make do and mend for tougher times

fuddle

I've enjoyed our day out. A bit upset at falling for a chugger in the garden centre. A lovely lady, asking if we were an outdoors family, really engaging the kids and giving them leaflets about free activities to do in and around Teesside over the holidays, telling the girls that the charity she worked for would send them stickers and magazines through the post. Kids enthusiastic, mammy and daddy signed up for £5 a month direct debit. Really cross with myself for listening in the first place. I'll have to wait till the first magazine or pack comes and then cancel the direct debit.

We've had a bit of a brainwave. DH and I have been talking and we've decided that as the girls are at school in September full-time but I'm still a mam and housewife, why don't I become a childminder? I've umpteen years of experience working with children so why the heck not. I'd like to supplement our income somehow and still me a mam at home for my children.

I have applied for funding for a OU course titled 'childhood'. I'm changing my degree, no longer wanting to teach but work amongst young children - doing what I know and love. I guess being a childminder I'm keeping my toes in the water so to speak.

kidcat

Fuddle - when my lot were younger I childminded for a while, I had to have permission from my landlord though and they were not at all happy to provide it, they argued that there was increased risk and liability. The council insisted on seeing the letter finally agreeing too before registration. I would say that before you move any further on it I would recommend speaking to your landlord and seeing which they will fall. I do hope it works for you its ideal for mums with young children.

fuddle

Oh great. I don't hold out much hope then, especially after this week with him. I'm going to go call him now to see how he feels. I hate talking to my LL. Maybe 3 years of never being late with my rent might go in my favour. Fingers crossed!

stiltwalker

Oh Fuddle - I'm doing the last presentation of the old version of the childhood at the moment - it's been my favourite module so far. Really interesting looking at the different ways childhood has been viewed over time and across the world. K218 Working with Children, Young People and Families would also be useful, there were several childminders doing the presentation I've just finished in my tutor group. Have to say - not my favourite course to do, found it frustrating at times and didn't like the online format particularly but I can see that it will be useful to me.

fuddle

You'll never guess what. He's said he doesn't have a problem with me childminding. I really thought he would. I've asked for him to send written confirmation and that I would send him a SAE to send it back in. Off I go to apply to my council. I've a long way ahead of me and don't envisage being through all the checks for a good 6 months but, well here's to paving my own way through life and making the best of what we've got.

Off to go work out how register my interest with the council

[Deleted User]

I sold a book in amazon, chuffed, I got £32 after expenses, it was a book on TA (technical analysis) of stocks and anything I do these days is based on simpler stuff. Its much easier selling books on amazon than on ebay and I have sold a couple on trade in too, ok prices and they pay postage. So even if £2 then that is £2 with no expenses and it all adds up, AF cardboard is perfect for packaging books by the way

I decided to have a go at dehydrating nasturtium leaves and some petals today. They are so incredibly clean and free from insect life at the moment, so 9 trays filled with beautiful variegated leaves and some orange petals. The garden is full of oranges and yellows this year, marigolds, calendula and tagetes and I am doing the same next year. They attract so many bees and other insects and I surrounded the tagetes by chilli plants, which have remained clean. I watered and fed the calendulas today as I am drying their petals tomorrow

We had a lovely two hours of sun but the sky is full of clouds now, like it was first thing when it was cloudy all over with strange patches of yellow

I was reading about tomatoes yesterday and it takes a good two months from flower to a full size green fruit, then it has to ripen from inside to outside. That is where I went wrong last year and took green fruits off to ripen in the house in the sun. They ripened on the outside only.You can ripen in the house but not in the sun and covered with a single sheet of newspaper. Anyway I am glad I stopped all the plants at 4 trusses as there soon won`t be much hope of later flowers setting and ripening

I have a cool kaftan on today, rarely used since I bought it. Was so hot when I was pottering earlier in my cotton nightie and thin cotton dressing gown, I do get carried away when I start with jobs. Not one to go out in but great for the house today, particularly as we have opened a bottle of champagne left over from last year and any wine make me hotter

I abandoned the so called shrug/ short sleeved vest thing I was crocheting. The yarn was fluffyish and was making up too firm, even though tension was spot on. So I am making a blanket/throw and can do about 4 balls in a day, so it is growing very fast and is heavy as I am using up two full packs of yarn. Had to wear a wrist splint at night for two nights as aching wrist but ok today

Kemps wool came and it is perfect. Two x 500g aran special offer bundle at £3. I had fingers crossed but perfect colours for children`s tops and will get 5 tops out of the 1000g, pale purple and a lovely lime green. Courtelle so am happy as they can be machine washed

Brilliant fuddle, chuffed for you. Going with the flow like that, lovely

fuddle

stiltwalker, I've faffed about with two psychology modules and an environmental one and I'm so bored with them. I know about kids, love working with kids, have my own kids to analyse :rotfl: and after thinking about what pah said about Norwood Nannnies last week, it brought back why I originally wanted
to be a nursery nurse in the first place. I'm happy with the change and not at all sorry to see the teaching idea go. Can I see myself working as a secondary school teacher at what, maybe 72 years old? No, can I see myself working with young kids, up my eye balls in paint and reading stories... heck yeah! Even, if I'm a child minder for the rest of my days, I'll be a damn good one

kidcat

Excellent news fuddle, if you contact your local council childrens services they will guide you through the whole thing, there are a few essential courses and of course the dreaded ofsted to get through, house checks etc. Six months seems a reasonable estimate, but I would start putting word about if you can now, if you have clients lined up sometimes the council speed things up and of course lots of parents are looking now for September which is a good time to pick up business.

Popperwell

fuddle wrote: »

I've enjoyed our day out. A bit upset at falling for a chugger in the garden centre. A lovely lady, asking if we were an outdoors family, really engaging the kids and giving them leaflets about free activities to do in and around Teesside over the holidays, telling the girls that the charity she worked for would send them stickers and magazines through the post. Kids enthusiastic, mammy and daddy signed up for £5 a month direct debit. Really cross with myself for listening in the first place. I'll have to wait till the first magazine or pack comes and then cancel the direct debit.

We've had a bit of a brainwave. DH and I have been talking and we've decided that as the girls are at school in September full-time but I'm still a mam and housewife, why don't I become a childminder? I've umpteen years of experience working with children so why the heck not. I'd like to supplement our income somehow and still me a mam at home for my children.

I have applied for funding for a OU course titled 'childhood'. I'm changing my degree, no longer wanting to teach but work amongst young children - doing what I know and love. I guess being a childminder I'm keeping my toes in the water so to speak.

Fuddle, Give it a week or so nad see if the instruction for the DD has been processed at the bank and if it has cancel it...there should be a cooling off period anyhow?

Any addresses/contact numbers on the leaflets?

A good course to consider and would look good on a CV, also quite adaptable to a few jobs that may be advertised and skills that can be transferred.

kidcat wrote: »

Fuddle - when my lot were younger I childminded for a while, I had to have permission from my landlord though they were not at all happy to provide it, they argued that there was increased risk and liability. The council insisted on seeing the letter finally agreeing too before registration. I would say that before you move any further on it I would recommend speaking to your landlord and seeing which they will fall. I do hope it works for you its ideal for mums with young children.

Good points but the qualification and determination shown may make the landlord more likely to say yes? And more sure that they will have the rent paid with a regular income coming in? Certainly no harm keeping them informed.

Popperwell

fuddle wrote: »

Oh great. I don't hold out much hope then, especially after this week with him. I'm going to go call him now to see how he feels. I hate talking to my LL. Maybe 3 years of never being late with my rent might go in my favour. Fingers crossed!

Think positive, fingers crossed...