Childcare

ON CALL – PART TIME – FULL TIME – TEMPORARY – PERMANENT 

BABYSITTER 

NANNY 

FAMILY ASSISTANT  

Tailored to your needs

Me, My sSon and my Niece

Children are fragile human beings. They are vulnerable and sensitive to the human behavioral and constructed environment in which they live.

As a Mom and Aunt I understand Parent’s feeling of being vulnerable when under the pressure to find the best Caregiver to help them with their most important task: ‘Raising well-adjusted children”.

 

personalized Quality Childcare

MY RESUME

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Over 35 years as a Nanny/Assistant.
  • Flexible to work schedules including late nights and overnights.
  • Clean driving record.
  • Use my own 2016 Honda SUV and Insurance if required.
  • Current Certified in Infant and Adult CPR & First Aid
  • Registered with Trustline (background check agency).
  • Speak fluently English, Portuguese and Spanish.
  • 21 Units in Child Development Education.
  • 3 years of experience teaching Pre-School.
  • Ability to handle challenges in a calm and positive perspective.
  • Work well independently and as part of a work team.
  • Easy to take initiative or being delegated.
  • Kind, nurturing and have a great sense of humor.
  • Respectful to parent’s own ways of raising their children.
  • Able to travel within and outside the US.

 

NANNY/TEACHING EXPERIENCE                                                                         

  • Get kids ready for the day (dressed, lunch, etc.) and bedtime (bath, pjs, etc.).
  • Drive kids to school and other activities.
  • Prepare nutritious meals and snacks based on each individual diet needs and preference.
  • Provide fun, creative and educational indoor and outdoor play utilizing toys and tools that help them develop creativity, intellectual, physical and overall needs including arts and crafts, cooking, baking, playdough, puzzles, music and relaxation.
  • Teach kids how to handle frustrations, sibling rivalries, and other challenges they might experience in a positive manner.
  • Provide discipline according to parent’s desire filled.
  • Lots of giggles and laughter.
  • Report daily activities and events with texting and pictures.

HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT & PERSONAL ASSISTING EXPERIENCE

  • Maintain high chair/booster, play areas neat and clean.
  • Keep strollers, car seats clean and sanitized. 
  • Help maintain home neat and tidy with light housekeeping  
  • Run Errands, (Grocery shopping, postal service, Banking, etc.)                                                                 
  • Assist with prepping dinner, set-up and clean-up for parties and other small events.
  • Take dogs for walk, drop off and pick-up for appointments (Vet’s visits/grooming,etc.). 
  • Help hire and oversee many aspects of the household maintenance including indoor plants, flowers, appliance repairs (gardener, pest control, other staff, etc.).
  • Help with Kids/Family laundry 
  • Help maintain cabinets/closets/drawers organized.

WORK EXPERIENCE

I’ve worked for many ordinary and celebrity families. Some as a temp and short term and most as full-time and long term.  

Please check the references page for what some of my families have to say about me and how I helped them. 

Full Work History and Reference Letters are available upon request.

SELF STUDY/RESOURCES I USE:

I own a library of child development books related to infants through teenage years. 

Newsletters from The Drake Institute of Behavior Science, Dr. Amen and others who provide ongoing child development, nutrition and personal development.

The RIE Manual for Parents and Professionals – Based on Magda Gerber’s educating approach that encourages Basic trust in the child to be an initiator, an explorer and self-learner among other principles.

HOW I DO IT

My goal as a Nanny is to provide parents support and peace of mind knowing that their children is with someone who is loving and strives to provide the best quality care for Children. 

As a Child Advocate my goal is to provide children not only a nurturing and loving atmosphere but also a sense of safety and security regardless of the circumstance.

Some kids are very easy going while others it takes time to build trust specially in a new situation. With that in mind, I take the time to build that trust through my relationship with them.

I don’t take children’s behavior personal and strive to follow every parent’s choices to how they prefer to raise their children.

Over the years I’ve collected many educational toys, books and craft tools that I often bring to show/share with kids.

This helps ease the transition of saying bye if parents get busy or need to leave. The kids also look forward to see what I brought when I arrive.

Cell phones and TV are kept to a minimum if parents allow.

My hope is to make a positive impact in their lives and that by the time they grow up they are prepared and ready to deal with this complex and unpredictable world that awaits them.     

Parent's Rules

Some Parents tell their kids that the Nanny is in charge and they have to play by her rules. In my case I tell the kids that I only have 2 rules:

Number one: We must be having fun regardless of what it is we are doing. If we are not, we need to stop and talk before we can get back to it. Usually we get back to the activity very soon.

Number two: We must follow their parent’s rules regardless of what we do.

Parents play a crucial part on communicating with me what their rules are and to follow through as well. Being consistant is the key.

 

I BELIEVE

HEALTHY DIET

Helping kids to develop a healthy eating habit is one of the most important challenging because of all the choices out there. Whenever possible I try to encourage them to each fresh healthy snacks and meals. When it come to deserts I try to include something healthy with it as well and or make homemade simple smoothies, cupcakes, etc. 

After years of following the kids I took care I found that kids who ate fresh fruits  and vegetables when young tend to eat healthier as adults.

Teaching kids 4 and up about how food function and how it affects their body helps to motivate them to make good choices when it comes to selecting what they want to eat. For example: Drinking water with meals affect how the food digest in your body. It’s better to drink fluids a half hour before or a half hour after meals. There are lots of videos online explaining why. 

Having kids participante in preparing some recipes encourage them to try different healthier flavors of beverages and food. If they must drink with their meals, a cup of green juice (kale, spinach and pineaple) is better than water because the fiber helps to coat their stomach. The water washes away the enzimes that helps break down the food before it hits the stomach which can cause indigestion.

There are some kids who have so much energy that they can’t sit long enough to eat a whole meal, so they tell the caregiver that they are full. in some cases I find that reading to them  pictures helps to keep them calm long enough to eat.

Also, making a simple arts and crafts project in front of them helps to distract them while they eat as well. I tell them they’ll get to make a project when they’re done eating. Works every time.

Some kids won’t eat certain foods for whatever reason so I try to serve them the same food in a different way. For example: Some kids won’t eat chicken soup but if I blend it and make it creamy they will eat 2 or 3 bowls. Instead of giving up I do whatever it takes to get them to eat well.

Sleep Training

Sleep is sacred. It is vital in order for children to grow and develop a healthy body and brain. How well they sleep affects not only how well they feel when they wake up but also how their neurons process  information which affects their thinking and learning abilities (Reading, following instructions, emotional regulation and so on…). 

Not getting enough sleep cause great risk of long term colds and other illness. It also affects how well your heart (which manages your brain) and their immune system. I find that kids who get enough rest have less behavior issues.

Having a calming and relaxing bedtime routine helps them fall asleep without struggles.

 

Every parent has a different style of dealing with their kids so it’s important for me to find out what their preferences are from the begining so that we are all on the same page. Being consistent is the best gift we can give children because it causes them to trust us and feel secure. 

Texting & Talking

I believe it’s important for parents  to be part of their kid’s daily activities throughtout the day. However, I do realize how difficult it can be for busy parents. For some just knowing what their kids are up to and how well they are doing helps them to feel at ease and able to focus on work. 

I use my phone but some parents provide a cell phone to text/call me during my time with the kids which I prefer specially if I need to download an app that is required to log kids in and out of school or baby monitor among others apps. The phone is usually kept at their home. 

By providing a phone, families are able to keep all the videos and pictures I took. They can look at  them when they are bathing the kids and create conversations about how their day/evening went. 

When you ask kids how their day went they tend to tell you more about it if they look at the video or picture of it.

They love watching themselves on videos and pictures and it’s a good way to re-direct their attention for a minute or two when they need to transiton into a different activity like getting into the car from leaving the park. Most kids fight leaving somewhere fun. They tend to cooperate more often if you offer to let them see their pictures at home.

Also, if you can invest in a portable 2×3 photo Printer for around  $100.00 your kids can create a nice small Memory Notebook with  pictures for each month. They can decorate the pages with markers n stickers.

However, I would limit the amount of time they are looking at the cell phone as much as possible. 5-10 minutes the most and not let them hold it while looking at it. Tell them it’s not good for their eyes.

Recently, I found out that according to a lot of websites we must limit the use of cell phones specially with kids because of their  EMF transmitission. Here is a link to one:

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/cellphones

Steps to Reduce Radio Frequency (RF) Exposure

  • Reduce the amount of time spent using your cell phone.
  • Use speaker mode, head phones, or ear buds to place more distance between your head and the cell phone.
  • Avoid making calls when the signal is weak as this causes cell phones to boost RF transmission power.
  • Consider texting rather than talking – but don’t text while you are driving.
Steps to Reduce Radio Frequency (RF) Exposure
  • Reduce the amount of time spent using your cell phone.
  • Use speaker mode, head phones, or ear buds to place more distance between your head and the cell phone.
  • Avoid making calls when the signal is weak as this causes cell phones to boost RF transmission power.
  • Consider texting rather than talking – but don’t text while you are driving.

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/cellphones

For more informatioon about me and my services please check the menu or contact me.

Email: gracesantoshelp@gmail.com

Phone: 310-913-5324