Do u all have children of ur own?

[t]

i wondered if u all had children of ur own and childmind? I dont currently and wondered if this would still be ok? thanks x

[lorraine2767]

Hi

I have one dd who is 8 years old, but it makes no difference if you have children of you own or not, there are some members on here that childmind but do not have children.

Lorraine xx

[sarahnev707]

Like Lorraine says, it doesn't make a difference - my 2 are 12 and 14 now, I mind children in ages ranging from 4 months to 15

The only thing is I'm not sure if I'd want the house looking like a nursery with toys everywhere and posters on the walls etc with no children of my own??? But that's a personal decision I suppose

Sarahx

[janet]

mine are 2, 7 , 15 and 18 so there is always someone to play with, mad house all the time but its wierd when noone is here xxxxx

[angeldelight]

My children were only young when I started minding so were around the minded children all the time

They are grown up now

My daughter who is 22 has been registered for 3 years and does not have children of her own

It does not matter either way

Angel xx

[buildingblocks]

hi

No you don't have to have children of your own. Unfortunately I have no children but have been childminding 4 and a half years now. Be warned though you may find parents will question you as to why you want to care for children when you don't have your own (I have had this three times) even though if you worked in any other setting they wouldn't query this at all.

Go for it it is the best job in the world even with the ups and downs that go with it

love Kate

[buildingblocks]

Sarah the plus side of having no children is that all toys go into one of your spare rooms at a weekend and you have your house bac k (well that is until you have so many toys they take over two spare rooms, loft, etc). Then you build a conservatory to poo it all away in. At the moment the only room in my house that is tidy is the conservatory lol.

My bug bear isn't the house but my garden I would love a garden with no play equipment in and not looking like a playground.

lov eKate

[t]

Thanks everyone for replying! im not too bothered about the children's things around as they are bright and colourful! Cheers me up lol The only thing is we have been trying for children for 7yrs and so far not beable to concieve..i am ok with this and feel when it happens it happens but how will parents feel? I never thought of them asking after this.

I have worked with children for years i qualified in 98 as a nursery nurse. Childminding has always appealed to me.

Fingers crossed it all works out for me lol
x

[polly2]

hiya

Just tell parents how qualfied you are and how long you have worked with children and I'm sure they will be quite happy.

The main thing is that you love children - which you obviously do and people can tell that when they meet you.

Good luck and I hope you get pregnant soon!!!

Luv hollyx

[littlesprogs]

I dont have children of my own but i am also trying to get pregnant. I dont mind having the kids stuff around and we dont mind the kids stuff taking over our garden. This is partly because we rent our house and live in RAF quarters and so cannot change our garden even if we wanted to. My husband actually loves it because we have an excuse to buy a trampoline lol

[buildingblocks]

i am like you and been trying for 13 years now with no luck. That is the pleasure of this job I get to do all the fun stuff cuddling and feeding babies but don't get the sleepless nights. no teenage tantrums iget the good kids that the parents say are nightmares at home.

Like yourself i have worked many years in childcare (bit lnger though since 1982 - 25 years where has the time gone to) so parents are happy I have the experience which I think is there main concern). At my age 42 I have come to the conclusion there is little chance of having children of my own now as I think the menopause is starting but not a problem as in my eyes i have another 30 years of lookin gafter children

love Kate

[susan]

good luck T with everything, especially conceiving, I no how hard that can be as my brother and his wife struggled and I did egg donation for them to try help, it is very emotional so i can appreciate what it must be like. My sister in laws nanna used to say to her 'kepp believing' xxx

[angeldelight]

My daughter has never been questioned why she has not got her own children - she has worked with them since she was 16 so maybe that is why like the others say if you explain that you have experience then it should not matter

Good luck with the baby making

Angel xx

[mel]

I do have my own children (7,5,3) but I know quite a few minders who don' . From my limited experience, you tend to pick up children from families who you 'click' with and they are far more interested in your experience and how you interact with them and their children rather than whether you have your own.

Mel x

[cheryl1]

Hi Lorraine

Yes i have children of my own 9 & 12 yrs they r ok about me minding but sometimes i do feel guilty for not spending so much quality time whith them !

Cheryl x

[lesley]

My boys were 4 and 5 yrs when I started and it didn't bother them, even now they don't mind - they are 20 and 19now. The twins are 5 now and have grow up with minded children always being here.

Lesley

[fionamal]

I have 2 kids (4 and 3 years). 4 year old loves having friends to play with and the 3 year old does somtimes. He a mummies boy and sometimes get jealous with the baby boy when hes getting cuddles and on my knee. on the whole they enjoy the company.

The house is very quiet at the weekends without them all here.

[Pauline]

I've got two grown up kids and two grandchildren but it doesn't matter whether you have kids or not you can still be a great childminder, I know many who are!

[manjay]

I have 3 of my own. A 15 year old who likes to spend all her spare time at her dads because he lives in the middle of a large town and not in "the middle of nowhere" like we do, an 8 and a 1 year old.

I don't know why peoples perceptions of childminders without children are any different to nursery workers who also don't have children. As in most professions I am sure there are good and bad irrespective of whether they have families of their own!!

Amanda xx

[charleyfarley]

We have an almost 23 year old

5 year old tomorrow

and 23 month old

Don't see what difference it makes really whether you have children or not , it's how you are with the children you are minding.

Carol xx

[rubybubbles]

I have children 3,and 5

I couldn't see it as a problem

littlesprogs - you have a RAF garden big enough ;D (dh RAF!)

[littlesprogs]

yea our garden is quite big, there making it bigger for us too by cutting down a massive bush we have so i'll have more room. I thought most raf gardens are quite big, my brother in laws is quite big too. My sister has a big garden too and she lives in a old raf house.

[susan]

My son is 10 and my daughter's 2 1/2 xxx

[t]

thank you for replying and for all the best wishes! i have been away on holiday so sorry for the late response! xx