childmind

present singular third person childminds · participle present childminding · participle past childminded · past childminded

1. To look after children while their parents are absent.

   When Mum arrived, last as usual, late as usual, Rosie told her straight off she couldn't childmind me no more.

   2003, Helena Pielichaty, After School Club, page 21

   2 more examples

   In fact, he helped me childmind Thomas who at one time needed to relieve himself and was desperate for a toilet.

   2001, Patrick Miti, Walking Through AIDS, page 90

   However, Dan's mother continued to childmind Kris, with the school bus dropping him at the Jeries' household, from where he would later be collected by whichever parent had time.

   2013, Debbie McGowan, Beginnings, page 50

   Synonyms: babysit

plural childminds

1. The mind of a child.

   There must have been two dozen of the shadow people, invented by the childmind of Enoch Robinson, who lived in the room with him.

   1992, Sherwood Anderson, Winesburg, Ohio

   1 more example

   Knowing how the childmind attains a certain result is worth more to a truth seeking teacher than all the tables in the Arithmetic; for having this knowledge of the childmind she is able to present such conditions and things as the mind is able to grasp and know.

   1887, Southwestern Journal of Education - Volume 5

2. That aspect of one's psyche that is childlike.

   To get back our enthusiasm, we first need to remind ourselves of the devil-may-care attitude of our childmind.

   2014, Nick Bantock, The Trickster's Hat: A Mischievous Apprenticeship in Creativity

   1 more example

   In a healthy psyche the childmind and the adultmind interplay and assist one another. When the childmind is protected by an ennobled adultmind, the childmind is free to play, and wonder, and live in innocence.

   2010, True Blue Indigo, A Personal Aristocracy, page 65