Kate Lin's Reviews

Superb Childminder

Kate Linehan looked after my son Freddie for almost 2 years, following the end of my maternity leave. This was his first experience of being left by mummy and Kate put him at ease immediately with her humorous and loving approach. The whole Linehan family made him very welcome and he developed a great relationship with them all. We were very sad when it was Freddie's time to move on.

Kate's home has been transformed provide a free flow between the inside and outside environments. Decking leads straight out of the rear doors to a wealth of fantastic outdoor activity toys, should they ever tire of the many toys and craft projects Kate provided inside.

Kate ensured that the little ones in her care participated in many varied activities outside of the childminding environment. She took them to parks, sports classes, drama classes, day trips to museums and organised play groups. I felt she provided the breath of experiences I would've chosen myself. Freddie experienced all this with a little close knit group of peers and I couldn't see this being achieved through any other childcare option.

Kate runs a tight ship in terms of routine and discipline when required. As a parent this meant what was expected of us and Freddie was clear and we were kept up to date via the 'Babysdays' online system. This is fantastic for keeping everything in one place and as a historical reference point, the photos and videos always brought a smile to my face when at work.

Kate was also very conscious of the Ofsted development guidelines. She kept us informed on Freddie's progress and provided a fantastic and informative document to pass on to his pre-school. I will never forget the 'People who help us' topic - cue very cute Fireman and Doctor fancy dress outfits.

In summary, we were extremely happy with our choice of Kate, we entrusted our most precious possession to her and never regretted it.

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by AlisonFM about Kate Lin on 12/09/2016

Exceeded all expectations!!

I have been extremely happy with the care my son has received from Kate and also with the great progress he has made since being in her care. Kate has a really lovely manner with all the children she looks after and each child is treated as if they were her own. She always seems kind, calm and patient and the children she looks after are happy and well behaved. Kate provides a wide, fun range of activities including plenty of outdoor exercise - she is always out and about whatever the weather and her meticulous planning means there is always something interesting for the children to do each day whether it’s arts and crafts or playtime in her house and/or child friendly garden or on trips out to local playgroups, music classes, swimming, the park or somewhere further afield.

Since my son has been going to Kate's I’ve always been completely at ease with her care of him. He's never once cried or not wanted to be left with her, it only took a couple of visits for him to be jumping out my arms into hers each morning and whilst he is very happy to see me when I go to collect him he's never in a rush to leave. He is treated like one of the family and loves playing with the other children she minds and her daughters too! When he is hurt or feeling under the weather I know he feels happy to be comforted by her and I am confident that she can administer either first aid or medication following all the correct procedures and completing the necessary records to ensure health and safety.

Kate provides healthy snacks with the occasional treat and plenty of home cooked meals every day. She also completes a diary for each child most days so I can see during the day what they have been up to - this gives me a picture of his whole day including what he’s eaten, how long he’s slept for along with all his activities so I can ask him about them at the end of the day.

All in all I’m thoroughly happy with the level of care my son receives and I’m certain that being in such a positive and happy environment is helping him develop into a confident and self assured little boy.

I would absolutely recommend Kate as a great and reliable childminder.

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by Parent about Kate Lin on 16/02/2016

Fantastic childminder

Kate Linehan looked after our daughter, Cloe, between September 2014 and December 2015. During that time Cloe was very much treated as part of the family and clearly felt very comfortable with Kate, Eddie, Sophie and Mia. We were very happy with the care that Cloe received and the great progress that she made. The only reason that we have stopped using Kate's childminding services is that we are moving to Spain.

Kate has converted her home into an excellent setting for the children to play and learn together. The playroom is well equipped with a wide range of toys and educative materials, as well as comfortable furniture. In addition to allowing the children time to free play with each other, Kate regularly organised a fun schedule of activities, including various crafts such as painting and card making, vegetable gardening and learning through role play.

Kate always ensured that Cloe and the other children in her care received lots of outside exposure. In addition to the school run and regular visits to local playgroups and the library, Kate often took the children on other fun trips, including nature walks, museums and visits to attractions such as the circus and the local Christmas displays.

Kate was excellent at communicating with us about Cloe. On top of the daily chats at drop-off and pick-up time, Kate kept us well informed via Whatsapp and the online diary in the Baby's Days site, including through pictures and videos. Kate was also clearly very good at communicating with the children, including in respect of discipline issues where such was necessary.

Kate was always very flexible and willing to accommodate our work schedules. On several occasions, Kate looked after Cloe outside of her contracted hours and/or on different days, which was a huge help for us.

We would happily recommend Kate to anybody in need of childminding services. She is a great childminder and a lovely and caring person too.

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by Parent about Kate Lin on 22/01/2016