How can I help? With over 30 years of administrative support experience and almost 26 years as an invested, loving mother and champion for my son, I have a lot to offer. 
If you seek compassionate, respectful elder care, experienced infant and childcare, or varied personal assistance, please reach out. I am qualified to assist in scheduling, meal preparation, transportation to and notation at medical appointments, personal hygiene, medication reminders, organization, event planning, detail tracking, companionship, travel partner or liaison. 
I offer calm, presence and wisdom-infused attention and heart-centered care. 
Just an FYI- I am attending North Idaho College online to finish my undergrad.

Maria was very kind, gentle and attentive to our two little girls. We were impressed by her attention to detail and wouldn’t hesitate to hire her again. 

Maria was available very last minute to watch our 9 month old. She’s caring and warm and we will be using her again. Shes very active and plays with him, which we appreciate. I’d highly recommend Maria if you’re looking for a sitter. 

Maria is an exceptionally professional, caring, and compassionate care caregiver. I have two very active little ones who run me ragged and she has been a lifesaver!!! She takes the initiative to provide fun activities for my children that do not involve screens and even tidy’s up after them- which is a never-ending effort!! I trust Maria and highly recommend her!!!

We had a very unusual experience with Maria over the course of about three weeks that we feel is important to share, given the many five-star reviews here.

To begin with, we genuinely liked Maria. She was warm with our daughter and especially good with her early on, which we appreciated. We hired her for recurring help with light housekeeping and infant care, including organization projects, dishes, and laundry. 

Unfortunately, her work was inconsistent—laundry was hung inside out and upside down, showing little attention to detail. She arrived late nearly every day, left mid-shift without notice on several occasions, and frequently cancelled last minute.

There was also one troubling incident where my wife found her outside eating food from our fridge and attempting to hide it when caught. While we would have gladly shared, the behavior felt deceptive and became more concerning as we noticed other items missing.

Our listing had specifically included gardening and weeding, which Maria expressed excitement about, citing her background as a “herbalist.” We even adjusted her schedule to allow two hours each morning for weeding, yet none was ever completed. In addition, most of the plants she was responsible for watering died, leaving us unable to replace them late in the season.

Before we could address these concerns, Maria abruptly quit, cancelling her weekly schedule with less than 24 hours’ notice and no time to find a replacement. This was surprising given that we had willingly approved several extended time-off requests because we enjoyed working with her and truly wanted to accommodate her schedule. When we mentioned this, she became defensive. She cited health concerns as the reason, but at the same time updated her profile and rates here, making it clear the role was no longer a fit. 

Almost immediately after quitting via text, she offered to continue with infant care only if we removed the “landscaping” and “deep cleaning” tasks. When we asked if she could stay on just through the week while we looked for a replacement, she presented another serious health issue that felt less like transparency and more like a way to avoid continuing.

In the end, honesty would have gone a long way. What we experienced instead was inconsistent communication, lack of follow-through, and unprofessional conduct that overshadowed the positives we initially saw.

Caring, sweet, sensitive, competent - Maria is the ideal babysitter.

Maria is great! She's so kind and patient with the littles. I feel completely at ease knowing my kids are in her care. She is trustworthy and reliable, We have appreciated her help so much.  Having an extra pair of hands to help with wild toddlers is a huge blessing.

Maria is amazing! She is so kind and patient with my son and kept him busy and playing for two whole days, even with a broken toe. Just wished we lived in Sandpoint so we could hire her again. 

Maria was wonderful to work with! She watched my 9 month old son and was very attentive, read him books and very interactive during playtime. I would recommend Maria for anyone looking for a sitter. 

Having Maria in our home has been an absolute joy and relief. She watched our baby a few days per week during the 9-12month range as we figured out daycare options. Now she is our first choice for babysitting! Maria learned our routine very quickly and has adapted smoothly as baby’s needs have changed. Maria is wonderfully engaged in the care she provides, but also expertly supports independent play and curiosity as developmentally appropriate. Maria’s calm and caring presence has contributed towards both a calm baby and a calm home, and we couldn’t recommend her enough. Oh and the baby loves her, too!

Maria is my part time nannie. She is a great trustworthy person. My daughter adores her time with her. 

Maria watched my 5 year old daughter for about 6 months. She was kind and fun, my daughter has asked to play with her a few times since we moved. I highly recommend her.

Maria is wonderful. She is calm, relaxed and professional. I already hired Maria again :)

Maria babysat our 5 month old baby twice while we were in town for a wedding. She was wonderful! She made us feel so comfortable leaving our baby girl with her, which I was very nervous about since we were in a new place and I'd never met her before. She did an amazing job loving and caring for our baby, and is such a warm person. I would highly recommend her!

Maria is so wonderful. We have her care for our almost 6 year old son and our 4 year old daughter. She is engaging with them, caring and so kind. Maria follows family routines and is super adaptable. We absolutely love having Maria as our child care giver. She even tolerates our puppy!! We will continue to have Maria over for as long as she can! 

Maria cared for our son while I was in Forest Kindergarten teacher training. She provided loving, compassionate care and went above and beyond to make sure he had an exciting day full of fun and adventure. Maria also stayed in communication with my husband so we always knew how the day was going. She is trustworthy, punctual, professional and a wonderful caregiver.

We hired Maria to provide some occasional part-time help during my pregnancy with my third child.  Maria helped with light chores (laundry, dishes, helping with dinner clean up) and childcare.  She was very dependable and punctual.  Also, a very friendly and positive person.  She was very patient with my three year old toddlers playing with them, helping at dinner, and helping with bath/bedtime.  I would not hesitate hiring Maria to help in the same or similar capacity.

Our experience with Maria has been great.  She's a very reliable, caring, patient, positive energy person :) Our toddler loves spending time with her - they would read books, sing or go outside for a walk. I highly recommend Maria, we are very happy to know her!

Maria has been patient with our son who was a bit difficult and wary at first.  Now they get along great.  We are lucky to have found Maria as a backup nanny and babysitter!

Maria has been great watching our two young boys. Definitely trustworthy and we have recommended her to other friends. Good moms make the best caretakers!

Maria's first visit with us was a 'working interview' while I worked from home. We have been looking to find someone who can help with date nights and occasional care for our son who is a year and a half. Maria was very friendly, and communicative. She arrived on time and immediately established rapport with our son. She played with him while I worked in another room and had him engaged enough that he didn't try to seek me out. She's relaxed and natural with kids. We look forward to hiring her again in the future for date nights.

Maria M.

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