Hi there! I'm currently seeking a family assistant position (35 hrs/week preferred). I have 10+ years of professional nanny experience in both formal and informal homes and hold a certificate in Strategic Intervention, specializing in family planning. College educated.

Rates:

1 child: $35/hr

Hybrid household manager roles: $40-$45/hr (open to budget discussions) includes family meals, errands etc. 

Overnight/travel: Higher rates apply

Driving: Prefer use of a family car if required

First things first: Under Mara's patient and efficient care, my kids were regularly - happily - going to bed an hour earlier than usual. Can't think of higher praise than that! 

Mara came into a chaotic situation (my au pair's arrival was delayed two weeks, I'm navigating a third trimester back injury) and handled everything like a total professional. She is cool, calm, collected, and unflappable - and also very cheerful. A pleasure to work with. Adapted quickly to my familys dietary needs (we keep kosher).  I so hope we will have a chance to work with her again. She is an absolute, Mary Poppins level lifesaver. Cannot recommend highly enough.  If you are at all on the fence - she is worth it. 

We hired Mara to help with bathing, sleep scheduling and developing routine schedule of our 3 month old. She worked with us for about 1 month. 
Pros: Professional, knowledgeable, experienced, flexible with schedule excellent communication and did a great job with helping us develop our baby schedule. Usually punctual, can be up to 3-5 minutes late at times. 
Things that we felt challenging are that our baby never really developed an emotional bond with her, sometimes seemed to cry more. We did not want to force a very strict schedule on our baby as that can sometimes be traumatic to them. One of the parent needed to be around. So It didn't save us much time and the hourly rate was too high for us to continue. Mara strictly works per contract, did not get help with any other baby related household chores that wasn't in contract.
Overall, we definitely trust her skills and knowledge but given high rates and baby not able to bond freely with her,  would hire her for occasional care only.

Mara helped us with our two little girls (9 mos and 2 years old) this week while our normal nanny was away on vacation.  She was communicative and dependable relative to schedule, including making it to our home despite a long drive thru snowy conditions.  She   was self-sufficient following our care instructions, keeping our girls entertained and happy with minimal input needed.  We would hire again.

Mara is experienced, chill, and sweet! She knows how to handle kids and was texting me, giving me updates promptly.

I was hoping that with 30+ stellar reviews and someone with 10 years of experience that I could have learned a few things that would have been worth the very high rate, but honestly I was sincerely disappointed. She came across as judgmental when we explained that my child needed paced-bottle feeding as we are still breastfeeding (and then still fed him too quickly). She showed him videos on her phone, despite the fact that we have plenty of toys and books that make noise that he likes. I brought her back a second day to give her another chance, but that was a mistake. She then left 45minutes early on both days and expected to be paid in full. I was falsely reassured by the high reviews, which is why I felt it important to write my experience. 

Mara has been a tremendous support for my child. She has trustworthy and dependable.  I hired her on several occasions for overnight care when I needed to travel for work.  She is caring and worked very well with my daughter.

Mara was excellent. She actually cooked dinners for our family. She was willing to do whatever was needed. She also played very sweetly with our 3 year old. She is reliable, respectful & very professional. She came in quietly and helped and got to work right away. She was very comfortable in the kitchen. She works independently while still paying attention to your requests. She cleaned up after herself as well. She was very pleasant & helpful! We would definitely use her more. 

Mara is great and has helped me a number of times since Dec 2021. My 20 month old son took to her well and she thinks of things to keep him stimulated and busy. She responds quickly to messages.

Best sitter ever!!! We used Mara for our wedding night and wedding festivities for our guests who needed child care. She is extremely professional, wanted to know each child's routine (and contacted parents beforehand), was punctual, and just very dependable. I can't wait to have our own kids so Mara can care for them. HIGHLY, without reservation recommend. Each parent said so as well.

Mara was great watching our 7 month old for two nights while we attended wedding events. She asked appropriate questions before the care and was dependable. She kept us updated on his progress with eating and sleep. Would hire again!

Mara is very efficient, quick to respond and easy to work with.  Great with the kids and follows care plans to the T.

Our usual night nanny got sick and canceled on us at the last minute. I called Mara and asked if she was available for that night, and even though she only had a few hours notice, she made it happen. We would absolutely use her again!

I had a short notice need to have my 3 mo son watched while I worked an event out of town. Mara has all the right things-first aid etc and a bubbly personality that made the first time leaving my son doable. Appreciated the time to chat ahead of time and then even as I got asked to come in sooner she was able to arrive sooner! Very much appreciated her ability to do so. Came back to find my son smiling up at her happy and snug as a bug in a rug. Definitely would hire again!

Our family really enjoyed having Mara over to care for our 2 year old and 5 month old on multiple date nights. She always showed up on time, was flexible if we came home a little late, stuck to our care plans for the kids, was available no matter where we were (we moved a couple times, including a hotel, during her visits). The kids always welcomed her and had a good time. We will definitely look for her again in the future.

Mara was so great with our kids (aged 4 and 1).  We love working with her.

Mara easily obtained a significant level of comfort with the kids (2 boys, 3yrs and 5yrs) and they were connected before we finished touring the house. She approached them with genuine care and concern, kept them on schedule, and they had fun. My wife and I were able to go out to dinner and relax. More importantly, both boys were happy and recommend Ms. Mara.

She's a really lovely person with kids, very punctual and respectful, definitely I will hire her again! Super recommended.

She is very nice to kids. I will definitely hire her again.

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