Deanna R.

Meet Deanna

• Comfortable with pets

I was born into a large family in Rantoul, Illinois, which quickly taught me three things: how to share, how to care, and where to find the best corn. I later moved to Memphis where I met my husband. We were married just as he was joining the Air Force (25 years ago), and five years later we had four wonderful children: our two boys (now 23 and 22) and our twin girls (now 20). (If you would like to know more about my kids just ask. I would love to share!) For the next 20 years, we raised the kids and traveled the States wherever the job took us. When my husband retired from the Air Force five years ago, we never expected we would wind up back here in Santa Maria. But we are thrilled to be in this beautiful area and reunited with friends we made years Read more ago. When my oldest was in preschool I decided to try homeschooling. Amazingly, the trial period lasted a bit longer than I expected, and I ended up homeschooling our children through the entirety of their school years. Of course, homeschooling the kids was no walk-in-the-park (especially while I was working on my bachelor’s degree), but it created so many opportunities to learn and explore as we helped each other adapt to new environments every few years. I learned a lot through that experience, and developed an appreciation for the lessons we learn from our kids. In the midst of new routines, phases, and zip codes, I have learned to grow with my family, and both appreciate and experience a well-rounded view of the world. But now, after all four kids have graduated high school and moved on to new things, I find myself in the “empty nest” season of life. I have thought about using my free time to plant a garden or try out an easier vocation now that I have done my job as both parent and teacher; but I feel a calling to partner with another family to do what I do best, which is to teach and nurture children as they grow into influential, successful adults. To ensure that I find the right family that will be a great fit for both parties, I aim to be as honest and upfront as possible. With that in mind, I will also disclose that I am fairly conservative in my views and lifestyle; however, I am open-minded to others ideas and opinions. I am a Christian and my relationship with Jesus is central to my life. That said, I cannot separate my faith from my worldview, both of which inform how I care for, teach, and respond to children. I am not legalistic, but I try for a loving but firm approach when it comes to mutual respect. I fully believe that every child deserves to be loved and cared for, but they must respect the balance of privilege and responsibility, acknowledging that privileges are earned and not simply given. I have much more to say about this, so if you would like to know more about me or my approach to childcare, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. For now, I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes, Docendo discimus (by teaching one learns).

Trust & safety

Experience