Level of education: I have Bachelor of Science in mathematics from DePaul University and a secondary mathematics teaching license from CU.

Additional skills or certifications: I was a life guard at a Summer Camp in 2000 and again in 2008. I have CPR and First Aid training. I am an active math tutor and teacher for students of all ages. I have certification in Western Herbalism. I am looking at a certification in Life Coaching.

Experience: Throughout high school I babysat on the weekends for extra money. Aria and Rich had an 11 year old boy and a 9 year old girl and I would take them out to movies and do other fun activities with them on the weekends. I worked at a local coffee shop every Sunday morning my senior year of high school and there I met the Elizabeth and her sweet family. At the time they had only 2 boys, one 8 and one 6 and I started babysitting them as needed. I worked for them full time during a few of my summer breaks throughout college. In 2001 I sat for a family every Saturday night for over 6 months. They took me to the Virgin Islands for 10 days over Christmas break to watch their two girls aged 8 and 10. I moved back to Chicago in 2002 and took a year off from school and in that time I nannied full time for a recently divorced family with one 3 year old girl. I was with Samantha 5 days a week for 10 months and we went everywhere together. We visited museums, pet stores, the park, and the beach, we learned so much and had a great time. My popularity on her block grew and I then started babysitting for her neighbors as needed. One family sent their daughter to the summer camp I used to attend, on my recommendation. I even drove her to camp 7 hours away and brought her back. In 2007 I worked with a set of 2 year old twin boys part time for 8 months. In 2008 another family hired me to watch a newborn, and their 4 year old three days a week. I took a break from childcare in 2008 to travel around Asia. In 2009 I finished my math degree and promptly moved to Boulder. In Boulder I scaled back my work with children to try a couple other avenues of income. Since 2009 I have babysat as needed and regularly for three local families and my references speak to those families. One of the children was 11 years old when I met her in 2009. I worked in her mothers shop and babysat her on date nights. I also housesat and attended to their dog, cat, and garden whenever they left town. I currently tutor her now as a sophomore, in geometry. In 2011 I watched an 11 year old girl, 15 year old son, and 16 year old foreign exchange student each Wednesday for from 3pm to 9pm for 8 months here in Boulder. I picked up them from the bus stop every week. On the way home I would sit in the passenger seat and gently guide him along as he learned how to drive on his learners permit! I also cared for their dogs and cat and housesat a number of times when they were on vacation. In 2012 I went back to school get my teaching license in high school math and have taken the last year or so to focus on math related work. Recently I have been tutoring and teaching high school students. I spent the last year working with a family for 15-20 hours a week. I taught high school for 2 years 2016-2018 and am now looking to get back to part time nanny work.

Experience with the following age groups: Newborns through 17 year olds. I am comfortable with kids of all ages and can easily manage age gaps in children large and small.

Interests and hobbies:I am a dancer and I love pilates, soul sweat, aerial dance, yoga and swimming.I love reptiles.

Describe your childcare style:I am an authentic, energetic, and compassionate person. I anticipate the needs of children and I like to offer them choices. I talk to and treat children as equals, as I know they want to learn how to speak and act like an adult and so I model graceful behavior. I never talk down to or engage in babytalk with children. I set appropriate boundaries naturally and I like to redirect misplaced placed energy whenever it surfaces. I employ positive reinforcement techniques to encourage cooperation, communication, and responsibility in children. I foster open communication and clear expectations to create a respectful and enjoyable atmosphere for all. If you sprinkle every activity with a sense of exploration, it helps make daily activities fun and interesting. Children are like little sponges, their potential is so great, it is important to surround them with a lot of good stuff!

What activities do you like to do with children:I am an active babysitter. I like to ride bikes on the bike trails. I like to swim in outdoor pools and at the Boulder Reservoir. I like to take them to parks and to pet stores. I hope we can even go to the Denver Zoo and Aquarium. We will go on walks on Pearl street, get some ice cream, and play with toys at the Into the Wind store. I like to do nurturing things like watering the garden. When indoors I like to play games especially legos, cards, and board games. I enjoy reading to them at story time. Some days are quiet and we stay in a play games and color. On the weekends I might take them out the movies. I like to feed them nutritious food. As active as I am I know when to slow things down and rest.

Why are you interested in working as a Nanny or Babysitter? I love children. I am an innate nurturer and I love to show kids all the beauty in the world. I enjoy teaching them about shapes and colors and adding words to their vocabulary as well as a little math on the sly. I am a very curious person and I cultivate and share that trait with the children I work with.

What qualities are important in a Nanny or Babysitter?I believe trust is the most important quality a nanny can possess. I thrive on responsibility and am a very trustworthy person as I honor my word. Good communication skills are also key and I communicate very well. A nanny must be reliable and punctual. I also truly believe that being fun, optimistic, and happy are positive traits that benefit developing children. I have a lot of positive energy.

Additional comments:I also like working as an on call sitter.