This is a question that I have been asked:- When I was a child minder I did allow the children to bring their own toys occasionally, but they and often their parents had to understand that they would need to share them with the other children. ( my own children were told that if they…
Every child deserves to have a toy that looks like them (whether they have a different skin colour, disability or something else that makes them a little different from’ average’ children). When I was working as a registered child minder I had dolls with varying skin tones ( black ,white and yellow) in my play…
When thinking of a gift to buy for a newborn baby people often decide on a teddy bear or other cuddly toy/stuffed animal. Although these may look cute do they actually serve a purpose and benefit the child? The simple answer is yes: As well as being a comfort to a child, a cuddly toy…
This was a question that I have seen on one of my social media platforms. My middle son used to enjoy playing with a neighbours children, We often went there for a coffee. I noticed that he particularly liked playing with the dolls. So for his 3rd birthday I bought him a doll. I admit…
Now that summer is here at last (and we have had some pretty amazing weather so far) use this as an opportunity to get your children out into the garden as it is a great place for children to run around and get some fresh air and exercise. The addition of a few toys will…
A few weeks ago a daytime television programme did a report about toxic toys. It said that a bath toy which hasn’t been washed and dried thoroughly can contain more bacteria than found on the floor of a public toilet. Toys with holes in them allow water in and because it is then trapped it…
Parents may wander what exactly they should put into their child’s bag when going to a registered child minder:_ When I was working as a child minder I asked parents to pack an extra set of clothes; in case of an accident ( I also kept a bag of spare clothes that my own children…
I have worked with Best learning in the past http://www.bestlearning.com So when I was given the opportunity to review another of their educational toys, I jumped at the chance. My Geobloxhttps://bestlearning.com/products/best-learning-my-geo-bo xis a set of sorting and building blocks, which help young children to learn colours and shapes. Along with the blocks there is a…
I have recently joined a new mother and baby walking group and several of the mothers have said that they have issues with making their children sit in a buggy. Let’s look at this from the Childs point of view; they have just learned to walk after lots of praise and encouragement from their parents…
Fun Affordable Easter Holiday Activities for children As Easter approaches, it’s time to plan some delightful activities to keep the childrenentertained and immersed in the holiday spirit. Whether you prefer indoor or outdoor fun. Here are 6 fun Easter holiday activities that children of all ages will enjoy. The onething you will need to purchase…
Deddy bears are not your average teddy bears. Deddy bears are a collection of 8 different DEAD cute plush toys, that are scary, but still cute and sofI tenough to cuddle I. was sent the following Deddy bears: Squash: Squash is rather cute with his big smile. Vambear: Vambear is a litle more scary because…
This book has a lovely bright, colourful front cover, enticing readers to want to look inside. What would happen if Santa was ill? This delightful children’s book explains with fun, rhyming text how everyone in Santa’s grotto coped when the big man was unwell with flu. Children will love hearing and seeing the illustrations showing…
A registered child minderwas asking for tips on this subject on social media. When I was working as a registered child minder, I had a system that worked for me and the children, We would tidy away the toys, by making it fun. I said “What time is it?” and the children would answer “Tidy…
With the cost of living rising almost daily, parents and carers will be wanting to save money whenever possible. These are some of my ideas:- Make window shopping a fun activity; I have spent quite some over the years time just looking in shops rather than buying with my own children, grandchildren and the ones…
Tracy who is in the process of becoming a registered child minder has requested this post. During the pre-registration inspection, the inspector is assessing your suitability to become a registered child minder: This will include a look around your home, to ensure that it’s safe for children: The inspector will want to see where the…
Tabitha has reached out for help on this topic: When I was a registered child minder I had a few house rules that the children were aware of: One of the rules was that food was eaten at the kitchen table. One morning when a parent was dropping off her two children they decided that…
My biggest tip for a successful bath time is to get everything ready in the bathroom before you start: Then you won’t have to quickly dash out to grab some pyjamas ( a child can drown extremely quickly in just a few inches of water so MUST NEVER be left alone at all). Make sure…
W e all know that parents ( and non-parents) cope better after having a good nights sleep. The key to getting a sucessful bedtime for children is to have a ROUTINE; When my children were young our bedtime routine was to have a warm bath, with some bubbles and a few toys to make it…
I was sent the croissant cafe and a box of 5 mouse figures for this review. The cafe has opening double doors to the front and a balcony which opens to a loft room which has room for the included bed. Also included were 2 exclusive mouse figures; Sparkle and cupcake( who has a cake…
I came across a question on Facebook were a person who was just starting a career as a registered child minder asked how many toys she needed to begin with. Anyone wanting to become a child minder ( and why wouldn’t you) more here needs to get the essentials sorted first, that is, registering with…
I chose the Magneti’ book from the wide range of gifts and educational toys for both girls and boys available from Wicked uncle herehttps://www.wickeduncle.co.uk/presents/girls/age-11ecause I knew this particular product would provide hours of educational fun for a wide age rang of both boys and girls ( and a few adults, as well, I suspect!). When…
The long summer break was one of my favourite times when I was a registered child minder. I took on a few extra children, who were mostly ones that I had cared for before they went off to school: It was lovely to be able to see them again and catch up with their parents…
Following on from last week’s post about how to encourage a child to take a daytime nap more on that here If you have older children who don’t require a nap. I suggested giving them some quiet activities to do: Here are some of my ideas:- JIGSAW PUZZLES: There are so many jigsaws on the…
Discipling a baby may seem harsh; but babies can sometimes show behaviour that needs discipling. Obviously, managing the behaviour of babies has to be different from the way an older child would be dealt with: However, the same principles of ignoring unwanted behaviour and rewarding good, wanted behaviour are the same. Babies love to pull…
In my experience the worst age for trying to settle in a new child minded child is between6 and 8 months, when they seem to be much more aware of their surroundings and who is taking care of them. The hardest baby that I had to settle was a 7 month old boy that I…
Today’s post is written by a guest writer: Heeral Mehta Pets have become a prevalent aid in helping children thrive and prosper. For the well-being of each child, it is essential to understand how pets can improve their daily lives and boost their self-esteem. The following will explain how developing positive feelings about pets can…
I have noticed a few parents asking about activities for their young children on social media this week, these are my ideas/suggestions:_ Anew born baby will spend a good percentage of the day asleep (if you are lucky). When he is awake talk to him as much as possible. as this is how he will…
Many people are under the impression that child minders just stick the children in their care in front of the television and then get on with whatever they like, whether it’s housework or chatting on the phone to friends. Hopefully my telling of a typical day when I was working as a registered child minder,…
Mylene Class has posted a video this week of her 18 month old son emptying the dishwasher. This got me thinking about how young is too young for doing chores? I encouraged my own children to do things like putting away their toys from about 9 months, when they understood what I was asking of…
This was a question posted on social media yesterday. My husband’s response to the question was ” It’s easy, turn off the electricity!” As I was reading the question I glanced out of my window where I saw a group of children playing together on their bikes, scooters and skateboards. We are fortunate in living…
The concept of children having a bedroom to themselves in a relativity new idea; years ago when families were bigger children had to share a room. When I was a girl, I was lucky enough to have my own bedroom: I was the eldest of 3 girls. My younger sisters shared a larger bedroom, which…
Lizzie, a registered child minder has requested this post. Children don’t automatically know how to play, they have to be shown what is expected of them. I played with my own children from the baby stage; helping them to enjoy a rattle and a baby gym. When they reached the sitting independently stage of development…
Austin Macauley sent the following books fore review:- SANTA’S NAUGHTY LITTLE ELVES; This is a lovely book all about Santa and his elves who decide it is too hard making so many toys for hundreds of good children; they hatch up a plan to make the nice children’s list shorter. The book is full of…
Our families have been settling into this new ‘normal’ as we turned to the safety of staying in our homes. There are definite growing pains for many of our children.They are adjusting to the complete disruption to their routines and long pauses to their usual safe places of school and other social activities. On top…
As most of us are trying avoiding going into shops. unless for essential food activities for children using things that we already have is a good idea:- Toddlers will enjoy having a saucepan and wooden spoon to use as a drum ( not so great if you have a headache though!). Make your own shakers…
On arrival, I must admit that I was a little confused by what this was; it appeared to be a soft cloud pad! However, when it was placed in a bowl of warm water as per the instruction leaflet, the cloud dissolved revealing 4 bags ( there are more bags available to collect). The water…
Elizabeth, who is new to child minding, has asked for some ideas for teaching children about size. I have always had a height chart on my kitchen wall, it was a family tradition to measure my children the day before a birthday and see how much they grew that year. I remember once when my…
“You must share your toys!” is something that I often hear parents tell their children. But how does a child learn to share? The key is to encourage children to share from as early an age as possible; by sharing with siblings, having children over for play dates, or taking children along to groups such…
In a world that seems to be dominated by plastic products, in contrast, treasure baskets are a collection of household items made from natural materials which are given to babies and young children to explore. A baby starts to explore using her hands and fingers well before birth, while still in the womb. Treasure basket…
A friend has suggested this week’s post. She said that she has noticed that many parents seem to want to keep their children in a buggy or pushchair for their convenience and wonders at what age a child should be expected or encouraged to walk rather than ride. My answer is that as all children…
When I was working as a registered child minder I was always on the lookout for ideas for cheap activities and places to take the children. We often went to the local soft play facility at the leisure centre where several child minders would meet up with the children, we even managed to get a…
Parents sometimes get confused about the different types of daycare available for their children and I was recently asked to explain the differences by a friend:- CHILDMINDERS: As I used to be a registered child minder, this is my favourite type of daycare, Child minders maybe the best option for working parents because they can…
Should I Get a Pet For My Kids? We are a family of five: Me, my husband, Cassie, 3, Vivi, 1, and Elliot, 2 months. Right now our lives are pretty busy (as you can imagine) and a pet is the last thing we are considering in these early years. But as the kids…
The Second Baby’s on Its Way – What’s the Firstborn Going to Say? You’ve made up your mind and realised that it’s the right time to get the second baby. Now you need to prepare yourself and the rest of your family for the arrival of this new little being. You and your partner…
I recently watched a program on television were a pregnant woman was concerned that she wouldn’t be able to love this baby as much as her first and would she have enough love to go around? In my experience you absolutely will love every child as much, as all babies are individuals with different personalities …
Is watching television good for children, or something not to be encouraged? These are my thoughts and experiences:- In my opinion children watching television can be good providing an adult monitors what they are watching. There are some quality educational programmes aimed at children. When I was working as a registered child minder I…
Recently there have been reports of a few nurseries taking children to old peoples homes. The benefits of this experiment appear to be endless to both the children and the pensioners. Some children haven’t got grandparents who are still living or they may live a long distance from them, equally some elderly folk don’t…
Elizabeth has asked about this subject as she is new to child minding and therefore unsure how to approach these sensitive topics with the children in her care. When I was a child minder I borrowed toys from the toy library which was organised by the network coordinator there was a good supply of equipment…
Last week a member of the Royal family was criticised because prince George was seen playing with a toy gun. My feelings on this are: For goodness sake he is a 4 year old child, let children behave like children. In my experience banning children from playing with guns is not the answer, whether you…
Fortunately my experience of children in hospital is limited. I was in hospital when I was 10. I had to have my appendix removed , complications resulted in me getting pneumonia and one of my lungs collapsed . The hospital that I was in was in Liverpool, my dad who is a massive Liverpool football…
Most children have their first experience of being in water from a bath or maybe in the paddling pool on a rare warm summer’s day. If you do use a paddling pool take care once the children have finished playing in it- it is all to easy to forget that it is still there full…
Now that we are officially in British summer time and hopefully have some good weather on the way, lets encourage our children to get on their bikes, enjoy some fresh air and get some exercise. Children usually start to learn about the concept of a bike at around 12 months of age when they are…
It may seem a little strange for a blogger who says that she writes parenting/ child minding tips and advice to write a review of dog treats, my reasoning is that a family isn’t complete without a dog, in my opinion. Recently we learned that a certain brand of dental chews that we had been…
As a mother of 4 boys ( 3 of my own and a step-son) and that the majority of the children I looked after while I was working as a registered child minder were boys, I have quite a lot of experience in keeping them amused. In my opinion, boys will be boys, so you…
Most children, love animals and rabbits, along, with hamsters and guinea pigs, are firm favourites. Rabbits are cute and cuddly, however, they don’t always like to feel that all four feet are off the ground and therefore, sometimes, will scratch,.at that, I’m not suggesting that they are not a good choice of pet for a…
Continuing my theme on my experience of pets for children this time is for budgies. When I was a child we had a fantastic blue budgie we named Kelly, although I think it was a male budgie as if my memory is correct he had a blue area above his beak, whereas females are coloured…
Regular readers will be well aware that I worked as a registered child minder for 14 very happy years. years, I proudly managed to achieve an outstanding grade from Ofsted at my last inspection. Sandra has asked for some tips to enable her to get a similar result. I displayed some disability posters in my…
Understandably it can be quite daunting for a newly registered child minder to do their first interview, or meeting with a parent for the first time. You learn with experience; this is how I handled it, and I did manage to convince most parents to pick me as their child minder. Usually, a parent…
Cats and kittens can make great pets. Kittens especially look so cute and cuddly; which they can be, but they also come with a good set of claws ready to scratch if they are not happy about a situation! Always supervise children around any animal. A kitten (or any other pet) can sustain a nasty…
Rebecca, who is a registered child minder has suggested this blog topic. As a registered child minder; you should be invited to attend meetings and courses, on the basics of keeping child minding accounts, for HMRC. As a self-employed person, record keeping is your responsibility. You can, of course, hire…
I am hearing of more and more parents complaining that their children are addicted to electronic devices such as tablets such as iPads, MobilePhones and games consoles and that the children get stroppy when told to switch them off. I had a similar problem when my eldest son became obsessed with his play station and although…
Similar to learning about numbers and colours, the easiest way to teach our children about shapes in my opinion is to make it fun. Start by looking around your environment. Sitting in my living room, I can see several different shapes; square and rectangle picture frames, a round clock, rectangular windows and door frames, a…
Many people are of the impression that child minders just put their little ones in front of the television and leave them to get on with it. Hopefully, my account of a typical day for me when I was a child minder, will show that for most this is far from the truth. A typical,…