Shoss's 5 Star Reviews
Nanny
5 out of 5
Parents say
This highly-rated nanny consistently receives glowing reviews for her exceptional childcare services. Parents praise her warm, nurturing approach and ability to quickly bond with children of all ages. She is described as professional, reliable, and engaging, offering a variety of activities and outings. Many families express complete trust in her abilities and frequently recommend her services to others.
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Showing only 5 star reviews
Below are the 5 star reviews for SHoss. Please note that reviews represent the subjective opinions of other Childcare.co.uk members and not of Childcare.co.uk. Parents must carry out their own checks and references on childcare providers to ensure that they are completely happy before enaging in the use of their services.
Shona has been very good with our 9 month old. She was comfortable to do the whole of the evening routine from playtime, to dinner, to bath time and then sleep.
Shona had taken the time to meet our baby and us prior to her initial visit. This helped our baby to get to know her better for the actual babysitting evening. She was engaging, playful, patient, very happy and confident in looking after our baby. She also kept us informed throughout the evening which certainly reassured us.
We are planning to have her back on a regular basis (if she’ll have us!) thank you Shona :)
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Sidra Z
on 13/11/2024
Response by
SHoss
on 22/01/2025:
Hi Sidra
Thank you for your kind review, I’m very much looking forward to babysitting for you this year.
Shona.
Shona looked after my 18month old boy for days in June while I was working. She was great with him and he really enjoyed his days with her. She kept me up to date throughout the day with photos and how he was doing and she really treated him so wonderfully. I felt completely safe and trusted her straight away and you can tell she just loves the children she watches. Definitely recommend her.
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FionaMcB
on 26/06/2024
Response by
SHoss
on 26/06/2024:
Thank you for your kind review Fiona, your little boy was such a joy to look after we had a fun time on our outings.
You have my number if you require my services again.
Shona.
My baby girl loved spending time with Shona and I felt very confident leaving her for the work hours I needed covered. Shona was incredibly professional and went above and beyond to make the situation work very smoothly and comfortably for me and my daughter. Will definitely want to use Shona again.
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Ruth
on 19/06/2024
Response by
SHoss
on 21/06/2024:
Hi Ruth
Thank you for the lovely feed back,it was such a joy caring for your little one. I look forward to seeing you when you visit Edinburgh. You have my number.
Shona. X
Shona was very caring and lovely with our 2 children, a 4 year old and 1year old. This was the first time they spent the evening with a babysitter, so quite a novelty for them. But Shona felt like family and both of them loved her immediately. She was with us for a short period (5pm to midnight), but they enjoyed it so much that our 4 year told us all about in the morning 😊
Communication was great and very flexible to our schedule and needs!
We would highly reccommend Shona!
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Daria
on 12/05/2024
Response by
SHoss
on 12/05/2024:
Hi Daria
It was a joy caring for the children, fun chasing each other around the house, we enjoyed songtime and stories. You have my details if I can help with care in the future.
Best wishes
Shona.
I booked Shona for the a recent 7pm to 9am overnight sitting for my 16 year old.
I was looking for a service where they could begin to practice their independence (i.e. cooking a simple meal) whilst under the watchful eye of someone.
Shona arrived precisely on time and spent the evening playing card and board games with my teen. My teen enjoyed the experience of having a nice, friendly and caring person around.
We paid £300 for 14 hours of attendance (this also included £20 travel costs)
Shona is a lovely lady and I'd thoroughly recommend her.
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Tess
on 30/04/2024
Response by
SHoss
on 01/05/2024:
Thank you for your kind review.
I enjoyed my time with you.
Look forward to working with you again if you ever require my services.
Best regards
Shona was an excellent nanny to my 1 year old son and he truly adored her. She is absolutely wonderful with children. I’ve seen her with all ages of children and she really has something magical about her that children and babies love. She is warm and nurturing and quick to make a connection with the children, it felt like having a family member looking after him. Shona always had lots of different fun games and activities up her sleeve and also took him out for lovely nature walks and to the park every day. Would highly recommend Shona.
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Vicky S
on 09/04/2024
Response by
SHoss
on 10/04/2024:
Hi Vicky
It was such a joy caring for your wee boy. He came on so well in my care. I just adored his affectionate smile.
Don and I miss him dearly.
I hope you both are doing well.
Shona.
Shona was so great with the three girls that we hired her to babysit. They all loved her, and we would absolutely use Shona’s services again. Shona is so friendly and great with kids!
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LeonaN
on 08/04/2024
Response by
SHoss
on 09/04/2024:
Thank you for your kind feedback.
The girls were wee gems. Happy to offer my services the next time you’re in Scotland.
Shona
Shona has provided my 3 children the most professional and quality childcare which provides a sense of reassurance every time. With experience, flexibility and reliability alongside, I would highly recommend Shona for childcare and will continue to value her service and support.
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Showgirl
on 04/01/2024
Response by
SHoss
on 05/01/2024:
Hi Sam
Thank you for your lovely feedback review of my services, it’s very much appreciated.
I have such fun time with the children it’s so nice to see children enjoying board games than having their heads stuck into a phone or computer. I will continue to provide care as and when you require me.
Shona.
Shona looked after our 1 and 3 year old for an evening including bed time. It was the 1st time we left the boys with anyone and we felt confident in Shona's skills as a nanny. She got them both asleep and in their beds (almost a miracle 😆). Shona has a calm and nurturing approach and we will definitely use her again!
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Jo LBF
on 17/08/2023
Response by
SHoss
on 17/08/2023:
Thank you for the lovely feedback.
Look forward to seeing the boys again.
Shona has been the childminder for our two daughters over the past 8 years. She provides an excellent service, is kind, caring and organised. Importantly, both girls really enjoyed any time with Shona. I've no hesitation recommending Shona for any childcare duties.
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Hamish
on 25/10/2022
Response by
SHoss
on 28/10/2022:
Hi Hamish
Thank you for your review.
It was a joy to care for the girls I can’t believe it was 8 years, we had lots of fun together the girls especially enjoyed crafts and walking Alfie.
We miss the girls very much if you ever need help with babysitting or dog sitting you have my number.
Wishing the family all the best.
Shona.
Shona took fantastic care of our 8 month old son recently, making our wedding day completely stress-free. He was a little tearful and out of sorts being away from his usual schedule/routine, however Shona had the patience of a saint, and nothing was too much trouble. She brought great toys and activities that he loved, and took him out for lots of walks around the venue to keep him happy. Thank you so much Shona! :)
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kk91
on 06/09/2022
Response by
SHoss
on 06/09/2022:
Hi Katie
Thank you again for choosing me to care for little Ted on your special day, he is such a wee cutie he did love the train set.
I would like to wish you all the very best wishes and happiness.
Shona.
Shona looked after my grandson during my daughter’s wedding. This was obviously a very special occasion but the welfare of my grandson was of paramount importance so we were delighted to meet Shona and discover what a caring and capable person she was.
Nothing was too much bother and she followed the routine that my daughter asked her to do.
My grandson was very happy with Shona and we would definitely use Shona’s services again!
We would recommend Shona to anyone, thanks again very much for your help Shona, it was invaluable on my daughter’s big day!
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Elaine
on 04/08/2022
Response by
SHoss
on 04/08/2022:
Hi Elaine
It was a pleasure looking after your grandson, he was a wee bundle of fun and such a contented little boy.
He enjoyed building bricks with me and my story sack puppets.
If I can help in the future please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Wishing you and the family best wishes.
Shona.
Shona was more than I could ever wish for. My 3 year old twins absolutely loved her. It was their first ever visit to Scotland and were meeting so many new people. They took to her immediately and she was wonderful with them. Shona supported me tremendously with the children on the day of my brother’s wedding, taking them for walks, entertaining them with her little bag of goodies and communicating brilliantly with my special needs son. I felt completely relaxed leaving them with her. I will definitely be contacting Shona again next time I visit family in Scotland. Wonderful!
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Heather
on 01/08/2022
Response by
SHoss
on 02/08/2022:
Hi Heather
Thank you for your lovely feedback.
It was a joy to look after the twins, they certainly were a bundle of fun. You have my details and I would only be too happy to help if you require me in the future.
Love to you all.
Shona.
We’ve known Shona for around 8 months now and she has become our go to babysitter for our 4 & 5 year old kids. We have had many social events on this year including family weddings meaning that our family we have always relied on for babysitting have not been able to care for the kids due to attending the event themselves! Anyway, Shona very quickly made us feel so at ease and that our kids were safe and very happy in her care. Shona met our children several times before caring for them and she really made such a wonderful effort at getting to know them as well as myself. Shona is an experienced child minder and she is more than happy to speak of her experience whilst equally making sure that you as the parent are heard and listened to in terms of the way in which you want your child to be cared for. It’s obvious how much Shona loves to care for children. She is great when it comes to setting boundaries with them but equally she is great fun and the kids love how playful she is as well as the warmth she has about her. We haven’t ever hesitated to contact Shona for babysitting and if we needed a childminder, we would be delighted to have Shona. Shona, thank you for the work you do taking excellent care of our children!
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Kate
on 04/07/2022
Response by
SHoss
on 05/07/2022:
Hi Kate
Thank you for your lovely feedback, I love looking after your children we have such fun especially when I hide from them.
Happy to offer my services anytime.
Hope to see you all soon.
Shona.
From the moment we met Shona we knew our twin boys would be in capable hands. She is warm, kind and professional. Our children went to Shona’s lovely home once a week for just over 2 years.
During this time Shona not only provided child care but often planned activities, groups, trips and arts and crafts. Shona also insured there was a wide variety of games/toys and regular walks and trips to the park.
Shona is an excellent communicator and always had time to talk about the boys day.
We enjoyed Shona’s personal touch of sending us photos of moments throughout the day.
If our boys were not starting school we would have happily continued to send them to Shona’s home every week. The boys often talk about Shona, Don ( Shona’s husband) and Alfie the friendly Beagle dog.
Thank you Shona,
The Mackie family.
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Lucia
on 14/09/2021
Response by
SHoss
on 20/09/2021:
Hi Lucia
Thank you for your review.
We are missing the boys so much I do hope they are settling into school well. It was a joy to care for the boys they were friendly & caring, we had lots of fun they certainly enjoyed crafts & outdoor play, visits to Conifox. Don and I will remember them fondly. Wishing the family best wishes.
Our son was in Shona's care, twice a week from the age of 2 to 3. As we had been in lockdown for the last 6 months and our son was not used to being around strangers, we were nervous because he is naturally a little shy and timid. It immediately became apparent that we had nothing to worry about. He settled with Shona very quickly and formed a very strong bond with both her and her husband Don.
Every week, we knew that our son was going to a place where he was happy, extremely well cared for, and where his individual needs would be met. Shona goes the extra mile with everything and is always interested in understanding what will help each individual child blossom and develop. We very quickly saw how much good it did our son to be in her care. His confidence grew, as did his vocabulary, he talked about Shona and Don when he was home, and always looked forward to going to see them. Whenever we left our son with Shona we had absolute certainty that he was in safe hands and that all his needs would be taken care of. He would come home chatting about all the wonderful things he had done that day, from fun walks, to day trips, playing in the park, art projects at home, and a very varied collection of toys for him to play with along with the other children. Shona also worked on lots of aspects of learning with him, practicing shapes, colours and songs and stories. He would come out with things at home and we frequently found ourselves saying, "He must have learnt that at Shona's".
When our son left to go to nursery it was with a heavy heart, but it was very clear to us that Shona's care had been the perfect way to prepare him for nursery. We are certain that his year with her has contributed in large part to him being such a happy and well adjusted little boy and we will forever be grateful to her and Don for everything they did.
We cannot recommend Shona and Don highly enough, any parent would be lucky to have them looking after their child.
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Jennifer
on 20/08/2021
Response by
SHoss
on 20/09/2021:
Thank you Jennifer for your lovely review, it was a pleasure looking after Your little boy he got on so well with the other children in my care, a friendly caring polite little boy. We all miss him dearly. I’m sure he has fitted into nursery well and making new friends.
Wishing all the family best wishes.
I was very fortunate to first meet Shona at our local babies and toddler group and was very impressed with her manner, enthusiasm and the way she engaged the children with songs and play.
My son and daughter have been in her childcare this year and it has been so wonderful and assuring that when you drop them off they are going to be so loved and cared for and have a brilliant day. Shona has a lovely home and is great at getting the children out for walks and has even taken them on a couple of trips which they have thoroughly enjoyed!
I would definitely recommend Shona to anyone else looking for peace of mind with who to leave their child with.
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JoH
on 16/06/2021
Response by
SHoss
on 16/06/2021:
Hi Jo & Dave
Thank you for the lovely review.
It’s always nice to receive feedback from families,
Don and I will miss Katie dearly she has been a joy to care for, I know that the other children will miss her cheeky wee smile.
Wishing all the family the very best wishes.
You have my number if you require childcare in the future.
Shona & Don. 😍
Shona and Don provided fantastic care for our daughter since she was 1 year old. They provided a loving and caring environment - a home from home for our daughter. We truly believe that this was the perfect environment for our daughter from such a young age.
Our daughter settled in very quickly and spoke fondly of Shona and Don. She also got on great with the other children who they looked after. Our daughter loved to take part in the many activities Shona organised each day and her development came on wonders during her time there.
We will miss Shona and Don greatly and won't hesitate to contact them if needed in the future.
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kmcarth
on 04/09/2019
Shona took great care of my little one! He had fun playing in the sun, and was well taken care of. I would highly recommend her.
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Parent
on 10/06/2018
Shona was an absolute gem!!! Having never met her and being in a new town I was a little worried and tried to have my 15 month old sleeping when she got there... it didn't work! Ha! Of course he wouldn't sleep that night! But she was AMAZING with him and texted a half hour later saying she got him to sleep!! She is clearly a professional in every way. We will absolutely call her when we go back for a visit!
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by
Parent
on 06/09/2017
Shona looked after my son for almost 4 years (from when he was aged 3 to almost 7). During that time we were absolutely delighted with the care he received. Shona and Don provided a very safe, secure, loving and fun environment for our son. He was always very happy to spend time with Shona and Don and formed a close bond with them both. As an only child, I feel he benefited greatly from being looked after in Shona's lovely home environment with other children of different ages, and he is still very close to the children he met in Shona's care. I highly recommend Shona, and won't hesitate to use her again should I need childcare in the future.
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Parent
on 03/10/2016
Shona is really friendly and caring with lots of experience of child care - my son loves spending time at Shona's.
It's great that my little boy is always kept busy attending local groups, visits to the park or walks with the dog.
Shona frequently sends photos of these activities which is a lovely touch.
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Parent
on 25/08/2016
Shona and Don looked after our little boy from 11 months old until he was 27months. Their excellent childcare meant it was an extremely difficult decision to leave when I was offered a new job.
The care my little boy received in this home from home environment was absolutely first class. I was extremely nervous going back to work however Shona really allowed me to rest assured that my little one was always in safe hands.
Shona's home is extremely clean and tidy. She is a perfectionist and always finding new and fun activities for the children; I regularly received photos allowing me to feel involved in the days activities.
I had looked at several nurseries prior to finding Shona and was feeling really anxious. I really don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found Shona and Don. They have shown my little boy only love and warmth for the last 18months and I know he has had the best start we could have hoped for.
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on 30/11/2015
Shona and her husband Don are amazing.
She looked after my little girl for the last year, 2days a week preschool, full time in the summer holidays and afterschool 4 days a week.
She had an amazing time, lots of activities, plenty of outdoor play and outings and a safe and secure environment.
I have recommended Shona to all my friends and will be happy to use her again when I go back to work after my 2nd child.
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by
Parent
on 18/01/2015
Shona looked after our daughter from the age of 1 until she was 3.
We chose to send her to a private childminder as we wanted a better quality of care than our son had received going to a local nursery.
In particular, we were looking for a home-like environment where our daughter would settle quickly and feel happy and comfortable. Shona had been highly recommended by a friend of ours, so it was an easy decision to make.
We were very pleased with the quality of childcare Shona provided. Our daughter settled very quickly and was happy being dropped off at Shona’s house without any tears after only a couple of weeks.
Not only does Shona provide a high quality of care, but she is also very active in playing with the children she looks after and helping them to learn and develop.
Our daughter really enjoyed her time with Shona and developed a strong bond, both with her and the other children in her care.
We’ll always be grateful for the excellent start in life that Shona provided for her in these important early years and if you’re looking for a positive, safe environment where your child will be happy and thrive, then I can’t recommend Shona highly enough.
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by
Parent
on 05/09/2014
Shona currently looks after my son 3 days a week, and we couldn't be happier.
My son loves spending time with Shona - she has a warm, calm, caring manner, and my husband and I feel happy and confident leaving him in her care.
Shona is highly recommend - I'm so glad we found her!
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Parent
on 23/08/2013
Shona has cared for both of my sons since they were six months old and I'm heartbroken that a change in my job has meant I've needed to change childcare.
Our children have been made to feel part of a warm friendly family and are cared for in a beautiful spotless home environment. They are always kept busy with different outings, groups, crafts, library visits and endless toys and games.
She has a wonderful calm way with the children who are all happy and well behaved in her care.
We could not recommend her enough.
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Parent
on 21/08/2013
My two daughters were looked after by Shona before a third arrived and we no longer needed outside childcare. We found Shona to be a warm, friendly person who quickly develops a lovely relationship with the children she minds. She provides a homely environment whilst also taking the children on regular outings (which they love !!!). She regularly does home crafts, the girls were always thrilled with this to. All in all I felt happy to leave our girls with Shona and they were always happy to go to Shona. They still talk of Shona and if in the future we need a childminder I wouldn't hesitate in making sure it was Shona.
Stephanie
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on 17/06/2013
Shona looked after our son Callum in her home in South Queensferry for almost three years. He started at 6 months and was 3 when we moved away. If we hadn't moved, we would have sent our subsequent children to Shona as well.
She creates a wonderfully warm and friendly environment in which children can blossom, learn and have fun. She's keen on regular outings, which our son loved, and she's very skilled at stimulating and indeed educating the children in her care.
In short, she's the type of childminder with whom kids are delighted to go and spend time. We would thoroughly recommend Shona.
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Parent
on 17/06/2013
