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…
It is common knowledge that I suffered a massive stroke 14 years ago that has left me with a left sided wealness meaning that I use a wheelchair to get around and only have one working arm and hand. What some may not be aware of is that my husband, Alec put his own life…
when I was working as a registered child minder I asked the children’s parents to send a packed lunch for their offspring: This was mainly because I often struggled with what to feed my own children let alone several others! Plus the parents would know what their children liked to eat. I stored the lunch…
I must admit that I love the sun and so have been enjoying the glorious weather that we have had this week ;however I have heard a few children crying,( what I would call a tired cry) through my open windows. Children do not always cope well in hot weather, they get tired quicker, through…
I was sent the following brand new children’s books:- A TIGER NAMED LEE: It takes a stormy night for Lee to learn to face his fears. A lovely book that children will enjoy and learn from. The book is written by Sinead Murphy and the delightful illustrations are drawn by Shannon Cresham. D.M.MULLAN’S CURIOUS TALES…
This year when a foreign holiday is looking challenging, mini trips to local attractions may be a good alternative. When it is warm and the sun ‘has it’s hat on’ a trip to the beach is a great option. Things to do at the beach with children here Why not have a go at fishing,…
When I working as a registered child minder, the parents of the children would sometimes ask me, as an early years professional, if I thought there was something wrong with their child( if had special needs). I always tried to give an honest answer, but was also tactful in the way I replied. One particular…
When I was working as a registered child minder I looked after one little boy, who was coming up to the age of 3, He had a very small attention span and would quickly get bored with activities ( which I know is not unusual for a child of that age). One day I decided…
This is a small selection of new children’s picture books from Austin Macauley publications. JACK’S MAGIC PYJAMAS: Jack’s parents are surprised when he asks for more brussels sprouts at dinner time, as usually he doesn’t eat them. Little do they know that Jack’s new pyjamas are magic and have sent him on an adventure. This…
This is just a small selection of the summer crafts and activities available from ichild:- CREATE A MINIATURE GARDEN; A great idea for helping young children to gain some understanding of the world; All that is needed are a shallow container, soil and some small plants, then use your imagination to help your child to…
This was a topic that was discussed on a daytime television programme this week. I can remember learning how to budget being talked about during a home economics class when I was at school, but it wasn’t covered in any depth. Surely if managing money was a school subject then less people would fall into…
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…
Five Qualities To Look For In Your Family Dispute Lawyer Hiring a family lawyer can be a tough decision. S/He must be unbeatable so you can trust the professionalbefore filing a divorce or adoption process that no matter s/he will fight for you in the courtroom. The lawyerwill do everything possible to make you comfortable…
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…
As a registered child minder, a considerable amount of time has to be spent on paperwork. One part of this is to keep reports in an accident/incident book ( there are many publications available to purchase from various sources, but I just used a notebook). I was fortunate that in the 14 years that I…
As soon as I saw the front cover of this book I was taken back to my childhhod days, when I had a pet rabbit that looked just like Clover, mine was called Apache . The delightful book tells the story of what Clover the bunny dreams about, which will thrill children of a wide…
Anyone who reads my posts, will be aware that I am a disabled stroke survivor. I was lucky enough to be able to move into an adapted bungalow at the beginning of March. Previously I spent most of the days sat in an armchair watching the television. The move has enabled me to start doing…
As a parent and former registered child minder, I can remember the challenge of persuading a baby to keep her hat on:- My tips for this are:- To start getting baby used to wearing a hat as soon as possible after birth – no matter what season they are born; whether it’s a sun or…
A friend has suggested this post, after we were chatting about after school activities, she has a daughter who likes to do cooking with her mother in the evening and as I have only got boys ( who are now grown) she asked what boys like to do after school apart from getting muddy and…
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…
IBird watching has many benefits for everyone, children included. Children can benefit from learning about nature and the natural world, by exploring more about the birds they see: what they choose to eat from the different feeders offered in the garden; which different kinds of bird favour which food and where they feed- from a…
Firstly, I must make it clear that I have no medical knowledge on this subject, it is written purely on my experiences only. I first learnt that two of my sons were colourblind when a routine eye test picked it up. When the option told me that my eldest son was colour blind, my response…
I first heard of baby signing when I attended a workshop on the subject while I was working as a registered child minder. So when I discovered that there is a local sing and sign group run by Elle, I was keen to find out more about it: Babies will use all kinds of gestures…
This glossy paperback book is aimed at children aged 4-8 years of age. It is quite different from any other children’s books that I have come across; in a good way. The characters in the story are unique and brought to life with the colourful illustrations. The book is written by K.C.Hayes and illustrated by…
Parents will be only too aware that children seem to have a way of attracting dirt, leading to stains on clothing. The following are some hacks that I came across this week:- GRASS AND MUD STAINS:: Are the most common stains to appear on children’s clothes. Cover the stain with white toothpaste ( not any…
I was contacted by Ventorros Press to ask if I would review some of their children’ sbooks:. Billy Plonka and the grot laboratory being the first. This book is aimed at children aged 7-12 years of age. It is a chapter book with 22 chapters, that are just long enough to hold a child’s attention…
When I was a child minder I was sometimes asked to look after siblings, which I happily would, provided I had the spaces, plus I was frequently asked by such parents to give a sibling discount. Although, I did apricate that it was expensive for parents to send 2 children to me at the same…
This is something that I was asked on social media. The parent said that allowing her 18 month old child to have a nap in the afternoon was inpacking on bedtime in a negative way. My advice was to try how I managed it with my own children: As all children are individuals, however, what…
I survived a massive stroke back in 2007. As I have recently moved into an adapted bungalow, I am looking at ways of getting some independence back. One of the tasks I wanted to be able to achieve was to make myself a hot drink when my husband wasn’t at home. He was concerned that…
Thea, a registered child minder has requested this post. Having an Ofsted inspection is a nerve racking time for any setting; but as child minders often work alone, it can be more worrying if you are the only person that the inspector will see/ask questions ( nurseries and pre-schools will have several members of staff…
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…