Sorry a few more questions

[mumof1]

Hi, sorry its me again! Just thought of a few more things. I just want a few opinions to start with. As i said in my 1st post i have a daughter who is 2 1/2 and work part time in a school. I work 2 days one week and 3 the next. I also get the holidays and work 8.45 - 3.30 most days but till 4.30 1 day per week. I currently earn around £600 p/m after tax. However i find the work quite restrictive as i dont get to plan many of the activities and i dont often work in early years sometimes i'm with 10 year olds for academic year or more. I much prefer e/y work and loved it when i worked in day nursery and as a nanny as i got to do my own planning and worked mainly with young children.
I'm just finding it really difficult to weigh everything up as i think as a childminder i could do the work i trainned to do in the first place and which i enjoy most and also would be there for my daughter but then i think about the holidays and school hours and wonder if thats best for my daughter as at least when i am home she doesnt have to share me. Any views on what you would do would be great.

Also just a few more things. Do those of you who have children of your own use their toys for your mindees aswell or do you have seperate toys. Or do you have a few special toys that the mindees dont use?

I just wondered aswell what sort of meals you serve throughout the day and how you manage to find time to prepare them and clean up with young children around?

Last one, do you manage to get any housework done at all during the day or do you do everything when your mindees have gone home? Just wondered as i find it difficult enough to fit everything in with 1 child! And am always shattered in the evening so dont feel like doing anything!

Oh sorry 1 more, do all cms offer an evening meal as i would really rather keep that as family time? If i didnt offer it how would i manage to cook it, eat it and clean up in time to put my daughter to bed at 7pm? I know it sounds stupid but its difficult to think of starting a brand new routine where no one loses out if that makes sense?

[susan]

mumof1 said:

Hi, sorry its me again! Just thought of a few more things. I just want a few opinions to start with. As i said in my 1st post i have a daughter who is 2 1/2 and work part time in a school. I work 2 days one week and 3 the next. I also get the holidays and work 8.45 - 3.30 most days but till 4.30 1 day per week. I currently earn around £600 p/m after tax. However i find the work quite restrictive as i dont get to plan many of the activities and i dont often work in early years sometimes i'm with 10 year olds for academic year or more. I much prefer e/y work and loved it when i worked in day nursery and as a nanny as i got to do my own planning and worked mainly with young children.
I'm just finding it really difficult to weigh everything up as i think as a childminder i could do the work i trainned to do in the first place and which i enjoy most and also would be there for my daughter but then i think about the holidays and school hours and wonder if thats best for my daughter as at least when i am home she doesnt have to share me. Any views on what you would do would be great.

Also just a few more things. Do those of you who have children of your own use their toys for your mindees aswell or do you have seperate toys. Or do you have a few special toys that the mindees dont use?

I have both, toys that are shared and toys in my childrens bedrooms only for them, if it's downstairs anyone can play with it

I just wondered aswell what sort of meals you serve throughout the day and how you manage to find time to prepare them and clean up with young children around?

I only offer breakfast and cold lunch and snacks, fruit etc and drinks throughout the day I do not do cooked hot meals
Last one, do you manage to get any housework done at all during the day or do you do everything when your mindees have gone home?

You are not suppost to do housework when you are minding, a quick tidy up if little ones are asleep is ok though... I think !Just wondered as i find it difficult enough to fit everything in with 1 child! And am always shattered in the evening so dont feel like doing anything!

Oh sorry 1 more, do all cms offer an evening meal as i would really rather keep that as family time? If i didnt offer it how would i manage to cook it, eat it and clean up in time to put my daughter to bed at 7pm? I know it sounds stupid but its difficult to think of starting a brand new routine where no one loses out if that makes sense?

It would be your business and your house rules as such there is no right or wrong answer here its what suits you and your family iyswim, you owrk and set the rules to how you want to do things

Hope that helps xxx

[littlesprogs]

what does iyswim stand for?

[tasha]

If You See What I Mean

Tasha

[susan]

if you see what i mean ..............

[littlesprogs]

thanks been trying to work that one out for ages lol

[manjay]

if you see what I mean!!

There is a post with all the abbreviations we use.

Amanda xx

[littlesprogs]

yea i looked through the post but couldnt find that one in it

[angeldelight]

I had a large family so most of my childminding days were easy after that

My housework is done around my work - I am forever getting the vacum out - have you seen the mess one child can make with one sandwich ? ha

Toys - my children had their own in their rooms where the minded children were not allowed

But I did have a large collection that everyone could use
My children were taught to share and so were the children I childmind
It does them all good

Meals I cook in the same way I do for my own family or I prepare meals in advance

Paper work I do in the evenings or try to do when I am not chatting away on here
Or when I have a few spare moments if a baby is sleeping etc

It is right what Susan said it is your house and your rules

So it is up to you what you do and when you do them

If you do not want to give an evening meal then do not
Or you could offer sandwiches most older children have a cooked lunch at school

Once you start everything does fit into place because you have to make it really
Otherwise we would have no food on the table the house would be a tip and we would have no paper work ready
You have to make time for all of these things

Good luck

Angel xx

[manjay]

I knew I wouldn't get in fast enough to answer this one first.

[angeldelight]

Haha type a little faster

Angel xx

[susan]

manjay said:

I knew I wouldn't get in fast enough to answer this one first.

LOL think I was last to see this one xxx

[manjay]

Sorry littlesprogs that sounded a bit abrupt. I didn't mean to. I was trying to beat susan and tasha to answer the question and got a bit carried away.

Amanda xx

[smartimartie]

I've worked around my own children for many years and childminding is most definately the best solution FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE CHILDREN! But getting your rules right take a little time. I am lucky I have a sizable home. I've registered downstairs only - upstairs is the escape route that my five children take when they want peace, or to play with just their brothers/sisters. This is where they put their special 'stuff'. New birthday and christmas presents. When they have finished with these items and they are no longer special they bring them downstairs to share them with the minded children. Sometimes I give them some money for the larger items e.g. Dolls House, Playstations etc and this amount I 'pay' my child I put through my books(!) I take a photo of the item and place it in a file (Just to keep my head straight really - it is difficult keeping track of the items in your kit) on the computer.

I do feed the children who come to stay. I find it easier as I cook for eight every night I might as well cook for 11!! I also find that this stops arguements because everyone has the same to eat. This becomes a help if you have a faddy eater (yours or a mindee) as everyone encourages every one else. Also I have a financially prepared menu and take that amount for each mindee off my books. This is great if you already have lots of equipment and are trying to reduce your tax burden!! But be careful to be realistic with this amount. Around the cost of a school meal for lunch and just a bit more for the evening meal.
Housework - I get someone to do my ironing and put this through my books. Inland Revenue ok'd this same with the housework - I pay my 15 year old to clean the car and the playroom and put this through my books. I also have a window cleaner - my windows must be cleaned inside and out as this could affect my business (What would one do with dirty windows . I don't know yet - as I very new to the forum - how you should go about emailing me but if do I'll send you my formula for your books on the food thing

[cheryl1]

I agree with Susan.

I have two separate sets of toys, my own childrens and mindees. Mindees are downstairs and my own childrens are upstairs - although I do find that occasionally they will all play with the same thing x

As far as meals go I provide : breakfast - cereal, fruit, toast, Lunch - cold snack type meal, snacks, and a cooked evening meal ( this I tend to cook either early in the morning or in the afternoon whilst mindees are having quiet play/sleep.

Cleaning - mostly it is just a tidy up as you go along although it is sometimes to get the hoover out or sweep the kitchen floor. Whilst I wash the pots / tidy the kitchen mindees will look at book or draw at the breakfast bar.

Most of my cleaning is done at weekends, usually on a sunday evening but this works for me as I spend time with my own children on week nights ( usually as mum's taxi !!!! ), although I have been known to clean my livingroom windows with a mindee helping me ! ( he really enjoyed it especially the splashing the water on the glass ).

Childminding = multitasking constantly and being organised it is physically and mentally tiring but it is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable jobs you can do x

Cheryl x