GENUINE NANNY: HALEY P.
Part-time / Full-time - San Francisco, East Bay
MEET OUR PRAGMATIC, PATIENT, AND GENUINE
GENUINE NANNY HALEY!
Hi there, I'm Haley. I am seasoned in child care, but not "old school". I view child development and child care as an ever-expanding learning process, and I'm always looking for new ways to be a better caregiver for the whole child. In my two decades plus of experience, I've been a behavioral therapist, household manager, mother, preschool and Kindergarten teacher, camp director, autism care provider, knitting instructor, and much more. I bring a wide array of skills in my Mary Poppins bag, and I am always adding more.
I am a mix of outdoorsy and cozy. I do love a lot of outdoor time with children, but my nesting nature is also a big part of who I am. I find comfort and peace in keeping routines and order, but flexible enough to understand when a deviation from routine is needed, or simply when to roll with it. I like to lead by example when it comes to self-care, home care, and family care.
I am most familiar with Steiner or Waldorf-style households and educational models but I have experience in a wide variety. I practice attachment parenting even as a nanny and see needs as something to respond to. I know children can be independent and rise to challenges, but I also know there's space and time for taking it slow and getting help when you need it.
When it comes to working alongside parents, I really like being that person who anticipated needs, kept track of the important stuff, and made sure it all got done. At the end of the day, I'm proud if I feel like my employers are thinking "What would we do without her?"
I enjoy cooking and baking, science and nature, art and reading, leaving things better than I found them, and knowing people look forward to seeing me again tomorrow.
MY BELIEFS AS A GENUINE NANNY
I believe... that bodily autonomy and consent can be taught early on, and should be.
I believe... Home should always feel safe and welcoming.
I believe... in saying "sorry, I made a mistake, how can I fix it?' are the real magic words
PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY, STRENGTHS,
WORK ETHIC, AND VALUES:
I try not to take myself too seriously as a human being, and find that good humor gets us through the hardest days. My strengths are knowing myself, having enough experience to see patterns and recognize them, and being able to admit when I have made a mistake.
I believe that child care is quite literally "raising adults" and I take a big-picture view of the learning opportunities each day provides me with, to teach the children in my care to be good citizens, good to themselves, and good to each other.
My work ethic is tied directly to my sense of personal integrity. I understand that a nanny is someone families depend on greatly and isn't a position for the inconsistent. I feel best about my work performance when everything on the list is checked off and everyone feels good about it.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE A NANNY?
I was happiest when I was a stay-at-home mom. I don't want more children of my own, and my own children are grown up enough that I don't need to be with them all day anymore. Yet, I really prefer to spend my days playing and keeping the house a wonderful place to be.
AVAILABILITY & COMPENSATION
Spoken languages: English, some Spanish, some ASL
Compensation: $35 / hr
Available start date: February 2024
Preferred Schedule: 9am-2pm
Available for Travel: Yes
TRANSPORTATION DETAILS
Neighborhood/Area: Richmond Proper
How will you commute to work? Own Vehicle
Are you comfortable driving a family car with children? Yes, I prefer to use the family vehicle.
FAMILY PETS
Are you allergic to any pets/animals? No :)
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
College Degree: AA Child Development, Certified Post Partum Doula
Child Development: Yes
CPR Certificate Training?: Yes
WORK EXPERIENCE
Twins Experience: N/A
Multiple Children/Siblings Experience: 14 years
Family Asst Experience: 4 years
Infant Experience: > 1 year
Toddler Experience: 10 years
School Age Experience: 6 years
MOST RECENT CHILDCARE POSITION
PT Preschool Teacher | Cliff’s Base Camp, November 2023 to Current; 2 yrs - 4 yrs
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Interim Pre-k teacher
• Creating / Implementing Curriculum
• Supervision of inside and outside play
• Parental communication
• Toileting
• Nap time
• Family style meals
• Logging and assessing children through out the day, tracking data
Will we be able to speak directly with this family for a reference call? Yes!
PT Kindergarten Teacher | Berkeley Forest School, August 2022 to June 2023; 4-7 yrs
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Open and close the school
• Oversee arts and crafts
• Hold lessons outside in a public park
• Teaching social skills and safety skills
• Nature activities
• Play-based learning
• Child-led learning
Will we be able to speak directly with this family for a reference call? Yes!
PT Registered Behavioral Technician, October 2016 to July 2019; 18 mo. - 5 yrs
RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Served families with toddlers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, shortly after diagnosis
• In-home assessments and work
• Socializing through play, which promotes language development
• Potty training
• Simple skills such as dressing, brushing teeth, eating with utensils while seated at a table, developing routines and schedules, and communication
• Data tracking children’s progress and goals
Will we be able to speak directly with this family for a reference call? Yes!
WHAT IS YOUR COMMUNICATION STYLE WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR EMPLOYERS? ANY EXAMPLES TO SHARE?
I like text for important stuff so everyone can reference what was said. Verbally, I'm direct and patient, and never forget my please and thank you's. It also makes me feel like a valued employee when my employer communicates with me in a similar way.
WHAT TYPE OF NANNY ROLE ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AND WHAT ENVIRONMENT YOU WOULD BE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN
I am looking for a position as either a family/household manager or an infant and toddler nanny. I think my skills are best used in implementing routines that allow families to flourish when the basics are already taken care of. I like positions where I can facilitate more time for family joy because the mundane life tasks are already done. I also love working with babies and toddlers as they grow into little kids. That age group seems to be "in the pocket" for me and my style of care.
PLEASE DESCRIBE HOW YOU HAVE TAKEN INITIATIVE IN YOUR PAST NANNY POSITIONS.
I noticed when the Walsh family's youngest child was having some difficulty when mom and dad were taking away nighttime bottles. I worked with them to develop a handwritten and illustrated storybook about a bottle fairy who comes and takes away the bottles and brings a Thomas the Train sippy cup in their place. We created a countdown on the family wall calendar, and read the book each night until the last day on the calendar, and then put all the bottles on the patio at bedtime, and the child was the one to place them there and find the sippy cup in the morning. It took a situation where a child cried for his bottle every night to one where he was happy to move on, feeling that it had been his own choice to do so instead of something he was forced to do and the effect was positive.
WHAT ARE YOUR DISCIPLINE PHILOSOPHY AND CHILD-REARING VALUES?
Children are people, but they're not little adults. I believe in leading by example so that they may one day become functional and well-developed adults. I believe that behaviors are an attempt to communicate, and the adults need to figure out what that communication is and give the child the tools to communicate it in a better way. I believe self-expression is vital. I think one is never too old to play. I never use corporeal punishment or forced isolation. I always try to talk it out.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS A NANNY OR WHILE WORKING WITH A FAMILY?
Working with parents who are experiencing a difficult divorce and a child whose behavior was very affected by the divorce.
WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES & INTERESTS?
I am a fiber artist (knitting, crochet). I like camping and hiking, bugs and spiders and snakes, etc. and I volunteer to teach adults how to regain their own bodily autonomy as a healing process.
WHAT MAKES YOU SPARKLE?
I like art and music so very much. Lemon-flavored desserts, and fancy cheese. Cute little snails, and bats! Herbal tea and fuzzy blankets.
