I highly recommend Maria Wilson as a Childminder. Maria has looked after my 2 sons since January 2012 and the only reason she is not still doing so is because the boys are going to a school out of her area.
I returned to work when they were 2 and 1. I do shift work and finding a childminder who could work around my hours was a huge weight off my mind. The boys took to her straight away and leaving them was made far easier by the fact that I knew she was taking great care of them. For the first few weeks I got regular updates by text and/or phones calls which really helped to ease my mind. Maria is always at the end of the phone and happy to talk to me if I have anything to discuss.
Maria has such a wonderful rapport with the boys. Her ability to connect with them and teach simple concepts, has given them a great start. Maria has always gone to great lengths to document their progress and communicate with us regarding any issues. We enjoy the newsletters and photos, plus Maria continues to adapt and introduce new ways to keep us informed and up to date with the activities they take part in.
There was an occasion where 1 of my son's circumstances changed very quickly and Maria adapted to suit his needs and ‘give it a go’ which paid off and resulted in him making significant progress. It was the flexibility and willingness to try that was greatly appreciated and definitely made us feel like a team.
We have always been impressed with the variety of activities the boys enjoy with Maria and other mindees. From arts & crafts, books, games, cake decorating etc. to trips to the local parks and woodlands. They have also really benefited from having regular contact and building close relationships with other children of their own age. Maria has also helped us with ideas to try at home so that we are working together, eg. reward charts have been a great success!
Maria is a wonderful childminder, full of enthusiasm. She goes over and above to help educate and improve the experiences of the children in her care and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her.