Anna has been an absolute star for the past two years, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. She's very flexible and reliable, and my son loves her.
It all started during my maternity leave when I was looking for some kind of childcare for my son, just a few months before going back to work, just to free up some time and get the house back on track. At the time I couldn't make up my mind about the type of childcare I really wanted. I knew I was not ready to leave my son at a nursery, but could not really figure out what to expect from a nanny. A childminder was a no no because I didn't want the hassle of having to go pick up my child and drop him off, probably by car, at traffic peak time. As my partner and I were very busy at work, we needed some arrangement that would fit around us.
I found Anna via the Childcare app, and had an initial plan to have her help me 5 days a week for about 3 weeks. She adapted very quickly, and patiently put up with my fears of letting somebody else being around my first baby, who was about 10 months at that time. At first she stayed at our place looking after our son while I was around, but gradually started taking him out to the park, to softplays or playgroups. At the end of the initial 3 weeks, it felt so good that I asked Anna to stay one more week, then another one, then another month, and then it became obvious she would be the perfect full-time nanny for our son.
Over time, the routine evolved, and is now as follows: Anna comes in in the morning, she plays with my son, give him breakfast and dress him up. Then she takes him out, somewhere different every day, and comes back to her place where he has lunch and a nap. Then out again, and Anna brings him back in the evening. As she has her own key, she can wait at our place if we are late. She even gave our son a bath without being asked a couple of times we were stuck at work, to save us time. Anna also has him on occasional week-ends and overnights when we need to go abroad.
Anna is very patient and easy-going, and I do not think I have ever heard her raise her voice. She's never been late or sick, and she sends me pictures or videos of my son on a regular basis during the week. But the best part is that my son absolutely adores her, and asks for her every single morning, week-ends included. He has made huge progress while in Anna's care, and it is obvious she has been key to his development.
It is now time for my son to spend some time at the nursery, as he approaches his third birthday, but we still have Anna around 2 days a week. I am more than happy to share her with other families, or let her go on a very short notice, should she find another full-time position, as she truly deserves the best.