About Natalie

Hi! My name is Natalie and I am currently attending graduate school online. I adore kids and have over 10 years of childcare experience across nannying, daycare, mentoring youth in foster care, and as a Crisis Counselor at a mental health program for teens. I truly enjoy working with any age group, with the majority of my experience being with ages 2-17. While my personal approach to childcare is inspired in part by the RIE technique (which emphasizes respect, emotional attunement, independence, and allowing children space for authentic exploration and unstructured play), I have had the opportunity to work with such diverse families that I tend to begin my approach by asking the specific family I am working with what their needs are and what they are wanting from me, as I have received very different answers to those questions over the years! However, I do value time outdoors, limited screen time, and self-directed play.