What It Takes To Be A Good Childminder
The most important reason for wanting to become a registered childminder has to be that you enjoy being with, and caring for, children. However, this is certainly not the only aspect you must be good at if you want your childminding business to flourish.
Working With Parents
Parents looking for day care for their children are making one of the hardest decisions of their life. It is up to you to prove to them that they have made the right decision and to ensure that you will not let them down. They have trusted you with the most precious person in their life and they will come to depend on you, not only as a childminder, but as a friend and confidante. They may ask you for help and advice and it is very important, from the start, that you value the relationship you have with both the child and their parents, and build on this.
Childminding is very much a partnership and you must learn to work with the child’s parents in order to provide the best care for the child so that they feel happy and secure.
Working Alone
Planning and providing activities and resources are a very important and enjoyable part of being a childminder but there are also aspects of the job that you need to be aware of which are not as appealing and can, in fact, be quiet daunting.
Are you, for example, prepared for a life of mostly children for company with very little adult input? Childminding can be a lonely profession if you are stuck in the house all day with only very young children for company. It is possible to get around this by making use of drop in centres, mother and toddler groups etc, or you could consider working with another childminder, and we will look at this in more detail later in the book.
The Effect On Your Family
Before embarking on a life as a childminder you must also ask yourself what the implications of the job will mean to the rest of your family.
You may absolutely adore having children running around your home, wreaking havoc on your furnishings and painting the cat, but how does your husband feel when he is trying to get ready for work and a four year old is dressing up in his suit and carrying his briefcase? How does your 11 year old feel when a two year old has just scribbled all over the homework he has to hand in that morning?
These are all aspects of childminding that you have to look at closely and questions that you have to ask yourself, and the rest of your family, and answer honestly.
Unless you are fortunate enough to work in a separate part of your house, which is completely cut off from your family space, then your childminding business will affect your home life. You must make sure, from the very outset, that everyone understands the implications that running a childminding business from your home will have.
It is perfectly possible of course to ensure the smooth running of your business so that it does not become a nuisance or annoyance to the rest of the family, but ground rules must be set and everyone must be organised sufficiently so that your business can run effectively.
Many parents choose a childminder over a nursery for flexibility. Some parents like the fact that their child is being cared for by one person in a home-based environment and it is very important therefore that you understand this, and your service must be available when it has been arranged. Of course no one can help being ill, but parents won’t thank you for ringing them up, half an hour before they are due to drop their child off, to say that you have a headache and can’t care for their child that day.
So to be a good childminder you need a number of qualities you must:
- enjoy being with and caring for children;
- be organised and use your time and space effectively;
- enjoy your own company or consider working with another adult;
- like people – be kind, considerate and helpful; and