More About Me
Relevant experience where I also cared for children were...
Extensive experience in Outdoor Education, living & instructing campers & students aged 10-19 at an all-girls residential camp in Maine and a co-ed sailing & scuba diving camp in the Caribbean. While caring & teaching for my students in the Caribbean, I also captained the 50ft sailing yacht & managed health & safety, sailing curriculum, and interpersonal development of individuals & the group as a whole. My qualifying experience for this position came from my years spent at a camp in Maine where I cared for my own tent of 11-year olds throughout a 7-week program. Two of these girls did not speak English as their first language & I helped them develop their skills & navigate social challenges arising from the language barrier. Both camps focused on empowering young adults through outdoor experiences & challenged kids to give up their phones & live without access to devices for weeks to months at a time.
Activities I enjoy doing with children...
As an Environmental Studies Student, I enjoy introducing children to the outdoors. The natural world is incredible & developing an appreciation for the world we live in and how it functions is an incredibly valuable skill for children to develop. Along with a general knowledge of their surroundings, I love to encourage critical thinking as we work to put together the "puzzle pieces" of why a beach or park looks like it does today. Learning about the outdoors also provides plenty of opportunities to help develop respect & care for environments, a vital skill that can be translated to all parts of life, from classroom communities to home environments.
The most important part about being a nanny...
Making sure to provide a physically and emotionally safe & supportive environment for your children when you're away. Every child deserves to feel empowered from the start and the years they have at home go by so quickly but mean SO much. As I've grown up and moved away from home, I've realized how lucky I am to have more memories of playing with friends outside than memories of TV shows. The babysitters and nannies I had growing up brought exciting new games, ideas, and activities into our lives and inspired curiosity in my brother and me. As a kid, I wanted nothing more than to be as amazing as my babysitters & camp counselors, and I work hard to give the next generation the wonderful care I was so lucky to receive.
My experience with special needs children...
I have a lot of experience with children who have learning disabilities and/or anxiety. As someone who has navigated challenging academic environments with ADHD, my personal experience has given me the advantage of knowing tons of techniques to work through academic, social, and organizational challenges. I'm committed to the kids I care for and I pride myself on seeing challenges though WITH them, rather than instructing them on the "right way" to do things. We all learn and grow in different ways, and I'm extremely passionate about learning how my students/children I care for learn best so I can meet their needs as best I can.
The most important part about being a nanny...
I love going to visit home on the holidays because I get to see the neighbors I first started babysitting in middle school! I began caring for two of them at age 2 and 4, the youngest was born a couple years later and now the oldest is about to go to high school! Watching them grow through the years has been wonderful and I'm so impressed at the incredible young adults they're becoming. It's also CRAZY to see the youngest beginning first grade, moved away for college when he was still learning sentences and now he's all grown up!!