Level of education: I graduated from Rutgers University in Piscatway, New Jersey in the winter of 2012 with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a minor in criminology and environmental studies. I also participated in a domestic exchange for one year in which I attended school in Northern California at Humboldt State University in order to get a new perspective on how the west coast treats environmental conservation and preservation for my environmental studies minor.

Additional skills or certifications: I have been CPR and First Aid certified for infant as well as adults three times in the past, though it is now expired; I would be happy to renew. I also have 12 hours of early childhood education seminars under my belt that were necessary to work at the pre school with the subject matter ranging from ways to make the classroom conducive to learning for children with disabilities, ways to engage and encouraging development for pre toddlers (as we would call them at my school), and health and safety pointers for young children.

Experience: I have worked with individual families for the past seventeen years with the children's ages ranging from newborns to teenagers. I have worked for individual families that have as many children as four or five with the age difference being as great as ten years between the oldest and youngest child (i.e. 3 years to 15 years). I worked at a Pre School for a year beginning as a substitue, then was offered a full time position in the infant room where children begin at three months and remain in the room until one year when they will transition. I was then asked to switch classrooms to resolve some scheduling difficulty for the school and my permanent classroom was the one to one and a half years olds. I also have experience working in a large after school program setting with upwards of 100 children aged kindergarten to 8th grade with six instructors.

Experience with the following age groups: I have 17 years of experience with children of disparate ages from newborns to teenagers. I am comfortable with children as young as 1 month and have worked at a notable preschool in which I worked in the infant room with children aged 3 months to one year for 2 months full time, after which, my permanent classroom became one to one and a half year olds. Working with individual families has made me comfortable with children of older ages up to 16 years, where I was primarily the chauffeur. I have also worked in an afterschool day care program for upwards of 100 children aged kindergated to 8th grade. I can easily handle a large age gap between children.

Interests and hobbies:I love being outside and exploring new places. I love to travel and have gone on many adventures alone to get the full experience. I also enjoy yoga, reading, music and the arts, specifically live music because I was raised a musicians daughter, and gardening. I am also personally interested in the conservation of the environment and enjoy teaching children about how they can play a role because they are our future and I believe that it is important.

Describe your childcare style:The basis of my childcare style is fun, compassion, and consistency. I was taught at the preschool that for young children, a routine is beneficial for them so that they know which activities follow which and can learn to handle transition from activities well; for example, nap time follows lunch so when the children are done with lunch they know to lay down on their mats for nap. With older children, I believe that it is important to have fun, but I also believe that a mutual respect is important so that there is still a level of order and it is known who is in charge, whether it be the parent or the nanny/babysitter. If tackling homework or a different responsibility is on the agenda, I make sure that they child gets those things done first and foremost so that it is out of the way and fun can be had. I am easy going despite the emphasis on routine, but I have seen these plans in action and I know them to be efficient.

What activities do you like to do with children:I love to be outside with children because it is often times, important that children have an outlet for their energy, weather dependant. I enjoyed gardening with children this past summer and I loved how exciting it was for us both to watch the progress of the garden so it would be a treat to be able to continue to do that. I believe that teaching children valuable skills such as gardening or recycling is very important because they are our future. I enjoy reading with children and am experience in trying to help children learn to read. I also love to play board games and do arts and crafts and teach kids to bake for indoor activities. I understand the need for some relaxed down time in front of technology, but I like to limit it as much as possible to allow for children imaginations to flourish. I am able to tailor the learning and developmental activities to specific ages and levels.

Why are you interested in working as a Nanny or Babysitter? I am interested in continuing to work as a nanny because I believe that working with children helps keep your spirit young and show us adults, what we are missing in not encouraging our imaginations to stay alive. Though young children can test your patience from time to time, I understand how important it is for children to have good role models to look up to and learn from, monkey see, monkey doI I am the oldest of three and both of my parents worked full time so I played a large role in helping to raise my younger sisters while we were growing up. I attended after school programs and now, as an adult, still remember the people who were most influential to me while attending such programs. I strive to be one of those memorable people as a nanny or babysitter.

What qualities are important in a Nanny or Babysitter?I believe that consistency and love are important in being a nanny, regardless of the age of the child. Young children are learning their boundaries and like to constently test and push those boundaries until they are taught what is acceptable and what is not. I think that it is important that, as a nanny, a child has a friend as well as a care taker in that person so that they know that they have a safe person to come to with questions and concerns. I encourage manners, no matter what the age, and was taught to teach infants and pre toddlers sign language to express desires like more, please, all done, and thank you. I believe that a mutual respect for the nanny, the children, and the parents is important to encourage a good working environment for everyone.

Additional comments:I am seeking a full time nanny job, occasional babysitting jobs, or a personal assistant job. I have experience doing everything that I listed for at least a year and a half. I am dependable, organized, compassionate, congenial, and full of energy, I look forward to the chance to meet you and your family!