Nanny in Victoria, British Columbia

Hello! My name is Andrew, I am 23 years old, and graduated from UVIC. I am an experienced caretaker, particularly for children 5 years and older. Working for two summers as a camp counsellor at a 5-day overnight camp, I got to meet hundreds of children. And no two kids were the same...this even applies to twins ;) For this reason I have developed an ability to communicate with individuals to discover their unique needs, personalities, and interests. I have worked as a naturalist, and as an interpreter at a dinosaur museum, which provided some unique "playgrounds" for kids. All told I probably have 2 years of caregiving in workplaces, and have done plenty of babysitting. I would look forward to meeting you and your child should you need a caregiver! For eight months I worked full-time at Camp Pringle (Victoria, BC) as a camp counselor. There I cared for 10 campers during 5−day overnight camp on a 24 hour basis. I gained experience with supporting/integrating children with mental or physical disability into activities. I independently lead archery, team-building, hiking and helped lead canoeing and climbing ensuring the activity was organized, safe, and fun. Additionally, I provided entertainment by acting in funny skits. I always encouraged my campers to respect each other. By explaining the camp rules, role-modeling respectfulness, and fostering prosocial behavior I helped contribute to the well-being of my campers. For 4 months I worked full-time as a naturalist. This involved leading 20 children (aged 5-15) on nature walks and catching aquatic-insects (and 1-2 parent chaperones). Also, I organized high school students in invasive-species removal, and conducted informative one-hour canoe tours. For 4 months I was a full-time interpreter at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta. There I interacted with kids of all ages at a "hands-on" booth with real fossils. My volunteerwork had given me some experience with pre-school age children, while teaching gymnastics and basketball. My academic background has enabled me to better understand the different cognitive, physical, and emotional stages of child development. It has provided me with tools to help provide children with healthy caregiving. This means being sensitive and responsive to their current needs, role-modeling responsible behavior, and providing them with opportunities to learn and play. Child-care can be fun for both child and caregiver. Equally, there can be challenges, but I've become better at overcoming them with experience. This leaves more time for fun!