Originally from Queens, Jahnesha started out as a camp counselor before graduating from Hunter College and becoming Site Director of the Wingspan Arts Program. She’s been working with children for 12 years and is the also the proud mama to two year old, Emily. We asked Jahnesha a few questions about how she handles her work on Curated Care. Take a look at her responses and see how she turns every session into a success:

How do you communicate with families on the site when they message or book you?

If a family favorites me, I message them back as soon as I can. I welcome them to Curated Care and share my most recent availability. If a family books me, I find out as much as I can about the family, child, and some activities the child enjoys. I also think it is really important to find out the parents’ preferences.

Tell us some of the materials that you bring with you to your bookings:

When planning, I incorporate some familiar activities the family says their child enjoys. It anchors the child. I always bring books to my sessions. I have a Pandora playlist that I play of mostly classical music from around the world. Sometimes I will bring homemade instruments (this can be as simple as an empty oatmeal container and wooden spoon).

For families that I see multiple times a week, I always send the family a breakdown of activities I will be doing with their child. My recurring sessions have a three-part framework:

1. Educational Activity (teaches the child something)

2. Creative Activity (helps child express themselves)

3. Free Play (helps child build confidence and independence)

Can you give a few examples of how you’ve seen your work impact children? 

One little girl wasn’t a fan of solid food. I shared a parenting hack for easy-to-eat avocados that I use with my daughter Emily, and it really helped her start eating solids! Another family on the site had a son who was shy, so I did icebreaker activities geared toward making him feel comfortable with me. He likes meditation so I brought along one of my meditation crystals. I also bring along Model Magic and we’ll make some cool sculptures. We became fast friends. It’s all about adjusting to each child’s needs and personality.

For more info about Jahnesha, click here.