Level of education: BA in Sociology from University of Florida Masters in Educational Psychology from University of Colorado - Denver

Additional skills or certifications: Colorado Early Childhood Education teaching license Birth to Age 8.

Experience: I have been working with children in various capacities since I was 16. As a high school student I babysat for several different families and continued to work for them when I was home from college. Immediately after college I worked as a caseworker for abused and neglected children in Florida before moving to Denver in June 2009. Once I arrived in Denver I worked for Volunteers of America as a Family Advocate for families living in public housing. I took a break from the social work field after that and continued to babysit here and there. After a couple of years, I decided that I missed working with children regularly and accepted a position as a full time nanny for a family in Denver. The family ended up moving to Philadelphia this past summer and I began graduate school shortly after. I am currently a Masters student, earning my degree in Educational Psychology while interning at a preschool here in Boulder. I work with 4 year olds and I nanny for various families on an on-call basis. I have experience with children of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Experience with the following age groups: I have worked with children of all ages, from infants to preteens. Most of my experience is with children ages 1-6 but I am comfortable working with all ages. I have worked with siblings and multiples and feel that my experience can be translated across the board.

Interests and hobbies:I really enjoy spending time with my friends and loved ones. I love getting out of my comfort zone, whether it is hiking in the foothills or trying new and different foods. I enjoy learning about interesting things, from researching on the internet to watching compelling documentaries. I also love working with children, which is why I am pursuing my teaching career! I have recently begun taking yoga classes and am loving learning more about connecting with my body on a deeper level. I love cooking with my boyfriend and learning about all of the foods we can use to become healthier, happier humans.

Describe your childcare style:I am a firm believer in making the child aware that my main goal is to keep everyone safe at all times. I believe in helping children understand the situation to the best of their abilities and communicate to them why I am saying or doing whatever it is taking place. I think communication is the key to any relationship and that children want to be communicated with just as adults do. Childrens rights are a huge part of my philosophy and I am a big advocate for children being able to express themselves. I prefer to feed children healthy snacks and meals and think that limiting sugar and processed foods in general is a great rule of thumb. I do not believe in yelling at children and think that calmly and firmly communicating my goals is very important. Keeping children safe and happy are my top priorities!

What activities do you like to do with children:I think being outdoors to run and play is one of the most important aspects of childhood, especially in our current technology driven world! I think going outside, regardless of the weather, is essential and I love to take children on walks, to ride bikes or go to the park. I love nature walks where we talk about our environment and explore our surroundings. I also love directly engaging with children and feel it is important to listen to their needs and wants of the moment. If the child is of speaking age, I generally like to ask them first what they want to do instead of picking an activity on their behalf. I also enjoy arts and crafts and free play time. Reading and telling stories is another HUGE love of mine and if a child enjoys listening to and engaging in storytelling, I will read to them as much as they desire.

Why are you interested in working as a Nanny or Babysitter? I love children! One of the greatest rewards of working with children is the opportunity to learn from them! I think children are our greatest asset and I simply enjoy spending as much time with them as possible. I always have so much fun when I am engaging with a child, because their innocence and complete awareness of the present moment is so different from what adults experience on a regular basis. Children have the ability to make my days better and being a nanny allows me to step into a childs life and truly connect with them on a deeper level. I love being able to care for children because I feel that they are incredibly valuable to our society and without children, there is no future. I feel honored and blessed that I am able to give so much love to the children that I work with and I get so excited to watch them grow, learn and explore the world around them!

What qualities are important in a Nanny or Babysitter?Patience, responsibility, excellent communication, compassion, reliability, compassion, dedication, love, support, trust and high energy. I value the opportunity to work with families and think that it is wonderful to create a symbiotic relationship with those that I work with. I seek to create a warm, loving, and trusting environment for all the children I work with. In my opinion, a nanny should be there to make the families lives easier and the household run more smoothly so I strive to be an ally and supporter in every way possible.

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