Rachel H. - New York Babysitter

Rachel babysat my 3 yo daughter for a month in May '09. We were visiting New York from India and I needed someone to occupy my daughter for about 4 hours a day by taking her out to museums, the park, story sessions at the book store etc. I am a WOHM and I was initially very apprehensive about trusting someone to take her out and about the city. We interviewed about 10 sitters and Rachel made the short list immediately. She spent an hour with my child as a test and they bonded immediately. Key qualities that make Rachel an excellent choice is her ability to bond and communicate effectively with your child. She senses the pace that the child is confortable with and adjusts the way she speaks and interacts with them accordingly. She was very structured in how she organized play sessions, she spent time with her inside the house and waited until my daughter was comfortable with her before taking her out. She is very attuned to cues from the child and is able to improvise and do something different if she realises that an activity is not interesting or engrossing enough. From a parents standpoint, she was very punctual, ensured that she checked her schedule out with me at least 2-3 times a week, remimded me of times or days that might not work way in advance, e-mailed me with feedback on how the week went, always had her cell phone on and was available whenever I called. She spent time with me to understand any special needs or requests ( dont feed her candy, juice for instance ), asked what sort of public transportation I was comfortable with, allergies that she should know about and any personality traits that would help her understand the child better. We were very lucky to find Rachel. My daughter became very attached to her, her vocabulary grew by leaps and bounds as a result of the time they spent together and she got an opportunity to experience New York with someone who was caring , energetic and motivated towards ensuring that she had a good time during the session. I would strongly recommend Rachel, and will be a very enthusiastic reference if she needs one! -- Nandini P.

Rachel babysat my 3 yo daughter for a month in May '09. We were visiting New York from India and I needed someone to occupy my daughter for about 4 hours a day by taking her out to museums, the park, story sessions at the book store etc. I am a WOHM and I was initially very apprehensive about trusting someone to take her out and about the city. We interviewed about 10 sitters and Rachel made the short list immediately. She spent an hour with my child as a test and they bonded immediately. Key qualities that make Rachel an excellent choice is her ability to bond and communicate effectively with your child. She senses the pace that the child is confortable with and adjusts the way she speaks and interacts with them accordingly. She was very structured in how she organized play sessions, she spent time with her inside the house and waited until my daughter was comfortable with her before taking her out. She is very attuned to cues from the child and is able to improvise and do something different if she realises that an activity is not interesting or engrossing enough. From a parents standpoint, she was very punctual, ensured that she checked her schedule out with me at least 2-3 times a week, remimded me of times or days that might not work way in advance, e-mailed me with feedback on how the week went, always had her cell phone on and was available whenever I called. She spent time with me to understand any special needs or requests ( dont feed her candy, juice for instance ), asked what sort of public transportation I was comfortable with, allergies that she should know about and any personality traits that would help her understand the child better. We were very lucky to find Rachel. My daughter became very attached to her, her vocabulary grew by leaps and bounds as a result of the time they spent together and she got an opportunity to experience New York with someone who was caring , energetic and motivated towards ensuring that she had a good time during the session. I would strongly recommend Rachel, and will be a very enthusiastic reference if she needs one! -- .