About Karelis

Reviewed on 5/1/2024

Karelis has worked with us for two years, from June 2022-June 2024. She is absolutely fantastic - the type of "Mary Poppins" nanny that everyone dreams of finding! We have two children, ages 2.5 years and 6 months, and Karelis cares for both of them. She started out as a nanny for our eldest daughter and has adapted to also caring for our infant. She has been excellent for both developmental stages. Our children love her and are very attached to her, like a third parent. She is caring, warm, and intelligent. Karelis was an elementary schoolteacher in her home country for 15 years and has been a nanny for 4 years, working for 3 physician families, first in New York then in California. She worked with us during my medical training and was very flexible with my long, unpredictable hours. Her background as a teacher shows in her approach to being a nanny. She goes above and beyond in providing enriching activities our daughter - coming up with crafts, reading books, and seeking out storytime at the library. For example, she took the initiative to buy educational posters in Spanish teaching the days of the week, seasons, planets, and shapes. She used the posters to decorate a corner and made a little "school" for our daughter where they would "study" together when she was 1.5 to 2. Thanks to her efforts and attention, our daughter speaks Spanish fluently despite being in an English speaking preschool now. Karelis loves to be active with the children, taking them out to the park and participating with our daughter in ballet, soccer, and music classes. Karelis is also an excellent cook and prepares simple, healthy meals for the children. During naptimes, she always finds ways to help around the house (tidying toys, doing laundry for the children, sometimes folding our laundry if needed, and loading the dishes). When the baby was born, she began helping with him after he was one month old. She is very loving and kind with the baby and makes him laugh. She has been very helpful with cleaning and organizing the baby bottles and pump parts for the baby. She has also traveled with us for short trips on occasion in California and other states and was very pleasant to travel with and helpful in maintaining our routine. Karelis is like a part of our family, while also maintaining professionalism. She also has a great dynamic with both sets of grandparents and our extended family when they visit. If we weren't moving, we would absolutely keep working with Karelis! She is a true gem and a wonderful human being. We hope to help her find a great new family in San Francisco who respects and appreciates her dedication.