Berta

My Requirements

We’re looking for warm, high-quality care for our son, who will be just over one year old when we hope to start (February/March 2027). Our need is part-time and consistent: two full days a week, Mondays and Tuesdays, roughly 8:00/9:00am to 5:00/6:00pm.

We’re open to a childminder, a live-out nanny, or an experienced regular babysitter rather than a nursery — at this age we particularly value the smaller ratios and the continuity of one consistent carer. Educational quality is our first priority. We’re drawn to a Montessori-informed approach and to respectful, movement-led infant care in the spirit of Pikler/RIE, but we’re equally happy with any thoughtful, well-evidenced early-years practice built around the EYFS — we care more about how you actually work with a baby day-to-day than about a particular label.

Ofsted registration matters to us, ideally with a Good or Outstanding rating, alongside a current paediatric first-aid certificate and enhanced DBS. A genuine key-person relationship, a gentle settling-in process, and regular, honest communication about how he’s getting on are important to us. We’d also welcome a provider registered to accept government-funded hours. We’re based in [area], London, and are happy to share more once we connect.

On a typical day we’d love our son to have a calm, predictable rhythm with plenty of room to move, explore and rest on his own terms. At this age the things we care most about are:

- Physical — freedom to move and practise emerging gross-motor skills, generous floor and outdoor time, and fine-motor exploration through everyday handling and play.
- Language & communication — lots of warm, responsive talk, narrating the day, and shared book time: the serve-and-return back-and-forth that matters most for early language.
- Music — daily singing, rhythm and simple instruments, which he already responds to.
- Cognitive — open-ended, child-led exploration such as treasure baskets, heuristic and schema play, and gentle problem-solving woven into ordinary moments rather than formal “lessons.”
- Social & play — relaxed interaction with you and, where possible, other children, with unhurried, uninterrupted play.

Alongside this we’d want responsive care around his feeding and naps, time outdoors most days, and a short daily update on his meals, sleep, nappies and mood.