Wendy T.     Age 55      Female      Syracuse, NY  - 318 Allen St   Member ID: 1350  Seeking work as a : Nanny or Tutor  Position Type: Live-In, Full Time      Join now for access this candidate's contact details       About Me   I believe that I am a very loving and nurturing person, and I truly value the life that I have chosen. I love being an important part of a child's life, and becoming a mom myself, has been a humbling and tremendously rewarding gift. I look forward to many more adventures in my life, and sharing these experiences, with my daughter, Sierra. Friends and Family are incredibly important to me, I love to cook and host dinner parties, and back yard soirees. On cold winter evenings, I love to curl up with a book, in the summertime, I love nothing more than to take my daughter swimming. In my past I have travelled the world, in the pursuit of fun and excitement, and in the end, I found out that the simple things, like gathering wildflowers in an adirondack summer meadow, with Sierra means more to me, than any four star restaurant or theatre production ever will. I try to be as nurturing as possible, and create an enriching enviroment of care, much like a mother would. A home bustling with activities, and playtime and art projects, and where the children feel loved and safe and valued, but where they are also challenged to achieve greatness, where they can craft masterpieces, and grow and learn, supporting their unique gifts and talents. For small children, most everything is a learning activity, whether it is counting the steps on the stairs, or learning their colors from the fruits and vegetables at the grocery store. I try to take every moment as an oppurtunity to experience the world, through their eyes, and if you are open to it, it is amazing what a two year old can TEACH YOU. You learn to appreciate the beauty that surrounds all of us, all of the time. To a very small child, adandelion is a WONDEROUS thing, and I never tire of viewing the world through their precious eyes. I also believe greatly in attachment parenting, and am aware that things, can change moment by moment, and especially with children, you have to be flexible. Saying that I also believe in consistency, when it comes to discipline and setting boundries. All children are unique individuals, but they all respond greatly to tender love and care, and should have simple bedtime and napping routines that they can feel safe and secure about. But not so rigid, that if they are sick, or off there schedule, and needed some extra tlc.. I would be the first one to soothe them, I think that you have to be in the moment. and assess things, as they develop, but with a two year old, you are more consistent, with them, when they behave in an unacceptable way, then I believe in gently redirecting them a long with a warning, of a time out. If they continued the behavior it would result in a time out. (a min for every year of age) but many of these events can be avoided by anticipating them, and transitioning them into another activity before the temper tantrum even occurs. Older children can be asked to perform simple chores, to help out, such as water the plants, or set the table etc. with a reward chart and stickers, as an incentive and to help them feel a sense of achievement and pride. For older children, discipline might include a time out, with a lost privlige or toy, along with the knowledge that I would be discussing the events with their parents, and a sense of disappointment in their behavior but an assurnace that they still love them greatly, no matter what.      Valid Driver's License: Yes  Has a Vehicle: Yes  Can Swim Well: Yes  Smoking Status: Non-Smoker  Comfortable with pets:   Languages spoken: English, English    My Nationality: American  Background Check:   Eligible to work in the U.S.:   Civil Status: Single  Religion/Spiritual Practice: Roman Catholic        Work Experience & Education Background   10 years experience, 0 references They always say, when it comes to your career, do what you love, and that is exactly what I am doing. I am the eldest of nine children, and after I graduated from Univ, I moved to Crystal River, Florida, to be near my grandfather, whom I loved very much. He was quite ill, and I wanted to spend whatever time he had left, with him, and while I was there, I also started nannying for a family that lived nearby. They had 2 children, and subsequnetly had a third while I was working for them. I loved the children, and the job, and it was a wonderful distraction from the day to day reality of losing my grandfather to cancer. I ultimately spent 2 years in Florida, and when my grandfather eventually passed away, I knew that it was my turn to move on as well. So with sadness in my heart, I said farewell to the wonderful family that I had nannied for ( and am still in touch with to this day) to a new position in Greenwich, CT. I worked for this family for over 9 years, on a large Estate in Greenwich CT. They had a teenager, and two small children, ( including a newborn) and I was a live in Sole Charge Nanny. Eventually the position grew into a household manager/personal assistant job as well, as they had a full staff and a busy household. I did everything from supervise the staff, to negotiate menu's with the chef, plan birthday parties, purchase the children's wardrobe, organize holiday breaks and camp events, enroll children in sports and dance classes, assisted with homework, volunteered in the children's nursery and primary school classrooms, coordinated and booked vacations, wrote corespondance for the parents, maintained family calendar, did personal shopping and all manner of errands related to the running of household, children and staff. I eventually left this position, when the family relocated to Lake Placid NY, and I moved to Syracuse NY, bought a house and became a single mom, to my adorable 3 year old daughter, Sierra brooke Estrella. Since she was born, I have continued to nanny, working for several families, on both a full time and part time basis and it has been an amazing experience for my daughter as well as the children that I work with. It has provided great socialization, for both Sierra and the children and a wonderful bonding experience. If ever I showed up to a job, without Sierra, because her grandma had taken her for the afternoon, the children would complain mightily because they missed her. Sierra is quite nurturing, and loving, with a vibrant spirited peronaslity and she loves all of the activity, of playing with the children, from babies to pre teens, she finds great joy in the pursuit of play, in fact I always joke that everyday is a playdate for Sierra, and we always look forward to our next one.      Childcare experience within the following age groups: Newborn - 3 months, 3 - 12 months, 1 - 2 years, 2 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, over 10 years of age, special needs children   Education/Training: Bachelor's Degree  I have my A. AS in Individualized Studies in Art & Design, from Cazenovia College, and I earned my B. A. from Richmond College, The American International University in London, in English Literature.      Job Preferences   Seeking work as a : Nanny or Tutor  Position Type: Live-In, Full Time  Work Hours: less than 20 hours/week  Position Duration:    greater than 2 years   Childcare Duties:    Cooking      Light Housekeeping      Running errands      Preparing meals      Transporting children      Children's Laundry      Limited/light housekeeping      Occasional supervision of childrens friends/guests      Children's baths and dressing      Help with homework      Adhere to special dietary rules (vegetarian, kosher, lactose intolerant, etc.)      Packing Children's lunches      Planning activities for the children     Desired Start Date: July 14, 2007  Desired Salary: $1800 - $2000/month  Will work with up to: Four or more  Will travel with the family: Yes  Will care  Special Needs Children: Yes  Housekeeping Duties: None Provided