Sarah is an incredible nanny, teacher, and parenting consultant. She joined us just before our daughter turned one, and has been with us for seven months. She shepherded our daughter (and us!) through the transition from infant to toddler, so we've seen how excellent she is with both age groups. Being in our lives for so long, Sarah is well known to us and it's hard to find words glowing enough to recommend her. She approaches her work with great intelligence, kindness, and integrity.

 

Our daughter has flourished under Sarah's care. Every time we come home the two of them have invented some new game, read new books, and said new words. Sarah is especially talented at comforting kids through all the Big Feelings of toddlerhood. Her approach is very child-centered: she's always regarded our daughter as a unique individual with her own interests and ideas. This extends even to small things. For instance, Sarah often brings age-appropriate library books to read with our daughter, and always manages to choose titles that feature her favorite animals and speak to where she is developmentally. Sarah's choices have often become new favorites. 

 

At our request, Sarah has developed a few "mini-workshops" for my husband and I, so we have also gotten to know her in her capacity as an educator and parenting consultant. The workshops have covered some of the regular growing pains of toddlerhood, such as separation anxiety and picky eating. My husband and I are both college professors, so we know good teaching. We've loved being Sarah's "students." She's keenly intelligent and infinitely patient, and has deep expertise in her field. She is always reading a new book on early childhood education, child development, or caregiving. Having such extensive knowledge and experience means she has a variety of tools and ideas ready to mind, and can recommend approaches that honor our family's unique dynamic. In short, she meets parents where they are.

 

We are first-time parents and first-time employers. Sarah has made the transition really easy for us. She is a great communicator and she's very comfortable discussing parents' needs, desires, and boundaries. Developing a contract together and working out her terms of employment was very straightforward. She is professional, reliable, and always incredibly clear and punctual in her communications. Finally, her conscientious approach to health and safety, particularly as regards COVID, have given us great peace of mind. 

 

It's hard for us to say goodbye to Sarah; we are only ending our contract with her because our circumstances have changed and we no longer need a nanny. We would recommend her to anyone who wants a caring, experienced nanny and educator with a child-centered approach (and who is great with parents, too)!