I'm a shift worker and needed flexible childcare at weekends. I can't believe how lucky we are to have Fiona. She first started looking after my two children (aged 8 and 1) in September 2014, and they adore her. It's like a home away from home for them and they look forward to their time spent with Fiona and her lovely family.
From the beginning, she will go through every aspect of childcare and you let her know the sorts of things you do/don't do with your kids. She's understanding, accommodating, bright, cheery and completely genuine. It's a real pleasure to see.
I have to drop my children off before I start work, so it's a very early start, yet she greets them with a smile on her face and they're thrilled to see her. I cannot tell you just how much of a comfort that is to me. I know that they are cared for beautifully, safely and are happily involved with whatever Fiona and her family do over the weekends. At the end of the day, I get a wonderful account of everything they have done, along with lovely pictures, emailed across to me.
Never once has my son said that he doesn't want to go there, or that he is unhappy there...and my 1yr old has taken to Fiona and all her family from the word go.
The activities they do are varied and fun. Anything from walks in the woods, crafts, outings/excursions, watching sports tournaments or simply chilling at home. She runs things past me and always checks that I'm happy for my kids to do/go to x/y/z. The house is welcoming and warm, a lovely family home...the garden is secure and there's lots for children to play with.
I finish my shifts really late in the evening, yet Fiona was kind enough to arrange that she would drop the kids back to my home (10miles away). She's like Mary Poppins, the Fairy Godmother and Fraulein Maria all wrapped up into a parcel of childminder-awesomeness. Seriously, you won't find anyone like her. She's one in a billion :)