Lovely, warm home from home
We chose Katja to be our childminder having seen her on childcare.co.uk app, after deciding to change from a childminder we were unhappy with.
Katja has been looking after Teodor since he was 8.5 months old and at no time has he not wanted to stay with her. He now waits by the door every morning, ready to go. He gets all smiley and excited seeing Katja and her daughter. It’s such a good feeling, leaving for work every morning knowing that he is in a caring and happy environment.
Katja always seems kind, calm and patient with Teodor. He’s well behaved and knows what’s expected of him. She has given Teddy guidence in manners and taught him to listen. Thanks to her he knows words like ‘stop’ and how to safely come down the stairs. I also like the fact that she is out and about whatever the weather, so that I know my baby gets the advantage of going to the toddler groups and soft play centres that I would like to take him to. I regularly see her taking the children to the park and letting them play in the garden.
I’ve been impressed by the variety of toys that Katja has and that the children don’t play with just gender stereotype toys. Teddy loves pushing around the pink doll prom. I’ve really seen Teddy progress since he’s spent time with Katja and the other children in her care.
As we speak Polish at home, it’s good to see that Teddy has learned English words: more, ball and apple to name a few. He has also started to show interest in drawing, or scribbling rather, something I would never have thought of doing with him.
I’m also very impressed with the daily food diaries. Teddy is being given a variety of foods, allowing him to explore different tastes and textures. When I mentioned a polish snack he really likes, Katja made an effort to get it for him, which showed that she’s prepared to go the extra mile.
As first time parents we feel comfortable asking Katja questions about Teddy’s care and behaviour as well as tips on napping etc. It’s great to have this amazing rapport.
She’s also been very accommodating of our unpredictable schedules as we both run our own businesses.