Sitter in Lindstrom, Minnesota

Hi families! I'm a Christian, stay at home mom, interested in caring for another child(ren). I'm very holistically minded, but promise not to impart my ways on anyone without them asking. ;-) I'm currently attending an online college to get my Bachelor's degree in business management, as I want to have my own midwifery practice in the future. I'm also doing a self-study program to become a personal trainer. After I'm certified, I will be starting another self-study program to become a birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, lactation consultant, and midwife's assistant. When I have spare time, I like to sew, knots, read, work out, go for walks, cook, clean, and organize. But being a mom in school keeps me busy, and taking care of kids is my absolute favorite thing to do, which is why nannying is the perfect job for me! My son was born in October of 2013, so at time of writing, he's 22 months. He's a well-mannered, happy, goofy toddler who loves to explore and figure out how things work. He also enjoys walks, reading, watching our aquatic turtles, pretending to vacuum, and playing with Montessori-inspired toys. The first family I nannied for was a one-year-old and seven-year-old. The younger had multiple food allergies, and the older had occasional behavior problems. Nothing severe, and he rarely showed it for me. He was sneaky, so he had to be watched closely, but he was such a loving kid and well-behaved when he was watched. I did homework help, supervised snacks and play before and after school, and watched him when school was out. Otherwise, it was mostly time spent with the infant - feeding, playing, reading, changing, and putting down for naps.  The second family was eight, six, four, and two year olds, who I was with for almost two years, starting when the youngest was about three months. This was more of the usual nannying position, where cleaning, organizing, cooking, and homeschooling were involved. We walked to the local park, played outside, practiced T-ball, played with cars and blocks, did arts and crafts, usually based on the current season, and made forts. I helped with the homeschooling, doing the reading and math work with the kids. I handled organizing projects, did the laundry, dishes, and regular cleaning, as well.  Before nannying, I started babysitting around age 10 for family and friends. My siblings are a bit older than me, so I became an aunt young and grew up watching my nieces and nephews. For a couple summers, I'd stay with my sister and watch her three kids - her six year old daughter and twin three year old boys. I had them all day and night, so the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and of course childcare were my responsibility.  I also watched one niece overnight when my sister bartended on weekends. Besides watching for family, I babysat for date nights for neighbors. I helped a family friend watch her grandkids and clean houses with her for a few summers. During the school yard, I would watch her two grandsons while their parents would go to dinner and a movie.  When kids are with me, they're in a safe, loving environment, and they are free to express themselves, explore the world and their interests. We go for walks, play at a park, go to the library, run around outside, and play sports. I like making arts and crafts activities based around the seasons and holidays, and age-appropriate cooking and cleaning activities. Everyday things can become fun, educational experiences, teaching responsibility, self-care, and respect. Measuring while cooking is a great way to practice math without even realizing it! I'm great with homework help, creating and sticking to routines, and love reading to and with kids. I encourage healthy emotional responses to situations by addressing underlying emotions, and helping solve problems and learning how to handle emotions appropriately. I only do this gently and with empathy.  I can handle meal prep besides boxed meals. I'm happy to prepare food from scratch, feed it, and handle kitchen clean-up. It's fun to get kids involved and make food fun to prepare - arrange it on plates to make silly faces or shapes before serving, getting help mixing, measuring, etc. Because I willingly have a specific diet, and my son has a couple food allergies, I understand the importance of following dietary restrictions, should you have any. I know how to read labels to make sure problem foods aren't in them, and have no issue separating foods based on the needs of each child. I'm very accommodating and will do things the way the parents would, even if it's different from my own. My ideal situation would involve great communication with parents, and all of us feeling open to discuss what is and isn't working in our arrangements. The situation should work in all aspects, and the parents need to be happy with their nanny, and trust that their kids are being raised the best possible way when they aren't around.  Feel free to contact me with questions or to set up an interview!  Thanks so much for your time!  God bless!  Laura