Frenchchildminder's Reviews
Childminder
5 out of 5
Parent reviews
Below are the latest reviews for FrenchChildminder. Please note that reviews represent the subjective opinions of other Childcare.co.uk members and not of Childcare.co.uk. Parents must carry out their own checks and references on childcare providers to ensure that they are completely happy before enaging in the use of their services.
We could not have asked for a more perfect childminder in every single respect.
(Also when writing this review I asked my husband if he had anything to add, and he said it’s hard to put into words how grateful I am for Estelle and how much she has transformed our lives!)
She is absolutely brilliant - we could not ask for a more caring, attentive, helpful person to look after our daughter who is quite highly sensitive and intense, and as sensitive parents too we had big concerns about the transition to childcare. But Estelle made the whole process manageable, seamless and supportive for all of us. She is incredibly thoughtful and considerate and allows the settling process to be tailored to your family which is amazing.
She is so warm and lovely, she has formed a truly great bond with our daughter, who frequently asks to phone her when she’s not with her!, and seems to have the perfect balance of activities, crafts, time outdoors, trips to different London locations and cultural visits - we are super grateful for her commitment to diversity and inclusion too and love that the children went to a mosque before we have! Our daughter loves her garden and little chalet too.
She is also incredibly thoughtful, and her communication is amazing both in terms of daily updates on WhatsApp which we love, but also regarding any challenges, queries, and she kindly does home visits to review progress too.
Our daughter has truly flourished from her time with Estelle and it’s so lovely to hear her French improving (we get the most adorable Franglais at home and she loves to teach us words!)
As an overly anxious parent finding childcare was always going to be a wrench for me but Estelle made me comfortable from the word go and I could not love and trust anyone more as a carer for my girls - we look forward to our littlest starting soon - and can only encourage families to snap up a spot with her because she absolutely is one in a million. I need more stars than five to give her a rating. She’s fantastic.
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Briony
on 28/07/2024
Our toddler has formed a really positive bond with Estelle and the other children she cares for, and he really enjoys his time with her. She provides a nurturing and creative environment, with lots of activities - music, crafts, cooking etc - and time spent outdoors. Our son found the transition to being looked after by someone other than his parents a bit of a challenge at first, and Estelle was responsive to his needs and gave me confidence he was being supported and well cared for. She’s warm, friendly and engaging. Highly recommended!
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123ABC
on 18/10/2022
I first met Estelle at the playgroup she used to run and she was so warm and welcoming that she instantly put me and my little boy at ease. She is so engaging and brilliant at story telling and singing that my little boy instantly adored her. I also observed how attentive and caring she was to the children in her care. During lockdown, she ran wonderful story telling and song sessions on Zoom which were such a treat and we so enjoyed taking part. I think any child would be incredibly lucky to have her as their childminder.
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Catriona
on 09/09/2020
Estelle gave our daughter an amazing first experience of being away from her parents in the day. She is very approachable, outdoorsy and always doing lovely things with the children. She is relaxed and a calming person for Henrietta. Her daughters helped Henrietta sleep. She was always very well fed and looked after. She also did things to help our family like collect Henrietta when my wife had a bad back. I can’t recommend her highly enough.! I hope Henrietta can continue to see her.
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Gareth
on 07/08/2020
We have really enjoyed the Zoom sessions that Estelle has been doing since the beginning of lockdown! My son is usually distracted when trying to attend virtual events, but every time Estelle appears on screen he's hooked. She's an excellent story-teller and makes all the nice gestures and sounds to keep the little ones involved. I'm not sure who enjoys her songs more, me or my 2 year old? :-)
We'd be delighted to have her look after him and would not hesitate recommending her to any parent out there.
Merci beaucoup, Estelle!
Best,
Irina & Lucas
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irrrina
on 03/08/2020
The Zoom sessions organised by Estelle have been such a joy and relief during these challenging times. My daughter, who is just under 2 years old, enjoys them so much. We look forward to them every week!
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MarieAnn
on 01/06/2020
Estelle has been a wonderful support to so many parents during the covid-19 pandemic.
Offering online story time and singing time every day, doing it with positivity, gusto and smiles for the little ones.
My little one learnt to make actions to one of his favourite songs thanks to Estelle!
Big thank you to her : )
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Leilah
on 23/05/2020
I first met Estelle 3 years ago. I was looking for a childminder in the Blackheath / Lewisham area who could look after my daughter a few days a week when I went back to work part-time. Based on the experience of others I thought it was going to be a gargantuan task finding someone who would share the same values as me. Estelle was the first childminder that I met and now 3 years on I know that I was incredibly lucky to find her. Three years within the community, spending a lot of time in the local playgroups, I know that she is one in a million and I have yet to meet another childminder who shares the stringent standards that she sets for herself in terms of caring for the little ones under her supervision. Her dedication and organisation is second to none that I have met. I always say that the gods were looking down on us the day that I found her ad :)
My daughter spent two years with Estelle (from 9 months until nearly 3 years old) 2 or 3 days a week. She still spends the odd day with her when Estelle has a free space for her. It is a real treat for her and she loves returning to spend a day and see Estelle. I hope that when we get to schooling age that she will be at the local school so that she can spend a few afternoons a week with her in the future.
Estelle is kind and caring. She never raises her voice with the children. She is patient and loving with each one. She loves what she does and it shows. She understands that each child is unique and tailors their care accordingly to their needs. The fact that she is so organised makes for a nice streamlined day for the children and therefore a stress-free day. As a result the children are very settled and happy with her.
What are the values that we share?
- Stability. It is very important to provide a routine, a stable environment in which the children can find comfort. This is very apparent at Estelle’s.
- Love & caring. Estelle makes sure that each child feels cared for on a one-to-one level. She does this by making sure each child has some one-to-one attention. She is loving and caring and the children love her in return. She is also firm with them in a kind way and in return they always behave for her. A real Mary Poppins!
- A clean, tidy, organised home with well-defined play areas so that the children can circulate with ease and select which toys to play with each day.
- A great selection of toys and activities planned each day that allow the child to develop skills no matter what age. But more than that Estelle has an amazing imagination and sense of fun and comes up with all kinds of fun things for the kids to do on a daily basis. They embrace this and they are always playing and having fun in the house or in the garden.
- A lovely convivial spirit: no matter what age the children sit around the table doing activities together like they would in a family setting at home. My daughter still has wonderful relationships with the children that she spent time with there. There are at peace with one another. A lovely spirit reigns.
- The importance of song and music. The children learn lots of French songs while they are with her.
- The use of child-friendly soaps and wipes. Estelle washes a great stack of face cloths daily so that she can clean and dry the children’s faces and hands daily with them thus using less wipes and less harsh soaps that are found in the wipes that you can buy. This is the kind of detail that is just lovely.
- The importance of providing a balanced diet and offering healthy snacks like raisins and fruit. Estelle makes her food from scratch and does not use pre-made sauces etc... She keeps an eye on their daily salt & sugar intake.
- Estelle bakes with the children just like they would do in their own homes with their mum.
If you are thinking of placing your child with Estelle then I cannot recommend her highly enough. We have always been very happy with her and of course she has a big place in our family and in our little’s one life. After mummy & daddy, she is our little one’s closest person. This is still the case 6 months on after our little one has been at nursery 6 months. Additionally we wanted our little one to be in a French-speaking environment and this has worked out well for us. I think any child benefits from the exposure to a second language at this age.
The only difficulty can be getting a space! But trust me, it is worth waiting for or ideally let Estelle know early when you are wanting a space for so that she can let you know as soon as one comes free.
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Jane
on 11/02/2019
Estelle has been looking after our now 26 month old one day a week for the past year. He loves going there and runs into her house in the morning without even looking back.
He eats and sleeps very well with her and I think that being with other children has been great for his socializing (while being in a nurturing home environment, which seems the best of all worlds for us rather than nursery yet). I love getting video updates throughout the day as to what he's up to.
I'm very happy he's getting exposure to French and although English is our main language at home, he's coped with it fine (I had wondered if one day a week would be enough but it seems to be).
We're definitely hoping our second will also go to Estelle's!
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se3mum
on 04/12/2018
Estelle is looking after our 16 month old son since April. We met at the Diabolo Menthe French playgroup in Blackheath where we got to know each other whilst I was on mat leave. A. has felt so at ease and comfortable within Estelle's setting from day one. Estelle is extremely warm and we see her more as an extension of our family. With her we know that our little is safe and cared for. We also know daytime activities are innovative and stimulating. He is happy and developing leaps and bounds. Plus we never worry as Estelle shares updates with us, sends photos throughout and discusses new ideas with us so the kids have the best time. We are really working together and all playing a part in creating a great little world for our son to grow up in. We are lucky to have Estelle and we couldn’t recommend her more highly.
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Alice
on 22/11/2018
We simply cannot recommend Estelle highly enough.
As a nervous first-time Mum, I had felt daunted at the thought of taking our little girl to childcare. But eight months down the line, she is absolutely thriving in Estelle’s care and I can actually relax while she’s there (!) This is testament to just how wonderful Estelle is.
We wholeheartedly agree with all the previous reviews.
Estelle has created a warm and stimulating home environment where the children share in a whole range of activities, either inside or in the lovely garden. They also have little excursions out and about, which gives them a sense of local community and the excitement it can hold! Estelle has also created a sense of community and connection for us parents, which is lovely and really rare.
Estelle’s wide knowledge and experience in pedagogical learning shines through in the activities she does with the children - each child has a folder charting their progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage development goals..but all this is seamlessly hidden in the activities, which are always super fun! The fact that there is no TV - but music, crafts, baking and all kinds of other fun - is the icing on the cake.
Speaking of cake, the children’s meals are all home cooked from scratch and really help introduce them to a range of foods.
The communication we receive as parents is top notch. Regular photos and videos throughout the day really help us rest assured that our little one is having a great day. Estelle always gives a ‘round up’ at pick up time, and instantly takes on board and respects any new information given to her by parents at drop off.
Estelle has the most caring, vivacious and fun personality and shows sincere affection for the children, which is a delight and a comfort for a parent to see. Her professionalism is felt in all she does.
Our little girl has developed so much socially, thanks to the interaction with other children at Estelle’s - she loves seeing her little friends and has really grown in confidence. As an added bonus, the children go with Estelle to a once-a-week French playgroup which is always lots of fun and exciting for them. We feel that when the time comes, nursery won’t be such a shock for our little one, thanks to this extra socialising opportunity.
Added to *all* of these things, of course, is the fact that everything is lived in French, which was always a gift we wanted to pass on to our daughter. We didn’t think we’d find a French-speaking childminder who was, first and foremost, an incredible person to care for our child...but we have!
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Parent
on 21/09/2018
Our daughter has thrived with Estelle and is always smiling when we reach her door! Estelle is not only very caring but also provides a fun environment full of inventive activities both indoors and outdoors. Our daughter is always very happy and learns so much every day. She is also much more confident and less shy with other children. We’re very happy and would recommend not only Estelle but also Carole who is her assistant and just as caring and lovely with the children!
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PrisR
on 16/09/2018
We love Estelle! She looked after our son for over 1.5 years. We felt that he had lots fun spending time in relaxed home environment, learning French, good ratio of spending time indoors and outdoors, arts and crafts activities, baking and playing with other children. His birthday parties were cute and Estelle made sure that he felt very special on these days!
Estelle is creative, caring and warm person. She also is a great communicator and we loved receiving her messages and videos of our son. Snapshots of his day were really adorable!
She’s great at being families together during gatherings and we highly recommend her.
All the best from Rita and Marius xx
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Rita
on 08/09/2018
Estelle looked after our daughter for about 2 years, she had the time of her life while being cared for lovingly by Estelle. Estelle is extremely reliable as well as fun and outgoing, she also goes out of her way for parents to mingle and get to know each other.
Louisa was cared for alongside her 2 daughters which she loved, had lovely food cooked fresh and lots of activities to keep her busy and entertained. She also made her birthdays feel extra special. Of course all in French which made a difference for our daughter. Couldn’t recommend her enough.
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Caroline
on 01/09/2018
Estelle had our daughter full time from 6 months to nearly 3 years and did an absolutely fabulous job, both on the communication side with the parents and the handling of the children. Our daughter was always happy to go there!
The children always had plenty of varied activities, both creative (arts and crafts) indoors as well as plenty of outdoor activities. Food was also varied and healthy (with the occasional home-baked cakes!).
Estelle also also stayed on top of progress against the EYFS and made sure to give a good handover/summary every day.
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Jonas
on 27/08/2018
Dear Estelle ,
Thank you so much for a your help and availability for the last few days . I really felt the boys were incredibly well looked after!
I really appreciate the little reports every day and the photos you sent me! And one thing above all which has really impressed me was the food you fed them. Everyday something different and homemade and healthy!
They were happy to come to yours every day and Charlie still asks about you, Clara and Sophie and the cat. Even Oliver has mentioned your daughters! What an amazing achievement, he is a little harder to crack!
Ps we all love your cakes!!
Nicoletta + Oliver & Charlie
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nicolett
on 30/05/2013
