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…
Hamsters are often thought of as an ideal first pet for a child; they can make wonderful pets but beware that they can and may well bite. Hamsters are delicate little creatures, so as with all animals; children should always be supervised by an adult when around them to ensure the children are handling them…
Anyone caring for a child under the age of 8 years who is not related to them and for any kind of reward, must become registered by Ofsted Early Years. Many people will think that by becoming a child minder their own children will suffer, however because child minders are self employed they can…
Understandably it can be quite daunting for a newly registered child minder to do their first interview, or meeting with a parent for the first time. You learn with experience; this is how I handled it, and I did manage to convince most parents to pick me as their child minder. Usually, a parent…
As an early years practitioner; you should be very aware of the need to work with the children’s parents in partnership. Here are some of my experiences of this from my many years as a child minder. I liked to think that I knew the children I was caring for extremely well, but I never…
Whilst child minding; I often heard the children say funny things. Once, whilst I was covering a topic on healthy eating we were making fruit kebabs and I asked “Where do grapes come from?” A 4 year old shot up her arm and told me “I know Karen; Tesco!” On another occasion; while walking through…
I believe that children and dogs can be great together; if managed correctly. When I purchased my German Shepherd puppy “Keira” she was 8 weeks old. I did a lot of research into her breed first (although I have always been an admirer of this type of dog, so knew quite a lot already) I…
Cats and kittens can make great pets. Kittens especially look so cute and cuddly; which they can be, but they also come with a good set of claws ready to scratch if they are not happy about a situation! Always supervise children around any animal. A kitten (or any other pet) can sustain a nasty…
I thought that as many parents may consider getting a pet to complete their family; I would share my experience of adopting a dog from the “Dogs Trust” When our beloved German Shepherd; Keira, died we were devastated. We got her back in 2006; from an extremely good breeder. Unfortunately in 2007 I suffered a Major Stroke, meaning that all…
Back in 2004 I launched a campaign to get the out dated play equipment in Rock park, Barnstaple up graded. I have now been made aware of a campaign to save Westacott park. Westacott park is a small park on Westacott Road in the Whiddon valley area of Barnstaple. When I lived in Whiddon valley…
For as long as I can remember; I have always wanted my own Horse. I wished for one every time I blew the candles out on birthday cakes and asked Santa for one each Christmas. I even came up with an idea that if I married a rich farmer when I grew up then I would…
Living in north Devon; I am very fortunate to have some wonderful coastal and countryside walks on my doorstep. Many years ago now; when my boys, were of school age I decided that we would go on a cycle ride together to a lovely place called Fremington Quay. The weather was pleasant; without being too…
You don’t need to spend a fortune to keep children amused doing art and craft activities. When I was childminding; I used to use the back of junk mail (which is often blank on the reverse) as drawing paper. The inside cardboard of cereal boxes is great to use for painting. Put an old adult…
When oxo tots got in touch and asked if I would review some of their products, I immediately enlisted the help of family friend called Ann and her 14 month old daughter; Arya. Sippy Cup Oxo tots sent me their tall sippy cup; suitable for 9 months plus It is priced at £7.60. This has…
Acropats come in packs of 16 pieces. They are made of stiff foam, and come in four different colours: red, green, yellow and blue. I asked three children; 2 girls and a boy who were aged between 4 and 11 years to help with this review. The product manufacturer recommend that they are not suitable for…
This is an article that I originally wrote for “childcare Expo.” I worked as a registered child minder for 14 very happy years; in all that time, I only ‘went sick’ once. This was because I had a bad stomach upset and there was no way that I could have looked after children (not that…
I was privileged to work as a registered child minder for many happy years, meaning that I never had to leave my children in childcare; other than in pre-school play groups. Being a child minder; I was aware of a parents guilt, and hardly a week goes by without something similar being brought up on…
Another child minder (also called Karen!) has asked me for ideas that are suitable for the older children. She also child minds after school; however most of her activities and games are aimed at younger children. The older children that I looked after liked arts and crafts (especially the girls) Making dolls out of wool was a…
For as long as I can remember I have always loved babies and children (and anything to do with them) including an interest in pregnancy and birth. All I ever wanted to do when I was growing up playing with baby dolls was to to get married and have children. I did get married, aged 19 and had two…
Rebecca, who is a registered child minder has suggested this blog topic. As a registered child minder; you should be invited to attend meetings and courses, on the basics of keeping child minding accounts, for HMRC. As a self-employed person, record keeping is your responsibility. You can, of course, hire…
When I worked as a child minder, I found that most of the new child minded children settled in remarkably quickly. I have written, in more detail, about a particular child, who took a little longer, in another blog post, titled “child minding tales – separation anxiety” I think, it is actually more distressing for…
As a Child Minder you are at an advantage over a larger setting such as a nursery (I’m my opinion anyway) when it comes to planning activities for the children in your care. For example; I like to think that when I was a child minder I knew the children I looked after really well…
Experts say that most children don’t get bladder control until around 18 months, so there is no point in trying to potty train before that age. I must admit however, to placing my first born son Leigh, on his potty just after his first birthday. He seemed to be quite happy sitting there, whilst watching…
Nowadays, keeping children entertained on long car journeys is relatively easy thanks to things like laptops, electronic games and tablets such as iPads. They can now watch a movie or play a game whilst they travel. When my own children were young, there were no such luxuries. I once made a booklet for each of…
Many parents are under the impression that teaching their child to read is the responsibility of their child’s teacher. While this is true to a certain extent, there is a lot you can do to help as a parent. My eldest son started to recognize words from a very young age by the way they…
When I met my second husband, my boys were aged 4 and 6 and he had an 8 year old son. Once we settled into life as a “blended family” the boys didn’t call their step-parent mum or dad (after all, they each had an absent parent who they still saw) neither did we tell…
After catching up with Terry who originally suggested I write a blog on Child Led Play, he told me his Daughter aged 2 had recently been to a birthday party. He was surprised that all the small children played separately, instead of together. This in my experience is perfectly normal for that age, and soon…
Thanks to Terry who suggested that I write a blog about Child Led Play. It is too easy to hover over our children while they are playing. It is much better take a step back and et them use their imagination. When I was child minding, I sometimes laid out the tea set on a…