Rhiannao

Outstanding childminder

Rhianna has looked after our 3 year old son since he was 1. I returned to work for 4 days after maternity leave in November 2020 and I was very nervous about leaving my son with anyone, especially as he was diagnosed with a milk allergy and needed a dairy free diet. However, on meeting Rhianna my fears were totally alleviated, nothing was too much trouble for Rhianna in purchasing the right foods and making sure he was included with the other children. We weaned my son through the “milk ladder” together and shared meal/snack ideas (Rhianna always has lots of sound advice on everything child related, in a non-imposing way). My son is now able to eat all dairy products and Rhianna made the process stress free.

My son always attends Rhianna’s with a smile on his face and looks forward to seeing her every week. Rhianna’s husband is also very welcoming and is very supportive of Rhianna’s caring profession, I don’t know many child minders who provide a Summer BBQ for their clients and their children, and they are excellent hosts. Rhianna’s daughter is very polite and caring towards all the children and welcomes them to her home and plays with them before and after school. When asking my son who he wanted at his 3rd birthday party he chose to invite Rhianna and her daughter, this demonstrates to us as parents how much he considers them to be a big and positive part of his life.

Rhianna is incredibly organised and informs us regularly about what the children will be learning about that week, and, on the day we drop him off she tells us specifically what they will be doing that day. This helps us to have conversations with our son in the evenings. He is always making crafts and doing activities and loves playing in the garden.

Rhianna takes the children on regular outings everywhere, I am so impressed that our son has been able to experience days out to Manston airport, soft play, baby and toddler group, forest school, Chatham Dockyard, Kent Life, Shorne Country Park, Maidstone Museum, the park, the beach & the theatre. I receive photos of my son’s adventures during the day and little updates which are lovely to receive when you have “mum guilt” about returning to work.

Rhianna has encouraged all of my son’s interests and milestones with us as a family, including learning to speak, looking at aeroplanes in the sky and at the airport, potty training (which we’re still working on) etc and she works with you to ensure your child is happy and learning all the time at their own pace.

This is not just a job to Rhianna, it is a vocation, this is evident when you speak to her, your child, and the other parents at her setting. My son is a very lucky boy to have a place at Rhianna’s and we are so impressed with everything that she does that our 1 year old daughter will be joining him in January 2023.

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by Rebecca about RhiannaO on 04/12/2022

Absolutely Amazing Childminder

Hi everyone, my son started with Rhianna in February 2020 when he was 15 months. I viewed a couple of nursery's prior to meeting Rhianna and just knew the nursery's were not the setting for my son. I just didn't get that feeling that told me my son would get what he needs. As a mum we always want the best. Starting a new job too, I needed to be 100% with my childcare choice otherwise I wouldn't of rested. After reading Rhianna's reviews and hearing about all the great things Rhianna does with the children she cares for (from a friend who's daughter attended Rhianna's) I couldn't wait to meet her with my son. Its true when you know you know. I just knew Rhianna's was the setting for my son when I returned to work. Over the last eighteen months Rhianna has been fantastic in accommodating extra days for my son, when I've taken extra shifts at work which has been really helpful. September 2021 meant my son could attend full time, which he absolutely loves. On the weekends my son asks am I going to 'Anna's today. If he could I'm sure he would! I can't recommend Rhianna enough, her communication is exceptional and regularly sends updates with how my son is getting on and the adventures they have been on that day, yes I do get slightly jealous of all the wonderful things he gets up too, but it makes me thankful I chose her to care for my son as she is just amazing. My son has made some lovely friendships with the other children that attend Rhiannas and especially with Rhiannas daughter who my son plays with before and after school everyday. I'm thankful for finding such a amazing lady who really does go above and beyond for the children she cares for. The gifts that my son makes and brings home on special occasions are really thoughtful and gifts that will be treasured for a long time. As a working parent we all experience that guilt of leaving our child, but I knew that choosing Rhianna was the right decision as my son was going to be in a setting that was home from home and just perfect with what Rhianna had to offer. Rhianna takes the children out to various different places all which are educational based. Some of the places my son has visited, I would never think to take my son too, so this makes me even more thankful for choosing Rhianna. I love it when he comes home and tells us all about his day and what he has seen. Our time with Rhianna is not over yet, I just wanted to share my review as I've been meaning to do one for a while and just kept getting side tracked.
If you want exceptional childcare then do not hesitate to contact Rhianna. Thankyou for reading.

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by Emma about RhiannaO on 19/07/2022

Practically Perfect

I’ve been meaning to write this review for a while, not least of all because I remember agonising over the decision of picking someone to look after our precious one year old. We looked at a range of childminding settings but Rhianna stood out as being someone who would individualise care and keep our son safe and happy. She immediately put us at ease and she is not only highly qualified but also probably the most organised person we know.

Unfortunately COVID-19 struck towards the end of my maternity leave so I was faced with leaving an incredibly clingy boy who knew no one but us and our home. Rhianna was brilliant and had him settled within a matter of sessions …. Although it’s a little sad when your son runs straight into someone else’s home and settles right in without saying goodbye to you, knowing that he’s happy and comfortable in his second home with Rhianna is priceless and I don’t worry about him one bit during the day. Of course, it helps that Rhianna keeps us posted with what he’s up to and sends us photos of the cool bits!

Our son also had a milk allergy when he first started at Rhianna’s and she was brilliant at catering for this …. Including making a late night trip to Asda for vegan cheese in preparation for his arrival. Rhianna then had an active role in completing a ‘milk ladder’ with us and weaning him slowly onto normal milk.

Our son has been going to Rhianna’s now for coming up 18 months and there is no doubt in my mind that we have made the right decision. Rhianna offers a true ‘home from home’ setting and her own daughter (aged 6) is a huge asset as she takes pride in helping to care for her mum’s little mindees as well. On the odd occasion Rhianna’s hubby Steve is at home during the day, it’s not uncommon for my son to insist he reads him story upon story. Lockdown aside, Rhianna is brilliant at taking the children out most days and they benefit from all manner of activities: playgroups, Jo Jingles classes (which are a huge hit with the kids) and lots of visits to Leeds Castle, Kent Life and the like. She has a weekly theme and always celebrates seasonal activities like pumpkin picking for Halloween, a visit to the temple to celebrate Diwali, a full Christmas dinner and a Christmas party. During lockdown, there was never a dull moment and although the indoor visits had to stop, Rhianna had the children doing all sorts of crafts / baking / role play and did things like taking my son on a walk to spot buses when he was particularly interested in them (until it was safe for her to take him on a bus ride!) She also has an amazing garden with lots of interesting toys, cars, swings and a playhouse. The children grew beans this year and raised some butterflies from caterpillars.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Rhianna and I’m so pleased we found her. Our son’s development has come on leaps and bounds with her and I trust her judgement so much that I often pick her brains on how to handle the parenting when it gets tricky.

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by Mummybee about RhiannaO on 22/12/2021

Loads of fun

Rhianna has been looking after our 19 month old boy twice a week for about 6 months. He loves his time there and they have loads of fun. They have a subject that they learn about and do lots of activities including painting, crafts, playing with water, sand, and bubbles. He brings home his art for his mummy and daddy, and they make things for our birthdays and other special days. They go to forest school, and Jo Jingles each week, and he is getting a lot more confident due to the interactions in the groups and with the other kids Rhianna looks after.
He really loves Rhianna and his time there.
Thanks for everything Rhianna, would highly recommend.

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by MihaelaP about RhiannaO on 31/05/2019

Fantastic attentive and caring childminder

Rhianna has been our childminder since August 2017 for our son, who is currently two years old. We were first drawn to Rhianna by the home from home setting she offered which provided an extensive outdoor space and a nurturing environment.

Rhianna provides a framework of activities which includes daily outings to various locations including baby and toddler clubs/classes, parks, Leeds Castle, Kent Life and various play centres, such as Toddler Town and Monkey Bizz. There are also themed weeks and activities targeted at specific developmental stages and we are especially pleased with his accelerated speech and his social and emotional development. Our son’s love of tractors and trains have been taken into account when Rhianna has planned activities which has kept him actively engaged.

From our first meeting with Rhianna, she was attentive to our son’s needs and our wishes, taking full account of his medical and complex dietary needs which, she has fully understood and has catered for by making every activity tailored to ensure that he can fully participate and is not left out because of his differences. For example, he has had a lot of fun with messy play that has been adjusted with the use of gluten free pasta and dairy free products as well as the cooking activities which she has used suitable ingredients for him to make and eat what he has made, such as pizza!

Communication with Rhianna is always very clear and has been superb in ensuring we are kept informed of everything that happens during the day. She is always genuinely interested in how our son is doing in between his time with her and she gives us updates through the day if anything changes or if there is anything that she feels we should know and provides daily diaries through the Kinderly system. She has effectively communicated with the medical professionals involved with Harrisons care plan which has supported his fantastic development and ensured that he gets everything he needs.

Our son’s development has also been a key reason for us choosing and staying with Rhianna and she has been an integral part of his progression through his allergies. We have also had an open dialogue with Rhianna on how we as parents can help our son get to the next developmental step. We feel that our son would have not made the progress he has in such a short time with anybody else.

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by Sam about RhiannaO on 10/06/2018