Dawn

The most wonderful childminder

Dawn is a wonderful childminder offering a clean and calm, home from home setting. Our son spent 18 months with her and he absolutely thrived!

When he started at 8 months, the settling in sessions were planned in a way to ease him in gently. She was so reassuring and sent regular communication and pictures to put us at ease. This carried on throughout his entire time and it was always lovely to see him having fun and what he was getting up to. Food, sleeps and nappy updates were always shared via WhatsApp so we could keep up to date.

She provides the most wonderful home cooked balanced meals, which smell and look so yummy! My son never came hungry and was always well fed. She helped encourage him to learn to use cutlery, as well as table manners!

We cannot thank her enough for her involvement in his development, from walking to talking, to eating, to counting. She provides a wonderful clean home, with all sorts of toys, games, outdoor toys and more to encourage him to progress. She really supported me as a mum (first baby) by reassuring me of any worries I had with his development.

Whilst my son was there, there were two other children which he loved playing with and it allowed him to learn to socialise, preparing him for nursery. It also meant he got plenty of attention and focus as it was a small group.

She never once let us down and always gave advanced notice of any holidays. We feel so lucky to have found her and lucky that our son got to spend a wonderful 18 months with her.

We see her and her husband as family friends now and will be staying in touch!

Thank you

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by LPS about Dawn on 12/01/2024

Response by Dawn on 13/01/2024:

Thank you so much for your kind words.
I was very sorry to see Laurence go, but understand the logistics made it necessary,
I miss his cheeky little face and lovely cuddles.
Look forward to seeing you soon 😊

You will be so grateful to have found Dawn…

Dawn is a fantastic childminder and is very attentive to the children's needs. You can rest assured that your child will be extremely well
looked after, including their emotional needs as Dawn is very caring. Dawns home is an impeccably clean, safe environment with lots of developmental toys and a lovely outdoor space. My son enjoyed nutritious home cooked meals, a warm and comfortable environment that was just like a second home for him. There is nothing more important when going back to work to have peace of mind that your child is in safe hands, with Dawn I knew instantly that she was the right choice. My son had a brilliant time with Dawn and would blow kisses and wave at her each day when I picked him up. I am extremely grateful to Dawn and all of the support she provided, she is a true find and anyone that is lucky enough to contact her at a time when she has availability will not be disappointed! Nothing is too much trouble, always reliable and the level of care is second to none. Thank you Dawn!

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by Claire about Dawn on 10/02/2022

Highly skilled and experienced childminder

We first used Dawn before I went back to work after having our first son. She took care of him while I went to job interviews. Right from the start I had complete confidence and peace of mind with Dawn. My boy had a milk allergy at the time which she managed with no problem and he always seemed happy in Dawn's home.

When our nursery closed at the start of started and I needed childcare as a key worker. I contacted Dawn to see if she could help us with my two boys! They are now 2.5 years and nearly 5.

Dawn was able to take the boys so that I could get to work. They both settled in really quickly. It's a home from home in many respects. Dawn has kept them entertained, well fed and in line! She has been preparing wonderful lunches for them including a roast! They love the different toys and the garden.

I think Dawn's experience really shows in the way she's managed their squabbles and misbehaving. She's firm but fair (even my 4 year old says so) and is not phased by any challenging behaviour.

Dawn lives in a quiet cul de sac which is ideal for drop-offs.

I'd highly recommend Dawn. She's been an absolute life-saver during lockdown!

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by NHSRach about Dawn on 03/07/2020

Thanking our lucky stars!

We have just celebrated our first year of Dawn being our 20 month old son's childminder and I can safely say it is one of the best decisions we have made. I was very anxious at going back to work and finding a suitable childminder to look after our then nearly 8 month old on a full time basis as he seemed so tiny but from the word go it has only been a success. I can honestly say I have never ever worried whether my son will 'be alright' and it is such a relief to head off to work without worrying about him in the slightest knowing he is in the safest of hands.

Dawn has made every effort to provide a caring, supportive and loving environment for the children. Our son has never been reluctant to go to Dawn's house in the mornings, I am so lucky that we have never had any tears when I say goodbye, he races up to her front door and in fact now he is starting to talk even asks about Dawn at the weekends. It eases the 'mum guilt' of needing to work full time as he clearly has a whale of a time with Dawn and is extremely fond of her, yet is still happy to come home - truly the best of both worlds.

Our little boy has a Cow's Milk Protein Allergy and Dawn and I have worked very closely together on this. We are currently attempting the milk ladder challenge and Dawn has been extremely understanding and supportive of these tricky circumstances, working in tandem with us at home. Our son is always catered for with the most delicious sounding meals and Dawn has always been willing to accommodate his allergy with no fuss or bother.

Our son is an energetic toddler and enjoys his time outside but Dawn takes the children for a walk just about every day and has the perfect safe enclosed garden for the little ones to play in with lots to keep them busy so he has a chance to let off some steam. There are plenty of different toys and books to keep little hands and minds occupied. Dawn keeps her house in lovely order and it is a wonderfully clean space for the children to play in.

One of the best things personally is the chance to have a quick chat every morning - we have worked through the first hints of toddler 'tantrums' together, teething, crawling and learning to walk, the aforementioned allergy and many other stages and challenges of being a first time parent. Dawn offers fantastic support to us as parents and I truly feel we work together to bring our son up with a fair and consistent yet loving approach. With all her experience Dawn has plenty of hints and tips, all of which seem to magically work and I would have never have thought of! With no grandparents or close family nearby Dawn provides this type of friendly and caring support yet backed up with her professional experience which is invaluable to us.

I would not hesitate to recommend Dawn to anyone who is looking for a childminder or babysitter, you really can't go wrong!

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by RT64 about Dawn on 01/05/2019

Lovely babysitter

We have used Dawn a few times to babysit our 3 years old and our 1 year old. She's very responsive, communication is always straightforward. And the children very quickly warmed up to her. We could tell right away that she has a lot of experience and is very comfortable around little ones.

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by Isabelle about Dawn on 02/10/2018