Karen Mc's Reviews

Spot on childcare

I have used Karen McGuigan for the childcare of my son Alfie for the past 22 months. As I work full time it was very important for me to find the right childcare for Alfie as he spends majority of the working week in childcare. I was recommended Karen by colleagues. On my meeting with Karen I was very impressed with the set up that she had to offer. On my first impression of Karen she was very welcoming and gave me a very good feeling that Alfie was going to be in very good hands, which made me very confident that she was going to be the right childcare for Alfie.

Karen cares for Alfie from her house which is clean and child friendly. In the wet cold days Alfie has got plenty of toys to play indoors with and also in the warmer months he gets to play out in the back garden which is safe and secure for him. During the week Alfie goes out to various playgroups and clubs so is always socialising and doing different activities which is organised by Karen, he often brings me back drawings and paintings which Alfie does in his time with her.

Alfie went to Karen as a 9months old baby since being there Alfie has progressed so much and is progressing week by week you can tell that there is a lot of interaction between Alfie and Karen. Alfie is very fond of Karen and is always happy and excited to see her. She is very aware and knows Alfies moods and works around his needs on a day to day to day basis. Alfie is now 2years old and she has a very good understanding of his personality.

Karen provides Alfie with a very healthy diet. Alfie has all of his three meals and a variety of healthy snacks throughout the day when he is in Karens care. Alfie is a very healthy young boy this will have a lot to do with the personal hygiene that Karen carries out within the Kitchen and keeping the children clean.

Due to my work commitments if I need to bring Alfie any Earlier or collect him any later Karen is very flexible with my needs of that pacific day. Every day when I collect Alfie Karen always gives me a daily report on how Alfie has been, this is normally what sleep he has had, how he has eaten and also what activities Alfie has done in that day. If Alfie has any sort of accident she will always inform me and she records it in an accident report which I sign when I collect him. If Alfie is unwell she will also inform me.

As a whole I would recommend Karen as a childminder as she is a very trustworthy, reliable, and enthusiastic person and quite clearly passionate about her service that she provides. I can also tell that Alfie trusts and loves being with her as his reactions when seeing her he is a very happy child and that has a lot to do with the childcare that he receives by Karen.

As a mother it is very important that we are 100% happy with our childcare so we can feel happy and have our minds at rest when we are at work, I am more than satisfied with Karen as the carer for Alfie. I would recommend Karen to any parent on the grounds of the service that she provides for myself and Alfie. My working day is not as daunting as it could be as knowing Alfie is in safe hands makes the decision to be a working parent easier.

• Overall

by Parent about Karen Mc on 28/10/2013

One in a million childminder!

Karen began childminding our daughter, E (20 months), part- time from the beginning of this year (2013) and we currently have extended our contact to continue the arrangement for the foreseeable future. Karen was recommended to me by a local childminder and the local Children’s Centre I used to visit regularly. I wanted E to have a home- setting.

The decision to return to work, as E turned 15 months, was not made lightly, however being a military family living away from immediate family and friends, we decided it was in the best interest for E and myself to have a little time to let E’s confidence grow and reduce the clinginess she had been displaying to ‘mummy’.

When I first met Karen I knew instantly from her friendly persona and professional manner that she was exactly what I wanted from E’s childminder. Her love and passion for children is clearly much more to her than just a job, and I could automatically envision entrusting E into her capable hands. Karen understood the importance of the settling in period which made leaving E a lot easier. Karen worked closely together with my husband and I, to ease E into her care gently. Knowing E was settled in her childcare before returning to work made the situation much less stressful.

Karen creates a safe, happy and stimulating environment using creative ideas and sensory play to engage the children in new learning experiences. She is flexible in her routines and the activities she chooses depend on the mood of the children. Various activities are open for the children to choose without pressure. E particularly loves playing with farm animals in cornflakes or shredded green paper and has recently been enjoying Karen’s outdoor playhouse with various water activities! Karen is keen to listen to what E likes to do at home so she can design activities suited to her interests. Karen regularly visits the local tots group and Children Centre which gives the children in her care the social interaction they need. She also has good connections with other local childminders which gives the children alternative children to play with. E particularly enjoys their ‘Breakfast Club’ where the children enjoy healthy snacks together whilst table manners are encouraged.

I have always found Karen to be excited and enthusiastic in my daughters learning journey, communication is excellent at the end of a session and I feel really involved in knowing what she has been up to while I’ve been at work. I look forward to hearing her experiences of the day and how she’s behaved and interacted with others, as well as reading her daily comments book. E will greet and leave Karen with a smile beaming on her face which shows to me she loves being in her care. Karen is always happy to discuss concerns and offers unbiased advice where needed, this has been a real support.
Karen is consistent with behaviour management and will follow the techniques used at home and offer ideas for new techniques to use. Karen has managed to overcome issues as they arise such as trouble sharing and tantrums etc. We have worked together to bounce ideas off each other to promote positive behaviour which are important to use at home. Karen has been great with E during times of teething or when she has been under the weather, offering her the comfort she has needed and I am confident that she can administer medication following all the correct procedures and completing the necessary records to ensure her health and safety.

During her time with Karen, E’s confidence is growing and I am truly thankful for the amazing start that Karen is giving her. When E first joined Karen, just 7 months ago, she would be nervous of entering a room of unfamiliar faces and cried if a child would walk past her. She has now been making sound relationships with children from other local childminders and has become a very sociable little girl. Karen has also made a great start with teaching colours/ shapes/ animals and body parts through play, she has the ability to turn recycled materials into learning opportunities!

I would highly recommend Karen as a childminder as she’s one in a million! Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding Karen as a childcare professional.

• Overall

by Parent about Karen Mc on 27/07/2013

Fantastic Service & Fantastic Childminder!

I have known Karen since August 2012 as she is currently child-minding my daughter (17 months) three days a week between 8.30am and 4.30pm.

I cannot recommend Karen highly enough – she provides a superb `home from home`, reliable service. Leaving your child with someone other than family can be quite daunting; with Karen, I can go to work happy knowing that my daughter is in a safe, clean and welcoming environment.

Right from the start, there has been open communication routes for both of us – Karen provides a daily diary on the activities my daughter has took part in during that day as well as a record of sleep times and food that she has eaten. We also spend five minutes either side of picking up/dropping off to discuss any problems or any extra requirements she needs. For example, my daughter suffers from eczema so I inform Karen when she flares up for extra attention to this during the day. We also work as a team to provide continuity in her routine – she may not sleep well during the night so we try to plan the next day around this to prevent her routine slipping further.

The progress that my daughter has made during her time with Karen has been fantastic. Karen takes her to local children’s groups and play centres where I know my daughter engages in a wide range of different, fun activities. Her social skills have come on leaps and bounds and her confidence in new places has sky-rocketed!

Karen is always `thinking outside of the box` when it comes to new activities for the children. There are lots of toys for my daughter to play with inside and outside of Karen’s home – I know recently that my daughter has enjoyed playing with sand and water in the garden. They also take trips out to nearby parks and even the local library as my daughter loves books! A few weeks ago, my daughter came home with a decorated mug for Father’s Day that she had made during the day; such a thoughtful gift.

I know as a parent, ensuring that your child is safe and happy in their environment is paramount. Karen instinctively knows when something is not quite right well with my daughter, for example she may have a slight temperature when teething, and she will inform me that day. I know that Karen can comfort my child in this sort of situation and that my daughter feels happy for her to do this. On the other end of the scale, I am supportive of her kind discipline when boundaries are overstepped as this helps encourage good behaviour which is certainly important to us as parents.

I am extremely confident that Karen could administer first aid should the event arise and am well aware that she follows correct procedures, completes necessary paperwork and attends essential training. Karen is always striving to broaden her knowledge and is continuously attending new training courses during her spare time to better her service. The most recent was a course around language and speech within children which I know she has applied to the care she gives.

Karen is extremely trustworthy and flexible in her approach to the care she provides. This can be from short notice time changes to new working patterns; she is always willing to help as best as she can without impacting any of the children. The interests of the children are most defiantly at the core of the service and she will try to accommodate any requirement to the best of her ability at all times. Karen will often go above and beyond what my husband and I expect from her. She is also someone who I could turn to for advice regarding my daughter and I know anything discussed will be in confidence.

To conclude, I am completely happy with the care my daughter receives from Karen. I am positive that the environment Karen creates for her is helping her grow in confidence every single day. I would recommend Karen to any parent.

Should you have any further questions regarding the service, I would be more than willing to discuss further so please do not hesitate to contact me.

• Overall

by Parent about Karen Mc on 25/07/2013