Karen_Be

About Me

My name is Karen and I am 46 years old. I am an Ofsted registered childminder and live in Beare Green with my husband, our 12 year old son and our dog.

I am a fun and energetic person and absolutely love being a mum and a childminder. I find great pleasure in watching children learn and develop.

Our home is a very child friendly and safe environment with lots of space both indoors and out. I aim to provide a home from home setting to promote a relaxed and calm transition in which children can settle gradually. I believe in nurturing and supporting children mentally, physically and emotionally to enable them to become well rounded, confident and sociable little people.

I have lots of toys and equipment to keep children amused whilst indoors, together with many activities to stimulate them. We particularly enjoy arts and crafts, making and playing musical instruments, reading and making up stories, puppet shows, singing and dancing, but the possibilities are endless with a little imagination! Not to mention messy play which any child enjoys, no matter how young. I also find that children love to join in with baking and pizza making.

We have a large enclosed garden with lots of toys. The house has patio doors leading out to the garden, to enable children to go in and out as they please. I enjoy gardening so have created a vegetable patch for the children. They enjoy getting involved with planting seeds, watering them and watching them grow. We then use the vegetables in our meals and pizza making!

Beare Green is a lovely village and caters well for children. There is a great playground suitable for both very small children and older ones. There are also some lovely walks around the village, which are great for children to explore and learn about their environment. Holmwood train station is a very short walk from our house, so would be convenient for parents working in London. Dorking is a short drive away and hosts many different playgroups and activities.

We also enjoy regular outings to various parks such as Tilgate Park and Priory Park to name a couple. We love to take picnics, play ball and feed the ducks. There are also a number of farms in the area which children love to visit. When the weather is not so good, the local library and soft play are great options.

I place great importance on mealtimes in our home, eating is a social activity so everyone eats together, making it a fun and enjoyable experience. I believe it is essential for children to eat a healthy, balanced diet and therefore prepare the majority of their meals from scratch. I encourage children to explore and experiment with food, to develop a broad palate and avoid fussy eating. I encourage good table manners at mealtimes, particularly as younger children learn from older ones. I am more than happy to provide meals, snacks and drinks for your children, but you are also welcome to provide these if you prefer to do so.

I live within easy walking distance of The Weald Primary School in Beare Green and St Mary’s Pre School in South Holmwood. However I would also be happy to drive children to and from other schools and pre-schools in the surrounding areas.