Experience
When I was 17, I had to give up the French course in secondary school, because with my mark of 3 points out of 15 it was impossible to keep this language in my final exam 2.5 years later. At that time I had no idea that at the age of 23 I was going to leave Germany for France with only a suitcase, a travel bag and a hotel business diploma in my pocket. That was in 1983.
Jobs as a grape picker, charwoman, nanny and service worker in a cafeteria and on a campsite restaurant allowed me to survive the first 18 month. Later, I worked in different tourism sectors such as tourism residences, hotels and restaurants as Receptionist and Waitress, but I also gained other experiences:
Travel agent, Tour guide on a tour boat and in a bus for day trips, Car Rental Agent at an airport, Employee in an organic oil mill and most recently officially as a housekeeper and caretaker (gardienne), but unofficially also as a manager, governess, warden, receptionist, interpreter and gofer on a large and beautiful estate on the French Riviera during 8 years until it has been sold by the Austrian owners.
They were about the age of my parents. One of my tasks was to support them in everyday life when they travelled from Austria twice a year out of season. Because from Easter to mid-October, this "Bastide Provençale, also called a "Mas", surrounded by a 1-hectare park-like garden, including a swimming pool and sauna, was rented to tourists.
Once I was even a "grandpa-sitter" (now it's called caretaker for elderly) for a gentleman whose father was an infirm elderly man (both had been colonels in the French army and retired). After a stroke he was slightly disabled, but was very clear in his head. He loved my dishes (especially when I prepared potato pancakes). I looked after his villa, his laundry, the two cats, watered the garden and prepared meals when his son and daughter-in-law left for a week or two several times a year to drive to their property to be restored in the Dordogne region.
In Corsica I looked after a man in his early 80s, a retired aircraft captain of the Air France, and took care of his villa because his wife was sick. But she had already lapsed into a coma when I started and died some weeks later. I did the shopping and prepared lunch for the widower and me 5 to 6 times a week.
I left the island in 2008 to help my still working mother in Germany to look after my father who had Alzheimer's disease and cancer. He died that same year.
In the summer of 2021, I was allowed to look after the 91-year-old, almost blind mother-in-law of a friend in Cannes while she was visiting her sister in Germany.
And 2022 I took care of a 96-year-old lady in Germany suffering from dementia (care level 3 ). I moved in with her because she was afraid of being alone in her big house. Unfortunately, her health deteriorated so much that her three daughters finally decided that she would be better off in a nursery home.
Between 2008 and 2011 I gave tutoring courses in French and English at "Back2school" in Germany.
Then, in 2011 I was offered an interesting job. So I returned to France to held the position of a housekeeper, caretaker and manager on a very beautiful property with pool and pool-house, on the Côte d'Azur that was rented to families in summer.until 2018.
I would like to add that I have little experience with infants and toddlers, but I love them very much and I am very willing to learn. :)
As the eldest of 3 siblings, I unfortunately never became a mother myself but I always loved taking care of the children of my 2 younger brothers and playing auntie for them. When I was still a young girl I had to look after them very often because our mother also had to work. And later, in puberty, things weren't much different.
I have always liked contact with children. My experience with them as a babysitter/nanny goes back to the time when I worked at the reception of holiday resorts or hotels between 1985 and 2007, but also when I received holiday guests at the property in the south of France between 2011 and 2018.
For the past 10 months, I've been supporting a family with three children (ages 11, 9, and 7) and a collie, helping with household chores. My contract expires at the end of June 2025.
I'm in the company of my best friend, a beautiful Border Collie female dog named Guiness (with just one 'n'). She's 13 years old, spayed, still very playful, well educated and obedient.
She almost never barks but is able to bark with a silencer on command. Guiness is an extremely friendly dog and more interested in humans than in animals. You get along with her very well - just as with me. ;)
We lived on a campsite for several months. She always walked off the leash and never had any problems with other dogs or cats. She always had great success with young and old.
If you already have a dog or dogs in your household, all the better, and if you don't have any, remember that having a dog can be an asset and a positive experience for both young and old. It has been proven, even scientifically, that the presence and petting of a dog has a positive effect on the mind of a (sick and disabled) human being.
I like to go for a walk with Guiness and play with her.
I also listen to music from time to time (70s, 80s, country music, Irish Folk, Loreena McKennitt) and I also like line dancing.
I used to do some Nordic walking, even aerobics and a little yoga for elderly, That was before Corona.
Exercise is important and I hope I can be a little more active this year.
When I was 10 years old I became interested in the history and culture of the North American Indians, now called First Nations, and of course I would like to visit the national parks of the United States and Canada one day.
But for now there are a few European countries on my to-do list: Scotland and Ireland are at the top. I know the Netherlands a little, they are always worth a visit and not far away.
When I was 26 I went on a 4-week trip across Europe by train with the INTERRAIL ticket for young people and got a taste of some countries. In order to get ahead and save money we usually slept on the train (there were still compartments at that time). It was very adventurous ...
Please, contact me if you want to know me better.
Hope to meet you soon!
Namaste!
C l a u d i a
P.S.:
But before contacting me, please remember that a NANNY or a SENIOR CAREGIVER FOR ELDERLY receives a salary like a regular employee. You can find everything you have to know about this under “Information” > Au Pair Wiki > N for "Nanny vs. Au Pair" or S for "Senior Caregiver.
Excerpt (which also applies to employing a nanny).:
... "your Host Family (employer) must create a contract respecting the laws of your host country. ...
Senior caregivers are considered as proper employees ... As employees they will have to be employed under the official regulations of the host country and must receive at least the minimum wage of that country and an insurance (covering the senior caregiver regardless of the host country's health system)." ...
Thank you for respecting these conditions. :)
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