Sitter in Portland, Maine

Hello there, I can handle it. I can deal with the tummy time, the late night feeds, the tantrums, the diapers, the teething, the potty training, the flashcards, the glue smothered crafts gone wild, the snotty noses, the sick days, the play dates, the broccoli, the muddy rubber boots and I can handle the dog too (if you have one), especially in the mud, why not? Equally, I can handle the 5th grader with the slight superiority complex that we all get at that age, the math homework struggles with the 4th grader, the attitude of the middle schooler (too old for a babysitter but not old enough to take care of the younger siblings, yet), the battles over chores, the newly discovered sarcasm and. . . I can enjoy it... I can handle it all because when it's all over, you get your little darlings right back. But while they were in my care they did have fun. We made stuff, we grew stuff, we found stuff, we built stuff, we learned a lot and we played a lot. But we're not hyped up when you get home. We didn't spend our time watching TV, playing video games and eating cookies. Okay, well we baked some cookies so we had to have a few. I know when to redirect, to stick to a schedule, and when not to. I understand how to stick to your rules, to never undermine you and I know how to cook. I'm not pretentious. I am English. I don't have far fetched expectations or theories, I don't want to be your child's parent, I don't want to be your kid's best friend. I am not Super Nanny. I want to be a good influence, an adult with boundaries and a sense of fairness, a person they remember fondly, that had an impact, listened to them and thought they were pretty funny. I know how to put on a band-aid, clean a wound, perform CPR, stop your kid choking, give medicine (not with a spoonful of sugar), change a feeding tube (I used to take care of a baby that needed one) and I know when to say 'you're fine' and rub those stung little palms. I'm sympathetic. I'm not squeamish. I am a special needs preschool teacher in the mornings; I finish around 1, so after that I'm at your beck and call. After school or evenings are great (you can stay out late) and I can also do weekends. I've been working with children on and off for the last 8 years but have moonlighted as an artist, farmer, person who books a one way ticket to New York and hopes for the best and a bartender. I'm happy, non-judgmental and high energy. I don't smoke and I won't come to work with a hangover. I'm in Portland now after living in the States for nearly 4 years and plan to be here a long while. I come with good up to date references. I'm not cheap but I'm very reasonable. Call or email me. Thanks!