Level of education: Five credits shy of undergraduate degree at Northwestern University. Studied Human Development and Psychological Services with an emphasis on child development.

Additional skills or certifications: CPR that I need to renew. I am learning Spanish and conversational in French. I am a great cook and love getting kids involved in the kitchen. I am an avid hiker and biker and super comfortable with kids in all sorts of outdoor settings. My professional background is in digital media, and I love working with kids on learning to navigate new technology.

Experience: I have worked as a full time nanny for over 5 years and as an part time nanny for additional 7 years. For the last two years, I have been focused on establishing myself in my other career in digital media for a professional cycling team and my childcare services had been limited to only occasional care for children of friends and past clients. My most recent regular 20+ hours per week gig was with a Gunbarrel family with two school aged children, a boy age five, girl age 8 when I started in March 2011. For 14 months, it was a 20 to 25 hour per week combination that combined childcare with house management. I transitioned to their go to sitter for occasional babysitting needs when their mother quit her job and have remained amongst their regular sitter rotation ever since.

Experience with the following age groups: I have experience with newborns, infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school age children and teens, large families, nanny shares, newborn overnights including with twins and triplets, multiples including twins of all ages and infant triplets, severe food allergies including peanut, diary and egg, learning disorders that include ADD, ADHD, sensory integration, down syndrome and behavioral and mental disorders.

Interests and hobbies:I am active and prefer to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Outside of work, I keep myself busy hiking, riding my bike, devouring good books, hanging out with friends and family, cooking and writing.

Describe your childcare style:It is my goal to emphasize kindness, respect, honestly, open communication, responsibility to self and others, open mindedness, willingness to try new things, sense of adventure, and a natural connection to health and wellness to the kids in my care. I believe in schedules. I am big on age appropriate naps, healthy eating, outdoor play, giving choices, and minimal television. I make an effort to listen and truly understand where a child is coming from, catch good behavior and approach each day as a fresh start. As far as health and wellness goes, I encourage an active, healthy lifestyle of the children under my care and think it is important to give children the information and tools necessary to make healthy choices in their own lives.

What activities do you like to do with children:Tummy time, long walk in stroller weather permitting, bath time play, and snuggling with infants. Nature walks, silly play (singing silly songs, chase, etc.) and introduction of playdates with other toddlers ideally in the neighborhood with toddlers. Outings to the park, art projects including play dough, paint, color, collage, etc., and baking together with preschoolers. Reading books to each other, field trips to the zoo, museums, hiking, parks, and library and playing board games and cards with elementary school kids. Creating opportunities to teach me about their interests, sharing books, movie and activity recommendations and cooking together with tweens and teens.

Why are you interested in working as a Nanny or Babysitter? I have worked with children, in one capacity or the other, since the age of 12. It is, simply put, a natural fit. While I know that a day spent with kids does not always guarantee me a day of sunshine and smiles, I also know there are not many feelings better than when a six year old snuggles up in my lap and whispers that this is my favorite place to me or a two year old puts his hand in my mine as we walk away from the park and back toward the car. I love how loving children can be. I also love how funny kids often are. I love having a constant supply of stories to tell about the funny things overheard on the playground or at preschool or en route to the school dance.

What qualities are important in a Nanny or Babysitter?In no particular order of importance honesty, patience, compassion, reliability, sense of adventure, sense of structure, genuine affection for kids in general and the kids in his/her care specifically, appreciation for feedback, flexibility and willingness to try new things, ability to quickly think on his/her feet, and ability to communicate clearly and openly. In my decade plus working with children and their families, I have learned that there are MANY different types of children and parents with MANY different types of values, homes, household rules, ways of communicating, ways of relating, etc. I have learned that, for the most part, these different methods are simply different not better or worse. But I have also learned that some of these methods are not for me. And as a result, I have come to realize that fit is the most important part of this job, especially when its for the long haul. What might be an incredible family for me to work for, might not seem like an incredible family to someone else, and while I might not be able to work for a family that does something vastly different that than the way I am used to or would prefer to, there is someone out there for whom this way is not different and works well.

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