Gemma has been childminding my son from the age of 11 months and I highly recommend her care. I initially looked at nurseries but didn't find exactly what I wanted for my son. I went to a talk by a group of local childminders and learned that childminders can give very high quality care in a home environment. They are also are more flexible in their days and with the children's development than in a nursery setting. It was by chance that a friend mentioned Gemma's name to me so I went to visit her. On arriving this was the only occasion he ever felt comfortable and intrigued enough to leave me from all our visits to various childcare providers. It was immediately apparent that he felt at ease and would thoroughly enjoy himself with Gemma. The move back to work has been very smooth and I never worry about him during my day which puts me at ease. The online diaries are also brilliant for keeping me updated about what he has been up to so I don't feel I miss out. We always look through the pictures together and he enjoys 'telling' me about his day too.
More importantly he is always very excited to go to Gemma's house and see her lovely welcoming family. You hear horror stories about dropping crying children off at childcare, but we have never had that and he thoroughly enjoys the activities that Gemma provides and I seen him blossom in her care. Gemma was teacher which also gives me confidence that she knows how children develop and how best to nurture their learning and character.
She is an absolute gem!