As a nanny, I have looked after children from a few weeks old, to teenagers. We usually play outside and depending on the age enjoy sledging, riding in gondolas (very popular with toddlers) and inside we make models, paper dolls and dinosaurs, and colour. Some children enjoy pretend play, such as magic carpet shops under the kitchen table, and dressing up. I prepare lunch, pickups, and we've been known to enjoy the odd coffee shop and cake. I have taken my children on several skiing trips over the past few years, and so am familiar with the needs of young ones in this environment. I know how long it takes to walk anywhere with little ones in ski boots and why you need to carry extra gloves. I hope my experience and knowledge of the area, will enable me to help you make the most of your holiday, and that everyone will have a great time.

My academic qualifications include a BSc (Hons) Geology from the University of London, and I later qualified as a Chartered Secretary, and am now finishing my international coaching federation associate level as an academic coach for students. I hold a first-aid certificate from 2018.

My experience of childcare is extensive and practical. As a more mature woman of 51, I have looked after my own four children for the past 18 years, and have worked as a nanny in both the UK and France. I have experience of newborns, through to teenagers, and of working, playing, supporting, cooking, cleaning, picking up socks, putting the loo seat down, and of generally enjoying childhood. My eldest two sons are adults, and my youngest son and daughter are teens.

• Maria is fantastic. How refreshing to be able to feel so comfortable and confident in leaving my baby with someone. We had a great chat at the beginning, where Maria asked very insightful questions about my baby's routine, how we put him to bed, what expectations I had, and Maria confidently took it from there. The most telling sign - Alfie was excited to see her each morning! I'd highly recommend Maria. Emma Jarvis, January 2016 Writetoem@gmail.com
• Hello, We have just spent a week in Val Thorens skiing. We are a skiing family and our youngest was in ski school for the half day only (5 years old) while the rest of the family skied for the whole day. Maria was incredibly professional, knowledgeable and a fantastically pleasant person to have around. She is flexible, nurturing and because she knows the area, kids and skiing she is able to handle any situation. Our son was completely comfortable with her and at times some of his siblings joint in as well ( swimming pool, hot chocolate, dropping off ski gear). And we, the parents, had total piece of mind at all times. Maria picked our son up form ski school, fed/made him lunch and played with him either inside ( Lego, pool, etc. ) or outside ( sledding, skiing an doing up the big gondola) for the entire week. We recommend Maria highly to anyone travelling to the 3 valleys.
• Maria is very friendly and practical, and treats children in a lovely natural way. She is experienced in looking after all ages. I found her to be completely reliable and very willing to adapt to my needs. My children really enjoyed having her around!
• My 2 children both really enjoy seeing Maria and seem to have lots of fun. I am very happy to leave her with them and am very confident in her abilities with my children. Maria is very reliable and her duties include school runs, making lunch, keeping both boys bedrooms clean and tidy, taking them out to parks, playgroups, soft plays and some household duties. We will be sad to see her go but wish her the best in France. I am more than happy to recommend Maria as a nanny.
• Maria was great with our not-always-so-easy terrible twos-daughter. They played outside in the snow every day and Maria used a lot of imagination in making up different activities. She also cooked, went to buy groceries and washed the dishes! She was everything we could have wished for! Reeta Alenius Elle 2.5 years, Val D'Isere, Dec 2012
• Maria, who looked after our children, was efficient, sensible and great fun with the kids. We have used nannies on ski trips each year for the last 10 years, with various different companies and with varying success. Your service and the easy, efficient, responsible & fun nature of Maria and Claudia have easily been the best we have had the pleasure to use. Thanks David Les Coches, February 2013
• Maria was punctual, well presented and made it her priority to get to know the children as soon as she walked in. She asked the right questions about bed time routine etc and my husband and I were very relaxed about leaving her to babysit our children for the evening. Highly recommended Lynsey Bell January 2020
• We consider ourselves extremely lucky that Maria was able to step in to help out on our last minute holiday. She was the consummate professional and our seven year old daughter is still talking about the time they spent together. The toy dog Maria kindly gave her is still accompanying her everywhere... Maria arrived promptly on our first afternoon, only to encounter an exhausted and uncharacteristically clingy child, straight from five hours of ski school. We actually felt rather guilty handing her over in such a woeful state and absenting ourselves. However, within five minutes, we received a text from Maria, assuring us that lunch had now commenced and she was happily drawing and chattering away. She was delivered back to us every afternoon, full of all the fun things they had done together and squeaky clean to boot! Maria's own parenting experience was patent, with her gentle yet firm approach. We were also extremely grateful for her flexibility: happy to take on one of our daughter's chums for a playdate, when he unexpectedly turned up in the same ski school class and equally understanding when Sidonie, slightly shaken by a bad weather experience, asked if she could ski with us one afternoon towards the end of the week. We could not recommend Maria more highly and felt privileged to have this warm and wise lady looking after our cherished only child for even a few days. Dominique Jackson Courchevel February 2020
• My 2 children both really enjoy seeing Maria and seem to have lots of fun. I am very happy to leave her with them and am very confident in her abilities with my children. Maria is very reliable and her duties include school runs, making lunch, keeping both boys bedrooms clean and tidy, taking them out to parks, playgroups, soft plays and some household duties. We will be sad to see her go but wish her the best in France. I am more than happy to recommend Maria as a nanny.
• Maria is very friendly and practical, and treats children in a lovely natural way. She is experienced in looking after all ages. I found her to be completely reliable and very willing to adapt to my needs. My children really enjoyed having her around!