Marta, garde enfant à Paisley PA1

Dear Host Family,
my name is Marta and I'm an 18 (almost 19) years old Italian girl. I live in Rome since 2011, when I moved here from Perugia with my mom and my younger brother because of my mother's job. I wasn't really sad at the idea to move in another city and in a new school because my mom was already working in Rome for a couple of years and I missed her when she was in Rome during the week. Moreover in Rome people are so funny and cozy, and I found beautiful friends here, that have been nice to me from the beginning.
Of course during my first year in the city I had my bad moments when I cried thinking about my friends in Perugia, but the bright sides of living in a beautiful city like Rome are many and those can turn away the sadness.
Speaking about my family, my brother is 3 years younger than me and sometimes we discuss, but I love him and I have always tried to be an example for him.
My mom is a young woman full of energy and she is my guide. She is always ready to listen to me, help me when I need her support and we have a wonderful relation based on mutual respect.
I have 8 younger cousins age from 2 to 19 and I love them! I basically grew up being the oldest and the one that was taking care of the new members!

At the moment I'm attending the University of the west of Scotland and I'm studying Marketing.
I took care of many kids during the last years and I have learned to play with them and make them comfortable in every possible way, even when they cried because they wanted their mom and she was not there with them.
Responsibility, attention, patience, fun and love are, in my opinion, the 5 keywords you have to respect in order to work with children. I see the opportunity of being an au pair as a challenge for my life where I can play out all these things I’ve learned with devotion and passion.
I’ve had some baby-sitting experience with my cousins and with the children’s neighbours. When I stay with them I really enjoy their company. I love to see them laughing, engage them in cooking or simply playing with dolls and cars.

However, the best childcare experience for me is the one with the groups of hemophilic children which I repeat every summer since 2007. They're so important to me and I feel really lucky to have the opportunity to stay with these boys every year. When they come to our summer camp, they feel free to be themselves, far away from the everyday life in which people think they're different just because they have a bleeding disorder. I'm happy to see the parents crying tears of joy when they see their childrend smiling, laughing and singing as if they forgot to have any disease. When a child at the end of the camp say "thank you" to me, that’s the most precious moment. It means that I did a good job and it makes me feel good and satisfied. Every summer I can’t wait for camp to start just to stay with all of them!

Last year I visited some family friends in America and I helped them out for a couple of months taking care of a wonderful 1 year old girl with whom I fell in love. I played with her, bath her, fed her, I was like a second mum and I terribly miss her now that I' not with her!

I would define myself as a daydreamer and creative girl. I always smile and try to stay positive in every situation. I'm friendly and outgoing but also very responsible when I’m in charge of something or someone. I tend to put myself after others because I want to be a person my friend can rely on.

Since I was a child I dreamed to be an actress or a singer, because I love the idea of expressing myself with a song or with an important role in a movie and I like the idea to play someone else and immerse myself in a character that isn't me.
In my spare time I like reading and my favorite novel is the Harry Potter saga, and Nicholas Sparks novels ("The last song " and "Dear John"). Since I love reading for myself, I also like reading for children.

I think being a baby sitter is a wonderful experience for my growth and mostly an experience that will strengthen me and shape my personality during time.
I love the idea to live with a new family and to learn new things while working with children.

I think that’s all! Thank you for reading my letter, I can’t wait to get to know you and your children and make a great year together!

Best Regards,

Marta