Connie L.

This reference letter is being provided regarding Connie Lewis as nanny and house manager. Connie joined our family initially in Fort Mill, SC late June 2020. She provided awesome care to the whole family while we lived in Fort Mill and she even "moved" with us to NC for about 6 months from July 2021 until early 2022. Yes, she commuted each week from her home in SC to our new home in NC. She was committed to helping the kids (and the rest of us!) transition to our new home. In all of her time with us, Connie has always been punctual (arriving early even), never canceled on us or called in sick, and was very flexible with us on departure time daily – staying late countless times to help with dinner, bathes for the kids and often even getting the kids into bed. They still ask for the special song that she sang and they tell me that I don't do it as good as she did. Connie has been wonderful with our son (5 years old) and daughter (almost 3). She sets gentle, supportive, age-appropriate boundaries, helps children learn new skills (from cleaning toys off the floor to getting along with one another to potty training), and follows their interests in activities (Legos, cars, crafts, imaginative play/games, books, outdoor adventures, etc.). She found all kinds of playground areas in our new neighborhood/city. Given her employment with us coincided with Covid, we did not have her explore museums or indoor activities with the kids, so she got very creative - nature walks, bike rides, spending afternoons at the local lake and playing in the sand there. (And the kids never got a sunburn despite nearly every day playing outside and being very fair skinned). She also would have lunch picnics or do crafts with the kids at a park. We have a lovely Christmas tree full of handmade crafts that the kids and Connie made. We also asked for Connie's help as a home manager. In that regard, she helped keep our grocery list updated, picked up groceries or went to the store (both with and without the kids), and made dinner for the whole family most nights - she's an excellent cook!! Laundry is always clean and put away neatly when Connie is around. She also helped take care of our two kitties - from picking up meds at the vet to daily care - food, water, litter box and cuddles. She also cared for the cats while we were out of town on several occasions. Connie met my need for crazy details about the kids (where they were playing, what they ate or didn't eat, bathroom visits, etc) while educating them and keeping them safe, and also keeping our home running smoothly. I still don't know where she gets all her energy from.... she's simply amazing!! I know finding the right fit for your family is hard. We were very lucky to have had Connie as part of our family for almost a year and a half. Had we not moved to a new state, I would not be writing this letter - Connie would still be with us. If I can help answer any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Connie is a very experienced, professional and down to earth nanny; its like having a family member you've known for years that you can trust. If ther was a way to give her more than 5 stars, I would. She has become like a part of our family and we are so sad to be moving too far away to continue to have her watch our son. Our 7 month old son absolutely adores her and looks forward to seeing her everyday. You couldn't be in better hands with Connie; she has a natural touch with children and was definitely meant for this type of work. It is a good feeling to know when you find a professional nanny that you are at ease with and can trust 100%; it makes working so much easier. I think the next family who hires Connie will be very lucky indeed. Our family would have kept her as our nanny long-term had we not been moving 2 hours away. Connie has gone above and beyond for our son and for our family and she is a very nurturing, kind and patient caregiver. She communicates at all times and she helps without being asked; she is a team player with us as parents and is a pleasure to work with. Connie has set the bar very high for finding our next nanny. We are so very thankful that she worked for us and would rehire her at any time if we lived closer.