Natalie, babysitter in Bearsted ME14

My name is Natalie and I am 19 years old. I am based in Maidstone and live in Bearsted. I am a apprentice, currently working towards my NVQ level 2 in childcare. Once I have completed my level two I am hoping to go on to complete my NVQ Level 3. At the moment i work alongside a childminder and while working I have gained a lot of knowledge, experience and skills. I have been working alongside this childminder for seven months.

I have a lot of qualities to offer including patience, punctuality, dedication, interest in childcare, motivation and supporting the children. I always have a smile on my face, this will also make the child feel comfortable and create a happy and positive environment. I have a calming influence, I am a very friendly and warm individual. I believe that it's vital to motivate a child, supporting them and to meet all of there needs.

I enjoy planning and coming up with new activities to engage the children. For example at my current workplace I had an idea of a activity which would be fun and engaging for the children, which was a sensory activity, I got a shoe box and put a number of different coloured objects within the box including a sponge, feathers, rubber duck, shower mitten, bean bag and a mini teddy bear. I also asked them various questions about the objects in the box including the colours, how it feels, what there favourite object in the box was, I then asked them to count how many objects there are. While doing this I observed their development, which allowed me to identify when they required extra help. I also play games and like to get them involved with activities to help their learning this often includes reading books to them, playing number games, puzzles, drawing and baking.

I can also change children's nappies and help children with potty and toilet training and ensuring good hygiene as well as a safe and happy environment.