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…
The small cars, big hearts mini rally began in August 1994 when 3 mini enthusiasts went for a drive around north Devon. They had such a good time that the following year invited more drivers along. Now in it’s 22 year “The Grand Tour” as it is known is famous around North Devon. Over 200…
Regular readers will be aware that before I suffered a stroke 10 years ago I rode thoroughbred horses belonging to friends every weekend. Since stroke I have tried riding for the disabled at the Calvert trust, Exmoor. My second go at this varied from the first in that this time I wore my left stroke…
I have always enjoyed watching the birds in the garden. As a child my grandfather gave me a book about birds so that I could read and learn about those I saw. When I moved into my own home after getting married, my dade me a wooden bird table with a roof we only put…
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…
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…
This weeks post goes back to when I was working as a registered child minder and took a group of minded children on a visit to the local garden centre. We walked along a safe foot path and on arrival we looked around at the plants and pet accessories they were selling, before visiting…
I was sent this book by Boolino . It is written by Jackie Marchant and is illustrated by Loretta Schauer, this paperback will appeal to children around the ages of 7-11 years and has an inviting front cover, which is mainly in red. The book has 194 pages but the way the story reads,…
When I was working as a registered child minder I had a few parents who came to see me to enquire about my child minding service, but were unsure or worried about using me instead of grand parents.. One such person was Heidi who said that her mum Lydia was keen to look after her…
I was sent a complimentary bundle of activity booklets from ichild. They consist of Twirl woos based on the cbeebies weekday television show this booklet has a variety of educational activities for a younger child to do with an adult plus a colouring page that your child could can do without too much supervision….
The subject of this weeks blog, is a suggestion, from Erika; thanks Erika. Before I start, I want to point out that I am very bias towards child minders (as I worked as one, for 14 happy years, only giving up due to ill health) Child minders usually work alone, in their own homes…
Another instalment of my pets for children, this time it’s fish. When I was a child my father kept a tank of tropical fish in the living room . We were delighted when the guppies had babies, we gathered around the tank to watch them being born which was magical to begin with, the baby…
Susan, who has been a child minder for just over a year got in touch and asked if I could offer some advice on transition documents. There are many documents available to buy or download on the market, but I used to make my own using the computer. Basically they need to include the child’s…
Once when I was a child minder and went to collect my youngest son from school, while I was waiting for him to come out of the classroom the head mistress came over to speak to me, ” Mrs. Dennis,” she said, “I need to apologise, as I have done something terrible today.” My first…
I was sent a set of 4 books named The dinosaur detectives to review from Boolino . Each book is a paperback written by Stephanie Baudet and tells an exciting adventure had by Matt the son of a palaeontologist, who gets transported back to prehistoric times. The books describe the dinosaurs and will defiantly…
Continuing my theme on my experience of pets for children this time is for budgies. When I was a child we had a fantastic blue budgie we named Kelly, although I think it was a male budgie as if my memory is correct he had a blue area above his beak, whereas females are coloured…
I have been a horse lover for as long as I can remember always hoping to get my own( read more about this in my e book Equestrian dreams available to down load from Amazon) so when a friend asked if I would like to assist with bathing her horse I jumped at the chance….
Boolino books sent a set of 4 Toddlyworld books for a review, these brightly coloured board books are suitable for ages 2-5 years and come with an accompanying audio compact disc. These books feature Toddly and his teddy bear, Toddlybear, the books I received are titled Summer, Spring, Numbers and Stars and each tell a…
When Suziw got in touch to ask if I would be interested in reviewing one of her books I jumped at the chance as I have been a fan of children’s literature since falling ‘in love’ with the Gruffalo while I was a registered child minder.The things Evie eats is written by Suziew and has…
This weeks post is going away from my usual topic of parenting/child minding tips and advice. Recently I have been fortunate in that I have managed to lose a stone in weight quite quickly and when a friend asked how I had achieved this I decided to blog about it. I have never had a…
This picture book is written by Caroline Baxter and illustrated. by Izabela Ciesinska When Boolino books got in touch and asked if I would be interested in reviewing this book I knew by reading the title that I defiantly wanted to write the review. This book will appeal to early years settings, especially child minders…
Regular readers will be well aware that I worked as a registered child minder for 14 very happy years. years, I proudly managed to achieve an outstanding grade from Ofsted at my last inspection. Sandra has asked for some tips to enable her to get a similar result. I displayed some disability posters in my…
A second light hearted post this week with an aim to hopefully make everyone smile. One of the many things that I miss since having to give up my beloved child minding is hearing the funny innocent things that children often come up with, luckily I still see many children and these antidotes come to…
Before I suffered a massive stroke 10 years ago I used to ride every weekend. I was extremely fortunate in that I had a friend called Sue Barker, who owned 2 thoroughbred ex racehorses, she had obtained them when they failed to make the grade in the world of horse racing. I rode an amazing…
Samantha has asked me for some tips to make food shopping with her children a bit easier. Food shopping at the supermarket can be quite stressful if you have young children with you. When my 2 sons had to accompany me every week to the supermarket, my youngest who was almost 2 years old would…
Kirsty Lavender has asked for tips on how best to wean her baby off his bottle and onto a trainer cup. Thanks for the request, Kirsty. The best advice I can give is to have patience. When I decided to coax my oldest son off his bottle, at around 12 months of age, it took…
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…
As a child minder you may well find yourself with a variety of children of different ages to look after. Unlike many nursery settings, who usually have the under 1’s in a separate baby room; a child minder will look after all ages together. I tried my best to include all the children in all…
Road safety should be a concern for parents. Your child is never too young to start learning how to cross the road safely. Always set a good example, even when they are in a buggy ; they will observe how you cross the street. When I was childminding we always used the pelican crossing when crossing the busy…
I am the first to admit that I don’t like the dentist at all. In fact I always say I would rather have a baby, than go to the dentist (and I really would) At least when you go into hospital to give birth you come out with something amazing, when you go to…
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…
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…