About Maria

Reviewed on 9/6/2023

Maria is absolutely incredible - we have been SO LUCKY to have her in our home taking care of our daughter since she was 6 months old for nearly a year, and have referred her to other families. Maria (also goes by Cida) is truly like family in her care for our daughter, us (parents), our broader families, our dog, and our home. We trust her intentions, her approach, and can sing her praises all day long. A previous family told us we would be silly and would regret it if we didnt hire Cida and I will now say the same thing. Our daughter brightens up when we tell her Cida is coming over and has so much fun with her, while also learning a lot. Here are some of the key reasons why we deeply value Cida: Kindness - she has genuine care for children and animals. she speaks with so much love and fondness talking about the previous children she has taken care of. We can see how she cares for our daughter that it comes from a genuine place. Creative - absolutely love learning from Cida on how to create play and imagination from anything around our house and backyard. It really helps to develop our daughter and keep her engaged. She also suggests ideas on where to bring our daughter - the zoo, park, mission bay, etc. Gentle but firm approach to discipline - this is a hard one to find and am so grateful Cida has this approach. Even in our daughter's toughest tantrums, Cida is consistent with a very kind and firm approach teaching our daughter disciplined but also that she is loved and safe. Priceless. Thoughtful - Cida will surprise us all the time with the most thoughtful gestures. Whether that is remembering everyone's birthdays (including the parents!), buying us a Brazilian gift, checking in on my mom after she had to go to the dentist - whatever it is she is thoughtful. Organized - Cida keeps a daily log with the schedule, writing notes on what our daughter ate and did, and is always one/ten steps ahead of us and our daughter anticipating her needs. Communicative - she is a fantastic communicator and will respectfully offer advice and suggestions which I really appreciate. She also takes feedback very well and implements them right away. Made me a better parent - I have learned so much from Cida and have used her tactics, tools, and overall mindset to guide me in my parenting style especially during the most tough moments. I cant thank her enough. We would and plan on continuing to hire Cida/Maria when she is available. She is truly like family!