Meet May: A nanny and babysitter in Caulfield South, VIC

Hi there!

I am very excited about meeting and getting to know you.

To start with I am looking for:

• Casual Babysitting

& in the main

• A Part-time (30 hours Min) — Full-time (40 hours Max) position that starts in February 2025.

As my current families requirements will be changing next year, as a result I will be finishing up with them this year, which is sad, but that’s the life of a Nanny.

•I would prefer to work for one family 30-40 hrs. But happy to have the 30-40 hrs be made up from 2-3 Families.

(I am also hoping to end up with a position(s) with Friday off, so I can spend more time with my grandmother who really doesn't have much time left.)

Essentials:

- Valid Victorian Drivers Licence

- WWCC: exp. 26/10/2028

- Police Check: exp. 20.09.25

- Level 2: First Aid (inclusive: Asthma, CPR & Epi-pen) exp. June 2027

- CV: with copies of my credentials

- References

Now about me -

I cannot emphasise this enough I do not allow screens big or small. They really do mess with children’s brain chemistry, and screens make my job unnecessarily harder, they cause unneeded tension and conflict. As a result I much prefer families that work with me on this. My exceptions: They get them if it is for school work that has been set for an iPad/Tablet. Other than that they can have a 5-15 min with a literacy or numeracy game (this is dependent on their age and how they personally are after their time is up). And it is all supervised, and done in front of me, not in another room; where they can go down rabbit holes. Movie nights are allowed for a babysitting evening, and the screens rule is relaxed during school holidays.

Duties I undertake:

morning routines; breakfeast, lunch boxes, school bag packing, day-care/kinder/school drop offs

-For the little ones when at home and not at daycare/kinddy. I like to have our week planned. Be it excursions to the zoo, park an indoor play center, library time or classes that helps their development (that the parents have enrolled them into) like Gymbaroo, Ready steady go, All Sports etc. to activities we can do at the house like baking or painting or even a playdate with their best friend.

House management tasks; grocery and maintenance of pantry & basic medicine (ie expiries and organisation), light laundry duties, light house keeping, school holiday and pupil free day planning, meal planning, food prep (dietary requirements taken into consideration, naturally) multi-tasking

Afternoon routine; networking with other parents at the children’s school that the children are friends with or do extra curriculum with, extracurricular taxing, planning of play dates, supervise-assistance with homework and practice for their extra curriculum. With additional extras from me if wanted/needed or time permits (eg. Music theroy, maths etc.)

Evening routine; Shower/bath time, dinner, oral hygiene, an evening game (if time permits) and attend their unique bedtime routine.

I like to play word games and encourage conversation at dinner time.

While walking or driving to school or activities I like to play math games or encourage conversation, I let the children lead as to what they want to do, to encourage confidence in ones own voice.

I try my hardest when sibblings have a squabble to resolve it. But I watch & listen to see if they need my assistant first or if I am needed to interfere or intervene. Sometimes its a spration, other times it a sit down an talk it out with a talking stick. It depends on the children and the squabble, as to what will work or what is needed.

History summary:

I have been providing childcare on & off over the past 22 years. The last 8 of those; I have been a Full-time Nanny.

I have worked with many different family equations: twins with a younger sibling, all girls, all boys, brothers and sisters, and solo children. The ages I have looked after are from 9mths - 12 years old. My favorite age to look after are children 14 mths - 5 years old, I know I shouldn’t have a favorite age, but I do. I also find the easiest age to look after is 8-11. But all children are different and I stay adaptable, because as they age - how I interacted with them must change. Some children are runners, some are quite contemplators, others always need to be crafting and creating big cardboard constructions, while another is quite happy to sit and do colouring in and drawing non-stop. They all ask questions after question non stop, lols ( as a result you get to learn from having to google answers to the questions you don’t have an answer for)

•I started child caring in 2002 when I was 14: for my, then, piano teacher’s son. I cared for him 3 days a week, (after school) from the age of 2-8, while his mother worked from home: I had to master the skill of noise level control!

•Once I was 16 I began to babysit for other families during the evenings, nights and on weekends.

•When I started my tertiary studies I babysat casually between my part-time job and my studies 2006-2009 (I studied fashion but that world did not feel right for me).

•Between 2010-2015 I would babysit and assist as a mother's helper when asked, whilst working 4 part-time jobs and trying to find my path in this world, by families that knew me, or who were referred to me.

•In 2016 I went to Paris as an Au Pair. And fell in love with France. And started seeing the path I wanted to walk, and what I needed to do to get there.

•In 2017 back in Oz; I undertook causal & part-time child-care positions. For families with babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

•Eventual I found an amazing family of 5 (3 girls aged: 7, 10 & 12) to work for, as a full-time Nanny, I was with them from July 2017-July 2020. When it no longer made sense for me to be there whilst they worked from home, and the 3 girls couldn’t do their extra curricula’s because of lockdowns, or go to school.

NOTE: Ages I give are of how old the children were, when I finished.

•The next Family, was a family of 4; a boy- 9 years old & a girl - 7 years old, providing before and after school care 5 days a week from Nov 2020-Aug 2021.

•From Sept 2021-present; I have been working F/T with a great Family of 4: 2 boys; 5 & 9 years old. (it is very sad that our time has come to an end).

If you have read this far, I look forward to receiving a message from you. ☺️