Jude S.

Meet Jude

• Comfortable with pets
• Has a car

I love kids. To me, they are the kings and queens of the Earth. :) I've worked with kids since I was 18, when I worked in the children's department at my library and did their 'storytime in the park' weekly program for 4 years. That moved to children's photography later for around 8 years, which is not something you can do if you can't get along with kids. :) While I have never worked in the caregiving 'industry' professionally, I've always babysat my niece's and nephews (5 of them). Yes. I am that fun Aunt. Lol. My attitude towards children is that they're not just in our lives, we're in their lives too. They aren't just little robots we should expect will always be perfect, they're little humans. This might seem obvious, but unfortunately many people don't actually treat kids like they have a right to personhood. I do. Read more :) This thought means I can handle misbehaving kids, btw, and without anger. My nephews I currently watch are 4 and 6 and they are BOYS. So, I'm not that sitter who would be intimidated by a child whose active imagination causes them to act a little less than perfect. Go with the flow is my babysitting motto, while of course keeping safety in mind and adhering to house rules. Any other type of babysitting is just stressful for both the sitter and the kids. And finally, my secret (Shhh!) I'm a kid in a 36 year old body, so for me babysitting is not just watching a kid, it's playtime. Because honestly: when else do adults get to play kid games without other adults laughing? ;) Oh. Also. My rate is high, but it's because I'm not just that person that will sit there and watch TV while they do whatever. I interact. My goal when being with kids is that they learn something important about the world while I'm with them, whether that's a story that shows them how the water table works or an activity that teaches them how to regulate their own emotions and how their behavior can affect other people. Blame that on 4 years of storytime. :) I'm truly a different experience for children. More of a 'teacher for hire' than a babysitter. Also, I am completely at home in confusion, so if you have a large family you might normally be leary of a person being able to handle, that's no problem here. That being said, I will not accept violent behavior with no parameters to stopping it. I'm willing to watch children with this tendency, as long as you're open about a plan for me to deal with it.

Trust & safety

Experience