the end. Trust me, I'm a Childminder!!

?????????? I have been doing this for years and i am still struggling to fit it all in and as for organised................that word isn't in my vocabulary!!!

[ORKSIE]

?????????? I have been doing this for years and i am still struggling to fit it all in and as for organised................that word isn't in my vocabulary!!!

LOL, I was trying to help the lady, now look what you gone and done

[Monkey1]

LOL, I was trying to help the lady, now look what you gone and done

Don't lead the poor girl into a faulse sense of security!

[Willowdancer]

Don't lead the poor girl into a faulse sense of security!

[ORKSIE]

Don't lead the poor girl into a faulse sense of security!

Ok
You will neva find time to do all the things that need doing, you will be up till all hours doing Risk Assessments
Is that better

[Monkey1]

Ok
You will neva find time to do all the things that need doing, you will be up till all hours doing Risk Assessments
Is that better

Yeah, tell her how it is!

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I think you have picked the wrong time to start childminding and do your paperwork. School holidays are a nightmare.

I started at 7.30 and finished at 6pm and then have been snoring by 10pm every night this week. The paperwork can wait until they are back at school

It does get easier - promise!

[rickysmiths]

LOL, I was trying to help the lady, now look what you gone and done

Well here can I help.

I've been doing it so long ( 15 years) i've fogotten that word ???????...............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!

Mind you it's more likly because I have my own dh, 16yr and 14yr to feed, cloth, run around after!!!!!!

Perhaps it's age after all, oh no its caught up and I've spent all those years running

[jeanybeany]

Love all your replies, made me smile and laugh

[ORKSIE]

Well here can I help.

I've been doing it so long ( 15 years) i've fogotten that word ???????...............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!

Mind you it's more likly because I have my own dh, 16yr and 14yr to feed, cloth, run around after!!!!!!

Perhaps it's age after all, oh no its caught up and I've spent all those years running

That is my life to a tee. Been CM for same amont of years, got 2 children same age as yours

[Shar]

I agree with Deb, it does get easier. Term time it's ok, school hols forget it!! Weekends it's housework, paperwork, wife, mother, shopping, etc... That's why I need a 10 day break from work so I can be me!!!! Stay in jim-jams, not set alarm, open a bottle of wine anytime, talk to DH, etc... if i'm lucky!!! I love holidays from work.

[LisaH]

I don't even attempt to do any paperwork during school holidays!!! I do my register and accounts and if I don't have time for the rest it's tough

[Willowdancer]

Thanks for making me

Ok, won't even consider paperwork other than my register until after the hols, but if I don't really have to do anything much anyway then I'm not dreading the summer hols (yet )

Just working up to getting off me bum and having a bit of a tidy up though. Mindees might be gone for 5 days but the inlaws are descending on us at 11am tomorrow

[TheBTeam]

Thanks for making me

Ok, won't even consider paperwork other than my register until after the hols, but if I don't really have to do anything much anyway then I'm not dreading the summer hols (yet )

Just working up to getting off me bum and having a bit of a tidy up though. Mindees might be gone for 5 days but the inlaws are descending on us at 11am tomorrow

You could get the in laws to help with the tidying up!

[Blackhorse]

[QUOTE=
Just working up to getting off me bum and having a bit of a tidy up though. Mindees might be gone for 5 days but the inlaws are descending on us at 11am tomorrow [/QUOTE]

Just get the inlaws to do some work!! Get all your cleaning equipement out for them so it is ready for 11 am...and tell them you are now a VIP (If childminders are not very important persons than I don't know who..:-) ) and that you have a day at the spa to attend to!!!

[helenlc]

I realized this afternoon that I desperately need to do my paper work - I was putting away the box of paints in the cupboard under the stairs and I knocked my pile of paper work.

So there I am - balancing paper work on my shoulder and holding the box of paints up!!! Trying to decide whether to save the box of paints or my paperwork!!! Trying to work out which would make the lesser mess!!

In the end I managed to shoulder (literally) the paper work into a spare space (only cos hubby had a box file out from that space!) and then place the box of paints back where it should be.

My plan in to re-do some policies this weekend and catch up on paper work - but now I dont even want to open the cupboard door!!!

Welcome to the world of childminding!!!

I do a scrapbook for my 8 yr old mindee - take photos, keep cinema stubs/tickets etc. At my Ofsted inspection last year, she liked that I asked the older ones what they wanted to do, so maybe design some sort of sheet where they can list things they would like to do in the future. Just do the register for now and enjoy the holidays!!

[Lady Haha]

Blast! I thought I'd done so well this week! Spent the last few weeks getting up together with my paperwork and SEF and I only have a few odds and ends to get done now. Then I read this thread and realise I forgot to do a risk assessment for our bowling trip today!!! I have done loads of standard ones for the park, softplay, etc, places we go regularly and I have a set of blank ones ready for occasions such as today

I will do it now, better late than never, ay!