When I married my second husband I had 2 sons from my first marriage who had their dads surname, it never occurred to me to change their names, they wouldn’t have wanted to; they loved their dad, even though I no longer did, plus I thought that they had enough changes going on without adding…
Kat has suggested the topic of today’s post, thanks Kat. Co-parenting is a legal term were by two parents who are separated or divorced parent a child together (often in separate homes). Usually the child will be resident with one parent ,often the mother (although I do know of a few fathers who had custody…
I often get inspiration for blog topics from social media so when I read a few weeks ago that Bridget Nelson gave birth to a baby aged 54 and last year Janet Jackson had her first baby at 50, also a woman in China who is pregnant aged 67. There was also a woman on…
When Wendy got in touch to ask if I would review this product I agreed instantly as it looked like a great resource for early years settings and as I was a child minder for many years, I know about such things. My mood stars were invented by Wendy White a former registered child minder…
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…
As the weather was so good instead of my usual riding lesson in the indoor school at the Calvert trust, Exmoor, I went for a ride towards the lake at Wistlandpound. I was hoisted onto the saddle of Teddy, my usual horse. Kerri my instructor needed to tighten the girth on Teddy’s saddle, which meant…
One of the biggest insults you can give a child minder is to call him/her a babysitter. How many babysitters have a paediatric first aid certificate that is updated every 3 years, have full insurance and many qualifications often including an N.V.Q. level 3 in early years care and education? Babysitters are often teenage girls…
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…
This maybe too short notice for this year as National children’s day is 1st August, but might be worth thinking about for next year. Using National children’s day to promote your business must be a good thing, surely? When I was a child minder the National child minding association (N.C.M.A.) held a National child minding…
The Pilton green man festival this year was on Saturday 21 July ( it is always on a Saturday in July) The green man festival is a charity event which benefits the community of Pilton, Barnstaple, which is where I grew up and went to school. Pilton street, which is the high street of the…
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…
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….
Since suffering a stroke just over 11 years ago, which has left me disabled. I have never been out alone, always going with my husband, sister or friends. I feel it is now time to ‘bite the bullet’, be brave and venture out alone. To do this I needed a bag that I can use…
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…
Now that the long school summer break is fast approaching, plan ahead by gathering together some activities in case of bad weather (this amazing weather can’t last forever). ichild have a great make a unicorn craft and as unicorns seem to everywhere at the moment why not join in with this trend? The instructions are…
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…
Becoming parents can surely be one of the most pleasant and gratifying experiences of your life, however, that doesn’t mean it’s as simple as you see it. No matter how old your kids are, your job is never done. You always need to know how to make them feel treasured and admired while showing them…
I recently listened to a debate on a daytime television programme about this subject.One mother said that having only one child is great but another disagreed and said that she thought it was wrong and selfish. I decided to share my experiences and thoughts on the topic. I have 3 children plus a stepson and…
Peep into a house party packed with teenagers, what you will see is an entirely different version of High School Musical. Teenage boys and girls taking recreational drugs and alcohol is a common view these days. It is probably due to the glamorization of such addictions in our movies. The one who uses drugs is…
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…
Regular readers will be aware that I have been working with ichild for some time. So when I was sent some of their father’s day downloads, I thought that I would share them by writing this post:- Make a tie craft could be used to make a tie for dad, or for yourself, or even…
Child care “or also known as “daycare”, a type of service which involves supervision activity of a child or a group of children by persons who have no personal relation to the child’s family. This is a very important and responsible service particularly for the parents of a modern nuclear family when both the parents…
When my youngest son came home from school and told me that he (along with the rest of this class) were learning some basic sign language using makaton a child’s version of British sign language (B.S.L.) I was inspired to also learn some because I was working as a child minder at the time so…
When oxotots asked if I would review the 2 in 1 go potty , I once again asked family friend, Ann to assist with this . Ann who has 3 young children says the oxotot 2 in 1 go potty is the only toilet training item that parents/carers will need. It is light weight and…
When I was working as a registered child minder I always felt that I was in competition with nurseries and pre-schools as well as other child minders. To make my setting look more professional to parents I made a prospectus that I offered to post to when they rang to make enquiries into my business….
This week I watched a television programme where a celebrity needed to hire a nanny to help with the care of her baby, but she was concerned that he would love this nanny more than her. I came across a parent with similar worries when I was working as a registered child minder. This parent…
Walker books sent the following children’s books for me to review: WHERE IS LITTLE FISH The first thing that struct me about this delightful board book is the quality. It has flaps for children to lift when trying to find Little fish. I have come across lift the flap books before, usually the flaps are…
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…
Tiny tree have kindly sent these books for me to review. Dash the dolphin, Frank the flamingo and Esme the elephant are the latest 3 books in this instalment.All three are written by Kaley Owen and Graeme Holding has drawn the bright,fun illustrations, the books are written in rhyme which regular readers of my blog…
ichild have a variety of paperwork aimed at early years practitioners:- Child photo observation form is ideal for writing an observation and then adding a relevant photo ( don’t be tempted to stage a photo as ofsted will soon notice that) Child observation report consists of 2 pages covering all 7 of the early learning…
Following the success of my previous post on surviving the school holidays when you are a child minder I have decided to write a similar one for parents. With the half term break and then the long summer school holidays fast approaching now is the time to start planning. My mum always referred to the…
Education.com asked if I would write another post on one of their worksheets. I agreed because this was just the kind of activity that my youngest son enjoyed doing when he was growing up, he was the youngest of 4 children and liked to think that he was a’big boy’ like his older brothers. When…
It can be extremely daunting for a parent to visit a potential child minder, for their child for the first time. It may be helpful to have a few questions to ask the child minder written down beforehand. Usually a parent makes first contact with a child minder over the phone when checking on availability….
When I was working as a registered child minder I used to write a termly ( or half- termly depending on how much I could think to put in it) newsletter for the parents of the children that I was caring for. I am convinced that this contributed to me achieving an outstanding grade at…
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…
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…
In my experience as both a parent and a child minder most children learn to walk at around a year. My eldest son used to combat crawl using his arms to propel himself along the floor, then at about 12 months he began to pull himself onto his feet using the furniture to walk along…
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…
As parents, it is only normal that we are interested in providing the best for our children. This is especially valid when it comes to food, as kids are growing individuals and they need nutritious meals to develop properly. As we live in the age of technology, it should come as no surprise that even…
This delightful book is written by Cheryl C. Malandrinos and illustrated by Jack Foster. The book is fantastic as not only will the bright illustrations appeal to children but it also has a moral – it teaches children how to stand up to bullies. With the help from an older friend, plus the belief that…
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…
When my children were young, under the age of starting school I held their birthday parties at home, during the party most of the invited children’s mothers would also stay which meant supplying refreshments for them as well. We had the usual party games such as pass-the-parcel and musical bumps or statues followed by…
As most registered child minders take on extra children during the school holidays these could be stressful times. When I was working as a child minder the school holidays were some of my favourite times. I did take extra children, some of the ones that I had looked after as babies would come back. Of…
Now that the spring has arrived at last and we all start thinking about tidying our gardens, why not get the children involved? It might just get them away from sitting in front of some sort of screen which may help to avoid obesity (which is becoming a problem for children as well as adults)….
Another suggestion from Sarah Knight. This time for day trips on a budget where everyone can still have fun still have fun. Thanks again, Sarah. When I was child minding I was always on the look out for budget outings, as I didn’t like to keep asking parents for money. on top of their child…
Sarah has been in touch because she has been having a few problems when leaving her 6 year old daughter at school in the mornings. . She has asked for some advice:- .Leaving your child anywhere can be difficult for many parents. whether it is at school, nursery or with a child minder. I’m sure…
ichild have some fantastic activities for children that are available to download. Here are just a small sample:- The baby animal flash cards are a fun activity that young children will love. I would use them by first asking the child to name each animal and then ask him to match the animals with their…
When easyread time teacher asked if I would review a children’s wall clock I agreed instantly as I could tell just by looking at a photo of the product that it was going to be great. The first thing that struct me when the parcel arrived was the simple instructions on the front of the…
As many new mothers don’t want to leave their young children with a stranger when they go back to work and let’s face it, nowadays, most of us have no choice on the subject of having to return to work after maternity leave because of high mortgage rates and the general cost of living. Becoming …
Halia Rose sent me this elephant teething toy in plum to review. The first thing that struct me when I opened the box was how cute it looked. The toy is made from silicone therefore is hard wearing and should stand up to a dish washer or baby sterilising solution. It has a hole just…
I am very fortunate in that I live in south west England where we have wonderful beaches. When I was working as a child minder I didn’t take the children to the beach in the height of summer because they were often full of tourists and it sometimes became very hot. Instead I would go…
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…
I was sent this children’s paperback book by Tiny Tree children’s books. Framed is written by Margrit Dahm. The thing that I noticed when I started reading this book is the quality of the paper used it is such a thickness that I thought I had turned more than one page. The story is a…
Recently there have been a number of stories in the media about the sexualisation of children, from entering them into beauty pageants wearing skimpy outfits and spray tans plus a High street store was reported to be selling false eye lashes for toddlers. This got me thinking that there is a fine line between children…
Education.com got in touch and asked if I would write about this worksheet, I agreed because this is just the sort of activity I used to do with my youngest son before he was old enough to start school. He was the youngest of 4 and liked to think that he was a ‘big boy’…
Melanie has suggested this weeks topic. One of my favourite messy play activities is what I call gloop (cornflour and water experiment) as this also covers science in the early years. Basically you mix lots of cornflour with water in a large vessel. I used to mix it in my grill pan as this allowed…
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…
Recently I heard on the local news about a subway on a housing estate that had been damaged with graffiti, by teenagers, the reporter claimed. This took me back to 2004 when I was campaigning to get my local children’s park upgraded, read more about this in my post titled Power to the people. The…
Long before they can learn to write children need to master the skill of holding a pen or pencil.This usually begins by doing a few scribbles with a chubby crayon. This primitive form of writing is known as mark making, just having fun with any form of arts and crafts can help with hand to…
Firstly. I must point out, that what I am about to write is purely, my own personal experiences, of pregnancy and child birth. I have no medical training in this field and as every women and child, or baby’ is different it will not necessarily be the same for anyone else! For as…
Just before Christmas I was watching a television programme where a 4 year old child told a joke to an elderly person. “What wobbles in the sky?” “A jellycopter.” This took me back to when my sons were young and would tell jokes to adults, (so to cheer everyone up now that the Christmas festivities…
Woolly dolls are something I learned to make, as a child ( a school friend taught me) and I used to make, with my older child minded children. To make a woolly doll, you will need: wool, thick wool works best, a hardback book ( a ladybird book, is ideal) and scissors.. After choosing your…
Recently I attended a Christmas craft evening where I discovered the following crafts, which I feel children would manage with a little help from an adult. I feel sure that many parents and child minders will enjoy and benefit from this. All the items needed can be purchased reasonably from arts and crafts suppliers and…
As a parent and grandparent I feel that it is important that children are fed good wholesome food which is free of additives that can affect behaviour. This is one of the reasons that I am writing this review. Besshill farm shop is in Arlington approximately 10 miles from Barnstaple, the farm is easy to…
For anyone who doesn’t know about this, the elf on the shelf is a relatively new concept which has come from America. Parents tell their children that Santa has sent a special elf from the north pole to watch them and report back to him as to whether they have been good, or not. Commercial…
This book is just as it is described in the title – magnificent. It will appeal to both adults and children who have an interest in exotic birds. The illustrations by Narisa Togo are truly breath taking, plus she gives some information about each beautiful bird. Older children will find this book an asset…
This craft could be undertaken by both adults and older children under some supervision I made mine some years ago at a family workshop group. All that is required is a picture of a Christmas theme (I used a candle) there are many free downloadable images available on google imagines (check for copyright). A…
Manning’s pit is a local beauty spot. named after Benjamin Manning, a cattle trader and former butcher. I have a long relationship with this wonderful, tranquil place, I spent many happy hours playing here as a child and walked my German Shepherd dogs many, many times as an adult. One day, during the school holidays…
Pipity have kindly sent me 3 of their new activity books to review. ANIMALS This, as the title suggests consists of activities that are animal related, from making an elephant using your finger as a trunk to tiny bugs, there are also pictures to colour and a birthday card to make. The thing that…
Without meaning to sound like a slave driver, I believe that children should be encouraged to help in the household. My youngest son loved to clean my kitchen sink, this started one day when he was bored and as I was pottering in the kitchen I pulled up a chair so he could reach the…
Thanks to Shannon from education.com who got in touch with this brilliant blog, after reading it myself I knew I had to have her as a guest blogger! Knowing the letters in your name, and the order they go in, is an important sign of nursery readiness. But it’s not as easy as you might think! Children need…
Regular readers, will know how I love to get children out and about whenever possible.One outing, that comes to mind, was when I took my youngest son. then aged 12, a child minded child, age 8 and went, with another child minder and her son, 12 on an afternoon walk to Heddon’s mouth, via the…
This paperback is written by Katy Segrove and illustrated by K aterina Vykhodtseva, it basically tells the tale of animal friends who want to put up a Christmas tree together, at first they can’t agree on what to have but it has a moral that if they stay positive and work together they will find…
When I was a registered child minder I heard about a drop-in for child minders, I went along and discovered that it wasn’t well attended, which I thought was a shame. Later when I also became employed as a support child minder I took over the running of the drop-in, we were extremely lucky, in…
Nowadays, with electronics, such as, games consoles, tablets and i pads it may seem old fashioned to think about playing traditional games, but they, too, can be fun and a lot cheaper on our pockets. Eye- spy is one of the oldest, it can be adapted for younger children, I used to to play it…
Boolino sent me this remarkable book. The first thing that struck me when I looked at this book was the paper torch at the back . The book is hard back and spiral bound which makes it easy to read while using the torch because the pages stay open. The front cover is quite striking…
Sarah Knight has suggested that I write about how to survive Christmas with children, thanks, Sarah. The first thing that comes to mind is how wonderful Christmas is when spent with children. My best Christmases. were when my children were still believers in Santa, there is something magical about that! I recall, one year, my…
Another book sent by Walker books. This delightful picture book is educational as it explains what the natural world gives us in a simple way which will appeal to young children. The front cover is bright and kept quite simple. Inside are wonderful illustrations by Toni Yuly who has also written the book, the pictures…
This wonderful book was sent to me by Walker books. Pick a pine tree is written by Patricia Toht and Jarvis has illustrated it for her. The book is just perfect for this time of year, as it describes the excitement we all feel when putting up our Christmas decorations, it begins with choosing a…
As the title of this blog suggests this is my third attempt at riding for the disabled at The Calvert trust, Exmoor. This time I had a bit of a shaky start when I was hoisted into the saddle, usually Teddy my horse stands like a statue, but for some reason today he was shifting…
lThis is the first installment of the pasta kidz and petz adventure stories, which are written by Byrony Supper and illustrated by Julien Bray. The front cover is glossy and has vibrant colours. The story tells of an inventor and his assistant. The text contains some nonsence words which will appeal to children ( at…
This is the latest book sent by Tiny tree children’s books. Ilias’mountain is written by Lilian Kars and illustrated by Steffie Padmos. It is quite a large book which is impressive to look at with a striking front cover picture. The inside cover has a picture of rocks, giving a clue as to what is…
As an experienced child minder I often used to child mind for social services, which is now known as community child minding. This initially meant attending a 2 day training course ( where I met another child minder who 20 years on is still one of my closest friends). This training consisted of listening to…
On Sunday morning I went to visit Luke an amazing horse, who is owned by a friend. I started my visit by giving Luke a few treats of carrots and apples which understandably he loved. I enjoyed listening to him munching, as well as breathing in the wonderful smell that horses have ( this is…
These cute little books are the latest that Tiny tree children’s books have sent me. The books in this series are written by Kaley Owen and illustrated by Graeme Holding. AMOS THE ANTEATER t ells the moral of treating others in the way that you would like to be treated, it is written in rhyme…
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…
This delightful book is written by Russ Brown and illustrated by Jamie Cosley. The story is basically about a child who is struggling to concentrate in school, he says because there are monsters stopping him from doing his work. The other children don’t want to socialise with him as they think he is strange….
This is a request from Julie Tallin, thanks Julie, for tips on how to divide your time and attention between several children. In my experience, trying to juggle several children at once is easy, if managed correctly. I used to try to include everyone together, so nobody feels left out. I can recall my youngest…
This is another book from Tiny Tree children’s books. Portia the pear is written by Nicola Hulme and illustrated by Elena Mascolo. The story is a new take on the ugly duckling fairy tale, Portia starts life feeling that she is not as good as the other fruit in the orchard, but her confidence slowly…
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…
I was sent this book from Tiny trees children’s books. It is written and illustrated by Michelle Hird. The story is about moving house and settling into a new place, which may help children going through similar. Regular readers of my children’s book reviews will know that I love a book that is written in…
I was sent this book by ichild. It is just the sort of activity book that I would have found really helpful when I was working as a registered child minder as many of the activities relate to the early years foundation stage (E.Y.F.S.) which are personal, social and emotional development, literacy, maths and understanding…
I love to get out and about whenever possible and liked to do outdoor activities, with my child minded children, when the weather would allow. One bright Autumn day I decided to take them on an outing to the woods, I had to drive us there, as it was approximately 8 miles from my home….
There are many advantages why a parent, mother or father should join a toddler group,( traditionally known as mother and toddler groups.) with their child. Firstly it is a fantastic opportunity to meet other parents in similar situations as yourself. A well run group will benefit your child as it will help to teach them…
This is a mini blog to respond to a message sent by Claire Day, after she read my original piece on bedtime routines. Claire has a 21 month old son who sleeps in a normal bed and wakes every night screaming and nothing will settle him until he’s ready, then he just rolls over and goes…
I was invited to go into “The voice”, Barnstaple, a local radio station in North Devon to chat about my blog. I have been on the radio several times before; when I was campaigning to upgrade my local park (read more about this in my post titled power to the people-battle to upgrade Rock park)…
When Suziew asked me if I would like to review a second of her children’s books I immediately said that I would, as I was impressed by the previous one she sent me, Things Evie eats. This time the book she sent is titled Better buckle up. It is a brightly coloured paperback suitable for…