About Elyse

Reviewed on 6/11/2014

I've known Elyse for 2 years since she began taking care of my 6 month old twins. Demonstrating incredible intuition and perseverance, she proved to us that she was comfortable caring for twins by getting them on a consistent day schedule quickly even though each child required different means of comfort. She also helped make most of the baby food they ate by cooking and milling fruits, vegetables and grains. As they have grown, she continues to teach them: initially with sign language, then letters and colors. They have quite a large vocabulary because she has spent a lot of time talking and reading to them. I was looking for someone who would treat the twins like they were family and Elyse does just that. When she is taking care of them I do not worry for their safety and I know that they will be stimulated in a fun and educational manner. She is fun but is firm on being polite, cleaning up, and being nice; a philosophy that is similar to ours. An added bonus is that Elyse also takes care of our older son along with the twins on most Friday evenings so my husband and I can go on a date. Elyse has a take charge attitude that allowed us to be confident that even if we had not passed on all the information to her she was able to figure out the best course of action (in terms of what the kids should eat and what they should do). Elyse also has a very positive attitude and sunny disposition that has allowed her to remain calm and deal with repetitive or difficult situations with the twins (and our older son) without ever being cross or discouraged. This has included teaching the twins to use their words and not their hands or teeth to solve problems. Elyse is a special person who is a perfect fit to work with children. She is very polite and teaches politeness to our kids. She has high expectations of age-appropriate independence. The twins often surprise us with the things they are able to do that we thought were beyond their capabilities including skills on the playground, communicating complicated ideas, and even cleaning up their toys. I believe Elyse exhibits all of the qualities that are essential to providing professional, compassionate child care. We regret that we are moving away from California and will not have Elyse to care for our kids as they grow, but we highly recommend her. All my kids love her, I'm not sure we'll find someone quite like her again.