Natasha M. of Argentina – Au Pair in California
Congratulations to Natasha for being among our 2 runner-up winners for the 2019 Au Pair of the Year Contest. Natasha is 25 and arrived to the United States for her cultural exchange year in May of 2018. The Yorg family and their 4 children have completely fallen in love with her, lovingly calling her their “super nanny”.
Please read Natasha’s nomination essay below to learn more about her cultural exchange experience.
Natasha’s Nomination Essay – Submitted by the Yorg Family
We’ve been blessed with amazing Au Pairs. Truly. We’ve had three before our current Au Pair and I can honestly say each and every one of them has become part of our family. It’s why we love the Au Pair program so much: it provides a wonderful opportunity to learn new cultures and expand our family internationally. We’ve been so fortunate thus far.
But Natasha, our current Au Pair defies all expectations. She provides EXCEPTIONAL care of our four children (aged 3, 5, 7, 12). She effortlessly manages to be both firm and gentle. Loving and strict. Unlike any other childcare providers, Natasha got through the boundary testing phase with almost no help required from us. She stays relentlessly focused on the children’s needs and understands that along with gentle nurturing children need boundaries and consistency. Not a surprise then that our children also fell in love with her immediately.
Beyond that exceptional care Natasha brought to the children on day one, she also manages their schedules so well. My husband and I both work fulltime with hour-long commutes. As well, I am in the midst of a full-time graduate school program. Natasha eases this burden by the incredible attention to detail that allows our children to still have rich activities outside of school – something we wouldn’t be able to manage ourselves at this point in life. She always has a new activity to try. She proactively meets other parents to schedule playdates and has improved the reading and math skills of our three school-aged children. She’s truly a super nanny.
And all of that would be enough to make her the best Au Pair we’ve ever had. But it’s how she manages all of us that truly makes her rare. There are periods of life where it feels like you just keep getting knocked down. 2018 was one of those years for us. My husband was laid off twice in the same calendar year. We unexpectedly lost both one of our dearest friend’s child, my father, and our dog in quick succession. Our kids learned that the world is not always a kind place this year. I’ve spent what feels like more nights awake anxious about the kids than I have had good night sleeps.
One of the few truly great bright spots amidst all of this was Natasha. Through it all she cared not only for the kids, she cared for all of us. Not only did she hug, and love, and snuggle the kids through their grief, she checks in with my mom daily. She encouraged my husband during his search. She gave me hugs and reassured me the kids were OK as I struggled with my own grief. To say she’s been a godsend is no understatement. I don’t think we would have gotten through this year without her.
To have someone love your children so deeply is amazing. To also have her remove so many burdens as you’re carrying a heavy weight is…a kindness that can never be repaid. We’re so so lucky!