Jo Wiltshire is an author and journalist specialising in parenting and family issues. A former celebrity interviewer for The Mail On Sunday, she has written three books on parenting, co-authored several other titles, and is a regular commentator on family topics in the press, online, on radio and on TV.
She is currently working with Childcare.co.uk, the service which helps parents, nannies and childminders to connect.
Jo has two children and believes that every parent is the best expert when it comes to their own children. She aims to support and encourage parents to trust their own instincts.
Childcare.co.uk was founded in 2009 by Internet entrepreneur Richard Conway when he and his wife Hayley struggled to find a babysitter after the birth of their first child. Richard felt sure there must be an ‘Amazon’ of childcare and searched online but couldn’t find anything, so decided to create one himself.
Childcare.co.uk is the UK’s largest online community of childcare providers, schools and private tutors. It’s aim is to provide trusted and reliable support for parents across the whole of the UK.
All childcare providers and tutors can be rated and reviewed by parents using a 5 star rating system. In addition to the rating scores, parents can write their own custom written review of their experience. Childcare providers and tutors have the opportunity to respond to their reviews.
The site and mobile apps have helped over 1.5m people find childcare and childcare work.
Childcare.co.uk recently won an award for innovation by the government’s Department for Education and was provided with funding to launch some new features to make it even easier and safer for parents to find childcare.
The service offers parents a way to search for local childcare services such as babysitters, registered childminders, nannies, private tutors and nurseries. Searching is easy using their postcode search facility which shows the approximate distance between the parent and the childcare provider.
The site also allows childcare providers and tutors to add their profile to Childcare.co.uk free of charge. Childcare providers can then receive enquiries from local parents via the website, email and telephone. They can also contact local parents and introduce them to their childcare and tutor services as well as being able to connect with local schools, pre-schools and nurseries.
Jo’s Favourite’s
Shop : Jojo Maman Bebe for robust quality clothes and baby bits and bobs
Website : Great Little Trading Company for brilliant storage solutions and good quality toys
Restaurant : Pizza Express because kids love it but grown-ups don’t feel like they’re sitting in a softplay centre!
Hotel : Ibis France for clean, family friendly stopovers. The Legoland Windsor Resort Hotel for combining fun and good service brilliantly.
Holiday Destination : Menorca for sunshine holidays – quiet, clean, friendly, great beaches. French camping/chalet holidays for no-flight destinations, Les Castels is a great chain. North Norfolk for wonderfully nostalgic breaks with beautiful beaches to take you back to your own childhood.
Parenting Tip :
You are your own best parenting expert – by all means read the books, browse the websites and swap the tips, but at the end of the day trust your own instincts and have confidence. You know your own child better than anyone. In addition: wet wipes!!
This post was written in collaboration with childcare.co.uk however all opinions are my own.
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