As a stay-at-home mum, I didn’t send my son (now 5) to nursery, but once his sister was 1.5 (she is now 2.5) I felt like a bit of time to pursue my own endeavours would be much appreciated. Since I had always been so in control of my kids’ schedules and safety I wasn’t even sure if there existed a person who I would feel comfortable with... that is, until I met Eileen.

She is everything and more than I could have hoped for in a nanny. She was never, ever late and a great communicator. She was totally respectful of our family schedules and didn’t push me too far out of my comfort zone... but just enough to allow both my daughter and I to grow.

Eileen would show up with super fun things for her to do, like precooked spaghetti or a big container of jelly with random objects hidden in it. She would sing, read, allow my daughter to just be herself and grow and get messy and love every moment. Eileen even dropped off activities and games on our doorstep during the lockdown, with FaceTime sessions in Gruffalo costumes (oh yes) to entertain both kids.

She was also incredible with my son, and even went the extra mile to take care of my crippled dog; there are not many people I would trust to do this.

We are super sad to have to say goodbye to seeing Eileen regularly, but it’s time for my daughter to make the leap into nursery. Eileen has been instrumental in getting her to this stage. She is ready, and so am I, thanks to Eileen’s wonderful care.

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• Communication