18/08/2017
Ah so you're just a childminder then, try doing a real job......
Yes sadly we are still faced with this attitude in our line of work. The job title really doesn't help, childminder gives the impression of being one step up from a babysitter. Now don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with being a babysitter - still a lot of responsibility and a lot of invested trust. But we are a professional service, with a lot of hard graft under our belts, along with blood, sweat and tears - and that's before even being registered.
To be a childminder is not a decision we make lightly, there is so much involved in the process and it's a job that can only be done with a genuine love for children. We must be registered with OFSTED, including being approved by them on a pre reg inspection, we must have insurance to protect our business against all the vulnerabilities, we must have a police check (DBS) done for everyone in the household over 16 years of age, we must have ICO protection for storing data, we must follow the EYFS, track children's development, bring them forwards, nurture them, comfort them, and keep them safe. We do the paperwork required - usually above and beyond this because we try to be the best we can. We are trained in first aid, safeguarding and do a course to allow us to become a childminder. We even have to have a health declaration done.
Then there is the actual "day in the life of a childminder" which no course can prepare you for. It's a whirlwind from the minute you get out of bed until the minute you finally sit down at the end of the day. Our day starts long before the first child arrives, and finishes long after the last child leaves. We have a room to prepare, make safe, activities to prepare and breakfast to serve. Once the doorbell rings our focus for that entire day are on the children, we are ever wishing those eyes on the back of the head were a reality. We never forget the fact we are being trusted with a person's most treasured possession - and we keep them safe like we do our own. We mop up spills, we kiss grazed knees, we give cuddles, we provide reassurance, we remember their favourite toy or song, we stop arguments by being firm but fair, we recognise when a child is sad, and needs extra hugs. Our mornings are filled with school runs, preparing snacks, tidying toys away and bringing out new exciting things, trips to the park permanently counting heads to make sure all children are there, we play in the garden, we make pizzas. Lunches and naps come next - followed by activities that are quiet but fun to keep the older ones engaged. Afternoons are a whirlwind of playing, sorting, school runs (again) and preparing for dinner and home time. We fill in diaries, write observations, tick off that next step feeling so proud they've achieved, we take photos so parents can see their child's day and be a part of it, we talk to parents, reassure them, forever building up a parent - Childcarer relationship. Once the door closes we see to our own family whilst cleaning the toys up and of course already thinking ahead to the next day. Working from home means we never switch off, our job becomes entwined with our life. We advertise our spaces hoping someone will come along, worry when children leave. We do it all - the playing, the cleaning, the cooking, the driving, the walking, the refereeing, the paperwork, the accounts, the nurturing and the caring.
So yes, maybe I am "just" a childminder - but it's a bloody hard job and one I do with pride every day. It's exhausting, there is no exhaustion like it. But wouldn't change it for the world. Next time someone asks you when you will get a real job, walk away. Their ignorance is their downfall and reflection of themselves. Instead look at the smiles and laughter you get from the children everyday in your setting - you did that - YOU.
Shared from a childminders group. Couldn't have put it better myself. LOVE my job, my borrowed babies and their families💖
