Keeping a child's daily diary

Sign children in, log meals and naps, sign them out and publish the day to parents.

Written byDaniel Broadhurst (Founder)|Published: 18 June 2026|
Ofsted Aligned

ℹ️Who this is for

Childminders and assistants recording each child's day. Needs the Standard plan or a free trial. It takes under a minute per child once you're used to it.

Video Walkthrough

The Daily Diary is your register and each child's record of the day. What you log here goes on the attendance register, on invoices, and to parents.

1. Open the register

Open the Tools tab and tap Daily Diary. Every child you're expecting today is listed.

2. Sign the child in

Tap the child, then tap the arrival time to sign them in. The time goes on your register, and invoices are worked out from it.

3. Log meals

Tap Meals, then + Log Meal. Choose the meal, what was on the menu, and how much the child ate. Save.

4. Log naps

Tap Naps, then + Log Nap. Record when they slept and where, like the cot. Safe-sleep records are something inspectors ask about.

5. Sign them out

At home time, tap the departure time. The day's hours are now recorded, with nothing to add up at the end of the month.

6. Publish the day

Tap Publish at the top. The whole day goes to the child's parents in their app, and the button changes to Sent ✓.

ℹ️Made a mistake?

Tap an entry to change or delete it.

Why KinderStart does it this way

Logging things as they happen means nothing is forgotten by pick-up. One record does three jobs: your register, the invoice, and the parent's update.

What to do next

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Track Your Progress
Don't get lost in the paperwork. Use our free interactive checklist to tick off each step as you complete it.

Next guide

Logging nappies, sun cream and extra charges

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KinderStart strives for accuracy. Competitor features and pricing comparisons are based on publicly available information as of May 2026. Details are subject to change by respective providers.

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