Young children grow and learn at such a fast rate, and the room has been designed to create an environment full of soft furnishings, stimulating lights and toys that will encourage them to use hand eye coordination, exploring with their senses and having fun.
'Play is the beginning of knowledge.' (George Dorsey)
Our aim in the baby room is to ensure your child is nurtured to become a confident, happy and inquisitive child. Our baby room incorporates our babies and young toddlers. We offer a high quality of care. The room has been arranged to create a homely environment, where the babies and toddlers can feel relaxed and secure. Our room is well equipped with age appropriate resources, and provides opportunities for the children to explore and investigate. The children have varied sensory opportunities and experiences, both indoors and outdoors, to develop their independent thinking. Treasure baskets and heuristic play (collections of everyday objects with lots of scope for imaginative play and problem solving) are based in the rooms for the child’s development in all areas.
A daily diary is recorded on our FAMLY app and will be shared with parents each day – this will record your child’s routine.
We can have up to six at one time in our Tiny Toes room. The staff ratio for 0-2 years is 1:3 minimum.
Settling in sessions
A phased in, gentle and child centred settling approach helps to meet the individual child’s needs. We recommend starting off with a couple of hours to start with and then building this up over a couple of weeks. Before your little one starts we will ask you to complete “All about me” and your child’s personal routine sheet This gives us a baseline to start with in their learning & development and continue with their individual routine.
Kim Westerman– Room Leader / Supervisor
Level 2 Childcare Learning & Development
"I have been working in Early Years for the past 22 years. During this time I have gained invaluable experience and knowledge. I have built my way up to the supervisor role and oversee health & safety of the Nursery. I very much enjoy working in early years. I love seeing the children grow and develop their own little personalities. I enjoy building bonds with the children I care for, and their families. In my spare time I enjoy taking my daughter to her football lessons and watching her during tournaments. I also enjoy going to the gym"
Fiona Walker
BA HONS degree in Early Years and Childhood Studies
I enjoy working in early years because I love watching the children grow, learn & develop. I enjoy working as part of a team. I love that every day is different! I enjoy spending time with my partner, going for long walks, reading, and baking.
How to start weaning your baby
Lots of parents wonder when and how to start introducing solid foods – with so much conflicting advice available it can be very confusing.
You should wait until your baby is around 6 months old. This gives them time to develop properly, so they can cope with solid food.
Introducing your baby to solid food starts when they're around 6 months old. This is because:
- breast milk or first infant formula provides the energy and nutrients needed until around 6 months (breastfeeding women should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement)
- it gives your baby time to develop so they can cope fully with solid foods
- your baby is more able to feed themselves
- they'll be better at moving food around their mouth, chewing and swallowing – this may mean they can have mashed, lumpy and finger foods (and may not need smooth, blended foods at all)
What are the signs my baby may be ready to start weaning?
There are 3 clear signs, which, when they appear together from around 6 months of age, show that your baby is ready for their first solid foods, alongside breast milk or first infant formula.
Signs your baby may be ready to start weaning
* stay in a sitting position, holding their head steady
* coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at their food, pick it up and put it in their mouth
* swallow food (rather than spit it back out)
Behaviours that can be mistaken for signs of being ready
*chewing fists
* wanting extra milk feeds
* waking up in the night (more than usual)
These fist-chewing, wanting extra feeds and waking up in the night are normal baby behaviours and not necessarily a sign of hunger or being ready to start solid food.
Starting solid foods will not make your baby any more likely to sleep through the night. Sometimes a little extra milk will help until they are ready for food.
If your baby was born prematurely, ask your health visitor or GP for advice on when to start weaning.
How much your baby eats depends on their appetite, so let your baby guide you on how much food they need – never force them to eat.
In the same way you follow your baby's cues when offering them breast or bottle feeds, be responsive to your baby when giving them solid foods, and learn to recognise when they're hungry and when they've had enough.
It may take 10 tries or more for your baby to get used to new foods, flavours and textures.
There will be days when they eat more, some when they eat less, and then days when they reject everything. Don't worry – this is perfectly normal. Be patient and keep offering a variety of foods – even the ones they don't seem to like – and let them get used to it in their own time.
What you need
Here are some suggestions to get you started.
High chair
Your baby needs to be sitting safely and strapped in, in an upright position (so they can swallow properly).
First cup
Encourage your baby to sip water from a cup with their meals (instead of a bottle). Open cups or free-flow cups (without a valve) help your baby learn to sip and is better for their teeth.
Spoons
Soft weaning spoons, usually made of rubber or plastic, are easier on your baby's gums.
Plastic bowls
Ideally the ones with a suction base, otherwise they're likely to end up on the floor!
Ice cube trays
Very useful for batch-cooking and freezing small portions.
Bibs
Easy-to-clean plastic or pelican bibs are best in the beginning.
Messy mat
Or even newspaper under the high chair – handy for messy eaters!