How to become a Childminder

How to become a Childminder Do you love children? Do you relish looking after other peoples as well as your own and volunteer to babysit regularly? Then being a Childminder could be the ideal career for you.Childminders take care of youngsters in their own homes, including babies and pre-schoolers during the day and older children after school before their parents return from work.A typical working week will involve:Making children feel happy and secure while they are away from their parentsFeeding them according to their dietary requirementsChanging nappies where appropriateOrganising and implementing learning-related play to benefit the childrens developmentTaking older children to school and collecting them afterwardsIs it right for me?Needless to say, youre going to have to really love kids to embark on a career as a Childminder, because youll be seeing a lot of them. Youll also have to be prepared to set part of your home up to accommodate them safely and you need to be at least 18 for legal reasons.Child minders mostly set their own hours, but youll have to be prepared to do some evening and early morning work, and your energy and enthusiasm will need to be a constant whatever the time of day.Other qualities good Childminders will possess include:A sense of humourEndless patienceAn awareness of health, safety and child development issuesKnowledge about child protection requirementsGood communication skills both with parents and childrenThe ability to organise your own tax and accountancy affairs, as youll be self-employedWhat's it really like? I became a Childminder after having my own kids and deciding I didn't want to return to working in an office environment. Of course, it's challenging when a child is upset or wreaking havoc, but the rewards are well worth it. I can make a real difference to children's lives - plus I spend a good part of almost every day laughing. Who else is lucky enough to be able to say that? Get qualifiedIt isnt necessary to have a degree to become a Child minder. However, you will need to register with Ofsted and pass an inspection before you can begin taking children on. Some industry specific qualifications including the Level 3 Childminding Course Online and   Child Care Diploma Level 3 are also a great way to validate your skills.