Nicola

Wish I'd trusted my gut...

Our LO was with Lucy for almost 2 years from when he was 10months old, and I'm leaving a review that I wish I'd read before I put him in there. Obviously our experience wasn't all bad as he was there for a long time - here are the positives: LO seemed to get on well with his peers; developed well and hit milestones while there; spoke well of 2/3 childcare providers; daily diaries and photos; pick up and drop off to/from our house which was incredibly convenient; good balance between trips out and time spend in setting. On initial meeting with Lucy she told me everything I wanted to hear and I believed we'd be entering into a collaborative relationship regarding LO's care. However, within 6m it became clear that it would be very difficult to raise any questions about the setting or daily care. Simple things like asking where he napped, how his nappy was changed and if he watched tv (never written on his daily diary, but tv was on everyday) were met in an extremely defensive manner and conversations were promptly shut down. I did push for a couple of conversations about LO's development out of hours which Lucy did do, but it was clear that this was seen as a great inconvenience. Eventually Lucy abruptly terminated our contract when I potty trained my little one, as it was against a policy that she had never shared (other parents have confirmed there is no policy) and she didn't want him turning up and "weeing and pooing all over my floor". Needless to say, the unprofessional manner in which our relationship ended was shocking to say the least - and for that reason I wouldn't recommend using her unless you are very relaxed about your child's care and are happy not to ask any questions.

• Overall
• Setting
• Food
• Communication

by Nicola about Little Monkeys (Childminder) on 23/07/2022