opal's Reviews
Childminder
Below are the parent reviews for opal. Back to opal's profile
Average Rating:
(5 from 9 reviews)
Diane and Kevin had our son from just before he turned one until he was 2.5 years old and we moved away. Taking him out of Diane and Kevin’s care was easily the hardest part about moving because they have been amazing. They demonstrate enormous love and affection at every turn and we both knew that he had the happiest day with them and his friends. Diane and Kevin were always extremely attentive and I know they made sure he was stimulated and engaged every day - he just adored his time with them. Diane and Kevin also looked after our eldest when she was younger, and that means that every now and then she got to see Diane and Kevin after school - always the highlight of her day. I couldn’t recommend them highly enough.
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by
Sophie
about
opal
on 22/09/2024
Response by
opal
on 22/09/2024:
Hi Sophie,
Thanks much for your review I greatly appreciate all you had to say about the care and support we gave your little ones. It was our pleasure having them when we did.
Take care.
Diane
I’m incredibly grateful to Dianne and Kevin for making Sid’s first experience in childcare faultless. I was very nervous about how it would all work but Dianne planned a great settling in process and he settled quickly and happily to much relief. He ate really well, with a wide variety of healthy meals. He bonded brilliantly with the other children and enjoyed the various activities Dianne planned for them. He especially loved going to the Transport Museum! Dianne was so flexible with us when we needed extra care, always willing to help.
I also really enjoyed our funny chats when I collected him at the end of the day.
Dianne and Kevin have fostered a lovely, warm, nourishing setting and I felt lucky that Sid was there.
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Our daughter has been with Diane and Kevin since just before her first birthday and has loved every minute in their care. Diane and Kevin’s home is a place of warmth and love and affection - it is evident at every step how much they cherish the children in their care and offer them real love and guidance. Diane cooks varied and delicious meals, and our daughter always comes home talking about all her friends and the exciting things she has done during the day - they go out to local parks, on train journeys, to local music groups, they sing and dance at the the house, play for hours in the garden, do water play and art and cooking, and of course lots of reading. Diane is always an excellent source of advice and encouragement and we have always taken all our parenting questions to her. She knows our daughter so well and having that person in our daughter’s life has proved invaluable. Our daughter will be moving on to nursery just after she turns three and the thought of her no longer being with Diane and Kevin breaks my heart, but under their care she has flourished into a happy, confident and bright little girl and she’s ready for the next step. Sending our daughter to Diane and Kevin was the best decision we ever made!
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I cannot speak more highly of Diane and her husband Kevin. The environment they have created in their home is warm and loving and full of fun, the inviting atmosphere immediately puts everyone at ease.
My daughter (who had previously struggled in larger environments) was happy from day one in Diane's home and I was relieved to receive lovely pictures and videos and updates throughout the day.
Diane cooks delicious nutritious meals and even prepares picnics which she takes to the local parks. Diane and Kevin somehow manage to create new fun, engaging and educational activities every day, my daughter regularly comes home with wonderful art that she's made. Diane regularly takes the children out to local parks and groups and she meets up with other local childminders so there is so much variety. It has been lovely to see our daughter meet lots of other children and make new friends of all ages.
Diane and Kevins outdoor space is amazing too, the perfect playground and also a place of beauty with vegetable patch, plants, flowers and a big lawn.
Diane and Kevin have a wealth of experience and are incredibly professional, caring and reassuring. They have been unbelievably flexible with us when we needed during tricky covid times. We couldn't feel luckier to have found her.
To feel that your child is in the best possible care means everything, we cannot recommend enough.
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Diane looked after our son from when he was 9/10 months old. We made the decision to switch from a nursery as we didn’t have a great experience there, and it was the best decision we made! Diane and Kevin are so warm and full of genuine affection for the children there. The environment is nurturing and full of opportunities for the children and our son blossomed there. The food was great and his allergies were catered for. They also went out on regular outings which was important to us. Diane also managed to build a great routine for him (as things were a bit chaotic before) which made my life easier as he regularly had a long afternoon nap with no trouble. We relocated out of London otherwise I would have kept him there for as long as I could. Definitely recommend.
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I found it really hard when I started looking at who I’d feel comfortable leaving my child with when I returned to work. I saw quite a few childminders, visited nurseries, spoke with friends. I just didn’t feel all that sure and wondered if I was just being too picky and protective. But when I met Diane I just knew that I’d held out for the right reasons. She was everything we were looking for. Our now 6 year old son went to Diane from the age of 10 months until he was 3 years old. Our second boy, now coming up for 3 years old has been with Diane since he too was 10 months old. We didn’t even question for a moment our second son going to Diane’s . In fact I think we signed him up ridiculously early so we didn’t miss out! Not only does Diane have a genuine affection for the children in her care she’s proactive in how she cares for them. She has a great setting, fantastic outdoor play space, she takes them to groups and play dates. They have a brilliant time. Her home cooking surpasses mine as they both ate everything there, which they definitely don’t do at home... Also she’s always reading and researching and learning about childcare, she has a passion for it and has definitely helped us learn how to parent. She’s the best. We all love Diane and I’m sure you will too.
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I chose Diane as our childminder as our daughter (8mos at the time) felt perfectly at ease upon arriving. She even went into her arms and gave her a cuddle, and this was not usual practice for our little one who was generally shy with strangers. When we arrived at Diane's, after visiting many a childminder in the area, you could immediately tell she was concerned with children's' developments. There were all sorts of toys to stimulate their attention and minds but it always felt clean and tidy. In short, Diane was our only childminder for the last 2.5 years and she was the only one we would even consider to look after our daughter. She has helped raise our daughter who is now 3yrs old and a confident, joyful child. Thank you Diane for all your effort and dedication.
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Diane has looked after our son for the last two years and we could not have been happier. Diane is a caring and very supportive childminder who really focuses on the individual needs of each child and their development. Diane puts a great deal of effort into providing stimulating activities for the children, both in her house and out and about (at the park, groups, etc). Diane also puts a lot of effort into providing a diverse range of tasty and nutritious meals for the children. Diane is also great at communicating with parents.
I cannot recommend Diane highly enough.
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As the Gruffalo would say 'Astounding'. If you don't know the Gruffalo, you soon will! I would hazard a guess that Diana is in the top 10% of child minders, in terms of all round quality. Diane speaks to children with respect and patience. She cares and has plenty of love to give. She is flexible, accommodating and a pleasure to work with. She has over 10 years experience. Great Cook, enough though she has never let me try her curry goat. One of Mia's favourites is Diana's Mackerel with couscous. The television is rarely on. Diane provides plenty of nourishing activities which facilitate great development. Work with her if you can!
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