First of all, hello and well done. You are about to start something utterly brilliant, utterly amazing even. And I’ll bet you’re feeling a whole bunch of things at once. Excited. Terrified. Curious. A bit sick. Wondering if this will work, if you’ll be good enough and, the big one, will anyone actually pick me?
I want you to know that every single childminder has felt exactly that. It doesn’t matter if you went through an agency or Ofsted, if you’re in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, if you’ve been around children for twenty years or none. We all stood in our living rooms looking at the empty toy shelves thinking, “what on earth have I done?” It’s normal. It means you care.
Will they pick me?
Let’s talk about that one, because nobody says it out loud.
My first September, nobody enquired. Not one phone call. I remember having to ask my husband for money, and I honestly thought I’d made a huge mistake. Then two January babies arrived.
The empty spaces at the start are not a sign you’re no good. Most families don’t look for a childminder in the middle of summer. They look when they need one. Hang on in there.
Go and be brave in your community
When you first start, advertising is key. A lot of it is on social media these days, and that’s fine, but I don’t think you can beat word of mouth. Get out into the community. Put a little notice up on the community boards, at the doctor’s surgery, the library, the local soft play. Go in, say hello, introduce yourself. They can then pass your details on to parents who walk in looking.
I’ll be honest, this is easier if you’ve got your own child with you, because people chat to you. Not every childminder is already a parent, and walking in on your own takes a different kind of bravery. Do it anyway. The first time is the hardest.
Find your people and be picky about your sources
You’ll want support that fits you, and it’s out there, but be careful. Social media is lovely and I’m on it all the time, but it isn’t always right. Different areas have different rules, not every local authority is the same, and a lot of what gets shared is someone’s opinion that’s turned into a “fact”.
I’m in England, so my list leans that way. I look at my local authority first, then Ofsted then Department for Education pages and the Stronger Practice Hubs. For support organisations I look at PACEY, Childminding UK and the Early Years Alliance. If you’re in Scotland, the Scottish Childminding Association is your one, and in Wales and Northern Ireland check your own regulator and childminding body.
It’s a lot to read, and it can be information overload at the start. Find other childminders near you and talk to them. Someone local who says “yes, that’s how they do it here” is gold. And if the reading is swallowing you whole, there are tools that can help. I wrote about how I came to use AI and why, and it might help you too.
Your own rules, your own adventures
Here’s the bit I really want you to hold onto. The freedom is incredible.
When a little one tells you they love trains, you can pop them in the car and go to the local train museum. Or you can walk down to the track and stand there waiting until a train goes past, and watch their face light up. You can follow their interests on the day, on a whim, with no red tape. The permission forms are done, the policies are written and the risk assessments are in place, so you just go. A nursery, a preschool or a school can’t quite match that. It’s magic. You get to nurture wonder and spark curiosity in little people, and you get to do it your way, with your own unique skills and your own magic.
It’s a lot, so look after you
Now the honest bit. You’re also running your own business. You’re the manager, the cleaner, the admin, the HR, the safeguarding lead and the first aider, all rolled into one. You organise your own training and your own appraisals, and nobody hands you a rest day unless you hand it to yourself.
You are the business. If you’re ill or run down or tired, it shows. You can’t give your best to those lovely curious children if you’ve got nothing left to give. So tailor your hours, set your boundaries, know your limits and make your downtime non negotiable.
People talk about stress and burnout, but hardly anyone explains what to look for, or how to tell a tough week from something more. Nervous system education isn’t taught in schools, and I think it should be. It’s much easier to look after yourself early than to recover later. If you learn to listen when your body whispers, you won’t have to wait until it screams. I’ve got a whole wellbeing section for this, so dip into it as you need it.
One last thing
You are going to have days that go wrong. You’ll also have the day a child sees something for the first time and turns to you to share it, or the day they say your name. That’s the job. Come and find us when you need us, because we’ve all been where you are.
Keep reading
Feeling run down? Looking After You
Want to run your setting your way? Know Your Values, Set Your Boundaries
Curious about AI? How I Came to Use AI
With love and a very big cuppa,
Claire x
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