Meet Frances, from Cheeky Monkeys Childminding…..
Frances is a childminder and the owner of Cheeky Monkeys in Exmouth. She lives with her husband and two children Anya and Evan. Family member Fire(a horse) also lives nearby!
Frances launched Cheeky Monkeys in 2009, and now juggles her successful business with family life. She’s absolutely passionate about her role as a childminder, but what does she like doing in her spare time and why did she decide to become a childminder? Let’s find out more!
Frances, tell us bit about yourself
I am a highly motivated creative person who is commited to giving 110% to whatever I do, be it work or pleasure. I am very approachable and always do my utmost to help others and make them feel at ease. I am reliable and trustworthy and take pride in handling delicate situations with tact and diplomacy.
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I am a keen equestrian and keep a horse at a nearby livery stables. Horses are my passion and one that I share with my daughter. I am also a keen cyclist although since buying my own horse most of my spare time is spoken for.
Cats are one of my other loves. We have two beautiful Maine Coon cats, named Bali and Isla. I chose this particular breed as they are known to have a wonderful friendly temperament and this is very much the case with these lovely family members. Of course, like most cats Bali and Isla are virtually nocturnal so tend to sleep peacefully throughout the majority of my working day. However, they do make the occasional day time appearance and come on the scene around tea time. They are an exciting feature for the children to see and have closely supervised contact with. The cats are particularly soft and gentle and there promote confidence in the children as they start to interact with animals.
What do you enjoy doing locally with your family?
We are a very active, outdoorsy family and really enjoy making the most of our local area with, for example, trips to Exmouth seafront to enjoy the beach, fishing trips, paddle boarding and stopping at The Grove for refreshment; cycling on Woodbury Common and the Exmouth/Topsham cycle path and winding up at The Swan Inn, Lympstone, for a bite and a drink.
Have you always lived in this area?
I first came to Exmouth as a student undertaking the Equine Management course at Bicton College, East Budleigh and then returned to take my degree at Rolle College which at the time was a faculty of Plymouth University. I later worked at Rolle College in Programme Administration working my way up through the ranks from Admin Assistant to Senior Programme Administrator.
Why did you decide to become a childminder?
When the Faculty closed I accepted redundancy and retrained as a personal trainer. At this stage I had two children under the age of 3 and a husband often away with the forces so it wasn’t too long until I realised that the demands of this career choice clashed with that of my very young family. A Rolle College friend suggested becoming a childminder, at least in the short term, so that is what I did and the rest is history……9 years later I am still childminding!
What do you love about your job?
I derive enormous satisfaction from delivering a high quality childcare service. Getting to know each child, discovering their specific needs and striving to ensure that their first transition into a setting is as positive and stress-free as possible is extremely rewarding. Being a childminder is challenging — I have to constantly evolve — adjusting my provision in line with individual children’s needs, parents and governments requirements. I am someone who thrives on challenge so I embrace this aspect of my work. l also love being my own boss and having the freedom to make improvements and adjustments as I see fit.
If you weren’t a childminder what would your dream job be?
If I could choose another job it would have to be something horse related. This was how I started out in my adult life with dreams of becoming a 3 day event rider or running my own equestrian centre for training young horses, which was stopped in its tracks through a back injury in my early twentys.
What does a normal day look like for you?
Well, I start my day with a trip to the livery yard to attend to my horse, Fire, then back home to help get my children ready for school. All such preparations are complete prior to the first minded child arriving. The playroom is all set up ready to welcome little ones in and I am able to give them my undivided attention. Then the childminding day begins which varies according to which children/babies are in but always includes lots of fun stimulating activites both indoors and out,, sociable meal and snack times, relaxing down time and naps and most days some kind of outing.
What is your biggest achievement?
My biggest personal achievement is managing to have two gorgeous healthy children who were first and third time lucky on IVF treatment. We had thought we might not be able to have children at all so this was an incredible result.
In terms of work, my biggest achievement is having been awarded Outstanding for both of my two Ofsted inspections since becoming a childminder.
How do you unwind after a busy day?
There is often not much evening left by the time I finish everything but has to be a hot shower followed by a dose of whatever box set I’m into — providing I can stay awake long enough ha ha!
Tell us an interesting fact about you.
We had a sheep farm when I was growing up and one day when my father was out I was keeping an eye on an expectant ewe. She was having trouble lambing and the labour was non progressive for a good two hours. I remember running inside to cut off my finger nails, using the lubricant gel and going in to pull out the lamb which might well have died otherwise. I had seen my dad do this many times before but I had to dig deep to find the confidence to do this.
If you had a week off work and money was no object what would you do with that week, and who with?
I would take the family away to Bali for a holiday. My husband and I were married in Bali 18 years ago and it was an incredible experience. The weather and the location were amazing. I would love to take the kids to show them where mummy and daddy got married and just to relive those memories.
Thanks for talking to us Frances!
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