When covid19 first arrived and we went into lockdown; I decided to write this book, as a way to fill my time and to hopefully help parents and carers through this difficult time. . As a parent to 4 boys and a former registered child minder for 14 years I have lots of experience in…
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…
Although my favourite season of the year is summer, because I’m a sun worshiper; autumn is also enjoyable because summer can sometimes be a let down, weather wise ( this year was amazing) and in autumn when we expect the weather to start going downhill it can sometimes surprise us with warmish sunny days: On…
I strongly believe that children can benefit from having a pet; as it teaches them about responsibility and caring. for another being. Learn more on this here When I was a child my 2 sisters and I had a variety of pets while we were growing up a tortoise,: rabbits,hamsters, a cat and a dog….
When I was working as a registered child minder, I was living in a small area of a largish town. I was well known by locals as that mad woman with all the children! On one occasion I was asked “How many children do you actually have?” When I replied “4, but I’m also a…
Just reading the title of this book made me want to delve into it straight away and I wasn’t disappointed: Thomas, is an official grand high Dragon master. The book is full of fun and excitement, plus there are lovely illustrations throughout the book drawn by Sara Ogilvie, Disclosure: I was gifted the book for…
It may seem strange that I am reviewing this product, when my usual theme is of parenting / child minding tips and advice, but I strongly believe that our pets are as much a part of a family as the parents and children. I sent a few photos of our Jack Russel cross breed dog,…
This hardback children’s picture book is a modern take on traditional fairy tales; princess Tilly doesn’t need rescuing by a handsome prince, she can rescue herself.! The book is full of wonderful illustrations drawn by Jenny Lovlie. What I like most about this book is that it challenges stereotyping and some of the princesses are…
KookyLoos is a new product soon to be launched. I was sent a pink box containing 2 cardboard tubes : One from the BFF series; the other was from the Sunday fun day series. Inside each tube the children who helped with the review were delighted to discover several paper packages which they took turns…
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…
The first thing that struck me when I received this book was the brightly coloured front cover. Then to my delight, I discovered that the text is written in rhyme, my absolute favourite for children’s literature , as it not only makes the story more fun, but any early readers can often predict the next…
This hardback children’s book is a real delight. I t is full of fun, bright colourful illustrations and a ‘tall tale; from Albert: who comes up with some hilarious reasons why he didn’t eat a cake! Where has all the cake gone is cleverly written by Andrew Sanders and the illustrations, which really bring the…
Regular readers will know how much I love spending time with children. As we are experiencing extreme heat at the moment and we have a lovely cool car port next to our bungalow, a few of the neighbour’s children came to spend time with me there: I had a selection of word search puzzles for…
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…
There has been talk about shortening the long summer school break for many years as a way to save heating costs during the winter months; the idea being making the summer holiday 2 weeks shorter and adding that to the Christmas break ( so parents would have to find the extra heating money!). But the…
I came across this company on Facebook and they agreed to send some magazines for a review: I received 3 magazines; as follows: Favourites (:issue 414) This is jam packed with fun learning opportunities; dinosaur stickers and story. a simple recipe ( for children to create with an adult’s help. a word search and colouring…
Holding a graduation ceremony for children who are leaving nursery or pre-school is getting more popular, but is it the right thing to do? It has been reported that some nurseries in London are charging £25 just for a ticket for parents to attend their child’s graduation and other settings are charging for the use…
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…
When I was a registered child minder I did charge for a child’s holiday: I would accept half the usual fee if I was given at least 2 week’s notice ( this worked for me as I was always in demand and could sometimes fill a holiday space from the supply teachers that I worked…
When I was working as a registered child minder I always had a written contract that myself and the parents would sign and each had a copy. The contract would state the days and times that child minding was required. Plus what would happen should the child be unwell more here. And if I was…
Whenever the weather was favourable, I would walk with the childrenin my care to wherever we were going. Walking is good exercise and it takes longer than driving so would help to fill our days. I tried to make walking fun, but sometimes children are reluctant to walk, so I used several ideas to help…
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…
We all know that having a child who is tired doesn’tresult in a good day. But children will often object to the idea of taking a nap;especially if there is something interesting going on around him. When I was a registered child minder and had a child who needed to take a nap I would…
T he Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been sharing photos of their daughter Lilibet’s first birthday party: But is putting in all the time, money and effort worth it? Properly not, in my opinion because at such a young age they won’t remember it or understand what’s going on. I do apricate, however, that…
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…
In the box that I received were 4 plastic eggs and spoons, 4 colorful sacks. 4 beanbags some leg straps ( for a three-legged race) and a story book that was themed to a sport’s day. Pippa and Eliza were excited to help with my review. The girls read the story first and talked about…
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…
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…
Mia loves her neighbour and his cat so when he goes away and asks her to look after his cat with her mum she jumps at the chance. Mia also turns his garden wild and by sowing wild flower seeds attracts all kinds of butterflies, bees and birds.. Mia makes a meadow is written by…
I saw a post on Facebook were a registered child minder was getting tired of parents phoning or texting her after she had finished work for the day, to ask questions like did my child have a nap, bowel movement? etc. So I want to share my Winnie the Pooh book idea that worked for…
With more and more children becoming overweight the government are concidering giving parents lessons on how to pack a healthy lunch for their children. I must admit that I sometimes struggled with what to put in my eldest son’s lunch box; he was a fussy eater and wouldn’t eat any fruit. He was partial to…
With the cost of living rising daily, make the most of the better weather with some money saving activities that the whole family can enjoy: 1. Build a bug hotel; use old toilet roll tubes, sticks and bamboo. 2. Sow some seeds; tasty cress on a window sill or see who can grow the tallest…
The first thing that struck me about this book was the bright front cover. Chuck is a cheetah who ALWAYS wins, he is so confident about winning that it has made him big-headed. But what would happen if he didn’t win a race? I love the message that the story is sending out to children:…
I first met Lulu with her mum when we were waiting to collect our children from school. When her mother discovered that I was a registered child minder she asked if I had a space for her daughter ( I did). Lulu’s mother asked me to treat her the same as I would any other…
As the majority of child minders work alone, it is sensible to have a back up plan in place in case of an emergency: What would happen to the children if the child minder suddenly became ill in the middle of the day and was no longer able to take care of them? When I…
I saw a post on Facebook from a child minder asking for pre-school platinum jubilee activities. Once again I have gone to ichild to find a selection: BEEFEATER FUN: Children can learn about the beefeaters while coloring the picture. BIG/BIGGER/BIGGEST CORGI: The youngest of children should be able to learn about size and position using…
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…
St. Georges’s day is tomorrow 23rd March. I love these downloads that are designed for children to celebrate St. George’s day:- DRAGON CRAFT: The main thing needed for this craft is an old wooden spoon ( that will need painting) and some basic store cupboard essentials. Simply download the activity and follow the instructions. DRAGON…
A common problem that parents can come across is getting children to sleep in their own bedrooms. When I had my children they slept in their own bedrooms from the beginning. This may sound harsh to others, but it worked for me; I had every intention to breast feed all of my babies: But for…
I was watching an episode of Dragon’s den when 2 woman were asking for money to expand their business. Their company was started after one of the woman was decorating the Christmas tree with her daughter who asked “Can a Christmas angel have black skin?” They then started to sell decorations with black skin colour….
Once again, I am sharing some of the activities that ichild are offering: BUNNY PAPER CHAIN: This is simply a case of concatenating some paper and cutting out the bunny shape; children can then colour or use different mediums to decorate their bunnies before hanging them up as bunting. BUNNYCOLOUR-BY-NUMBERS: Is exactly what it says;…
Ellen, an early years practitioner has asked for activity suggestions for the children she looks after as a registered child minder to do safely in her garden. When I was working as a registered child minder I had a small walled garden that we made the best use of as I believe that children can…
This was a subject that was brought up on a television programme I was watching this week: One child was playing up by attention seeking when he felt that his parents were spending more time listening to his sister than they were him. My advice for dealing with this problem is to acknowledge the issue,…
This unusual book which is written by Sewn Hallin, has an eye catching front cover. The book tells the tale of Horace, an alien who Richard finds in his kitchen raiding his fridge. The book is aimed at children aged 10 years and older and has244 pages. Adults may also enjoy it! If you are…
After the response to last week’s post about the early years hairdressing salon; this week I am sharing another of my role play ideas, that I set up for the children when I was working as a registered child minder. As with the hairdressing salon, I supplied a telephone, pen and paper for the children…
At last, spring has arrived, with the promise of warmer wether ahead, meaning that families can enjoy the great outdoors: Family time, anywhere is important, but spending it outside with nature around us , makes it even more valuable. My suggestions for satisfying everyone, especially the younger members of a family are:- To go foraging;…
When I was working as a registered child minder I was always trying to think up ways of helping the children to learn through play. One of the most successful things that I thought of was to set up an early years hair dressing salon: I started planning this by asking the children’s parents to…
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…
What is circle time? I hear you ask. Circle time gives children in schools and early years setting the opportunity to sit together ( usually in a circle) and take time to talk, listen and interact with each other and their practitioners. During circle, or group time, as it is sometimes called, children can sing…
Having your child take a nap during the day is benefical to them and you: The child won’t be irratible because he is tired and the parent/carere gets a well earned short break. The key is to have a routine and start young. When they are babies, children will often sleep after being fed ,…
As a former registered child minder, with a passion for children’s literature; World book day is something that I find interesting. World book day was invented to get children, especially those from a disadvantage background, interested in literature, hopefully to encourage a life long love of books. This year World book day is on Thursday…
Children associate Easter with a lot of chocolate. But what about anyone who can’t have a large sugar high, if they have diabetes or other dietary needs? Instead of buying children eggs, buy them something to wear; cute bunny slippers, or an Easter themed onesie ( babies will look super sweet in one of these)….
I came across this company on social media:- All of the stones are hand painted by this growing company. I was sent 2 sets of stones for the review: Both sets arrived in a cute drawstring jute bag. Emotions: These are a set of 6 stones, which would be great for early years practitioners and…
This was a question that I was asked recently : As all children are individuals, the age that they can dress themselves will vary and a child with special needs could take longer to master the art than other children. On average, I would say that by around 3 years of age children should be…
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…
Thumb sucking can have advantages as well as some disadvantages in children. My first born was a thumb sucker from a young age, It gave him comfort and would help him settle himself to sleep, sometimes he would stick his thumb in his mouth when he was tired, such as when he was sitting on…
Readers will know that I have recently started a new hobby; glass painting while sitting in my wheelchair. My mum was delighted with the coaster that I gave her for a big birthday last year. So I decided to have a go at making her something for mother’s day too: First of all the glass…
Maria has kindly suggested this post. She told me that in Norway, early years settings run on a 3 strike policy: if a parent is late for the above 3 times, they get a £ 20 fine ( she also said that Norwegian’s tend to follow the rules!). When I was a registered child minder…
When I was working as a registered child minder, I knew that Ofsted inspectors liked to see evidence that I was making the children aware of different cultures and how they celebrated their traditions. As the Chinese new year is fast approaching. I wanted to share aome of the crafts that ichild have on offer….
This is a delightful , colourful children’s book. The first thing that struck me was that it is educational as well being as a lovely heart-warming story. The book explains that the worker bees are the bees that collect the pollen to make the honey. When Bella spots some beautiful flowers there is an opportunity…
I had never heard of this, until my sister, who works with special needs children, told me about it. Basically a playdough disco is a fun activity that uses playdough to encourage the movement of the hand and fingers to develop muscle control and fine motor skills more here It also helps to improve hand-to-eye…
My sister told me about this easy to make playdough recipe and as I have only one working hand, since stroke, I decided to have a go at making it from my wheelchair. Ingredients: 2 cups of flour ( any will do, even the cheap value one) half a cup of salt 3 tablespoons cooking…
Most of us are spent out now after the cost of Christmas and maybe buying more in the sales, Finding things to keep the children entertained which doesn’t cost a lot can be a challenge; so my homespun activities could be the solution:- Flower pressing: I used to do this with the children when I…
Separation anxiety in children was something that I had to deal with often when I was working as a registered child minder. In my experience it affects children the most when they are aged between 6 and 9 months, but as every child is different this can vary. My tips for coping with this problem…
Now that the weather may not be favourable for getting children outside to let off steam and burn off some energy; encouraging them to get involved in some action songs indoors, in the warm could be a good alternative. These are some of my favourites:- I’m a little teaspot: This is great as it’s quite…
In my opinion, Christmas is best when you have children who believe in the magic of Santa: I want to share some of my precious memories of these times: My youngest son called Santa father Cripman and when we took him to see the big man, Adam was at the stage of making up his…
As usual ichild have come up with a range of Christmas crafts and activities to keep children entertained. These are my favorites from this year’s selection: ANGEL/FAIRY WAND: Children can make their own wand from a drinking straw, card and a piece of ribbon. It doesn’t get much simplier! PINE CONE CHRISTMAS TREE: This is…
Children everywhere will be over excited now that we are finally into December; but keeping them entertained for the next 24 days can be a challange for some parents. These are my ideas based on my experience of being both a parent and a registered child minder:- Baking is something that children always enjoy, so…
A well known singer has admitted to crying in front of her child and is concerned that this may have damaged him a report has said this week. So is it wrong to show your emotions in front of children? We had to have our beloved German shepherd dog put to sleep when my son…
I wasn’t aware of this phrase, until it was a topic being discussed on a daytime television programme that I was watching recently: A parent’s witching hour is that dreaded time towards the end of the day, when everyone is tired, including parents. I can remember my own children moaning and whining while I was…
I saw a post on social media this week were a parent stated that her child minder had still charged when her child didn’t attend because he was unell. When I was working as a registered child minder I would charge parents if a child was unwell because this is what I was advised when…
With Christmas just around the corner, now is a good time for any co- parenting parents to talk about what is going to happen at Christmas reguarding the children. My biggest piece of advice is that as Christmas is mostly for children (in my opinion) trying to stay civil about it, is the best way…
As early years professionals, child minders need to have policies and procedures in place to prove to both Ofsted and parents that they are doing all they can to keep the children in their care both safe and happy. Because most child minders work from their own homes, many will have family pets; so having…
A 1o year old girl in Australia has asked Santa for an expensive watch, designer clothes and £50 worth of skincare products, her mum has reported this week. So is it time to ditch the Christmas wish list to prevent children from becoming greedy and asking for too much? My thoughts are that Christmas is…
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…
How Developing Positive Feelings About Pets Can Contribute To A Child’s Self-Esteem? ( A guest post)
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…
This is a true story:- I never believed in ghosts or ‘things that go bump in the night’ until we moved into a property which was almost 100 years old. It started on the day we moved in. The carpet on the upstairs landing had some swear words written in the carpet pile which I…
This post has been inspired by Adele, whose new single is written for her son, as she feels guilty because she separated from his father. Would it have been better for him if they had stayed together? I think not, bringing children up in a hostile environment is not going to do them any good….
A woman has been reported this week as being furious about when she collected her toddler from nursery, he and the other children were sat watching cartoons on the television. She was annoyed about the amount of money she was paying the nursery and felt that watching television was not justified. When I was working…
I – was sent the following to review:- The great thing about the cards are that they are beautifully made; each card is laser cut and assembled by hand, which means that they are far too good to throw away after 12th night along with cheaper cards that have been sent. My favourite is the…
As with all the ichild activities, these are user friendly; making life simple for parents and carers: LOLLIPOP GHOST: This simple way of making a ghost only requires a lollipop, tissues, ribbon and double sided tape. Follow the instructions to make your ghost and the thing that children will love is that after Halloween they…
As a stroke survivor, I have only one working hand( my right). With the winter months approaching, I was keen to find a hobby to fill my time. Many years ago, before stroke, I made a Christmas plate decoration by glass painting here This got me thinking, if I could attempt glass painting again:- I…
My tips for having a safe, fun Halloween for children are:- Children should always be accompanied by an adult when they are trick-or-treating. They should only go to the houses of people they know and are happy for them to call. Stay safe by keeping to places that they know and are well lit, don’t…
Mums who are short of time and money could benefit from these simple hacks:- Make your own lip gloss: Never throw away a broken eyeshadow powder; simply mix it with Vaseline for ‘on the spot’ lip shine. Revive dried up mascara: No need to bin that dried up tube just yet, add a few drops…
An estate agent has recently been awarded a considerable amount of money, after her boss refused to let her work reduced hours after she returned to work after having a baby. She wanted reduced hours because she needed to get to her child’s nursery before it closed. My thoughts are that maybe using a registered…
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…
Readers will know how much I love children and that when I suffered a massive stroke, I had to give up my beloved child minding career. Moving into an adapted bungalow has opened up new opportunities for me. As we live in a quiet cul-du-sac the children in the neighbourhood often play outside. While I…
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…
I have my friend. Sarah, to thank for this topic suggestion. Whereas some parents would be horrified by the very thought of Christmas shopping in September; I would say, no, it’s never too early to start. For one, I love Christmas and I shop for it all year round as this helps to spread the…
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…
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,…
Kim Kardashian has recently said that she is a soft parent; giving their children everything they want. This got me thinking: Is it better to be a soft or strict parent? In my experience, the majority of familuies usually have one of each. Mainly, but not in every situation the mother tends to be the…
In the olden days when I was a child, we didn’t have electronic gadgets, such as iPads and video consoles to keep us entertained. Instead children tended to play outside when the weather allowed and we amused ourselves with games like hopscotch ( by simply chalking out a grid on the pavement and using a…
It’s hard to believe that children will be going back to school in just a few weeks. The summer break has flown by. If you child is anxious about returning to school ( children have spent more time at home this year, than at school, due to the pandemic) talk to her about any concerns,…
I have heard of several child minders who are concerned that their own children are jealous of the ones they are looking after. . 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…
My husband has just celebrated a big birthday and his main present was 3 ferrets. He used to keep ferrets when he was a lad and decided that he could enjoy them again now. We have 3 females (jills) named Amy Winehouse, Adele and Badger. Ferrets can make good pets for older children provided that…
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…
Visiting a child minder to make enquiries about day care for a child can be a daunting prospect for some parents. I tried to make them feel at ease by telling them as much as possible about my setting and the way I worked at the first interview. What to say a first interview with…