Live-In Part-Time Child Care Provider Available in Santa Barbara, CA: Brooke D.

$30/hr

3 years of paid experience

A little bit about me

Hi there! My name is Brooke, and I moved to Santa Barbara a bit over a year ago after graduating from CU Boulder. I studied Biochemistry and Spanish, and I wanted to go to dental school, but after working in dentistry for a year, I realized this is not my passion. Now, I'm re-asking myself the question: what am I passionate about? Though many answers have surfaced, one of them stands out: working with kiddos.

I've worked as a camp counselor, a childcare facilitator, and I've babysat for numerous families. Currently, I am a head coach for toddler/youth climbing programs as well. I have experience with children 6 months to 15+ years, and working with every age range continues to instill in me the joy and curiosity through which these kids see the world. I love to take a laid-back approach and let the kids I work with lead the way while encouraging and supporting their decisions. I'm excited to continue this next chapter and connect with you and your kiddos!

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Looking For

Availability

Start: TBD

Tue, Thu 10:00AM - 5:00PM

Wed 12:00PM - 5:00PM

Part-time

Live-in

Age Groups

Infants

Toddlers

Preschoolers

Grade-schoolers

How often do you need a child care provider?

Full-Time Part-Time

Qualifications

Certifications

Driver’s License

Other

Car

Light housekeeping

Meal prep

Special needs

Work Experience

3 years of experience caring for:

Infants (0-11 months)

Toddlers (1-3 years)

Preschoolers (4-9 years)

Grade-schoolers (10-12 years)

High-schoolers (13-17 years)

More About Me

Relevant experience where I also cared for children were...

I've worked as a childcare facilitator, camp counselor, orthodontic assistant with primarily children patients, and I've babysat for a variety of families over the past 8 years.

Activities I enjoy doing with children...

I love to let the kids I'm with lead the way! I especially love outdoor activities (going on walks, playing with chalk, swimming), but I also love to balance high energy activities with reading, watching a movie we all enjoy, arts and crafts, or playing games. I usually ask the kiddos what they want to do that day, and we go from there (as long as their request is within reason, of course!)

The most important part about being a nanny...

So many factors come to mind, but what really sticks out to me is the idea of making sure the child feels seen in whatever endeavor they're taking on. Every kiddo is different, and it's so important to get to know the needs of specific kids. If a child has more sensitive tendencies, I believe it's important to foster this and meet them where they're at while also gently encouraging them and showing them they're capable on their own, too. On the flip side, if a child is more of a risk-taker, I believe fostering this is equally as important while encouraging safety and bravery in their choices as well. This being said, what's most important is getting to know the specific needs of every kiddo and then recognizing what they may need moment to moment. Besides this, empathy, kindness, patience, gentleness, support, and deep breaths all come to mind as well!

My experience with special needs children...

Five years ago, I was highly involved with a program called Circle of Friends. I ate lunch with high school students with disabilities every day of the week. We played games, did fun outings together, and became good friends! I also currently volunteer with an organization in Santa Barbara where I work with adults with disabilities/traumatic brain injuries. Here, we are all in a book club and read together!

The most important part about being a nanny...

Though many memories come to mind, something mundane and sweet sticks out to me! There was a family I babysat for in Colorado with a boy (11 y.o) and a girl (9 y.o), and there was one evening we were playing with chalk, and the boy wrote the nickname "Brook-worm" (instead of "bookworm") in big letters on their driveway. I love to read--and both of the kiddos knew this--and they both thought that was the funniest nickname ever. They started calling me that (instead of my name, Brooke,) from that day forward, and the memory still makes me smile.