Babysitting with Violet

Hello! Sorry for the recent silence- I have been so busy! Thought I’d give a little update on what I’m up to, where you’ll find me over the coming weeks and availability🌸

🐎So I’ve recently taken on a volunteer stable hand job in Venn, and will be there on Saturday mornings spending time with my biggest passion - the horses and ponies! I’m so excited that at 13, I’ve got so many opportunities to learn and build on my skills! The experience is so great.

🐻I’ve also recently been in contact with Katie at Barnwood Bears who very kindly has offered me a volunteer position working at their new location at The Big Sheep! I’ll be assisting Katie in a supervised role and use my forest school, animal care and pre school experience to help her. You’ll find me there next on May 9th and May 11th. I’m also going to be there for Tots Fest and lots of dates during the holidays! Thanks Katie!

👭🏻👫 My weekly volunteering session at a local school nursery is going really well. The staff are so kind to me and really support me. Thank you to them.

🦔Last week we rescued a poorly hedgehog from the garden. He did not look well! We took him to and they hydrated him and fed him up. We put a call out to the ‘Don’t Just Bin It’ community group who donated an old hutch - today we collected the hog and he is free to roam wherever he wants with the knowledge
there is open access to shelter and water.

🦦You’ve probably guessed I’m animal mad and today I became an adoptive mum of two Guinea pigs who needed rehoming. Two girls who I’ve renamed Peaches 🍑 and Clover 🍀. They’ve settled in well and had lots of cuddles!

👶🏻 In regards to my babysitting - I’m very pleased to say I’ve now confirmed a regular booking for a little girl who Lives very close to me. Me and my mum went to meet her and her mum and have some settling in sessions. It’s so handy my mum being a 30 second walk away so if I need any help she’ll be there in no time!

🥸Aside from all this I’m on Easter break from the Equine centre where I do my BTEC and also from my tutoring. My tutor is in Australia at the moment so hopefully she’ll not know that I haven’t even started my Mice and Men book yet 🫢🫢.

As you can see I will now have limited availability. My parents like me to have chill out time in the week too but do get in touch for any ad hoc babysitting needs as I can fit some in!

V 🌸 x

Easter Offer!!

Have you heard Barnwood Bears is moving to the The BIG Sheep Family Attraction! I’ve heard they are going to have lots more for some of the bigger kids too!

Here goes!! My Easter Offer! Limited days and times. Message to book! That’s £3 per child if the offer is claimed 😵😵😵😵😵

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What a great first week at ‘Babysitting with Violet’! Thank you for the support and bookings!

Today I’m going to launch my Easter holiday offer so if you’re looking for help with your children over the holidays this is one to watch out for!

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Pretend Play:

When your child pretends to be different characters, he has the experience of "walking in someone else's shoes," which helps teach the important moral development skill of empathy. It is normal for young children to see the world from their own egocentric point of view, but through maturation and cooperative play, your child will begin to understand the feelings of others.

On International Women’s Day, I want to tell you a story (true!) about an inspiring local North Devon woman. I studied the suffragette movement as part of my home studies and this story by far was the most inspiring!

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On 19 February 1937, an organised gang of local ‘spinsters’ in Ilfracombe ‘took war into the enemy camp’ and stormed a smoking concert being held at the Bachelors Club at the Royal Clarence Hotel. Wearing masks and armed with bags of flour and water pistols, they led the raid on the hotel at 9.30 in the evening, taking entirely off guard members who were seated comfortably smoking, drinking, and enjoying the performance of an artiste. The women, one of whom was reported to be carrying a banner, ‘flung their bags of flour right and left’ until many of the bachelors were covered head to foot, and then from atop tables and chairs they fired their water pistols at the flour-covered bachelors. Scuffles ensued when some of the bachelors caught hold of some of the spinsters but the men failed to maintain their grip, their hands pasty with the flour and water mixture. One of the women assailants eventually requested to be photographed with the men, and refused to leave until this was granted. The ring leader was identified as Miss Dinah Hewett, described in the local paper as an ‘Ilfracombe blonde’ (together with her photo portrait showing a young, attractive woman, fashionably attired with pearl earrings and a neck kerchief). She had organised it all with a friend, because ‘We were determined to force an entry, although the men said we should not. We showed them that we women can be really tough when put to the test.

PSA! 📣📣📣

Since the end of year 7 and for periods prior to this I have been home educated. This has been a great opportunity for me as I have been able to have my learning tailored to my interests. Along with my core subjects I also study a land based BTEC. I’ve been so lucky to have the opportunity to be certificated by the British Riding Association for multiple Equine related skills too!

Along with my volunteering work in a nursery, being home educated also means I can explore new learning opportunities. As I am so serious about my new business, I have just started my Certificate in Childcare Services!

This will cover:

Improving your current childcare skillset and further your career
Avoid any serious legal implications by operating within the law
Impress any interviewer by understanding childcare fundamentals and industry standards
Form a deep and meaningful bond with the children you care for, making you better at your job and more in demand in the industry
Understand children better and get the best out of them while caring for them
Give parents peace of mind by doing the best possible job of caring for their beloved children

And also:

The duties and responsibilities of a childcarer
The various environments in which childcarers can find employment
The legislation and regulations for childcarers and how to register successfully in the UK
The industry-standard child-centred and coordinated approaches to childcare
The golden rules of safeguarding and how to apply them in your role
How to operate legally by maintaining personal boundaries, understanding how and when you may work alone with children, and how to deal with allegations
How to operate legally and acceptably within the industry when transporting children, dealing with their data, and controlling their media intake.

I hope this will help assure my new families that your little ones will be happy in my care! I’ll let you know when I’ve completed the course.

After a late start for my tutoring due to a horrendous traffic, I’m now off to my volunteering role at a school nursery in Barnstaple.

I really enjoy working with the children and supporting role play, outside play and supporting the teachers with educational lead activities!

A lovely Mother’s Day craft suggestion.

Motto!

Homemade play dough! Sometimes we add glitter or scents. 🫶🏻