About Melissa

I am a bit of a big kid myself. I love to sing silly songs, play games, and do arts and crafts. I played soccer and softball for 10 years and I love being outside exploring and keeping busy. I believe in keeping children busy with activities other than the television. I know several songs that I taught as a preschool teacher, am always finding new arts and crafts projects that I can work on with my step son. I like cooking and baking and having my little helper there to assist me. I have a degree in Psychology with an emphasis on Child Psych. I have worked as a preschool teacher and have taken care of newborns up to preteens. I started watching the neighborhood children at the age of 13 and was asked by a family to go up north with them as their nanny at the age of 15. I was always the first one that the neighbors called to watch their children. I was also a Sunday School teacher with the kindergarten class. I was also a tutor (Reading Partner) to an 8-year-old while I was in college. During College, I also took care of children with developmental disabilities. I am comfortable with Autistic children as well as other disabilities. I am First Aid and Infant/Child CPR Certified. I am now staying at home with my 5-year-old stepson and love taking care of him. He will be entering all day Kindergarten this fall, so I am looking for a family that needs help with their children. I enjoy watching children in their different developmental stages. I love to see how a child looks at something new for the first time, or when they finally "get" something. To make a child laugh and smile is something that warms my heart. Helping them learn and grow is one of the most rewarding experiences for me.