About Elaina

Hi! I am a responsible, fun, down-to-earth, well spoken and energetic caregiver. I've been working with kids since I was 15 (younger, if you count chasing down my cousins and siblings). I have 3 years of experience working in children and youth summer camps/programs in Pleasant Hill, focusing mainly on children ages 2-5. I also put in plenty of time with infants and elementary school ages. I was a fill-in supervisor by the time I was 18, and then I was off to college in San Francisco. For my first two years at SFSU, I taught baby gym and music classes to children as young as newborns and as old as 5 years old. We focused on sensory play, music and communication skills. My classes were full, often with waiting lists, and I had an absolute ball (and I learned a lot too). My first experience in nannying was as a mother's helper for a family with a son with very special dietary needs, with some light housework and errands. This brought me to Care. com, which got me work with other babies who needed an eating help (e. g, colic and acid reflux), more work with toddlers and babies, as well as some newborn experience. I spent my last year of college with a 9-year-old boy (and our dogs), so lots of time was put into finding age appropriate activities like museums and parks for us to explore, and prying him off the video games and picking up the soccer ball. I have had experience with just about every age, as young as 6 weeks, and a LOT with babies and plenty with toddlers--often watching 2 toddler siblings. In 2014 and 2015, my time was split between several part-time gigs with different families so I can fit in acting auditions, and my babies were mostly in the 8 months to 2 years range, but I love throwing in a new age and keeping fresh with big kids and newborns! I believe in safety first and foremost, positivity, nurturing a child's individual interests while introducing them to new things, and empowering (older) children with the verbal skills to let others around them know what they need, feel and to solve problems gracefully. I'm looking for warm, flexible families who can roll with occasional scheduling changes (a day or more notice for a late start or cancellation when I get an audition!), and are cool with taking their kiddos on park adventures every day and won't be mad at me for getting a latte first, you know? :D Looking forward to hearing from you!