I have heard of several child minders who are concerned that their own children are jealous of the ones they are looking after.
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I always knew that my own children, especially my youngest benefited from me being a child minder more here,
But on a rare occasion one of them did make a negative comment about a child that I was caring for:-
One very young girl called me mummy more here ( I think she had heard my son calling me this and she thought it was my name, rather than actually thinking that I was her mum) and my son told her “She’s my mummy, not yours!”
And another time when I collected my youngest from his first day at school he asked me “Why have you got him ( pointing at child holding my hand) while I am at school?”
During the school holidays when I had extra children my eldest said that it wasn’t fair that we had so many children come to our house.
Although I did often let him have a friend over too, so it wasn’t all about child minding.
Later that evening when the looked after children had gone home, I told my son that if he really wasn’t happy about the looked after children I would find a different job and he could choose which child minder he wanted to go to. It took him no time at all to decide that having a child minder as a mum wasn’t so bad after all!
I think the key is to include your own children in the daily running of being a home based child minder, if possible.
By maybe letting them choose which activities everyone could do etc.
Have your children been jealous of the children you look after?
Please share any experiences.
As always questions and comments are welcome.
Until next time.
Karen
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I can understand that there could be difficult times for a childminder with thier own children but you obviously managed really well.
Thanks, Pearl
I found very quickly that my own 2 children didn’t react to having children of peer age here. Once they are the oldest in the group they were fine. I also had to have the “I can get a job elsewhere if it would make you feel better”. They too decided at the word “afterschool” that being home was better. I now don’t work Fridays so my own kids get a bit of time out for their own play dates etc. Working out well.
That’s great, thanks for taking the time to share, Ann
Definitely an occupational hazard, but you have given solid help!
Thank you, Michele
Interesting. It must be tricky for them watching their home and mum get taken over by others. But glad you sorted it out! #MischiefandMemories
Thank, Lydia
Mine weren’t bothered by sharing me they were more fed up with sharing their house. As teenagers they hated living in a baby house and wished they had grown up home like their friends! Apparently it’s embarrassing. So far the eldest never wants kids, the second one does and the third never ever wants kids. The youngest is only 9 and we haven’t got there yet lol
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience, Carol, it is appreciated