About me
I grew up in Holland, MI where I enjoyed a small-town childhood, often visiting the beaches of Lake Michigan. In high school I fell in love with acting and singing, and went on to pursue the arts in higher education. I recently graduated with my MFA in Performing Arts from Savannah College of Art & Design, and before that I obtained my BFA in Acting from Western Michigan University.
Most of my childcare experience comes from my four years at college, where I was able to balance my busy class schedule with working as a babysitter. I worked for a professor of mine, babysitting his 2-year-old daughter several mornings a week. My responsibilities included preparing breakfast, getting her dressed for the day, and helping her with potty-training. While also at school, I was able to merge the worlds of performing and childcare by working at Once Upon A Princess, a company that allowed me to interact with kids while also performing a character (typically I played Belle or Cinderella). The job was either "performing" at children's birthday parties or at larger events. Either way, my day was sure to be filled with playful interactions and meaningful moments with anywhere from 5-200 children. My responsibilities here included facilitating crafts, games, and entertainment. I spent half the summer after my junior year in my hometown of Holland, where I babysat a few times as needed for my neighbor, who had three kids ages 4, 6, and 8. Since she was only in need of occasional help, she kindly referred me to a friend of hers who was looking for a babysitter. After being introduced, I worked for her 2-3 days a week looking after her 3-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter. I was responsible for meal prep, park and playground outings (which involved car seat handling and handling a car that was not my own), putting the kids to sleep, and also puppy wrangling their new 8-week-old golden retriever.
I love working with children because there's so much to learn from their approach to life. I enjoy the spontaneity, creativity, and quick-thinking that childcare often calls for. My goal is to bring warmth, patience, and kindness to any relationship I develop with a child.
