Most parent coaches are the real deal. If I am being honest, some of them are not. Some people rose up on social media by posting memes and videos or parenting advice, and then decided to sell courses and services to the masses. Others jumped on the bandwagon. There are even a lot of YouTube videos with names like “How to make 7 figures as a parent coach like me.” There is also a certain huge US company doing online-only "parent coaching." It costs $8000 USD. You get 1 session per week for 8 weeks. They employ high pressure sales people to rope parents in. The sales call lasts for 1 hour and promises you the world in a miraculous personal plan. But you have to cough up the full amount within 24 hours of that call or you are out. Parents need to check the motives of any online-only, high volume, high fee service. The scammers are easy enough to spot. However, the few scammer "coaches" out there should not deter parents from seeking one of the many legit, helpful, knowledgeable parent coaches. As for the point of a good parent coach, if you don’t need one, you don’t need one. But there are many, many valid and often painful reasons that a parent might be experiencing frustration or exhaustion due to their children’s behaviour. If that parent chooses a parent coach to help change the trajectory, that is nobody's business.

More educational background usually means attaining knowledge and skills that are not relevant to what I do. Which you type of service you choose depends entirely on your needs and goals. Therapists address broader mental health and emotional issues. Coaches focus on specific parenting challenges and skill-building. Child and Family Therapists have training for children up to 18 years old. I focus on ages 0 - 6 years. An analogy for this is if you needed a wedding cake decorator, would you go to a French pastry chef?

There are many different types of parent coaches. Parent coaches are experts in their own niche. Education can vary. "Parent Coach" does not automatically mean less education. I have seen many parent coaches who are also child psychologists or marriage and family counsellors that focus on helping parents navigate complex teen issues. In order to compare what I do to other professionals, here are the most common other professionals that people think of: Child psychologists have mental health training that includes children all the way up to 18 years old. They are trained to treat children struggling with profound issues such as bereavement, trauma, divorce, conduct disorder, mental illness, and teen suicidal ideation. Some child psychologists specialize in diagnosing autism. Family counselors can deal with similar issues as child psychologists by talking with the family as a group. They usually take a Family Systems approach. They can cover other forces of stress on the family unit such as unemployment. Many are Marriage and Family Counselors. Both child psychologists and family counselors are mental health professionals who can give parents some techniques and tips for discipline. But ironically, their specialty may not necessarily be positive discipline and behaviour in the early years. Other professionals include child psychiatrists. These are doctors who diagnose mental health issues including personality disorders, and prescribe medications. Play Therapists, are licensed mental health professionals who help children process psychological issues. Occupational Therapists, have very complex and diverse training and mandates. They can help children with anything from strengthening their hand grips, to giving children with ADHD the skills to succeed. OTs can give parents specific techniques to help children’s behaviour that is based in things such as sensory sensitivities. From this quick break down of other professionals, you can see that they differ quite a bit from Hilltop Parent Coaching. Aside from most of them being mental health focused, these professionals typically use ongoing therapy models. In contrast, coaching focuses on reaching particular goals and can last from only a couple sessions up to typically no more than 6 months. Another difference is that psychologists, therapists and counselors typically see clients in their office or on Zoom for visits that are about 50 minutes each. My format is different. Even if I shared a niche with another of the child professionals above, they likely would not provide the unique supports for parents that I do. For instance, I conduct appointments and programs at the family home where children are most comfortable. This spares parents the hassle of leaving the house with the kids, and offers the benefit of practicing at home. My Single Session appointments are 2 hours long for faster progress. The first hour is to work directly with the parents. The second hour is to support the parents in their interactions with the children. (The Tailored Programs usually have longer appointments.) My appointments can take place specifically during the challenging times to demonstrate techniques and assist parents in effectively adopting the relevant new skills. I offer evening and weekend appointments. I also offer parent-only Zoom sessions when children are asleep.😉

The bottom line is that I can get you the results that you want. If what you want is within what I have outlined as my expertise, and you participate in my program as I lay it out for you, and you do the work, I can support you to set and attain your goals, I can teach you what you need to succeed, and you will get the results you want. There is no governing body for parent coaches. Our qualifications are individual. I am an experienced and extraordinary Early Childhood Educator certified in the province of British Columbia. I am dedicated to supporting children and families. I will never stop upgrading my knowledge and skills. The skills and knowledge that parents learn from me are exactly the skills and knowledge that I have built up over decades of professional development which I used all day long when teaching and caring for young children with all different needs, from all different backgrounds. It was through my years of working in childcare and preschool that I saw so many parents struggle with parenting challenges. I knew I could help them, but "pick up time" is not the right time. When I first took Early Childhood Education, I was blown away by all the information on development and how to use guidance and discipline with young children. It was so eye opening and so different than what anyone I knew had been raised with. I thought, "If only everyone could know all this stuff!" The information has just gotten better as the decades have gone on! I believe that if enough children of a generation are raised with the knowledge and skills that I teach, we can change the world. ********** I began my post secondary education with two years of college at Kwantlen Polytechnic University focusing on psychology, then transferred into Early Childhood Education. My extensive professional development includes further ECE Infant Toddler and Special Needs courses at CNC, BrainStory, the MEHRIT Early Childhood Self Regulation program, social-emotional learning, autism training, trauma informed practice, courses in teaching, different types and aspects of curriculum, and child development, as well as Life Coach training, Foster Parent training with the Safe Babies course, Postpartum Doula training, Dr. Becky Kennedy courses, and of course, Parent Coach training. Plus all the reading I have done in books such as The Explosive Child by Dr. Ross Greene, Self Reg by Dr. Stuart Shanker, The Declarative Language Handbook by Linda K. Murphy, Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, Raising a Secure Child, by Hoffman, Cooper and Powell, Circle of Security Intervention by Hoffman, Cooper, Powell and Marvin, Elevating Childcare by Janet Lansbury, Parenting Right From the Start by Vanessa Lapointe, Frames of Mind by Howard Gardener, Discipline Without Tears by Rudolph Deikurs, How to Talk so Kids Will Listen by Faber and Maslich, The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley, The Whole Brain Child by Siegel and Bryson, No Drama Discipline by Siegel and Bryson, and more. Plus reading I have done in research articles, and articles related to my focus areas listed on my About Me webpage, plus more about Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, STEM. Plus a copious amount of YouTube videos and lectures by people such as Dr. Stuart Shanker, Dr. Gordon Neufeld, and Dr. Gabor Mate. ********** There is no central body, or standardized schooling for coaches. All coaches like life coaches, wellness coaches, business coaches, and parent coaches are not required to have any specific coach training or certification in BC or pretty much anywhere. For coaches and consultants like business, parent, wellness, etc, the training is their original training and experience in their field of expertise. For good measure and for adult teaching techniques, I have looked at a lot of parent coach training programs. They are all private. Some are scam programs that are simply covers to teach basic marketing to would-be coaches, not how to coach parents. So far, I found and took one parent coach training program that actually had good information, no marketing information. Plus two Life Coach training programs. Life Coach training has a considerable amount of crossover for training parents. I have also researched adult coaching and teaching on my own. I have chosen to incorporate the Solution Focused Brief Coaching method into my parent coaching, which is a style of goal-oriented coaching. ********** As with all professions, not all Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) are created equal. For most professions, you can plot out bell curves showing the quality, depth of knowledge, skills, attitudes and aptitudes of the people in those careers. It is very likely that you have met other ECEs who are less than passionate about the importance of early childhood and lifelong learning. But for me, ECE is a calling.

I help parents understand and effectively respond to their young children’s behaviour. I support parents through the process of becoming consistent, effective and confident parents. Parents have many of the answers inside them and know on some deep level what they need to do. But they may need someone to help bring it out. I guide parents through my workbook full of evidence-based exercises and information so that they can create their own custom parenting plan that will achieve their goals, cultivate harmony in their home, and nurture their children toward becoming independent, capable, responsible adults. The parent coaching model is to work with families short-term, typically between 1 session and 6 months, to achieve one or more specific parenting goals. All parent coaches have their own niche and expertise. 1. My expertise is early childhood from birth to age 6 years. I am trained in most behaviour concerns that parents have about their young children. Child development: Cognitive, emotional, social, language, learning, physical. The guidance and discipline of young children’s behaviour. The causes and meanings of child behaviour. How development, environment and individual factors affect a child's overall behaviour. Recognizing biological, sensory, emotion, social, prosocial and physical factors that affect a child’s behaviour throughout the day. Teaching children how to self regulate. Co-regulation. Teaching children to be responsible, get along with others, and problem solve. Social-emotional learning, including empathy, compassion and consent. 2. Specific early childhood issues I can help with include: Temper tantrums and meltdowns Defiance Being rude Fighting with siblings Poor adjustment to new baby Not listening Too clingy Separation anxiety Whining Not sharing Hitting or biting Sensory sensitivities Not going to bed. Not staying in bed. Not sleeping in their own bed. Not sleeping through the night. Not napping. Too little sleep. Anger Aggression. Or slapping or kicking parent. Being mean to other kids Behaviour at daycare or being kicked out of daycare. Very active. Too rambunctious. Bouncing off the walls. Potty learning. Pee or BM accidents. Refusing to potty train. Picky eating Shy, lacking social skills, withdrawn, not standing up for self with other kids Perfectionism. Too hard on self. Anxiety. Fears. 3. My style of coaching parents is very influenced by the Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Coaching Method. I also draw on life coaching methods and consulting models to impart parenting skills and knowledge, and to assist parents to create their own parenting plan. 4. In addition, as a very neurodivergent person myself, I bring a unique perspective to parents whose children are neurodivergent, autistic or who have sensory differences (SPD). I remember and can draw on my childhood experiences back to my earliest memory at 18 months old. All these decades of personal experience as a Neurodivergent person can shed light on many issues that parents find puzzling. I have numerous current evidence-based techniques and ideas to draw on that work to support most children with ASD, SPD, ADHD and ODD... and a few other letters.

First, I do Not advocate for spanking, harsh punishments or the Traditional Parenting Style. Second, I Do advocate for the Authoritative Parenting Style. Read on to learn more. The Traditional Parenting Style aims to raise respectful and capable kids but falls short. In Traditional Parenting, the parent is autocratic, and believes it is their responsibility to control the children, keep them in line, and teach them respect for authority. They tend to have high expectations for behaviour, have rigid rules, and are strict. When rules are broken, they punish the children using either harsh consequences or spanking. ~~~~~~ According to 6 decades of research on the four main parenting styles, Traditional Parenting, also known as Authoritarian, has consistently proven to have worse outcomes for children than the Authoritative Parenting Style. See here. And here. The other two main parenting styles are called Permissive and Uninvolved (sometimes called Neglectful.) Each of the 4 parenting styles has it's own continuum from being milder in some of it's traits, to strongly having all of the traits. ~~~~~~ Quote: "A meta-study of 51 studies from eight countries found that children of authoritarian parents were verbally and physically more aggressive than those of authoritative parents (Sunita, Sing, and Sihag, 2022). Further, their behavior was linked with low emotion and strong control. Additionally, aggression, anxiety, depression, and problem behaviors in children were all correlated with parent’s high levels of control." ~~~~~~ In the 1960's, Baumrind who was the foremost researcher on the four parenting styles, originally looked at the styles from a more discipline perspective without a real psychological component. In the 90's, it became apparent that there were three other dimensions that affected parenting styles, being parental support, behaviour control and psychological control. The greatest impact seemed to come from psychological control. Many studies have focused on the impact of psychological control on parenting styles and children's outcomes. ~~~~~~ Parenting styles with and without psychological control have been studied. Psychological control combined with punishments or neglect turned out to have the worst outcomes for children. And Authoritative parenting style without psychological control or punishment had the best outcomes for children as they grew and when they became adults. You can read about that here. ~~~~~~ Quote: "Due to its manipulative and intrusive nature, psychological control has almost exclusively been associated with negative developmental outcomes in children and adolescents, such as depression, antisocial behaviour and relational regression." ~~~~~~ Quote: "Results on associations between the joint parenting styles and child behavioral outcomes indicated that children of two authoritarian parents showed the poorest behavioral outcomes. These children were perceived as showing significantly more internalizing and externalizing problem behavior and less prosocial behavior compared to children of parents adopting other parenting styles. In contrast, children of two positive authoritative parents demonstrated the lowest levels of conduct problems." ~~~~~~ If you deduced from the above reading that I advocate for the Authoritative Parenting Style, you are correct. The authoritative parenting style has been studied extensively for 5 decades and has proven to be the most effective parenting style. Authoritative style could also be called Assertive. Authoritative parents have high expectations for their children. Authoritative parents set clear boundaries for their children's behaviour. They consistently use guiding discipline instead of punishments. They teach their children how, why and when to behave in socially acceptable ways. And they also have high levels of warmth and responsiveness. ~~~~~~ So, specifically what do I teach? I follow the principles and techniques of science, research-backed, peer reviewed, and evidence-based approaches and information. These are also found in Triple P Parenting and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). I listen to you. I consider your values, your hopes and dreams for your children, the issues you are going through, your children’s personalities, what your children are doing and the reasons behind their behaviours. I give you quality information through discussions, demonstrations, exercises, materials, and resources at a sufficient depth for your individual satisfaction level. I walk you through the process of creating your own plan for parenting your own children using techniques and strategies that actually work for you, not someone else. I support you as you learn new skills, see results, and gain confidence in your parenting.

I do not diagnose, treat or do therapy for anything health, mental health, or development related, such as ASD, ADHD, ODD, depression, anxiety, etc. That said, I know and use effective techniques that help many children who have the diagnosis of ASD, ADHD and ODD. For children with suspected or diagnosed ASD, ADHD and ODD, I can coach you in strategies and techniques to help you and your child. For children who are already assessed, my techniques can work in conjunction with the techniques prescribed by your therapist. However, the therapies and techniques prescribed by your therapist are between you and your therapist. For parents: I can work with a parent who is recovering from postpartum depression, depression, anxiety, addictions, or another psychiatric disorder. AS LONG AS the parent is under the care of a counsellor or psychiatrist and the condition is being treated. Ask your psychiatrist if you are ready for the parent coaching step. The process of becoming the parent you want to be for your child requires self-reflection and looking at things that may be difficult for some people. For example, parents reflect on their own childhood to look at which parts of their own parent's parenting style they want to keep or change. Another example is that perhaps a parent finds certain behaviours their child does to be particularly triggering. It may turn out that it is something that they were punished for as a child. Parents who had a difficult upbringing usually have to parent themselves as they parent their child in order to be the big person that they needed as a child. Although looking at the way that you parent and the needs of your child can be very difficult, it will be incredibly rewarding. However, all parents who go through this transformation will need a support system. Parents who need marriage counselling should look into that. Parents who are in a more fragile place, should be under the care of a psychiatrist and/or therapist before beginning parent coaching. If you would like a mental health approach, try contacting your doctor, Northern Health, a group on this list, a service on this list, or here. ​ If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please call Canada's suicide prevention and crisis line 988.

There are butterflies all over my website and infographics. This is because of the metamorphosis... the transformation... that the butterflies went through, and that I went through. And that the parents I coach go through.

Heidi's on Hilltop offers daycare when you need it. You are not locked in to the same days and times every week even when you don't need it. So whether you only need one hour to make an important call, or you need 8 hours to yourself, or you need an overnight, Heidi's on Hilltop can accomodate you. Contact Heidi to ask about hours outside of what is on the website. Here is How it Works Simply put, it is 1, 2, 3. 1. Have a First Appointment. See if Heidi's on Hilltop is right for you. 2. Return Registration Forms. 3. Book your daycare. First- Book Initial Appointment This is a meet and greet appointment where you can can see the childcare space (or Heidi can see your house), ask questions, Heidi will go over everything, and we will all play and get to know each other. This appointment usually takes at least an hour. **Covid-19 update** These meetings are now over Zoom or with social distancing. Registration If you are interested, download the Registration Package from the Parent's Page, and look everything over at home. If you decide to try it out, you must bring or email the registration forms back to Heidi before your first day. Booking Daycare- You then have 2 options: You can book Gradual Entry Sessions of 2 hours each, where you will come and stay with your child. It usually begins with you staying for an hour, leaving for 30 minutes, then coming back for 30 minutes. In this way, you can gain more insight into Heidi and her daycare, and your child can gently build a trusting relationship with Heidi. **Covid-19 update** Ensure social distancing and hygiene. You can book playdates right away if your child will be okay with that. You have to be sure that your child will be okay without gradual entry. Book your childcare. Book up to 6 dates in advance, within the next 3 months. Pay online with credit card or paypal. Or use e-transfer. How to Book Daycare Anyone can see the Availability Calendar by clicking on any service on the Booking Page. On the Booking page, chose whichever service you need. That will open up the booking app with the calendar. You will see all of the days and times currently available. Choose the date and time you need. Sign up. Choose your payment method. You will get a confirmation email.

Before listing my fees, I'm just going to get very real for a minute. I do not charge regular daily daycare fees, because I do not provide regular daycare. I provide high quality, personalized, nanny-like, one-on-one childcare. I do it in my home because in my home I have many more resources to use and I am in control of the environment. The fees are my hourly wage that I must claim. My fees (wage) include my expenses such as but not limited to all of my supplies for the children, the cost of the website, apps, and hours creating and managing it, and other things such as the hours I put into planning, making and preparing activities for your child, and cleaning toys. Writing daily reports and learning stories for the children, and the hours of extra house cleaning to ensure my home is properly prepared before your child arrives. Purchasing toys and equipment specifically with your child's best interest in mind. Unfortunately, I do not gross enough in a year to cross the minimum income line, so my expenses are not useful as “business deductions.” I understand childcare is expensive for parents. I try to walk the line between what parents can afford to pay and what I can afford to work for. It is tight on both sides. Considering that minimum wage in BC is $14.60 as of June 2020, and I should be making $20+ per hour, by only charging a maximum of $15 per hour, I am a bargain. I taper my hourly rate down for parents so that for 8 hours, I make just over $13/hour. There are teenage babysitters charging that for evening babysitting. I am very experienced, well-trained, very knowledgeable, BC certified and dedicated to my profession. This is a labour of love for me. Daytime - One or Two Children 1 hour $15 2 hours $30 3 hours $44 ($1 off) 4 hours $58 ($2 off) 5 hours $70 ($5 off) 6 hours $83 ($7 off) 7 hours $96 ($9 off) 8 hours $105 ($15 off) Extra Hours $15 Nights - One or Two Children PLUS 10% off total for overnight care at my house. 1 hour $15 2 hours $28 ($2 off) 3 hours $40 ($5 off) 4 hours $52 ($8 off) 5 hours $62 ($13 off) 6 hours $68.50 ($21.50 off) 7 hours $75 ($30 off) 8 hours $81.50 ($38.50 off) 9 hours $88 ($47 off) 10 hours $94.50 ($55.50 off) 11 hours $104.50 ($60.50 off) 12 hours $118.50 ($61.50 off) 13 hours $133.50 ($61.50 off) Extra Hours $15

Heidi's on Hilltop is on Hilltop Road in the Vanway area of Prince George. It is 5 minutes west of Walmart. Click here to see the map.

I offer Specialty Childcare, not daycare. Casual, drop-in and temporary childcare catering to SAHM, WAHM and on-call workers. No locked in days. Always accepting newborns, older infants, and toddlers. Personalized one-to-one care and attention for your child/children because I only book one family at a time. Two siblings maximum. (New: You can now choose to have another child with your child for socialization. Fees will be adjusted.) Certified ECE, trained Postpartum Doula, First Aid, CPR, Foodsafe. Google Photos communication app so that you can see all about your child's day. Unique opportunities such as a "forest classroom” and homeschool activities. Creative, constructive and imaginative play for all ages; arts, books, science, baking, music. No screen time. Booking and payments are all done on website. Check availability or book anytime. Book in as little as 24 hours in advance. Open 8am- 6pm on Monday to Friday. Hours and days flexible. Must have an initial appointment and return registration form before booking playdates. Located in Vanway/Haldi; 5 minutes west of Walmart. My daytime services best suit SAHMs WAHMs Moms on maternity leave Casual workers Homeschoolers Parents needing backup childcare for daycare closures or sick kids at home. I offer 3 overnights per week: 12-13 hour shifts in your home, for on-call shift workers or romantic getaways. Longer morning hours are available if you drive me. (My husband needs to take the car to work early.)

Heidi's on Hilltop is considered a "License-Not- Required daycare." In BC, a License-Not-Required (LNR) daycare can have up to 2 children who are not your own, or a sibling group of three, present at one time, legally. I prefer to look after no more than 2 children at a time. Therefore I do not need a license. However, I am an Early Childhood Educator who has run daycare and preschool programs in the past and I am very familiar with the BC Child Care Regulation. Heidi's on Hilltop may become aRegistered License Not Required daycare (RLNR) through CCRR.

Heidi Reeves is an experienced ECE Preschool Teacher. Through working in childcare and preschool, previously owning a licensed daycare and a licensed preschool, and continuing her professional development as an Early Childhood Educator, she has gathered extensive knowledge about child development, child guidance, approaches to learning and early childhood, and more. Heidi is currently taking Infant Toddler and Special Needs training at CNC one class at a time. In addition to being naturally nurturing, creative, loving children, and passionate about early childhood education, she has these qualifications: Certified Early Childhood Educator First aid and CPR certificate. Two first aid kits, emergency disaster backpack, new fire extinguisher, and smoke and CO2 detectors. Criminal record check. Strong knowledge of the BC Licensing Regulations. Excellent references. Postpartum Doula training and experience ​Foster parent training and Safe Babies course Foodsafe certificate. Practices food safety. Years of experience in daycare and preschool, including: Owner of Kindercastle Home Child Care 1998-2004 Beaverly Preschool teacher 2014-2015 Owner of Hilltop Preschool 2015-2016 Various placements1993 until 2014, including: Daycare worker and preschool teacher in various daycares and preschools in Vancouver and Prince George Nanny Substitute for group daycares, preschools and family daycares in Prince George

Covid-19 has changed my business model from random casual care, to one family long-term. As the pandemic has changed, so have my ideas of providing care. Ongoing part-time weekly care is now available. Temporary weekly part-time care is a service I do offer for up to several months. By part time I mean up to 3 full or part days per week for up to about 6 months. The days can be fixed or changing. Occasional, changing, consecutive days and other childcare needs are good too. In a regular childcare, "part-time" care is a contracted space. For example, every Tuesday and Friday. Or every Thursday morning. You pay for the spot whether you need it or not. Most daycares have contracted spots. Part-time is harder to find because it leaves the licensed daycare looking to fill odd days. With my childcare service, casual, flexible care means that you can book your childcare as needed. You are not contracted to a day and time. So you can book, for example, 2 days this month and 5 days next month, and only pay for the hours you need.

No. Although, casual care and "drop-in" means you don't need to have a contract for certain days or times, please book at least 24 hours or earlier than your required start time. Because Heidi's on Hilltop is a License-Not-Required daycare, no more than 2 children can legally attend at one time. If you drop in unannounced, it could put the number of children over two, and thereby create an illegal situation. if no one has booked, Heidi may not be home or ready to accept visitors. Please check out the Book Online page to see availability. You can book at any time up to the day before your desired time slot, if you have already returned your completed registration forms. IF YOU NEED EMERGENCY LAST MINUTE CARE please phone Heidi because she might be able to take you if she is available. 250-981-2120

Snacks are provided for children over 12 months old. Snacks include a fruit or vegetable with a protein or carb. For instance, bananas with yogurt, apples and muffins, carrots with cheese and crackers. Snacks are served with water. Lunch: If a child is attending during lunch or another meal, the parents are required to bring lunch for their child/ren. Parents provide foods for special dietary needs such as breastmilk, baby food, gluten-free or vegan. Because only one family is booked at a time, any allergies or dietary restrictions are accommodated. Although I do not give children junk food, if we bake, we will sample what we make. I may also offer homemade cookies or other things that I have made. Allergy alert: I do eat peanut butter in my house.

I specialize in children from newborns up to three years old. I might consider a 4 year old sibling.

Babies and toddlers who are used to a crib will sleep in the mini crib. The mini crib and the change pad are in our guest bedroom, seen below. Heidi can rock and sit with babies in this room at nap time. Babies will require a sleep sack from home. A child who is too big for the mini crib will sleep on the big bed in the guest bedroom above or on the big bed in the Children's Bedroom, seen below. Let Heidi know if your child would require a bed rail. Heidi tucks pillows all around the child and uses a video baby monitor. There is plenty of bedding, however your child should bring a small familiar blanket and comfort item from home to help them relax and sleep. Routine: I will use whatever routine that you tell me to help them sleep. Typically, this is what I do: ~ change child's diaper on the change pad and wash my hands. ~ read several books on the big bed, until the child seems tired. ~ Dim the lights and put on the sleep music app. ~ Scoop up the child with their blanket and rock them with their bottle. ~ Give them their soother and rock them until they fall asleep. ~ Put them into bed. ~ Turn out the light, close the door, and watch them over the baby monitor. My goal is to help them feel safe and secure. Depending on the baby or child, I can rock them, rub their back, stroke their hair or hold their hand. If there is also a preschooler sibling, the preschooler will stay with us until the infant/toddler is asleep. The preschooler may need you to supply an ipad and head phones if they are not used to being quiet with a book on the bed until the baby is asleep. There are also a toddler bed and a pack n play that can be brought out if necssary.

Arrivals and Drop-off Times: Do NOT arrive before your start time. Even 3 minutes early. It takes me almost 2 hours to prepare for your playdate. I need to sweep and wash ALL the floors and playmats, and put out the playmats right before playdates, not the night before, to make sure they are clean for playing and crawling. I need to clean the kitchen and the bathroom that morning, not before. I need to set up the barrier around the fireplace. I need to bring out and set up all the toys in the living room, such as the infant toddler toys, or the trains, blocks, building toys, puzzles and educational games for preschoolers. I need to get out any art supplies or anything else that I will need. I need to make sure the crib sheets and change pad cover are changed and fresh. Basically I have a lot to do, and I am usually racing around at the last minute then trying to get myself ready, too. So whatever you do, do NOT arrive early. Your booked time starts on time. Your booked time includes the time it takes to settle your child in. Your booked time does not start after you leave. Pick up Times: Your booked time includes your arrival to pick up your child, talking with me, and getting your child ready to leave. For instance, if your booked time ends at 3pm, that means you are walking out the door with your child at 3pm. It does not mean you arrive at 3pm then get your child ready, talk to me, and then leave at 3:15. If you arrive more than 5 minutes late, you will be charged for another hour, to be paid when you arrive. This is pretty standard for childcare to dissuade people from being late.

Please text Heidi at 250-981-2120 as soon as you can if you need to cancel for whatever reason. If you cancel a playdate more than 24 hours before your start time, you can reschedule or receive a refund. If you cancel a playdate within 24 hours or you do not show up, you will not receive a refund. If your child wakes up sick the morning of your playdate with Heidi, you may reschedule without penalty. If you need to cancel or reschedule an Initial Appointment, please do so as soon as possible and at least 24 hours before your appointment. Failing to arrive for your Initial Appointment will preclude you from making another appointment.

It has been brought to my attention that some people may think I'm too... "big"... and out of shape. Some people equate that with laziness. Some people may think I wouldn't be able to keep up with children. Some people may think I would just sit around all day. Some people may have other negative thoughts about me because of my size. It doesn't help that I am also 5'9. I can assure you, that as an ethical Early Childhood Educator, I would not do this job at all if those were true. I can assure you that I am physically capable of all aspects of my job. I would not accept a child into my care if I thought I couldn't properly care for them. What I do: ~Crawl around on the floor all day playing with children. ~Roll around and be silly on the floor. ~Dance with children. Dance holding children. ~Lay on the floor and lift children in the air. ~Chase crawlers, walkers and new runners down the hallway for fun and giggles. ~Play hide and seek around corners. ~Throw and kick balls outside. ~Going for walks. ~Interact with children on the climber and slide. ~Encouraging physical skills. ~Walk around endlessly doing the "baby dance" to soothe babies. ~Rock babies to sleep for as long as they need. ~Lift and carry any size of child under 5years. I can out-run any runaway toddler, and reach any child in a dangerous situation, and I will do anything it takes to keep those babies safe! You might want to film me sprinting for YouTube. With all of that said, there is a caveat. Although I am definitely active with the children all day, I support physical literacy of toddlers, and I do move fast when I need to, my energy level isn't what it used to be. Running for fun is not a thing anymore. Running is for saving toddlers and escaping bears. LOL For me, playing faster paced games with running such as hockey, soccer and tag with 4 year olds, is not something I like to do anymore. A toddler who is always on the go would also do better somewhere else. Basically, if your child is on the active side, I will not be a good fit for you. Not because I am lazy. But just because my energy level with children is moderate, and not high. However, a child with a normal activity level, or especially a child who really enjoys art, building, playing imaginative games, science, baking or discovering things outside, as opposed to sports or running, would really be a good fit with me. Toddlers are busy. But there is a difference between typical levels of toddler-busy and high levels of toddler-busy. If you are unsure, I will let you know if it is a good fit. Infants are always perfect for me. I love babies!

We have a cat named Pozie. People with cat allergies should be aware of this. My husband, Brian, is now working from home due to Covid-19. He works in the office. We heat our house with a closed wood stove (fireplace) in the living room. A child fence is put up around it during daycare hours. It is sturdy and stand alone but is not attached to the wall. I will be with your children all the time; however, if you think your individual child will somehow try to get around, climb over or pull down the barrier this will be a danger for your child that you will want to consider. There is a suite downstairs where 2 people live. It is self-contained. There will be NO interaction at all.