Caitlin, foreign au pair in Bournemouth BH10

I am a 23-year-old student currently completing my degree at Arts University Bournemouth, studying Creative Events Management. I am interested in business, and eventually, hope to own my own business in the future. My ‘home’ is back in Suffolk in a town called Bury St Edmunds, it’s a very small town with not much to do, so it’s been lovely to move to a bigger area - I’ve been loving Bournemouth so far! Back home I live between two houses, during the week with my mum and little sister, and weekends with my boyfriend and his brother. I see the rest of my family and friends very often. Spending time with my loved ones is really important to me and something value highly.

I plan to stay in Bournemouth for the foreseeable future as I am really enjoying my time here, however, eventually, I plan to travel around Southeast Asia and then after that, start my own business. I love the outdoors and exploring, but equally, love cooking dinner and watching a movie. Unfortunately, I do not drive, this is due to the pandemic and being unable to secure a test date - however, I am currently taking driving lessons and have a test booked for March. I am very keen to get driving!

I have had various job roles leading up to university, some of which include working within Hospitality, Finance, Marketing, and Events Management. Additionally, I look after my younger sister every week and have done since she was born. She was diagnosed with autism last year, so over the years, I have learnt to be comfortable with handling her additional needs and dealing with the range of emotions. I also care for a little girl outside of the family and have done since she was two years old (now nearly 6), we have grown a close bond and refer to each other as best friends which is really sweet!

Lastly, I am naturally a very creative person, and absolutely love getting stuck into arts, crafts, baking, cooking, activities, games, and so on. I also love planning and organisation - I’m often the person within my family or friendship groups that will arrange and book any trips away or special events!

I care for my younger sister Monday – Friday (when at home) alongside my mum and very often on my own. When I’m working, I mostly help in the evenings, but otherwise, I help all day. I also care for a little girl who is five years old (have done since she was two) anywhere between 2 – 30 hours per week.

My responsibilities involve: cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner, helping with homework, playing/activities, looking after pets, getting ready for the day & getting ready for bed, walking to and from school, handling any health care needs, maintaining the cleanliness of the house, and any other specific tasks.

I am naturally a very caring, loving and patient person. Having these traits is a large part of the reason why I believe myself to be good with children. I am very capable of emotionally supporting young people and like to ensure we are doing fun activities to keep them happy and engaged.

I have a passion for cooking and baking and regularly cook/bake at home. Both children I look after have helped me in making cookies, cakes, and even helped cook large family dinners! I enjoy getting children involved in tasks so they can learn about things and grow with an understanding of how things work. I also love doing arts & crafts and I am also an extremely tidy & organised person. I can adapt to many different roles and activities.