Mel's Childminding

14/08/2026

The Solar Eclipse was a real talking point amongst the children yesterday. They enjoyed sharing their stories of the different ways they were able to watch it and then created some wonderful chalk pictures too 🌙 ☀️

10/08/2026

"The Original Crew" ☺️

I've been childminding for almost 10 years now and over this time I've been SO fortunate to barely lose any families (I can't seem to get rid of them😜🤣)!!

A couple of years ago I lost two of my "regulars" due to a house move and they've been missed immensely by both my own children and childminding family. .

Friday they came to visit and it was like they'd never been away. Smiles all round. What a lovely afternoon we had ❤️❤️

07/08/2026

🍴🍽️What's on your menus this week ?🍽️🍴

Spaghetti Bolognese is an absolute favourite here, the children love it so much I've cooked it twice in a week!!

Reasons I love cooking and providing food?

🫜 I can add SO many vegetables to meals
🍅 Eating and socialising around the table is the perfect time to catch up with one another about our day as well as learning lots of manners
🥒 I'm sometimes able to bulk cook and save for the next day/freeze for a later date
🥕 The children function SO much better with a good, healthy nutritious meal inside of them
🧅 Teaches healthy eating habits and routines
🥦 Enables me to provide that real home from home environment, children see me cooking, help with cooking and enjoy the whole process!!

06/08/2026

🌿☀️The summer holidays are about switching off and giving children a "brain break". They don't need a crammed routine full of constant days out and pressure, they need to truly relax and be free.

☀️There's a whole lot of children playing ninjas in here somewhere! Listening to children play and letting their imaginations run wild is hugely satisfying and exactly how I believe summers should be spent. It's another reason why the mix of ages in a childminding setting works so well too ☀️

🌿*Don't worry, the super little ones were exploring alongside this with me 🌿☀️

22/07/2026

🎵🎶 Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic 🎵🎶

We love discovering new places and our latest find is a good one.... A little woodland just 10 minutes walk away from home. The children have had the best time exploring here, enjoying picnics and building dens. I think it's safe to say we will be enjoying lots of our summer days in the shade of woods letting the children be children 🌳🐿️

21/07/2026

Plum crumble yesterday and plum flapjacks today!
We love baking with our home grown fruit 🌳💜

19/07/2026

The play area has had a little spruce up today🌳

New play house ✅
New bark ✅

09/07/2026

Yesterday was a very special day ⭐🐔
Lots of you will know I have recently written a book (with the help of my mindees) to help raise money for a little boy in our village.
Another charity has since approached me to work with them and together we went to Colchester children's ward to meet lots of wonderful, brave children and their lovely parents too. There were smiles all around as we donated books and colouring books funded by Claire's Cabin, Café & Smokehouse.
Clowns in the Sky had some amazing craft packages for the children's ward they were able to donate too ✨
What a wholesome morning, I really wish I could have spent longer with each and every child as they were all amazing 🤩❤️

07/07/2026

This 🙌🏼🙌🏼

🌿 The Science of Early Presence, and How Childminders Support It 🌿

There’s a growing body of research showing that babies and young children build their capacity for emotional regulation, secure relationships, and healthy stress responses through one powerful thing:

A consistent, responsive adult, repeated thousands of times, in the first three years of life.
Not one big moment.
But the everyday moments:
The cry responded to.
The face they look for.
The person who knows their cues, rhythms and needs.

This is why, when parents need to work, childminding can be such a protective, nurturing option.

Children still experience:
✨ One consistent caregiver
Someone who truly knows them, their signals, their comfort items, their emotional patterns.
(consistent presence)
✨ Smaller, calmer groups
This mirrors the natural social environment young children are wired for, reducing overwhelm and supporting secure attachment.
(small group benefits)
✨ Responsive relationships
Childminders can tune in quickly, offer co‑regulation, and meet needs before they escalate, the exact conditions that build emotional resilience.
(co-regulation)
✨ Continuity of care
No shift patterns, no rotating staff, just the same familiar adult greeting them each day.
(continuity of care)
✨ Secure attachment opportunities
Children can form deep, stable bonds that act as a buffer against stress and support lifelong wellbeing.
(secure attachment)For families who need childcare, childminding offers a beautiful blend of home‑from‑home care, attachment‑rich relationships, and developmentally appropriate group sizes, all aligned with what neuroscience tells us young children need most.

It’s not about replacing parents.
It’s about extending their circle of safety.

And that’s exactly what high‑quality childminding provides.

29/06/2026

Resources don't get much better than Labradors! We love you Wilson 💙🐕