childmind

English

Etymology

child +‎ mind

Verb

childmind (third-person singular simple present childminds, present participle childminding, simple past and past participle childminded)

1. To look after children while their parents are absent.
   • 2001, Patrick Miti, Walking Through AIDS, page 90:

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

   • 2003, Helena Pielichaty, After School Club, page 21:

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

   • 2013, Debbie McGowan, Beginnings, page 50:

     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.

Synonyms

• babysit

Derived terms

• childminder

Noun

childmind (plural childminds)

1. The mind of a child.
   • 1887, Southwestern Journal of Education - Volume 5:

     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.

   • 1992, Sherwood Anderson, Winesburg, Ohio:

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

2. That aspect of one's psyche that is childlike.
   • 2010, True Blue Indigo, A Personal Aristocracy, page 65:

     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.

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

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