Tegan (25 / Ms. ), American, Teacher living in USA looking for Au Pair & Nanny job in Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, US Minor Outlying Isl & USA for 1-10 Months

After casually babysitting for most of my years I decided to finally explore doing it full time in the summer of 2020 when I took a leap to travel across the country and nanny for a family who runs a summer camp.
I have stayed with this family every summer since then, and we mutually and tearfully decided that it was time for me to spread my wings a bit and live abroad this summer. This position was from wake up til bedtime, 6 days a week for 5 children ranging in age from 2-7. I performed all housework and light gardening while the children napped or allowed some downtime. Mom and Dad are more than willing to chat with you about my performance as a live-in nanny and my character as their friend as well.

I have been teaching in a special education K-3 classroom for the past 3 years during the school year, and the majority of my students are non-verbal and need a lot of support with basic care such as toilet training, dressing, and grooming. This has taught me many lessons in alternative communication (such as sign language and visual prompts) and heaps of patience when it comes to behaviors. I've truly seen it all with this job, and I love every minute of it. I'm able to apply the gentleness and understanding that I give to my kids with disabilities to the children I get to meet who are neurotypical. Every child deserves to be heard and treated with kindness regardless of the circumstance. I encourage children to feel every emotion, be it happiness, sadness, anger, etc., and then give them tools to self-regulate and a listening ear for them to talk through those feelings when they are ready.