Courses - where do you find the time

[rasharoon]

As a newly registered childminder, I received my local authorities training manual a couple of weeks ago. Why do they insist on holding a course mid week in the middle of the day? They want you to do as many courses as possible but I don't understand how they expect you to do this when you have your working day ahead of you with your little ones. I don't have anyone around to ask to look after the 3 children I care for (plus my own 2) and I know the parents wouldn't be chuffed if I said I couldn't mind their children as I had a course to attend.
What does everybody else do?
Thanks
Rachelle

[miffy]

In my area they tend to hold courses at different venues and times to give people a choice.

I agree the days/times/venues are not always suitable for childminders so it's a case of being patient and waiting until a course comes up that I can get to - this usually means evenings or weekends.

You could try contacting your LA and seeing if they are planning to or would consider putting on whatever course it is you are interested in at a time and place that suits.

Miffy

[vik3000]

The trick is never to go to sleep!!! I find lots of pro-plus, coke (cola) and coffee does it for me!! You get used to it after a while.

Seriously though - a lot of our courses are in the evenings and Saturdays thankfully - but it means you are still giving up lots of time and when you go assignments for coursework its fitting it all in. It can all seem rather overwhelming at times. Some of our courses are in the daytime and those are run with the view that you do have kids with you so they are pretty relaxed.

[janet]

the answer is we never stop, although i am really struggling doing these courses and going to the gym, just realised last night i hadnt been at home any night last week xxxxx tom thinks i am having a affair lol

[rubybubbles]

It's really hard trying to get to the courses! If there's one I really want to do then I will, but as I'm doing the NVQ 3 CCLD I did loads with them, but no more to do at the moment phew!!

The course tutor did say if enough interest is shown more evening / weekend courses can be sorted out, but like I said it's the interest!!

[lou]

i agree it is very difficult to find the time. i have been wanting to do the child protection/safe guarding children course since my last inspection (nearly 3 yrs ago) but havent been able to find one that fits in, i finally booked on to one that i could do which was supposed to have been this month but i have since had a phone call to say the course has been cancelled as not enough people on it!!!!

anyway have booked to do DHC starting in Jan so looking forward to trying to find time to dedicate to that along with working 50-60 hours a week!!!!

[charleyfarley]

It is hard fitting them in, impossible during the day when minding, difficult at night as hubby works shifts so isn't always here. Hence I have to give up my Saturdays - booked on

Safeguarding children level 1 in October and

Safeguarding children level 2 in November

Try to do a couple each time the listings come out

Also doing the DHC but at home so some weeks I get more done than others.

As for sleep, forgotten what that is

Carol xx

[buildingblocks]

We are very lucky here and they do put on quite a few in the evenings (but I have attended a couple of the ones that start at 4pm - finish some days at 3pm - and are aimed at nurseries and found the B23 ones far better and more informative than the ones for childminders but that could just be that i am more awake than after a full day working lol.

I only have two sets of families to really worry about if I take time off for courses 2 of hte children are at school full time so mum just has to arrange for them to go to dads and hte other family shift work and nanny is willling to take the odd day off here and there.

I have never taken full days off for trainings only finished early but am just about to start once a month having a Friday and Saturday on a training 10 - 4 so nanny is having 2yr old if mum or dad aren't at work. I am really lucky with these parents.

Gary loves it as he hasn't got me hogging the computer or nagging him lol. unfortunately we have no children of our own so I don't have to worry about finding childcare whilst on courses. If I did then it might be a different thing altogether.

If they are not offering you courses in an evening or weekend then you need to ring them up and start nagging them to do so as htey afre not being inclusive to childminders. Talk to your childminding development worker.

love Kate

[jmoff]

yeah, we have lots of interesing curses during te day but there are a few aimed at childminders , which are in the evening.

Isnt that the case with you?
Or you could do some online- food hygiene & child protection?

Good luck

Jana