Reen

Awesome childcare!

I was so happy to have found her and that she agreed to mind my daughter since it was term time and with the nursery being closed I couldn't work (self-employed). My daughter enjoyed her time there and adjusted very quickly. I get very nervous at the thought of my daughter going on trips to the park or playground especially if she's new to the group and the childminder but Reen ensured me that she had a lot of experience and made me feel calmer about the idea. Thank you so much!

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by Christa on 27/08/2021

Child-focused approach, supportive childminder

I did the rounds, trawled the nurseries, talked myself in and out of handing my first-born over to anyone outside my family and then I found Sharene.

She is calming, reassuring and has a lovely family set-up so that your child will benefit from intergenerational social interaction. They also have an excellent trampoline, trips out (Covid permitting) and lots of lovely children who are a joy to meet.

My son attended Sharene's for over a year and was extremely happy there (we only left because of the impact of coronavirus on our personal circumstances). He loved them and they were his first friends.

As a new -mum I was appreciative of their care with settling him in (and me), they did a couple of extra one-to-ones at the weekend to help him settle.

They also made suggestions of things that they had noticed for his continued development such as potty training to learning letters and numbers and how to support that learning in a fun way.

We miss them already!
Clare

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by CHJ2019 on 27/09/2020

Excellent, experienced and reliable

Reen is an excellent and knowledgeable childminder, who cared for our daughter since she was 5 months until starting pre-school. Reen is great with the kids, focusing on their development and helping with setting up good routines, some of which we would emulate at home.

Reen’s home environment is wonderful, there’s a great garden that kids use for play and games at all times. There are loads of activities such as soft play and visits to the city farm. Reen also organised events for parents and kids such as Christmas parties, summer picnics etc. Reen is also very flexible and accommodated us on numerous occasions.

Reen is calm, caring and patient and she gently teaches good manners and inculcates good behaviour in the children under her care. Kids all seem to love her, including our daughter who absolutely adored her.

I would highly recommend Reen as she is an absolutely excellent childminder who supports parents and children in their development and growth.

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by Maria on 17/09/2020

Home environment, flexible and fun

Reen cared for our baby son (turned toddler) for over one year before we left the country.

I was looking for a home environment for my son vs a nursery environment. Reen offered just that plus lots of activities and we were impressed with the days out like the city farm and local museums.

I would drop him off at 7am which was amazing for me as I had a long commute.

Our son was happy there. They seemed to have a lot of fun. Food wise, we provided our own.

Would recommend Reen as a childminder!

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by cmarissd on 30/07/2020

Dependable and reliable

Reen has been looking after my son for 5 years now, and has never been anything but reliable and professional. She is often available at short notice to accommodate my sometime erratic working patterns, and always puts my son's needs first. On the vary rare occasion that she has has to deal with a personal emergency - as we all have to some time - she tries to give as much notice as possible.

Reen is not just a childminder, she is my partner in the raising of my son, focusing on his development as much as I do.

I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending her.

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by Jacky on 15/09/2019

Unreliable - Definitely Do Not recommend

My contract was for Reen to look after my son 4 days a week - Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, plus every other Thursday and every other Friday,, which meant, I would have my son on my day off. She stated she worked some evenings which was great for me, as my hours at work were due to increase (full day on Mondays) - something Reen said would be fine. After signing the contract and paying for the month on Monday 6th May 2019 (for which she charged me a full day's fee; my son did not start in her care until the next day), she changed her mind and told me she could not look after my son as we had already agreed before payment, on Mondays. This meant I had to find alternative care for my son.

It also meant Reen was being paid for 4 days a week, but only looking after my son for 3 days a week, due to her going back on her word.

Reen had decided to take my son to clubs for which there was a £20 per day charge. She was still paid for full days 4 times a week, and reluctantly paid for 2 days a week for the clubs, but I had to pay £20 for the 3rd day each of the weeks the club ran in addition to her daily fee, despite her not even staying with my son. This meant she was paid 4 full days for nothing!

Also, as part of our contract, she was to help my son with some homework which she agreed to, but upon collecting my son, his homework was incomplete or not touched at at 99% of the time.

Considering Reen had stated she would not be taking any more time off this year until Christmas as she had travelled already the amount of days off Reen takes is shocking (and she has been paid in advance). Taking time off last minute too. I've received messages at 4.49 am, 11.52 pm and so forth which does not give much time to find/make alternative arrangements. I cannot see how this is professional.

Not to mention, another time she had a number of days off, when my son returned to her care, she questioned him, which she is not allowed to do. She called me at work, to tell me she was upset and crying because my son had told her I had said I wanted my money back. Not at any point, did she think she was in the wrong to do what she did, and spoke to me like she was dressing down a child. Turns out, my son had overheard me talking on the phone over the weekend to a utility company and thought I was talking to her. This would never of happened if she had not questioned him in the first place.

One thing that sticks in my mind is Reen's behaviour between 21st - 23rd August 2019. Upon collecting my son from a club (as usual, Reen was not present, but was still paid), on 21st August, there was a notice on the door regarding a trip I knew nothing about, which was taking place the next day, 22nd August. Reen wanted the day off (again) on 23rd August, so I re-arranged to have my day off on 23rd August and instead, and to attend my important meeting on 22nd August. I explained to her what had happened; the adults at the club had said my son could not go on the trip as they needed advance notice to make sure there would be enough adults in ratio to the children. To my surprise (to put it mildly), Reen sent me a message: "I have x 2 interviews tomorrow so I am also not able to have him". The next one to follow: "They are also very important as i need to fill my vacancies". Bearing in mind 1) I re-arranged my meeting for accommodate her day off, and 2) she had already been paid for 22nd and 23 August! Why should I have to pay for her to hold interviews to fill her vacancies?!

I had to call my manager to ask her if I could have 22nd August off, just 45 minutes before I was due to start my shift. Thankfully, she was OK with it, but I still had to attend the important meeting, with no-one to look after my son. In the end my work colleagues came forward and babysat for me ... in the back office. Again, I cannot fathom how someone can see this as professional conduct, so I asked Reen for a refund.

The next day 23rd August 2019, after more than 24 hours passed, I messaged Reen again asking for a refund (all of these messages were done privately), and the response in the WhatsApp Group was "Hi Parents, I will be away for the weekend, my work phone will now be off till Tuesday morning, have a lovely long weekend, Reen, X". She then removed me from the group.

On Bank Holiday Monday, 26th August 2019, Reen messaged me to let me know she would not work out her contract. Luckily, I had already decided my son would not return to her care, and had made other arrangements, so I did not have to scramble to look for another sitter/childminder last minute, or potentially risk having to make the dreaded call to my manager again, just days later, to say I would not be able to going into work ... yet again due to childcare issues.

Had it not been for my 2 sisters and my son's Godfather helping me around their schedules, as well as a really understanding manager and boss, I probably would have been fired from my job because of Reen.

She must have known at some point I was going to write a review, so blocked my original profile. It does not surprise me, as when she questioned my son and claimed to be really upset - even though she was in the wrong - she turned to me and said "I've been doing this (childminding) for 11 years. I have nothing but 5 star reviews". Not sure what she meant by that, but her tone was off ... as if she was trying to warn me. Needless to say, I still felt I needed to write an honest review.

Very unreliable. You are always on edge as you never know when next she'll book yet more time off ... last minute too.

I definitely do not recommend.

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by Persia on 04/09/2019

Excellent childminder

I was very nervous returning back to work when my son was 7 months not sure who I could trust too look after my son but me.

When I met Sharene she was very calming and my son took to her in a matter of weeks she has good routines and my son has learned a lot since attending her child care.

I would recommend Sharene she is very caring and patient and does excellent job looking after all the children you can leave your child and be at peace knowing they are in good hand's.

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by Parent on 22/01/2018

Always excellent and compassionate.

Sharene is an excellent babysitter and childminder. She really knows the children in her care and provides support for them and their parents.
My son has really grown and developed in the time he's been with Sharene. Her service is absolutely excellent.

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by Parent on 21/01/2018

Trustworthy, always puts my child first

She is brilliant. My son has been going to her since I had to return to work when he was 7 months old. She gives him individual attention, personalised care, awareness of his personality traits (both good and bad) and how to build them. Her interactions with him have changed as he has developed to suit his level of development. He is a calm, confident individual, filled with curiosity about the world around him - and a very large part of that is because of all the activities Reen undertakes with him and the other kids which she tailors to individual needs.

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by Jacky on 15/01/2018

Excellent, flexible and kind

Reen came very highly recommended by a trusted friend. I have found her calm, reassuring and kind. I feel comfortable leaving my baby with her and lucky that she is my childminder.

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by Parent on 13/01/2018