Nanny in Richmond, British Columbia

Saovalak worked in our home as an au pair for the past year. It is without hyperbole that I write that her addition to our family was the best decision we could ever have made for our situation. She came to our home from Thailand, having recently graduated from college. She jumped right in and very capably cared for our 6 year old, 2 year old, and newborn baby (I gave birth during her year with us) with warmth and patience. Her calm, steady demeanor made her amenable to our parenting style of positive discipline (which involves recognizing good behavior and framing misbehavior from the understanding that children are asking for help). She was attentive, attuned to their emotional needs, and happily engaged with their imagined worlds as well as physical play. She helped the kids stick to our family's routines easily. She got our daughter ready for school and onto the school bus, put our son to nap everyday better than we could ourselves, bathed the baby with care, and either did meal prep or cooked full meals. (She followed my instructions or cooked delicious Thai food. Her strong cooking skills were an unexpected boon). She tidied up after all these activities and did laundry almost daily. In short, she helped us run a very busy house. Living together, we had the chance to share many conversations about a wide range of topics, and learned a great deal about life in Thailand through her. In fact, the children and we parents alike have learned from and benefitted from her personal and professional composure. One skill I admire most about Saovalak is her ability to receive instruction, feedback, and even criticism in constructive terms. Her attitude is rarely to take offense, but rather, the perspective is, "how can I improve?." Saovalak is responsible, intelligent, and affectionate. I can't say enough positive things about her, because over the course of the year, our whole family has come to love her.

Saovalak is always dedicate herself to work and always helpful. She works hard and never complain about things. Moreover she always does her best for whatever she is doing and that is so impressive.