Child Care Provider and Nanny - MELISSA G. (User #533998) A child care provider and nanny in San Francisco, CA 94127

Melissa watched my two kids, ages 2 and 4, nearly full-time for two weeks. It was a very difficult assignment because we had no existing relationship, were away from home, dealing with a time zone change, and had tired kids most of the time. Also because it was intense but temporary, it was not the standard nanny or babysitter situation. Melissa was understanding and caring. She went out of her way to bring thoughtful surprises for us and the girls, and was always ready to whisk them off to a new fun playground or adventure. She was also extremely calm even though I know our kids were frustrating to deal with during this time. I feel that my husband and I didn't have great communication with her, through no one's fault, just weren't really a good match. Our direction was taken more as suggestion if it didn't suit Melissa's style or experience (for example, the children's nap schedule was inconvenient for long adventures and putting them down proved quite difficult, so she arrived home 30-90 minutes after we suggested; ways to deal with the kids when they weren't cooperating, things like that). Also she is so calm and experienced that events I found alarming when I found out about them (kids falling out of swings several times, my 4yo managing to leave the main library alone for a minute until a policeman brought her back in) didn't phase her at all, even enough to mention to me at the end of the day. We also had some small schedule changes come up with little notice. As I said, it was difficult because it was such a short stint and I don't think our styles were the ideal match. I personally like Melissa very much. She was caring and positive and my girls enjoyed their time with her. I am sure my husband and I could have been more direct in our communications. And I am sure she is great for parents who want someone very calm about all the things that can happen to kids (as opposed to being slightly more rigorous, as I guess I am), or perhaps with slightly older children. -- Audrey C.

Melissa has worked for our family over the last 3 months caring for our 3 year old and 5 year old daughters. They absolutely love her. She has been a joy to work with. She picks our girls up from school on weekday afternoons, plays at the park, reads, and helps with homework as needed. She also takes initiative to help organize things for us, perform light housekeeping, and even cook for the entire family when we are running a little late. We cannot recommend her highly enough. -- Derek S.

Melissa took care of my 10- and 14-year-old daughters for three days while I was on a business trip. She is wonderful, the kids love her, and we hope to have her back the next time. (In addition to keeping the kids happy and healthy, Melissa went above and beyond the call in terms of cooking and cleaning.) -- Gretchen F.

Melissa has babysat for my toddler daughter many times now and has been extremely reliable and responsive! My daughter is shy, but has really taken to Melissa, and as one of the other reviewers said, she is great about anticipating the needs of the child AND the parent. She keeps my daughter busy and on-the-go, which has been great now that I'm pregnant and increasingly unable to do those things myself. I highly recommend her! -- Jill S.

Melissa has been wonderful looking after my 2 daughters (ages 9 and 4) in the afternoon. She picks them up from school, takes them to gymnastics and any after school activities, gets them a snack and gets homework started, and plays with them either at our house or the park until my husband and I get home. She has been dependable and reliable, and my kids love her to pieces. She is very conscientious about nutrition, safety, and health (snacks are healthy, sweaters are on when it’s chilly, overly aggressive play is redirected, etc.) I also really appreciate that she has older kids of her own, and can anticipate what needs to be done around the house and is very considerate about making sure it gets done. I’ll often come home to find the dishwasher has been emptied, just so the kids dishes could be loaded instead of piled in the sink, or that all the things jammed in my freezer have been sorted so that I can find everything. While these extras aren’t her primary responsibility, they really speak to her work ethic: when she does a job, she does it right. I would (and have) absolutely recommend Melissa to anyone. -- Michelle E.

Melissa recently came to babysit our 3 children (ages 9, 8 and 4), and they really enjoyed her. She has a friendly and energetic attitude and immediately made a positive connection with each child. My kids were instantly engaged with her. She showed careful attention to our wishes and left the kids a sweet note when she left. The next day my kids asked when they could see her again. I intend to call her again. -- Maria F.