Childcare

I am offering nanny services at your own home. My aim is to provide a service tailored to your family needs and to your child’s needs. The extra support gives you time to have some space/work/do activities and also provides an opportunity for the child to relate to another adult. I work one to one and with siblings. I also offer nanny share, I take care of children from two different families at your own house.

If we likened raising a child to build a house, the foundation is the base that is reflected by pregnancy, birth and the early years of a human being. The same as the foundation holds the house this early stage is very important and delicate which deserves the best: love, safety and presence so the child can feel happy to explore and be curious.

My role is to nourish, assist, watch, encourage, guide and put boundaries when required. I work with Child led activities following their interests. I support their emotions when they arise. I build a relationship of trust. As a professional with lots of experience I am able to also offer suggestions to support your child’s development.

Would you like to have breathing space?

Would you like your children to learn through child led activites?

Would you like to find the perfect childcarer for your children?

If you answer yes to these questions I would like to offer you a free consultation. I would be delighted to meet you (call/video call/when possible in person meeting), so we could discuss what your needs and preferences are. It would be great to also meet your children!

From here I offer a probation period (usually two weeks or what we consider necessary) where you, the children and me can see if we feel right for each other.

There is no day that looks the same, but here you have a few things that may help you get a clear idea of what to expect:

I use child led approach which means children make their own choices of what they want to play, of following their inner interest. They learn and develop at their own pace which helps them build confidence, independence and self esteem. My role is to support, offer presence and boundaries when needed. 

I support the child´s emotional development letting them know that all emotions are welcome through listening and connection.

I follow routines that you have already established, or I will set some according to the child´s age and needs. For example: play time inside/snack/play time outside/lunch. Children feel more relax when there are specific things(routines) that keep repeating during the day as it gives them a comfort knowing what will happen next and when will be time to see their loved ones again.

Every day I make sure we have time to play outside, in the garden, playground or in the woods, whether it is sunny or rainy. It makes us all happier, healthier, resilient and caring.

To begin we agree on the day/s that you would need help with childcare. We then arrange a two hour play meeting at your house to get to know each other and get to know preferences, likes and dislikes. For the first time I ask the parents to be present there too. After this we assess together what’s best for the next session.

If the child is very young and hasn't been with anyone except the family (on their own) we start a very gentle and gradual period to get to know each other. If the child has experienced the separation with the parents before and has been in other settings/nannies/nurseries the transition is usually faster.

I am happy to discuss your needs and plan accordingly. Meeting a child for the first time is the foundation of our relationship. My priority is the well-being of the child, and I aim to build trust gradually.

(Here below you have the cost for the service in Exeter. If you live outside Exeter, there will be additional travel costs of £0.45 per mile.)

Regular weekly childcare at your home

£20 per hour per family

Minimum booking of 4h

Regular weekly nanny share

Two families share the day/time slot. We meet at one of the families house

£14 per hour per family

Ad Hoc nanny

Childcare service at your own home as and when you need.

£23 per hour per family

Will I be able to speak with families that you have worked as a postnatal doula or nanny to get references?Absolutely! Firstly, if you are interested in my services we will meet (free – no obligation) to get to know each other and afterwards if we had a good experience and you are considering hiring me I will pass you two contacts of two families with who you can talk and ask any questions about my services.

What is nanny share? In a nanny share, two families share one nanny for a set period of time. Typically, the families select one home as the meeting place for the nanny and the children involved.

In a nanny share arrangement, children have the opportunity to interact with other children in a familiar home environment. These interactions can help children develop important social skills such as taking turns, communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution.

 Being part of a nanny share allows children to form relationships, learn from one another, and engage in collaborative play activities. It can also provide a sense of community and belonging for the children involved, a supportive and enriching environment for their social development.

The nanny share option helps reduce the childcare costs for each family while still providing personalized care for the children involved. It is a more affordable option compared to hiring a nanny individually.

How to start nanny sharing? First, we start with one-to-one childcare sessions. It is essential to get to know each of the children to establish a safe and secure relationship. These one-to-one sessions can last between 4 to 8 weeks approximately. Some children will need 4 weeks to feel relax and comfortable, others may need more time. It is not a race; I am interested in providing the best service possible and I follow the pace of the child for their readiness to start the nanny sharing.

With nanny share do I have to find the other family, or you do it? It depends. Generally, these are the usual scenarios:

Sometimes two families have contact me interested in nanny share for their children. In this case I meet with both families for a chat, and we talk about how I can support them and what are their needs. The families decide whether I am a good match for them and me too.

Sometimes I have a family that I have worked for a while and then they suggest a friend of theirs that wants to do nanny share. In this case, I meet the new family for a chat to make sure we both feel comfortable and happy with each other and then we talk about how it could work.  I would need to do some one to one sessions with the new child before starting nanny share.

Sometimes I have a family that I have worked for a while and then I suggest if they want to share with a family I have interviewed and met. In this case, the families agree to find some time to meet up and chat. The family that I have worked for a longer time will be deciding with me whether it could work.

Sometimes I have worked for two families individually for a year and then I offer if they want to nanny share. In this case, the families meet up and they individually decide whether they would like to nanny share or continue as they are.

Do children need to nanny share for the same amount of time? Not necessarily. I have done nanny share where the two children from the two families were starting at 9am and finishing at 1pm.

I have worked for families doing nanny share where I was with one child 8am to 2pm and the other child was starting later and finishing earlier and this worked well too.

Babysitting/ one off childcare- Do we need to meet beforehand? Ideally yes. When we meet face to face, we can decide if it’s a good fit, even if it’s one off childcare.

If it’s an emergency and you have been recommended from someone I know, I will be willing to help even if we haven’t met personally.