Choosing a private tutor can be a daunting task. It can be difficult to find a private tutor initially that is within your budget, and that offers the level of tuition you need, so once you have found one you will want to ask them the right questions to make sure they can deliver.
When you meet a prospective private tutor, you will want to ask them the following questions:
Are you CRB checked?
Your prospective private tutor may already have an enhanced disclosure, as many work with children or vulnerable adults in their ‘day jobs’. However, there are many that won’t have one. It is of course important to remember that CRB checks are not a guarantee of somebody’s safety to be around others in this way, but it’s a very important thing to look out for – especially if the private tutor is for a child or vulnerable adult.
How qualified are you?
There are no legal requirements for whom can provide private tuition. However, most agencies require that any private tutor on their books must be qualified to at least degree (or HND) level in the subject they wish to teach. Who you hire is of course down to you, and it may be cheaper to hire a private tutor who is in the final year or two of their degree – they will almost certainly have the knowledge and skills to teach to GCSE level, and they will be more affordable. In every case it is important to be sure that they are familiar with the current syllabus, too.
How much experience do you have?
Plenty of years of experience don’t always guarantee that a private tutor will provide a better service. However, as a general rule, the more years of experience they have, the better. Make sure you ask for references to see what their previous clients had to say about their tutoring skills, reliability, and results.
Do you have any teaching experience?
Being a master at your chosen subject is quite a different thing to being a good teacher. However, this does not mean that a private tutor without a PGCE will be a poor tutor altogether. It is better to look at their references and successes to judge what kind of a tutor they will be.
What are your terms?
You will need to know what the private tutor’s terms are for situations like missed sessions and lateness. Most private tutors will charge their full rate for sessions that are cancelled without very much notice, simply because they will likely not be able to fill the slot if not given enough forewarning. Also, you will want to find out what their policies are on keeping up with the student’s progress. The private tutor may wish to set up regular meetings, either in person or on the telephone, to let you know how things are going (this is of course assuming that the private tutor is for a child).
Choosing a childminder to provide care for your child has many benefits for both the child and the parents. In this article we will outline a few of the reasons of why a childminder can be a really beneficial influence in your child’s life, as well as why they can be a great choice for parents, too.
Child development, security and confidence
In an ideal world, parents would be able to choose to stay home with their children until they felt the child had reached an age that they were able to cope with being separated from them, but unfortunately this can’t always be possible. A childminder offers the child a real sense of safety and security because they can really get to know each other well. The child will not have to get to know a large amount of staff and be used to different people caring for her – instead they only have to settle in to a familiar home environment and one carer. Developmentally speaking this is very important – children need to be able to form secure attachments to their caregivers, and this can be hard if there are many different caregivers in the picture.
Convenience and flexibility
A childminder looks after children in their own home, and as such they can be very useful when trying to find care for children who are already at preschool or school. They generally will be happy to do pick-ups and drop-off’s from/to school and clubs, and some childminders will even pick up children from their homes and drop them back again if they are out and about at that time anyway. This can make life just that little bit easier for busy working parents. Additionally, special requirements (such as dietary needs) can be more easily managed in this kind of environment where care can be individualised.
Social benefits
Many parents worry that their children won’t get adequately socialised if they are not attending childcare in a group setting. In actual fact, large group settings can actually be damaging for confidence and social skills for some children. Research has shown that thrusting children into large groups before they are ready can make quite an impact on their emotional development. With a childminder, children will get to socialise in small groups in a familiar environment. They are able to get to know each other properly and will often become very good friends. Additionally, children will benefit from the opportunity to socialise with children of different age groups, which is a much more realistic form of socialisation – after all, apart from school, where else in life are we confined to groups of people of the same age as us?
Cost
Childminders are a very cost-effective choice for parents. Their cost will depend on their experience and any extras included but you can usually expect to pay somewhere between £3.00 and £5.00 per hour, depending on where you live. Some childminders will include the price of meals, snacks and drinks in their hourly rate, whereas others will charge extra. Additionally, childminders often get discounts for local child-friendly attractions, so excursions can be cheaper.
Being a support worker can be a wonderfully rewarding career. However, like other positions that are involved in supporting and caring for vulnerable families, it can be incredibly emotionally draining, too.
It takes a special kind of person to be a support worker, for sure – but even if you are that special type, you still may find yourself feeling drained and emotionally battered after dealing with particularly tough cases.
Self-care is incredibly important for anybody working in such an environment. Following are a list of ideas that you might want to employ to help you cope with the emotional stresses and strains of being a support worker.
Put on your cape
It may sound silly to some, but visualisation techniques can be very useful for helping us to deal with difficult situations, especially emotionally charged ones. You might wish to try the cape visualisation when going to, and leaving, work.
As you approach your workplace, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths in order to centre yourself. Imagine yourself putting on a thick, bright white cape – this will be your emotional protection throughout the day. Then, when you leave, centre yourself again and imagine taking the cape off. It sounds very simplistic but it’s a very effective way to help you leave your work at the workplace.
Talk
If you’re finding it very hard to deal with the emotions that a particular case is stirring up in you, make sure you talk to somebody about it. Keeping strong feelings such as these inside is not healthy. If you are struggling a lot with a particular case, try to talk to one of your superiors about perhaps getting some support yourself. You may find that a past trauma of your own has been triggered by a negative situation in the family you’re supporting. Seeking help before it gets on top of you is far more desirable than waiting for it to swallow you up.
Take time out for you
We all have busy lives, but we all deserve to take time out to care for ourselves. Those of us who work in emotionally charged careers such as that of a support worker may find themselves emotionally exhausted as well as physically after a long, hard week. Be sure to set aside at least a couple of hours at the weekend to do something that makes you really happy – making art, meeting friends for coffee, or just lounging in the bath with a glass of something delicious are all great ways to unwind. Be sure to surround yourself with positive energy when you are outside of work – swear off the 10 o’clock news if needs be!
Remember the successes
The majority of cases that a support worker will deal with will have what could be called a “happy ending”, and the rewarding nature of the job is usually enough to help support workers cope with the more negative times. However, if youre dealing with a particularly tough situation, it may be useful to remind yourself of all the good you have done so far, and the good you are doing right now – even if the fruits of your labour are not immediate. Knowing that you are making a positive difference to a family is a very good feeling indeed.
An au pair is different from other childcare providers, and as such they should be treated so. In this article we will go over some of the rules and etiquette you should keep in mind if you choose to utilise the services of an au pair.
The au pair is part of your family
She is living in your home and you are paying her a wage, so you are her employer. However, the au pair should be viewed as part of your family rather than a separate employee. Au pairs are not paid especially well, and part of their payment is the chance to be integrated into family life and the opportunity to be exposed to the English life and language. Involve them in family life and treat them as a member of your own family. Don’t bark orders at her, or shout at her if you are upset with something she has done – sit down with her and discuss any issues you’re having instead.
The au pair is not your skivvy
As previously mentioned, au pairs are only paid a pocket money wage on top of their board, and as such they should not have unreasonable demands made upon them. The responsibilities of your au pair should be clearly laid out at the start so she knows what is expected of her, and you should respect the boundaries that you have both laid in place – for example, if she has the weekends off, she should not be expected to watch the children or help around the house. She may offer if she sees you need help, but it should never be requested. Additionally, be sure not to treat her like a ‘cinderella’ – only light housework duties and childcare for children over the age of two should be expected, and again, these responsibilities should be clearly laid out and agreed upon. If you find extra duties come up, discuss them with her and see if she would be happy to take them on in return for a pay rise.
The au pair has other responsibilities
Au pairs are primarily in the country to learn about the culture and the language. The au pair will be attending some kind of language school and will need time to study alone. Au pairs can legally work up to 35 hours a week, unless they are from Romania or Bulgaria in which case they may only be on duty for 25 hours each week. They must have two days off each week, and at least one full weekend off every month.
Respect is a two-way street
It is not unreasonable to expect a good work ethic and a cheerful disposition from your au pair. If you treat her with the respect she deserves, she will likely be very happy in your home and happy to carry out her duties. Remember, clear communication at all times is key. This can be difficult if the au pair only has a limited understanding of English, but it’s possible – and it will become easier as time goes on, and the au pair becomes more fluent.
As a babysitter, there may be times when you need to deal with an upset or distressed child. It is important to fill your metaphorical childcare toolbox before babysitting in order to be able to deal with these situations in the most effective and compassionate way.
Of course, the best plan of action is prevention, rather than cure. Laying the groundwork will help the child feel secure with you as their babysitter when the time inevitably comes that the parents have to leave.
Preparation
Following are some tips and ideas for helping children feel secure in your care.
- Visit and meet the child at least once, preferably several times, before the time comes that you’ll be needed to babysit. Getting to know you a little first will be key in the child being happier to have you look after them.
- When you meet the child, make sure you spend some time getting down to their level and playing with them. Ask them questions to help them feel as though they are important to you.
- Make some plans with them in advance, if they are old enough to understand. You might try asking them what their favourite game is, and ask them if you can play it together when you look after them. You could also tell them that you’ll bring some home-made play dough with you to play with – it’s easy to make and costs practically nothing, and most kids get very excited about it. However, if you make promises, make sure you keep them!
- Take a small soft toy with you and give it to the child, asking them to take care of it until you see them next when you can play with it together. This will help the child feel connected to you and look forward to your return.
When the parents leave
It is incredibly common for children of all ages to become upset when their parents leave. They may melt down at the point of the separation, or they might become upset later on. Either way, you will need to deal with this in a kind and understanding way.
- Remember that this is a big deal to them. Just because they are little doesn’t mean their feelings are any less important.
- Tempting as it may be, don’t immediately try to distract them out of their sadness. If a friend of yours was upset about something, you wouldn’t try to get them to think about something else – you’d listen. There’s nothing wrong with making suggestions of things to do, but don’t try to ‘snap them out of it’.
- Empathise with them. Even very young children can understand when somebody is making an effort to understand how they feel. Saying things like “You’re so sad because your mummy left and you wanted her to stay” and “I can hear how sad you are. I understand how you’re feeling right now” will help them feel as though their feelings are real, and important to you.
- Reassure the child that their parent(s) will be home soon and that you promise you will keep them safe until then.
IS THREE THE MAGIC NUMBER TO GET YOUR BABY TO SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT?
First time parenting is a challenge and the pressure can really get to you. As you have a second, and third, life can become even trickier with more little people to please.
Oxfordshire based Dee Booth, known locally as The Sleep Fairy, is a parent and sleep expert with a track record of settling babies and young children, often in just 3 nights. Her success is based on getting them into a manageable routine, and teaching parents to allow their children to learn to sleep alone. She uses her 15 years experience as a mother, nanny and parent coach to look at the problems and struggles parents are having with sleep and behaviour and how best to resolve it.
Dee said: “The most important thing to consider with babies and sleep is that every child is different and will sleep through the night, peacefully, when they have been allowed to develop the skills to settle themselves throughout the night.
A one-size-fits-all approach not only doesn’t work, but also overwhelms new parents, and often creates an unnecessary feeling of failure. This is impacted by an overload of parenting and sleep books and websites that aren’t written just for ‘your child’, whereas my one-to-one advice is all about your family, and if you follow my advice, it works.
I visit each family in the comfort of their own home, and observe the household, and their current routines and discuss the methods being used. I then work alongside them to find a solution that is right for them. Improvements happen fast and remain in place long after my assistance is over. Sometimes just having an outside perspective and making a few small tweaks is all that is needed”.
Dee’s top 5 sleep tips for parents who have tried everything else and still can’t get their baby to settle and sleep, are:
- Establish a good feeding routine during the day – allow a minimum of four hours between feeds / meals
- Ensure you set-up a consistent, calm, relaxed bath and bedtime routine for your baby and use this every night
- Ensure both parents, and other carers, use the same confident, consistent, firm behaviour not only at bedtimes but also during the day
I do believe that with many sleep issues, simply following my advice means a new routine and pattern of behaviour will be in place after 3 nights”.
Sarah from Surrey:
“Sleep Fairy, and Guardian Angel, she saved my life and my sanity! I was at my wits end when I sought help. My 10 month old wouldn’t sleep at night or during the day, but with the Sleep Fairy’s support, guidance and understanding, Ava is now the perfect sleeper. Thank you Sleep Fairy from all of us!!”
Natalie from Buckinghamshire:
“My second son was difficult to get into a routine and Dee was a TOTAL lifesaver. I didn’t think her 3 night rule would work, but it did! He is now sleeping from 7pm to 7am or later with a 2 hour nap after lunch. The best call I ever made was to Dee!”
Dee also offers phone sessions across the UK and guidance with:
- Feeding issues
- Tantrums
- Toilet training
- “the terrible twos”
- Colic
- Early rising
For more information go to www.sleepfairyparentrescue.co.uk or call 07977 462252 for an informal chat.