karen cr's Reviews
Childminder
Below are the parent reviews for karen cr. Back to karen cr's profile
Average Rating:
(5 from 12 reviews)
My daughter started in Karen’s setting just after turning 8 months old. After just one visit to the setting I knew my daughter would thrive and love the environment Karen provides.
The daily updates and pictures I receive after every session made my return back to work so much easier as I could see my daughter loved being at the setting and was so content. As soon as my daughter could walk she would run to the front door and would be so eager to go and play and that confirmed to me that Karen’s setting was the one for us.
Karen often takes the children out to the park, the beach and meets up with other childminders, this was a huge factor as to why I chose Karen as I didn’t want my daughter to have some of the restrictions you would find in a nursery setting. Karen also keeps me up to date with all the educational activities my daughter does through videos and my daughter comes home with drawings that we keep and will repeatedly tell me about what she has learnt that day. My daughter will wake up every morning and ask if she is going to Karens and will get upset if I tell her she isn't going.
Karen has done everything in her power to make sure me and my daughter have been supported with the obstacles we have faced in the last 2.5 years. My daughter developed a medical condition and after every hospital appointment Karen has always messaged to see how things have gone and if there’s anything she could do to support us. Karen has also been there to support me and often sends me resources that she knows will benefit both me and my daughter. It’s the little things like this that show just how much Karen cares for the children but also the parents.
My daughter loves everyone at the setting and I couldn’t be more grateful to Karen for everything she has done for me and my daughter. She has been the biggest blessing to our lives and I could not recommend her enough.
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Karen Creswick childminding has gone above and beyond to support both of my children within her setting. She communicates well with me regarding my children, whilst they are with her if needed, as well as an update at the end of the day. Karen sends me photos to show that my children have settled to put my mind at ease too. I am informed of what my children have been doing on the days that they attend and what learning they have done with photos and updates. My children are regularly sent home with learning activities and art pieces that they have done during the day, showing me how much time and effort that has gone into preparing activities for them.
She regularly informs me of their progress and how she is supporting them with this. This was particularly important for my Son due to his speech delay. The reports she has completed implies to me that she is supporting my children well and is helping them progress as best she can. I could not ask for anymore from Karen in the support that she has provided for my children. I feel that Karen puts a lot of time and effort into helping every child individually, to help them develop at their own pace and my children have significantly benefited from this.
Both of my children struggle with transitions and separation anxiety, and Karen has helped both children with settling into her setting more than I could have hoped for. My children are content and happy attending her setting and they have a great relationship with her and her assistant. I feel confident that their needs are met here, especially their emotional wellbeing, which they struggle with elsewhere. They walk out of her setting with smiles and always happy to go back. I feel that Karen has put a lot of time and effort into my children to ensure that they are content within her setting and this shows.
My children attend a childminding group on Tuesdays which they enjoy. They mix with a few childminding groups which has helped build my children’s confidence. They also visit parks and beaches most weeks to get them out to explore and into the fresh air. In the summer, they make the use of their garden also, which is my children’s favourite time of the year as they love being outside.
Karen is very approachable and is happy to help whenever she can. This is proven through the amount of time she has spent helping my son with his SEN. She has worked numerous hours to fill out all relevant paperwork regarding my sons SEN, including helping obtain his ASD diagnosis. I feel that my children and I, have been supported by Karen throughout their time with her, and we work well together.
I believe Karen has provided the best possible care in the best interest for my children, particularly for my son’s additional needs. Her support for the last 2 years has been amazing and I cannot recommend her enough.
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I found Karen on this website during the 2020 lockdown as she was preparing to move to the area and I was preparing to return to work after maternity leave. Despite messaging lots and meeting in the park before my daughter started with her properly, I was very anxious to hand over my baby to effectively a stranger but Karen very quickly reassured me with her calm and experienced manner. My daughter absolutely loved going there as she was so stimulated from all the activities Karen plans and from being with other children her age. Karen also provided for her dietary requirements too. There was no question that when we had our son he would go too. They both went in every morning without so much as a goodbye and were always happy and smiley at pick up, having had a great day. Karen always provided updates of what they ate, slept and did with pictures and videos to give a flavour of their day. She had a set routine and the children always had craft times and outdoor play as well as play time with toys. We're so grateful to Karen for pushing our daughter and developing her EYFS education. We've sadly moved from the area so had to find a new provider but she and James will be sorely missed by all. My daughter keeps asking when she'll go back to Karen's. Thanks Karen and James, catch up soon! X
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by
Jas G
about
karen cr
on 26/07/2023
Response by
karen cr
on 28/07/2023:
Thank you so much for taking the time to post such a lovely review about our childcare!
You were amazing, trusting us with your little daughter in covid restriction times when we couldn't even let you in the door, so you could only meet me at the park and see pics and video of our setting!
It has been an absolute pleasure to care for your delightful daughter, encouraging her confidence and supporting her learning.She is amazing!
In more recent times it has been wonderful to care for your little son who has thrived and progressed so much in the last few months with us!
It has been really good to work with you as a family and to support and respect your specific choices such as diet for your children.
We will miss both of your children so much, especially your daughter as we have cared for her much longer. It would have been lovely to continue helping them both in their learning journeys of course, and although we totally understand you relocating, we are so sad they had to leave us.
We wish you all well in your new home in a new area and hope everything works out brilliantly for you all.
We will stay in touch and hope to see you from time to time!!
Best wishes always!
Karen and James, xx
Our daughter was looked after by Karen for around 8 months. We loved hearing all about what she’d done & the friends that she’d made during her time there.
We were impressed by the amount of progress that our daughter made in this short time & loved seeing how Karen would set up activities that would incorporate play & learning.
Karen would send photos of our daughter everyday & message me with updates throughout the day to assure me my little one was enjoying her day.
Karen was very easy to talk to & went out of her way to help us understand everything that our daughter was doing/ not doing.
Would definitely recommend!
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Kerry
about
karen cr
on 04/02/2023
Response by
karen cr
on 28/07/2023:
Thank you so much for your lovely review.
It was lovely to care for your little girl and so brilliant to encourage and watch her progress here. She settled in and made some lovely friendships and loved to dance, learn and have fun with her friends!
It was great working with you as a very supportive family and we were all so sad that she couldn't continue with us until school age.
We hope all is going well for you all.
My son started with Karen and James at 8.5 months old, and gave him so much care and attention, he absolutely blossomed with them and before long looked forward to being dropped off! Karen sent me pictures of what he was doing during the day which helped me so much in those early days, I could focus at work because I'd seen he was having a good time!
He was always coming back with art pieces of various descriptions that he'd done himself, although I couldn't get him to do painting for more than 3 minutes at home, Karen would send me videos of him concentrating very hard and carefully doing his painting. I don't know how she does it. She would also include learning activities, for example around numbers and shapes.
All in all I would thoroughly recommend Karen and James to anyone, and I'm so glad we placed our son with them as I'm sure they've been a big part in helping him become a happy and confident child.
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Emma
about
karen cr
on 31/08/2022
Response by
karen cr
on 16/10/2022:
Thank you for taking the time to post your lovely review.
We loved caring for your son and it was lovely being a part of his journey as he progressed from being a baby to a little boy.
He was so enthusiastic and embraced everything on offer especially painting!
Thank you for being a great parent to work with and thank you for choosing us for your childcare.
Best wishes to you all for every happiness as a family with your new baby too!
We were so pleased with the time our daughter had within karens care.
My daughter started at karens inbetween lockdowns so wasnt as confident as other children as she had missed out on a lot with everything being closed with the pandemic. Karen took her into her care and made her feel so welcome and treated her as part of her family. She took her to local parks, the beach etc she had lots of fun in karens garden. The days always seemed to be very well organised and great fun for all the children. I was always sent lots of photos of what my daughter had been doing throughout the day which was always lovely to see. Karen made all games educational as well as fun so the children were always learning. My daughter has grown and flourished in the time she spent with karen. I would highly recommend her childcare to everyone.
10/10 for a clean, homely environment that is 100% safe. Its always difficult as a mum to leave your children somewhere while you go to work so i think recommendations are very important. Thank you karen and James. Evie still talks about you a lot and we hope to still see you around the town to keep in contact.
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Rebecca
about
karen cr
on 27/03/2022
Response by
karen cr
on 31/03/2022:
Thank you for your lovely review!
It was lovely to care for your daughter and see her grow in confidence and progress so well during her time in our care.
She enjoyed all of the activities and opportunities on offer in our setting and also loved to go out. I think the beach was her favourite closely followed by various parks. It was disappointing that due to covid restrictions we were unable to take her to indoor places. Happily this has now changed.
Your daughter made some lovely friendships with other children in our care who still talk about her and we all miss her.
She especially loved to party and dance here too! Thinking of how happy she was always makes me smile!
Best wishes to you all.
I am sure we will see you soon!
Karen😊
My daughter now 3 and half years old, has been with Karen and her husband James since she was 18 months old and has loved every minute of her time with them (Even tells me to go to work so she can see them!)
I was extremely anxious about going back to work but Karen gave me and my daughter the most amazing support we needed for a smooth transition and very quickly become part of our extended family. Karen invest so much of her time into the children the mind to ensure they all thrive, develop at their own pace and make it fun along the way.
Karen's individual learning portfolios and developmentals for each child are amazing sharing continuous photos, many skills they have learnt along the way and so much love given throughout.
The environment is most certainly home from home which was extremely important to me having previous experience in nurseries I was looking for something not to overwhelming which Karen for sure provides on a day to day basis and excellent cleanliness.
Certainly as a family will be treasuring our memories with Karen and James forever.
Karen always goes above and beyond, at times I truly would have been lost without karen in our life. Karen has shaped our daughter into the little lady she is today and prepared her for her next chapter.
We would highly recommend Karen and James they truly are the best! If we could give them a 10, we would !
Burham on Sea you will be very lucky to have Crewswick childminding in your area, we are going to miss them so much x
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Natalie
about
karen cr
on 09/11/2020
Response by
karen cr
on 06/12/2020:
Thank you so much for your lovely review.It has been wonderful to care for your little girl and get to know you and your family. Your daughter grew so much in confidence during her time with us,ready for her next step into a more formal environment. It was such a privilege to help her grow and learn and it was especially pleasing to see her form a special friendship with my granddaughter,they loved spending time together especially dancing and dressing up!
There is no goodbye really with us moving to Burnham on sea , as it is see you later when you are able to visit us next year...I am confident that your princess will love the seaside and we will be all be friends for life!
Karen is an amazing Childminder, she cares for the children as if they were her own. She has cared for both of my daughters and they both loved her. Karen helped and supported me too, and with her years of experience always had brilliant advice. I always knew when I dropped the girls off they would have a fun filled day, be safe, learn and have a lovely home cooked meal. I honestly couldn’t recommend Karen enough and any child that goes to her, I’m sure, will love her as much as we all do.
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Jodie
about
karen cr
on 25/10/2020
Response by
karen cr
on 26/10/2020:
Thank you for your brilliant review! It has been wonderful caring for your two lovely,well behaved girls and you have been so great as a parent to work with! Thank you for your total confidence in me,it has been superb.
Thank you also for all of the recommendations over the years which I have really appreciated,I can’t believe your eldest is nearly 14!
As you know, although it is the right time for us to relocate, it is still a decision with some regrets,especially not to be able to have your little one any longer, we are missing her already!
However,on a positive note,friends forever and we look forward to you visiting us for a day at the seaside!
Karen was a local childminder to the school I taught at, so I was able to see how she worked from a professional view, seeing how she interacted with the children when no parents were present. Because of this, I didn’t hesitate to reserve a space with her for my little boy, whilst I was actually still pregnant! Being a teacher, I have rather high standards in regards to childcare!
Karen has had my little one since he was only 5 months old and he is now 4 in a couple of weeks. Sending such a young baby to another adult, who isn’t family, is a terrifying prospect but I honestly had complete faith and trust in Karen. Turns out, I was completely right to.
My little boy absolutely adores Karen and James and we were absolutely devastated to learn they were moving and wouldn’t be able to take care of him anymore, nor have our new baby. My boy is the kindest, sweetest little thing who is very well behaved and this is partly due to the input Karen has had on him and the patience James showed him when playing in the garden! We were very much on the same page in terms of behaviours, education and expectations and now my little boy is set up and ready to start school next year... And would easily cope if he had to go now.
I wouldn’t hesitate for a second in recommending Karen (and James!). They are more than just childminders and have been like our extended family and we shall miss them terribly!
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Beth C
about
karen cr
on 24/10/2020
Response by
karen cr
on 24/10/2020:
Thank you for finding the time to write such a wonderful review ,especially when time is so precious with your new little one!
It is such a compliment when someone like yourself chooses my childcare, initially based on your own professional observation of me with mindees, because my interaction with them day to day was just normal for me and I had no idea that you were aware of it!
As for your amazing little boy, it has unreservedly been an absolute pleasure to care for him and you are right, by last Easter he was academically prepared for school 4 terms early as he absorbed all of our learning activities and was so keen to learn and very proud of his achievements! I am definitely missing building on this foundation of learning with him. His behaviour is exemplary and he is so kind to others too! Thank you for always supporting our ways of working with your son and working with us, it has been really appreciated.
It is such a life changing decision for us to relocate which although right for us now, as you know still comes with some negatives ,one huge one of these was no longer being here for you and your family who we really care about! James and I both really miss caring for your son, he made us smile frequently every day with his happy smiley personality! However, as your little boy is absolutely adamant he will be visiting us at the seaside, we will really look forward to welcoming you all as visitors!
Karen wasn't the first Childminder to look after my son, so he started at 3 years old. I can honestly say I wish she was the first because the care she provided right up until he was in secondary school was by far the best we experienced. When my daughter was born there was no other person I would have chosen and she started when she was 6 months old.
Karen's environment offered the perfect balance of a stimulating setting to support and encourage development and also the home from home care that I wanted for my children. Her knowledge of caring for all ages is extensive and she played a huge part in every success my two achieved, she was also a great support to me as a parent and could always offer advice when asked for.
My children always went happily to Karen's because they had such a great time and were made to feel very secure. Like all children we went through a number of behavioural challenges over the time and managed to deal with them together, because we both agreed on a plan and worked to provide consistency.
We are genuinely sad that Karen is no longer offering care locally and I can say with confidence that our loss is Burnham's gain.
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ClaireH
about
karen cr
on 14/10/2020
Response by
karen cr
on 24/10/2020:
Thank you so much for spending time writing this excellent review. It has been a wonderful experience caring for both of your children for so many years and we will miss you all! It is really appreciated when parents like yourself work with us and clearly are on the same page in the best interests of the children.Thank you for your confidence in me and my advice and for choosing us to care for them both.They have both grown up so much now and are such a credit to you too.We look forward to you all visiting us.
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