Why Did You Start Minding?
Are you trying to decide whether childminding is the career for you? Or maybe you are just wondering why 74,000 plus people choose childminding. We can't answer for all of those childminders, everyone has their own reasons, but below you will find the stories behind entering the profession of a selection of those childminders.
- Nikki
- I decided to go into childminding last summer, I worked as a
financial manager and worked from 8-5 every day and brought work home
with me too. I felt I wasn't spending enough time with my son, or was
far too stressed in the evenings and ended up snapping at him instead
of my boss! My childminder had given me notice, as her daughter was
starting at a different school and she couldn't do both school runs,
I tried every childminder in the area but none had vacancies. It
struck me as an ideal business to get into, but wasn't sure if I
could do it so I pretended to work from home one day a week & instead
volunteered at my son's school helping the children learn computer
skills. I loved it, so used my 'days at home' to do the training
course, (very naughty I know!)
My son is a lot happier, and our relationship is a lot better than before, he's noticed that 'you're a lot calmer & happier now Mummy, and you smile more!' This is definitely a pro, along with enjoying watching & helping young children grow & learn whilst in your care but at the same time you still get the benefit of a good nights sleep! - Sue
- To be able to stay and home with my children and also earn at same time.
- Caroline
- I started childminding three years ago, after I had my third child. It was
something I had had in my head to do before I even got pregnant, as I have a
couple of close friends who are childminders, and although I worked full
time, because the job involved shift work, mostly working from 3pm to 11pm,
I had always attended mums & tots etc. so I just extended my time with a
group I was already part of.
When I had no. 3, my company relocated to the city center, twelve or so miles away, and my cosy little set-up of a job close to home started to disintegrate, so I took voluntary redundancy and registered as a childminder. I had also become aware that when kids start school, working outside the home can become more difficult than working when the kids are small. They would ask for friends to come to tea, want to join in after-school activities and all those parties that used to start at 4.30pm on weekdays! - Mandy - http://www.geocities.com/amandareevesuk/index
- I started childminding 7 years ago. Partly to get out of the nursery I was working in and partly to be at home for my own three.
- Lorna
- I started childminding when my own children were aged 9 and 11, before that I didn't have a job. Personally speaking, I couldn't have done this job while my own children were young, I'd have felt that I was taking time and attention away from them - and I'm not critisizing anyone who does mind while their kids are young, most of my childminding friends started out that way, it simply wasn't for me. I started for purely financial reasons, we wanted a bigger house and couldn't afford it on my husbands salary alone. Since then, however, I've done NVQ3 and lots of other training and intend to make this a long term career.
