About me

My Story

A career dedicated to working as a nanny has brought me to the point where I can now offer a bespoke advisory service to parents of babies, toddlers and children up to pre-teens.

Over the years I have had the pleasure of working with many sets of twins, families from a range of backgrounds and religious beliefs and children with varying needs. 

As a result I have developed a strong, confident approach to my work. I often know instinctively what my charges need or will benefit from and use this to their and our advantage. I try to keep abreast of the latest studies in relation to child development and have an interest in child psychology, which I incorporate into my work.

As a nanny I have always taken great pride in getting the absolute best out of my charges, using an approach I labelled 'CALM'. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and ideas with you. 

My Philosophy

There is a seemingly endless amount of information available to parents, in books, on the internet, from friends and support groups and from family. For some parents the answer to their question is easily found, or the support they need is easily reached. However, in today's society families often live far from each other and both parents often work. The time needed for researching answers to problems, or finding a support network, is no longer an option available to many families.

I have drawn on many years of experience in working with small children and babies, along with researching alternative approaches. There is no 'one right answer' when it comes to caring for the unique and hugely important children in our lives. That is why Lighter Parenting will always offer an individual service, tailor made to fit each family's needs.
 

Why CALM?

CALM stands for Consistent And Loving Methods, which accurately describes what I believe to be the best approach to childcare. 

CONSISTENCY - how to promote it for your child - in practice

LOVING - because everything you do is with their best interest at heart and delivered in a loving way

METHODS - the best methods and techniques to help with everyday problems and key stages

Calm - if you appear calm, you appear to be in control. Let your child see you as a strong leader, a trusted adult who can take good care of them. 
 

My Training

HNC Childcare and Education

Stevenson College, Edinburgh, 2001

Maternity Practitioner Award

MNT, 2014

 “I would highly recommend Ali with fussy eaters. She provides support and reassurance when you are losing the will! She helped me to use tactics such as timers and although Mealtimes are far from perfect, they are much better than they used to be. At least I feel I have more control instead of frustratingly watching a 4yr old take an hour to eat 2 spoonfuls of lovingly prepared food! X”.

Jodi Johnston Stewart, mother to 4 year old 'S'

“...Ali visited us the very same day we contacted her.  She spent some time with us and she had the measure of our daughter after a few minutes observation...”
J. Brown, mother to 2 year old 'A'