View Full Version : Childcare costs
What would people say is a fair price to pay per hour per child for registered childcare. I know the credit crunch is having an effect on many people and have been wondering about fee's. I thought the org was as good a place as any to get a few views.
WOW I think even your lowest rate is expensive. £2.00 an hour, 5 Hours a day, 5 days a week and that come s to £50.00 a week. This I thing is expensive.
Now I could be way out of date so please correct me if I am way out but I would not pay any more than that.
When my first son was in a Nursury, 5 days a week it cost me £5.85 for 5 Days and I thought that was expensive then. Mind you that was back in 1978 so it was not as cheap as it looks. :D
young_fishin_neep
31-Dec-08, 00:35
my wee sister goes to nursery one day a week from 8:30 am til 5pm down in england and that costs £30 a week.
kazzii xxx
I paid £50 per week for full time childcare in 1991. Nowadays the average cost is around £4.00 + per hour. The only exception is a day care centre which charges around £2.00 to £3.00 per hour. Childcarers need to pay expenses and make a profit - its a business and a vocation. I must point out I am not a childminder just a realist.
I think sometimes people think because its "only looking after children" that it shouldn't be highly paid. At the end of the day it is a job and the childminder is offering a service. It's not always an easy job sometimes with three or more children to look after. I'd say a fair wage is £4 an hour, after all the majority of those working receive tax credits and are entitled to money towards their childcare costs. It's only a percentage that comes out of the parents' pockets.
igglepiggle
31-Dec-08, 00:40
i would say that the £4 is an average wage, most people get a % from with the working tax credits so the parents dont pay all of the costs. Plus if you think about it the average wage is £5.70 i think so it is well below that.
I think what really has affected prices more is that there is now so much paperwork involved.
Also most childminders don't charge for their time off and holidays so a bit gets set aside for any time off.
Work doesn't start at 7 am and finish at 6 pm any more once you have cooked dinner you have to sit down and do the days paperwork, go back out and do courses.
Being honest I have seen me working on paperwork some nights until 1am.
But at the moment I am looking at a lot of different things and planning changes, the first probably being pricing :lol:
ShelleyCowie
31-Dec-08, 00:59
Thats weird cos me and my OH were just talking about childcare! I am due back to work from maternity in May 09 and we have actually worked it out we are cheaper me not going back to work than paying childcare because my OH works 12 hour shifts, day and night!
But i have to say some child minders are not that expensive, i have heard of a few! I just dont like the idea of missing those really exciting moments of my sons development like when he starts walking or anything!
It really depends on the individual minder. I am really looking to see what people want and it is hard to get views when you have clients already in a routine.
this is where you put in post code for a search for childminders in your area.
http://www.scottishchildcare.gov.uk/LocalSearch01.aspx?chisid=25
and once you find names you can go here to look at inspection reports
http://www.carecommission.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=45
so you can do the first part from the comfort of your own home
changi you moved your post, honest I am not answering unasked questions lol.
I can understand those concerns Shelley, I worked when my daughter was small and I often felt I missed things but granny got them instead so I didn't mind. :D Especially teething :lol:
I was lucky to have my mum.
ShelleyCowie
31-Dec-08, 01:25
I can understand those concerns Shelley, I worked when my daughter was small and I often felt I missed things but granny got them instead so I didn't mind. :D Especially teething :lol:
I was lucky to have my mum.
Haha i am sure i wont mind missin the teething!! But he is only 12 weeks just now! A few more months of peace!
My cousin is a registered child minder and i still wouldn't want to leave him with someone else! Another thing is...he is too glued to me! He screams if anybody else holds him!! He just doesn't like being away from me! Me and my OH went out for dinner a few weeks ago and he stayed with Granny..he screamed blue murder!
Find me a childminder that can deal with that 8-5! lol
He is still tiny and all he needs in life is mummy. You are very much his whole world right now and that is a time to totally enjoy and hold on to. They don't stay tiny for long. Independence is great for babies as they grow but so so hard on mum and dad.
I found it worse when mine laughed and giggled with granny when I went to work it was like she was saying yay granny see you later mum. :~(
ShelleyCowie
31-Dec-08, 02:14
He is still tiny and all he needs in life is mummy. You are very much his whole world right now and that is a time to totally enjoy and hold on to. They don't stay tiny for long. Independence is great for babies as they grow but so so hard on mum and dad.
I found it worse when mine laughed and giggled with granny when I went to work it was like she was saying yay granny see you later mum. :~(
I get what u mean! Dont like the thot o sayin a goodbye too him! Bad enuf just goin shoppin or something! :~( Breaks ma heart leavin him for anythin at all! Am just too attached!
Kevin Milkins
31-Dec-08, 02:16
I am not in the know on such matters as Mrs stayed at home to bring our three boys up.
When I saw the poll I thought £4-00 an hour was not a lot for the responsibilty involved in looking after another persons child.:confused
changilass
31-Dec-08, 02:31
When you think just in terms of the value put on someone looking after your child then £4 seems very little, if however you balance this off against earning the minimum wage per hour then you can understand why it just isnt worth going back to work for some mums.
I am not in the know on such matters as Mrs stayed at home to bring our three boys up.
When I saw the poll I thought £4-00 an hour was not a lot for the responsibilty involved in looking after another persons child.:confused
Hear, hear Kevin. One of the most responsible jobs is bringing up a child; you'll never get a second chance. Just think of all the things you may be missing; smiles, giggles, first words/steps etc. These belong to mums and dads! :)
childcare is expensive. Ive been lucky that my mother in law watches mine. Id love another baby, but she isnt up to taking another one, and theres no way we could afford a childminder, so we cant do it.
i have and HNC in childcare though, maybe i should change my career..
Bobinovich
31-Dec-08, 11:52
Thinking about this logically the minimum wage is currently £5.73 an hour, but I wouldn't class childminding as a minimum wage job, so realistically I would suggest they should be taking at least £7.00+ per hour to cover overheads, holiday pay, etc.
I would imagine that a registered childminder would be looking after a minimum of 2 children so would need to charge at least £3.50 per hour per child to achieve that. If they look after 3 regularly then it could come down to £3 per hour per child - or if 2 children are from the same family they could get a discounted rate.
In an ideal world one wage coming into a house should be enough to pay all the bills and a little left over for holidays and hobbies without having to claim any benefits or tax credits allowing one parent to be at home. However that is not the case for many folk. Nobody should be taking less than minumum wage home every week (apart from those on the dole but thats another topic all together). I voted for the £4 an hour option as it was the most expensive but yet I would see it as a bargain price for looking after a child. I however would not pay it my self as I would rather that I or my wife or the grannies be at home with my kids than to send them out to a childminder. I am sure most Childminders are very good carers but at the end of the day they are doing a job. And everyone I know gets fed up with the job everynow and then. I wouldnt want a fed up employee looking after my kids. I would rather someone with blood ties doing it as they always have the best interests of my children coming first above all others.
Thinking about this logically the minimum wage is currently £5.73 an hour, but I wouldn't class childminding as a minimum wage job, so realistically I would suggest they should be taking at least £7.00+ per hour to cover overheads, holiday pay, etc.
I would imagine that a registered childminder would be looking after a minimum of 2 children so would need to charge at least £3.50 per hour per child to achieve that. If they look after 3 regularly then it could come down to £3 per hour per child - or if 2 children are from the same family they could get a discounted rate.
total agreement with you there. Childminders should get more than minimum wage.
Thinking about this logically the minimum wage is currently £5.73 an hour, but I wouldn't class childminding as a minimum wage job, so realistically I would suggest they should be taking at least £7.00+ per hour to cover overheads, holiday pay, etc.
I would imagine that a registered childminder would be looking after a minimum of 2 children so would need to charge at least £3.50 per hour per child to achieve that. If they look after 3 regularly then it could come down to £3 per hour per child - or if 2 children are from the same family they could get a discounted rate.
I am quite surprised by the replies here, I am curently £3.50 an hour and £1.50 for each for extra siblings from the same family. I was £3.00 and £1.50, but was thinking with the curent financial situation a lot of people are in that maybe it would be fairer to reduce prices again. I like to be fair and I know how it feels to be working and struggling to pay your childcare costs and everything else on a limited wage.
i work in a child day care centre for under fives which charges £125 a week for 5 full days. with discounts for further children. as a childcare worker i fully agree that child care is a very under appreciated profession. the wage i recieve as an early years educator who has a degree and all necessary training is less than that of my OH who just works in a call centre and not by a little by about 3000. it is very shocking but it all goes back to the traditional womens work view. it is not just playing with children everyday although that is the bonus. it is taking care of their every need socially, emotionally and certainly in my area their education. i think it is more than fair to ask £4.00 an hour for the job you do.
Kevin Milkins
31-Dec-08, 13:11
i work in a child day care centre for under fives which charges £125 a week for 5 full days. with discounts for further children. as a childcare worker i fully agree that child care is a very under appreciated profession. the wage i recieve as an early years educator who has a degree and all necessary training is less than that of my OH who just works in a call centre and not by a little by about 3000. it is very shocking but it all goes back to the traditional womens work view. it is not just playing with children everyday although that is the bonus. it is taking care of their every need socially, emotionally and certainly in my area their education. i think it is more than fair to ask £4.00 an hour for the job you do.
Some very good points clover.
I bet you OH will be chuffed as well if he reads this.;)
In an ideal world one wage coming into a house should be enough to pay all the bills and a little left over for holidays and hobbies without having to claim any benefits or tax credits allowing one parent to be at home. However that is not the case for many folk. Nobody should be taking less than minumum wage home every week (apart from those on the dole but thats another topic all together). I voted for the £4 an hour option as it was the most expensive but yet I would see it as a bargain price for looking after a child. I however would not pay it my self as I would rather that I or my wife or the grannies be at home with my kids than to send them out to a childminder. I am sure most Childminders are very good carers but at the end of the day they are doing a job. And everyone I know gets fed up with the job everynow and then. I wouldnt want a fed up employee looking after my kids. I would rather someone with blood ties doing it as they always have the best interests of my children coming first above all others.
My sentiments exactly. Maybe it's a generation thing, but I just can't see the point in having children and then handing them over to other people to bring up. I know that single parents are a different matter, but where there are two parents surely one of them should be the 'childminder'.
igglepiggle
31-Dec-08, 16:49
if you look at it in another point of view, it s good for kids to have time with other people apart from there own family. also if the child is a single child it is good for them to mix and learn to share etc with other children before they go to nursery/school etc. :D
ShelleyCowie
31-Dec-08, 16:59
Wow there are alot of replies on this subject now...maybe should have gotten out of bed before 3pm to catch up! :lol:
My OH's 2 other sons went to Pennyland nursery when they turned 3. I have to say i think it is an excellent nursery! All the staff there are so friendly and always speak! My OH has been going there for several years now with the 2 kids, oldest now in P2 but youngest still in nursery! They are going to be seeing us for a while longer since thats where the wee one is going too! They charge about £1.50 per week, and within that they get activities and food snacks!
But now since pennyland is so busy i think they only take children into the nursery if you intend to put them in the school. But im not sure!
igglepiggle
31-Dec-08, 17:04
nursery's that are part of schools have some of their cost covered by government funding for each year. my kids went to mount pleasant and they charged about the same, where as if you go to the private run nurserys they are also dearer.
nursery's that are part of schools have some of their cost covered by government funding for each year. my kids went to mount pleasant and they charged about the same, where as if you go to the private run nurserys they are also dearer.
very true the child day care centre i work in runs a nursery session everyday. ever child over the age of three is entitled to a free nursery place which is 2 and a half hours a day so the children in my setting that are entitled to this dont pay for that 2 and a half hours but pay for anything over that. it is a private run nursery. the "fees" that council nurseries charge are generally just to cover snacks and outings etc but not for the actual place hence the cheapness.
ShelleyCowie
31-Dec-08, 17:38
Still have to say i like the Pennyland nursery! If i could afford the other nurseries i am sure i would consider them! But the staff at Pennyland have always been extremelly welcoming!
And it just round the corner so no far to walk on cold and miserable days! :lol:
Also most childminders don't charge for their time off and holidays so a bit gets set aside for any time off. :lol:
I'm not sure it's the case that most don't charge for their time off, nursery time and holidays.
I'm not looking forward to paying a huge chunk of my salary for a registered childminder but at the end of the day, it's your child's safety and welfare, which isn't something to gamble with.
My son goes to Three Bears and the staff are amazing, He settled in very quickly. He gets the standard session paid for by the council and I pay around £1.50 per week for snacks etc) and should I need a little extra time to myself he then goes across the playground to "Treats". The cost is £2.50 per hour which I reckon is brilliant.
I am quite surprised by the replies here, I am curently £3.50 an hour and £1.50 for each for extra siblings from the same family. I was £3.00 and £1.50, but was thinking with the curent financial situation a lot of people are in that maybe it would be fairer to reduce prices again. I like to be fair and I know how it feels to be working and struggling to pay your childcare costs and everything else on a limited wage.
How very thoughtful of you unicorn. Most people would be putting it up not down.
If you put it up it directly affects the children you care for, not everything is about cash, happiness, job satisfaction and peace of mind is far more important.
ShelleyCowie
31-Dec-08, 20:55
If you put it up it directly affects the children you care for, not everything is about cash, happiness, job satisfaction and peace of mind is far more important.
Thats really nice Unicorn!
Bobinovich
31-Dec-08, 23:50
...not everything is about cash, happiness, job satisfaction and peace of mind is far more important.
A very true sentiment Unicorn - something I found myself many moons ago and to which I would add 'client satisfaction'. If they are happy with the service and the price then they'll keep coming back, and will be pleased to recommend you too.
igglepiggle
01-Jan-09, 00:40
when you pay for a service you have to be completely happy with it, and most important you child is happy there. is there plently for the children to do, painting, drawing, play-dough, baking, outings, crafts, toys, music time, story time, children sharing time etc etc, i agree with unicorn about the paperwork, there is a lot of paperwork involved and also courses that you have to keep up to date and also your policies, there is then the accounts etc that has to be done, and then your evaluation and inspection. there is so much to childminding, some people just think it is looking after children, but there is loads more to it.
mr do dar
01-Jan-09, 12:34
we had a child minder and she was £3.00 an hour and £1.00 a day for food nappies and everything else and she was £1.50 for a second child .
but a child minder can have 4 children at a time and if you do your maths thats £12.00 per hour not including food and bits they can charge you for
ShelleyCowie
01-Jan-09, 12:41
I still think that child minders should charge minimum wage! Why not i say! They are doing a job...if we started a job somewhere and we were getting £3 per hour...would you not kick up a fuss? I know i would!
I know a few child minders and alot of work is included! As previous people have said they have to be extremelly up to date with paper work, inspections, first aid, how to interact with children etc etc!
I say a well done to all child minders out there! You all do a good job! ;)
changilass
01-Jan-09, 17:29
we had a child minder and she was £3.00 an hour and £1.00 a day for food nappies and everything else and she was £1.50 for a second child .
but a child minder can have 4 children at a time and if you do your maths thats £12.00 per hour not including food and bits they can charge you for
You pay a damned site more for a plumber and they aint looking after your kids. I know which is more important to me and it aint my pipes lol
I get what u mean! Dont like the thot of sayin a goodbye too him! Bad enuf just goin shoppin or something! :~( Breaks ma heart leavin him for anythin at all! Am just too attached!
Wouldn't worry too much bout it, when he's only wee it's understandable that he's attached to you and you're attached to him. He's your baby and always will be. ;)
When he hits nursery he'll be ready for leaving you for a few hours a day to play with friends.
Hopefully you find a good childminder who'll be able to calm him down. yor wee lad is only wee and won't want to be separated from his mummy. Good luck on your search.:Razz
Thinking about this logically the minimum wage is currently £5.73 an hour, but I wouldn't class childminding as a minimum wage job as fees charged are based on per child, so realistically I would suggest they should be taking at least £7.00+ per hour to cover overheads, holiday pay, etc.
I would imagine that a registered childminder would be looking after a minimum of 2 children so would need to charge at least £3.50 per hour per child to achieve that. If they look after 3 regularly then it could come down to £3 per hour per child - or if 2 children are from the same family they could get a discounted rate.
You're right here. £3.50 is the lowest a nursery will charge for jus one session of 2 and half hours. Nurseries and childminders are not classed as minimum wage and therefore if you want your child to experience the joy of playing with other children their own age and to learn in an environment which is suited jus for them and their needs then the cost is nothing to what you're giving your child.
when you pay for a service you have to be completely happy with it, and most important you child is happy there. is there plently for the children to do, painting, drawing, play-dough, baking, outings, crafts, toys, music time, story time, children sharing time etc etc, i agree with unicorn about the paperwork, there is a lot of paperwork involved and also courses that you have to keep up to date and also your policies, there is then the accounts etc that has to be done, and then your evaluation and inspection. there is so much to childminding, some people just think it is looking after children, but there is loads more to it.
Agree with you here. There is a lot to child care that people don't see and don't think we have to do to ensure the children's needs are fulfilled and that they have appropriate activities for their age,stage and development. the outdated view is that it's jus playing with the children and doesn't count as a hard working job.
We don't have kids but have two labradors - the boys! - and I would rather pay a higher amount to know that they are being well look after rather than use the cheapest place. We have tried about four different kennels since being up here and now travel about 35 miles to get to the one we choose to use.
The boys to us are just like kids - they rely on someone else to care for them - and I'd spend my last penny on them if I needed to. The reality is the service children and dogs etc require is a business and they need to heat their homes and feed their families as much as you or I.
Just my 2ps' worth :-)
I have used two childminders in the past, the first was a disaster and had to take my kids out and I paid about £4.00 per hour and did not get a good service at all. I would be more than happy to pay£4.00 per hour if I knew my kids were well looked after and stimulated throughout the day.
And unicorn, I have been saying it for a long time you need to up your prices the children are well looked after with you, played with and educated. I know from personal experience a brilliant childminder who deserves to get paid for all the hard work and long hours put in.
forevera123
04-Jan-09, 16:03
even 2pound is too much for us,that s why we don't plan a big family.unless we could afford to pay for the childcare.life is hard:(
nightspirit
04-Jan-09, 17:02
the cheapes around where i am is on average 4.50 ph and that is no the best ones if you get my drift for a decent one aroung Glasgow you would be looking at up to £7.20 ph !! 20hrs pw that works out at £144 is why we dont get one and only i woprk - the nursery is not cheap at £15 per day if you book a place and keep that week on wee - any longer hrs or extra days are charched at a dearer rate.
Daisy thank you very much for such a kind comment, you made me blush. It makes all the difference when you enjoy your work and want to do your best for the little ones :D.
I pay £3 an hour for the first and £2.40 an hour for the second. I make 6.34 an hour so technically I make 98p an hour. However when you take into account the bus ticket into work I aint making anything. We dont get help from the government as my partner is on a higher wage however my partner comes with his debts, and children to pay for from a previous relationship. Having a mortgage and children of our own also adds up or takes the pennies away. It doesnt pay for me to work however I love my job and I work. I know there are many people in the same situation as myself its hard but it will be easier.
Most Registered childminders can have a maximum of 6 children at any one time but no more than 3 not yet attending primary school, no more than 1 under 12 months and 2 under 2 years, so the others will be before and after school care.
With before and after school care you are restricted as you have to ensure that when holiday time comes that you can provide a space for these children if it is needed, which in turn restricts your intake for the rest of the year when you may not be so busy. That is why most childminders will charge a small retainer during the year as in most cases they are losing out all year by holding these spaces for clients at no charge.
Childminders that offer a discount on the rate for more than 1 child from the same family lose out because if you have 3 individual children all coming at the same time (which in itself is rare) yes you would earn £10.50 an hour but if you take on 3 sibling you would be doing the same hours and same work for £6.50 an hour.
Registered childminders are governed by the care commission and our numbers are set, it is very difficult to have any leeway on these numbers.
ShelleyCowie
08-Jan-09, 17:53
In a way i think childminders have it hard! They follow extremelly strict rules, constant up to date training!
Why dont all u childminders take a sit down and a good hard pat on the back! U deserve it! I know i cud never do ur job! That many kids freak me out! hahaha! I thot havin my own son then my partner has another 2 boys was bad enuf! haha!
So well done Unicorn for all ur work with children! ;)
jinglejangle
09-Jan-09, 20:24
I pay £3 an hour for the first and £2.40 an hour for the second. I make 6.34 an hour so technically I make 98p an hour. However when you take into account the bus ticket into work I aint making anything. We dont get help from the government as my partner is on a higher wage however my partner comes with his debts, and children to pay for from a previous relationship. Having a mortgage and children of our own also adds up or takes the pennies away. It doesnt pay for me to work however I love my job and I work. I know there are many people in the same situation as myself its hard but it will be easier.
Think your thread is worded wrong!! you work for nothing because you love your job - so you would rather do the job you love for nothing than look after your kids yourself?! Sure you didn't mean it like that but thats what comes across. I know a few people in this situation and I don't understand why they would miss out on the time with their kids when it actually works out they are doing their job for nothing?:eek:
So you can keep your job... In this climate its probably better to cling to your job working for nothing while the kids are wee so you still have a job that will pay when the kids are bigger and go to nursery and school:~(
percy toboggan
09-Jan-09, 22:40
The options were all too low.
Why would anyone want to look after someone elses child for less than a fiver an hour ?
The bald truth is that children belong with their parents. If you can't or won't look after them yourself/selves then why bother having them in the first place?
Of course there are exceptions some waste-of-space fathers scarper and they leave Mum in the lurch....a conscientuous Mum will always try to work for a living but must be torn apart emotionally.
So, there are no doubt some women who have to resort to full time work but....
Those women who say 'it'd drive me nuts to stay at home all day with my kids' are in my opinion decidedly second rate. For God's sake it's only a few short years...when they're school age you can get a part time job. What occupation can be as rewarding for a good mother as seeing their own child every day for hours when they're between zero and five years old.
It might drive me nuts but I'm a bloke...and wired up differently.Women are superior creatures and good Mothers are simply the best of all.
Do without the fripperies of life, the big telly, the Spanish sun-burn, the designer clothes etc... you don't need 'em. Look after your kids or don't be surprised if they go awry..they might do anyway but palming 'em off on strangers is usually a sure fire loser.
ShelleyCowie
10-Jan-09, 01:58
The options were all too low.
Why would anyone want to look after someone elses child for less than a fiver an hour ?
The bald truth is that children belong with their parents. If you can't or won't look after them yourself/selves then why bother having them in the first place?
Of course there are exceptions some waste-of-space fathers scarper and they leave Mum in the lurch....a conscientuous Mum will always try to work for a living but must be torn apart emotionally.
So, there are no doubt some women who have to resort to full time work but....
Those women who say 'it'd drive me nuts to stay at home all day with my kids' are in my opinion decidedly second rate. For God's sake it's only a few short years...when they're school age you can get a part time job. What occupation can be as rewarding for a good mother as seeing their own child every day for hours when they're between zero and five years old.
It might drive me nuts but I'm a bloke...and wired up differently.Women are superior creatures and good Mothers are simply the best of all.
Do without the fripperies of life, the big telly, the Spanish sun-burn, the designer clothes etc... you don't need 'em. Look after your kids or don't be surprised if they go awry..they might do anyway but palming 'em off on strangers is usually a sure fire loser.
Good comments in there! I am staying at home with my son! Decided that a long time ago! I cant miss my sons first steps/words etc etc
My son is the light of my day! Dont mind not having a lye in til 12 noon just to wake up hearing him giggle and gooing to himself!
When he goes to school then i will get a part time job during school hours!
The options were all too low.
Why would anyone want to look after someone elses child for less than a fiver an hour ?
The bald truth is that children belong with their parents. If you can't or won't look after them yourself/selves then why bother having them in the first place?
Of course there are exceptions some waste-of-space fathers scarper and they leave Mum in the lurch....a conscientuous Mum will always try to work for a living but must be torn apart emotionally.
So, there are no doubt some women who have to resort to full time work but....
Those women who say 'it'd drive me nuts to stay at home all day with my kids' are in my opinion decidedly second rate. For God's sake it's only a few short years...when they're school age you can get a part time job. What occupation can be as rewarding for a good mother as seeing their own child every day for hours when they're between zero and five years old.
It might drive me nuts but I'm a bloke...and wired up differently.Women are superior creatures and good Mothers are simply the best of all.
Do without the fripperies of life, the big telly, the Spanish sun-burn, the designer clothes etc... you don't need 'em. Look after your kids or don't be surprised if they go awry..they might do anyway but palming 'em off on strangers is usually a sure fire loser.
Well said, Percy, especially the bit about having kids in the first place if you don't want to look after them yourself.
Surprise surprise
Bash the working mum!!!! I worked all my life because I had to not for spanish holidays or big tellys or designer clothes but to put food on the table, clothes on the children and a roof over our head. I had holesin my shoes on occasions. It was a time when my first husband was in and out of work - not cos he was any sort of waster but because that was the economy of the late 80s and early 90s. It was a necessity that i worked. Neither of us were on big money and didnt have a huge mortgage but one wage was not sufficient to meet our bills. Full stop. I would have given anything to be able to stay at home with the boys but i couldnt and I am not the only one. To assume all working mums are working for luxuries or dont want to look after the children themselves is just not true and can be very hurtful to people trying to do their best for their families.
If you are a working mum then you make the best of what you have, you make decisions for YOUR family based on YOUR circumstances and no-one NO-ONE should look down their noses at you for doing what you have to do to get by in this life. As long as your children are cared for and loved and any childcare you have is responsible and good quality then you are doing the best for your family and everyone else can just keep their judgemental remarks to themselves.
I am lucky, I'm a stay at home mum now. Its hardwork but its rewarding and we can just about manage financially but I would never ever ever knock anyone who has to work.
edayhouse
10-Jan-09, 16:09
well i am a registered childminder in Thurso and i have got to say that i love my job.....i personally think that £4 per hour is the lowest that childminders should charge, when you take into account taking the children to toddler groups, lunches, snacks, days out, wipes, petrol etc it really isnt alot to be charging.
I think that the best way to find a good childminder is to go and visit a few - the websites are a great tool to find address details etc but i personally feel that you need to meet the person to get a better understanding of what they are about and how they will interact with your child(s) - it is also really important that you as a parent have a good rapour with them too
ok going off on another topic
anyway thats my view - interesting topic!
Surprise surprise
Bash the working mum!!!! I worked all my life because I had to not for spanish holidays or big tellys or designer clothes but to put food on the table, clothes on the children and a roof over our head. I had holesin my shoes on occasions. It was a time when my first husband was in and out of work - not cos he was any sort of waster but because that was the economy of the late 80s and early 90s. It was a necessity that i worked. Neither of us were on big money and didnt have a huge mortgage but one wage was not sufficient to meet our bills. Full stop. I would have given anything to be able to stay at home with the boys but i couldnt and I am not the only one. To assume all working mums are working for luxuries or dont want to look after the children themselves is just not true and can be very hurtful to people trying to do their best for their families.
If you are a working mum then you make the best of what you have, you make decisions for YOUR family based on YOUR circumstances and no-one NO-ONE should look down their noses at you for doing what you have to do to get by in this life. As long as your children are cared for and loved and any childcare you have is responsible and good quality then you are doing the best for your family and everyone else can just keep their judgemental remarks to themselves.
I am lucky, I'm a stay at home mum now. Its hardwork but its rewarding and we can just about manage financially but I would never ever ever knock anyone who has to work.
Squidge, nobody is having a go at working mums in general. I've been in the same position as you, and hated it as much as you do. For a while, I had to leave my children with my husband while I went out to work in order to pay the bills. That is better than both parents staying at home and expecting the state to keep the whole family.
If we are having a go at anyone, it is the parents who decide even before the birth of the child that both parents will continue to work full-time. This is tantamount to saying that their careers are more important than what is really the most important career in the world - parenthood.
percy toboggan
10-Jan-09, 17:13
Surprise surprise
Bash the working mum!!!! I worked all my life because I had to not for spanish holidays or big tellys or designer clothes but to put food on the table, clothes on the children and a roof over our head. .
You obviously did not read my post properly - I assume you're riposting me anyway.
Tell me there was not a huge part of you that would rather have been at home if circumstances had permitted.
(I do not look down my nose at anybody - it's such a long way and things get fugged up at that range.) I am however judgemental...especially of women who are 'bored' or 'driven mad' by their own children.
You have resorted to knee jerk hositlity in an eager to be offended kind of way..surprise , surprise indeed.
My own daughter has had to work so far to bring up her daughter. Part-time...largely because the feckless injection (think about it) who sired our pride and joy has never even seen her, despite being betrothed and a mere two months off a wedding date when he was elbowed.
igglepiggle
10-Jan-09, 20:35
Surprise surprise
Bash the working mum!!!! I worked all my life because I had to not for spanish holidays or big tellys or designer clothes but to put food on the table, clothes on the children and a roof over our head. I had holesin my shoes on occasions. It was a time when my first husband was in and out of work - not cos he was any sort of waster but because that was the economy of the late 80s and early 90s. It was a necessity that i worked. Neither of us were on big money and didnt have a huge mortgage but one wage was not sufficient to meet our bills. Full stop. I would have given anything to be able to stay at home with the boys but i couldnt and I am not the only one. To assume all working mums are working for luxuries or dont want to look after the children themselves is just not true and can be very hurtful to people trying to do their best for their families.
If you are a working mum then you make the best of what you have, you make decisions for YOUR family based on YOUR circumstances and no-one NO-ONE should look down their noses at you for doing what you have to do to get by in this life. As long as your children are cared for and loved and any childcare you have is responsible and good quality then you are doing the best for your family and everyone else can just keep their judgemental remarks to themselves.
I am lucky, I'm a stay at home mum now. Its hardwork but its rewarding and we can just about manage financially but I would never ever ever knock anyone who has to work.
i completely agree with you here, everyone one has different situations!! people complain that some people cant be bothered working and live off benefits and then the others complain when you are working and trying to do the best for your kids, but then saying why have kids when you put them to others to look after!! some people enjoy having there time out time with adult company and a bonus is to earn some extra money even if it is just to get by!!
i completely agree with you here, everyone one has different situations!! people complain that some people cant be bothered working and live off benefits and then the others complain when you are working and trying to do the best for your kids, but then saying why have kids when you put them to others to look after!! some people enjoy having there time out time with adult company and a bonus is to earn some extra money even if it is just to get by!!
So true I once worked night shift in a nursing home and was given a hard time by a member of staff who believed women should not work after having children. She got her comeuppance, as I ended up working with her daughter who was ....yup you guessed it a "working mum". I was also married before to a man with, what my mother called "Beer money and Champagne tastes". I worked to pay for his "neccesities". I am now remarried and am able to be a stay at home mum but would like to work through choice but its MY choice.
Eager to be offended - maybe I am but i have had twenty years of listening to people implying that I was not good enough as a mother or a wife because I worked. Suggesting that somehow I was failing my children because I "chose" to put them to a well respected registered childminder. They clearly thought that I had my priorities wrong and was spending my money on gin and chocolates or affording the finer things in life when on occasions we could barely meet our bills! So forgive me when i challenge those judgements at every available opportunity.
And as for Women who do choose to work they may have worked hard for a career, that career might be very very important to them, it might be part of who they are - should they give it up on having a child? They may simply enjoy the society of having a life outside the home - is that wrong? I dont beleive so. What a child needs is a mother who is happy and settled and enjoying her own life so that she can enjoy the life she has with her children. Being miserable resentful and depressed by being at home, as some women are is not a great way to be a good mother.
Spending hours with your child might be someone's idea of heaven but it isnt actually that! I would be delighted to spend hours playing with the baby - thats never a problem - he is delightful, but the washing up, ironing, trailing around tesco, vacuuming, dusting and cleaning the kitchen floor dont stimulate me intellectually! On occasions I might clear out the laundry cupboard for a bit of extra stimulation but it doesnt last long. I love being at home with my baby but i know it wont be forever. I know that i will be going back to work at some point - not for the money but because - despite the extra buzz i get from it - the laundry cupboard somehow isnt quite enough!!!
jinglejangle
10-Jan-09, 21:47
i completely agree with you here, everyone one has different situations!! people complain that some people cant be bothered working and live off benefits and then the others complain when you are working and trying to do the best for your kids, but then saying why have kids when you put them to others to look after!! some people enjoy having there time out time with adult company and a bonus is to earn some extra money even if it is just to get by!!
but the point here is people are saying they are working for literally 'nothing' - i can't see point in having kids if you are going to put them to a childminder to go to a job and earn 'nothing'????
Wow this has kicked off a bit. Did you light a firework Percy :) Touched a raw nerve with some folks. I am not surprised it is a highly emotive subject. Some folk have big deliberations over what is best for the kids and family and feel guilty about working not seeing the kids etc and have to make difficult judgement calls. In my experience of children, My job allows me to work full time and see a lot of my kids, I am very lucky. My wife works parts time and between me and the extended family our children are well looked after without outsourcing. This for us is the best situation for our circumstances. I personally would prefer to be an at home dad but apparently my idea of dusting and hoovering is not quite up to the other halfs standards !!! I know of folk who did want to work after having kids but after childcare costs they would of been out of pocket so didnt. I also know folk where both parents work fulltime. It takes allsorts and I can say that just because a mother works doesnt make her a bad mum. If she is doing everything else well the children are fine. However there are plenty mums who work and dont spend the time with the kids after work and the children suffer from the lack of motherly attention. There are also stay at home mums who sit and watch TV all day claiming benefits and allow the kids to run wild with no parental input and expect the tax payer to pick up the tab. These to my mind are the worst offenders. If the decisions you have made for your family are chosen because you are genuinely trying your best for your kids then good on you. if you are only doing it for an easy life/extra money then I think you are wrong and doing your children a great injustice.
igglepiggle
10-Jan-09, 23:15
Wow this has kicked off a bit. Did you light a firework Percy :) Touched a raw nerve with some folks. I am not surprised it is a highly emotive subject. Some folk have big deliberations over what is best for the kids and family and feel guilty about working not seeing the kids etc and have to make difficult judgement calls. In my experience of children, My job allows me to work full time and see a lot of my kids, I am very lucky. My wife works parts time and between me and the extended family our children are well looked after without outsourcing. This for us is the best situation for our circumstances. I personally would prefer to be an at home dad but apparently my idea of dusting and hoovering is not quite up to the other halfs standards !!! I know of folk who did want to work after having kids but after childcare costs they would of been out of pocket so didnt. I also know folk where both parents work fulltime. It takes allsorts and I can say that just because a mother works doesnt make her a bad mum. If she is doing everything else well the children are fine. However there are plenty mums who work and dont spend the time with the kids after work and the children suffer from the lack of motherly attention. There are also stay at home mums who sit and watch TV all day claiming benefits and allow the kids to run wild with no parental input and expect the tax payer to pick up the tab. These to my mind are the worst offenders. If the decisions you have made for your family are chosen because you are genuinely trying your best for your kids then good on you. if you are only doing it for an easy life/extra money then I think you are wrong and doing your children a great injustice.
well said!!
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