Collette’s Childminding

17/03/2026

Love this ❤️

11/02/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿

There is a lot about childminding that doesn’t make headlines.

It happens in small moments: a glance across the room, a hand held a little longer, a familiar routine that helps a child feel safe enough to explore. Much of what childminders do is quiet, ordinary, and easily overlooked - especially by those who don’t see it up close.

But that doesn’t make it small.

For many children, a childminder is the first person outside their family to truly know them. To notice how they settle, what unsettles them, what makes them light up. To recognise their patterns, their interests, their ways of communicating - often long before they have the words to explain themselves.

This work doesn’t always come with visible outcomes by the end of the day. There isn’t a certificate for helping a child feel secure enough to try something new, or a badge for noticing when a child needs comfort rather than encouragement. Yet these moments matter deeply. They shape how children see themselves, how they relate to others, and how confident they feel stepping into the wider world.

The impact of childminding often shows up later. In children who trust adults. In children who are curious rather than cautious. In children who feel worthy of attention and care.

And while it can be hard to hold onto that on the more challenging days, it’s worth remembering: quiet does not mean insignificant. The work you do settles into children in ways that last far beyond the time they spend in your setting.

06/02/2026

A fellow childminder brought this to my attention today and it made my stomach drop…

Seeing a nursery publicly claim that childminders ‘cannot prepare children for school’ — is not just inaccurate, it’s damaging. 🤯

What makes this particularly concerning is that this messaging comes from a nursery group, meaning it risks shaping perceptions of childminding on a national scale. 😳

And yes, I’m calling it out.

Because childminders don’t just prepare children for school… We lay the foundations that will carry them far beyond any school gate.

We prepare them to feel safe away from their parents.
To build secure attachments.
To communicate their needs.
To regulate big emotions.
To problem-solve, to wait, to take turns, to negotiate, to recover when things don’t go their way.
We prepare them to walk into a classroom knowing who they are — not just how to sit in one.

The idea that small, relationship-led settings somehow limit children is a tired and uninformed narrative. Research, practice, and lived experience tell us the opposite: children thrive when they feel known, seen, and emotionally secure. That is not a weakness of childminding — it is one of our greatest strengths. 🙌

What concerns me most is the division this kind of messaging creates.

Nurseries and childminders are not competitors
in a playground argument. We are part of the same early years sector, doing the same vital work under different models. When one arm of the sector is publicly diminished, we all lose. 😣

So let me be very clear:
Childminders are professionals.
We follow the EYFS. We observe, assess, scaffold learning, and support transitions.
We work in partnership with families, schools, and the wider early years community to support each child’s journey.
And we do it with heart, skill, and intention. 🤩

To any nursery — or organisation — that feels the need to put childminders down to elevate themselves: do better. Children deserve better. And this sector deserves unity, not hierarchy.

We are not “less than”.
We are not a stepping stone.
We are educators.
We are professionals.
And we are preparing children for far more than school — we are preparing them for life. 💗

Whatever role you play in early years — or if you care about children at all — please share this message…
Division weakens us. Unity strengthens children.
Let’s change the narrative — together. 🌈🫶🏻❤️

01/02/2026

05/01/2026

Snow day and myself, Poppy and 6 littlies go off to Jimmys Farm. Fab and tiring day ❤️

05/01/2026

Snow day and myself, Poppy and 6 littlies go off to Jimmys Farm. Fab and tiring day ❤️

04/01/2026

04/01/2026

Loving my new year nails to match my uniform ❤️🌈

02/01/2026

As lovely as my Xmas and New Year break was, I am very much looking forward to welcoming back all my amazing littlies and excited to see what adventures we can all have together in 2026 ❤️

13/11/2025

The truth is…
Working in early years isn’t always neat or easy.�It’s messy, it’s loud, it’s sometimes overwhelming.�But it’s also the most meaningful, heart-filling work I could ever do. ❤️

The tiny hand that slips into mine on a walk.�The moment a child shouts “I did it!” with the purest pride.�The quiet hugs that don’t need words.
These little souls aren’t just passing time here — they’re building the foundations of who they’ll become…
And I get to be part of that. 🥹

That’s why, even on the hardest days, I wouldn’t trade this job for anything. Because it isn’t “babysitting.” It’s love. It’s guidance. It’s building futures. 🌿

So here’s to the early years educators, the childminders, the nursery teams, the playworkers, the teachers — the ones who pour their hearts into tiny moments that matter and every single one of us quietly holding space for childhood in ways the world often never sees…

So today, please know this:
You are seen.
You are valued.
And you are making an impact that will live far beyond this moment. 🌈❤️🫶🏻