When I was working as a registered child minder, I did a topic on the theme of people who help us. We went on a visit to the local fire station, with some other child minders and their children; this was arranged by the leader of our child minding network. We were all given a…
Austin Mccauley sent the following:- TAAVI THE TRACTOR; This colourful picture book will delight any children who have an interest in vehicles (I know that my son’s would have loved it when there were young). The text is written in rhyme making it even more fun to read. Tavvi meets other vehicle friends on a…
Busy parents will find it helpful if their children go to sleep early on Christmas eve. giving them time to prepare for the following big day. When I was a girl, my mother always told my sisters and I that if we went to bed early on Christmas eve Christmas day would come quicker, I…
When I was a registered child minder I was always keen to get my name ‘out there’ as word of mouth is the best form of advertising. I had my people carrier vehicle sign written ( the cost can go against tax as an expense) it just had my name, the fact that I was…
In the hope of inspiring other disabled people to become more independent I am sharing my experience of travelling on the bus on my electric wheelchair. I survived a massive stroke just over 12 years ago and now feel that I need to start getting some independence back. I have been into town a few…
Being a parent is a full-time job. For lots of people, this job comes in addition to a demanding career. With that being a said, maintaining a household can easily start to get overwhelming as parents’ schedules continue to get busier and busier. The key to keeping things running smoothly while also keeping your…
The benefits of using the library can easily be forgotten now that we all use the internet to look things up rather than using a book for research and many people, myself included, use an e reader rather than the traditional paperback novel. The library has so much more to offer than just books though….
This weeks post goes back to 2004, I was working as a very busy registered child minder and loving every minute of it. I lived within walking distance of a park, but more often, than not, would drive the children roughly 10 miles to the next town where there was an amazing park complete with…
I think it is a good idea to make your health visitor aware that you are a registered childminder; this will be the first port of call for many new mothers intending to return to work. Another good way of advertising is to be seen out and about. Go to local toddler group sessions…
DAYS OF THE WEEK: Colour the letters of the days of the week, then stick onto thin card to make flashcards. There are also large A4 individual days of the week downloads that can be used as a display around settings. PEOPLE WHO HELP US: This is my favourite of the activities, because ichild have…
Mylene Klass has said that she does regular fire drills with her children. This made me think; adults have fire drills at work and children have them in schools so why don’t they have them at home where they spend the most amount of time? Mylene said that she makes if fun so the children…
When I was a child minder one of the most successful topics that I did with the children was on all about me:- I made up a booklet for each child. We started by looking at ourselves in a mirror and I asked what they saw ( I was hoping that they would notice different…
Kate sent me 2 of her books: A SPECIAL FAMILY CHRISTMAS; This is a lovely book , which made me and the children who I shared the books with feel really Christmassy. We chatted about putting up our Christmas tree. The book is written in a rhyming text, which, as my regular readers will know…
I strongly believe that children should understand why we celebrate rembrance day and wear a poppy. The following activities should help with this: MAKE A POPPY: Using tissue paper and the clever use of a cotton bud, children can make and then wear their own poppy! FIRST WORLD WAR PLANE: Even very young children can…
When I was a registered child minder, I liked to take the children out as much as possible. I would tell parents about this and explain about payment ( I added this to my contracts also). at the first interview Outings to toddler groups, family workshops and the child minders drop-in were relatively cheap, but…
Anyone who knows me will be aware of my love for horses and riding. This hardback journal would have been perfect for me had I been luckily enough to achieve my dream of owning my own horse or pony. The book has personal goals for young riders to achieve over a 12 month period: Making…
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…
Most of my readers will be aware that I am a stroke survivor. Without having any of the symptoms mentioned in the F.A. S.T. stroke awareness adverts; just the mother of all headaches ( which wasn’t unusual for me). I suffered a massive stroke in 2007, which has left me disabled wheelchair user, with left-sided…
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…
Firstly I must thank my good friend, Sarah Knight for helping me with this post, which is based on her experience: A lone parent is a parent who has no support from the other parent due to a death of the partner , obviously this makes things fall to the surviving parent 100% there is…
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,…
Most children’s first experience of death is the loss of a beloved pet. I lost my pet rabbit when I was about 5 years old and was so upset that my mum let me have a few days off of school to get over my loss. My son’s were understandably upset when their pets passed…
This summer even though the covid19 restrictions are slowly being lifted, more families will be holidaying in this country and weather permitted spending many days on the beach. While adults may be content with sitting enjoying the sunshine and getting a tan; children often become bored. These are my ideas for keeping them entertained:- When…
Sarah, whose daughter will soon be moving up to a secondary school has asked for this post. Going to a secondary school is an exciting, but maybe a worrying time for children. . I can still remember the butterflies in my stomach when I made the transition many, many years a go. If your child…
I was sent this wondeful children’s book for review. Anyone who likes unicorn’s ( and let’s face it who doesn’t?) will love this book. It is full of bright, colourful illustrations and the text is super educational for children: Explaining about different people; their many colours of skin, varying religions and how they all get…
When my children were young and when I was working as a registered child minder, I was always looking for simple, cheap activity ideas that the children could do. Now that the corona virus is forcing some people to self isolate having things to entertain children is even more important:- One of the most popular…
After watching a child have a major temper tantrum in a supermarket, a customer ( who was not the parent) told him to “Shut up!” Is it okay to discipline someone else’s child? I used to work as a registered child minder and therefore I had to manage the behaviour of the children in my…
I am a stroke survivor and have recently gained the courage to go out alone using my electric wheelchair ( rather than with a friend or relative). To help fill my time I contacted a local primary school to see if I could be a reading volunteer, as I used to be a child minder …
Another fun post inspired by the innocent things that children say. When my middle son was due to start school, he was very excited.He went with me to meet his teacher. When we returned home and his dad asked what the teacher was like, he told him, “She has hair here and hair here,” while…
When I was working as a registered child minder I was told at several training courses that I should work in partnership with parents. This is great in theory but some parents work in partnership more than others. One parent had the idea that because she was paying me to care for her child, I…
I am not going off of my theme of parenting tips and advice as stroke can happen to anyone, of any age; even children and babies. When I was a child , my uncle suffered a stroke in his forties. I thought that this was unusual as stroke only happens to old people, doesn’t it?…
This time when I went for my riding lesson at the Calvert trust, Exmoor, Kerri, my usual instructor was on holiday. I was introduced to Carolyn instead. As usual I rode Teddy a 21 year old piebald (black and white) gelding. After being hoisted onto the saddle, without having the small panic which I had…
The first time that I heard of a man suffering with post natal depression (P.N.D.)was when a father of multiples admitted to it on a television programme that I was watching. It may seem strange to think that a new father can get post natal depression as it is usually associated with woman who have…
As many people seem to be in favour of smacking children as those who are against it. I would be lying if I said that I had never given my children a smack when they were growing up and I was smacked as a child by my parents. It most likely didn’t do me any…
Most of my readers will be aware that I am a disabled stroke survivor. It is also common knowledge that I have been planning on going out alone in my electric wheelchair. A friend suggested that I contact driving miss. Daisy, Barnstaple to see if they could help with this,(It is actually run by someone…
Once again ichild have come up with some wonderful activities for children; this is just a selection of some of the ones for autumn:- ADD THE AUTUMN LEAVES is quite a straightforward activity suitable for children who are learning to count, it would also help with learning number recognition (I have written an earlier post…
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…
Ever since I can remember I have been horse mad. Each year on my birthday I would blow out my candles and wish for a horse, it never happened. Then every year I would enter the W.H. Smith win a pony competition. I never won. As I grew a little older I came up with…
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…
When my children were attending pre-school , there used to be a system known as rota-mum. This was where the mums (or dads) of the children were asked to stay and help at a session once or twice a term . In my experience because this was optional and not essential, it was the ‘same…
A Family reunion is a major event that comes in every summer vacation, in which the members of the family comes altogether to celebrate. Having a family reunion takes time, commitment, and planning. The family reunion is perceived as a time for a vacation and family members want to enjoy a nice setting. Planning a…
ichild have a wide selection of children’s activities that can be downloaded. Here are just a sample of the ones with a spring/summer theme:- Missing numbers This sheet has 16 rabbit outlines – some are numbered and a few have numbers missing meaning that children could be encouraged to count out loud and say the…
Once again I went to the Calvert trust, Exmoor for my riding lesson. I was hoping to ride around the lake this time but as it was raining heavily I opted to have another session in the indoor school. Usually when I am hoisted from my wheelchair into the saddle I have a tiny…
I have decided to write this post in the hope of inspiring other disabled people to have a try at riding. As the title suggests this was my fourth attempt at disabled riding at the Calvert trust, Exmoor. Once again I rode Teddy a 21 year old pie bald (black and white) gelding. After…
Harry started at Little Treasures quality child minding, when he was 2 years of age. I had previously cared for his older brother, Kelvin, until he left me to start school. Harry had initially been with another child minder, as I didn’t have a space for him, at the time ( there are very strict…
Stranger danger is a difficult subject to administer. We all tell our children never to speak to or approach a stranger, and then we take them to meet Santa and encourage them to not only tell him what they would like for Christmas, but also sometimes to sit on his lap! We also forget sometimes…
My husband would say that I am highly qualified to encourage a child to talk; as I never stop! Even having suffering a massive stroke didn’t stop me, much to his disappointment! When I was in hospital he told me he thought he had gone deaf! When I was growing up my dad would tell…
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…
For as long as I can remember; I have always wanted my own Horse. I wished for one every time I blew the candles out on birthday cakes and asked Santa for one each Christmas. I even came up with an idea that if I married a rich farmer when I grew up then I would…
When I met my second husband, my boys were aged 4 and 6 and he had an 8 year old son. Once we settled into life as a “blended family” the boys didn’t call their step-parent mum or dad (after all, they each had an absent parent who they still saw) neither did we tell…
The question of how to help a child with number recognition came up recently on social media. These are my ideas. In my experience, most children start recognizing numbers by their age. Many youngsters are given birthday cards with their age on ( usually the number is large and brightly coloured) Some children walk around…
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,…