All About Me | New Starter Pack

All About Me | New Starter Pack

Starting somewhere new is a big deal when you’re little, and I’ve never believed that getting to know a child should begin with a generic form that tells us very little about who they actually are.

I originally created this All About Me pack to use with new starters at my own childminding setting, CFH Childcare. It asks the things I genuinely want to know before a child starts with me: who matters to them, what makes them laugh, how they communicate, what comforts them, what they enjoy, what they avoid, their familiar routines and what their family hopes for their time with us.  

Because settling in isn’t just about knowing nap times and dietary requirements. It’s about knowing that they call their blanket Baba, that they need the same song when they’re upset, that they’re currently obsessed with diggers, or that unfamiliar textures can feel a little too much. Those small pieces of information can make a huge difference when we’re trying to make an unfamiliar place feel safe.

Across six simple pages, the pack covers the child and their family, settling and comfort, communication, interests, likes and dislikes, everyday routines, additional needs and allergies, family life and parents’ hopes for their child.  

This is also the beginning of something a little different for The Early Years Edit. Resources created from real practice, because I actually use them myself. Less paperwork for paperwork’s sake. More useful tools that earn their place in your setting.

Print it, add it to your new starter paperwork and use what families tell you to begin building that relationship before their child has even walked through the door.