Join our family for the long term.
We're looking for an exceptional person to become an important part of our family's life.
This isn't a typical nanny position. We're looking for someone who loves both helping a busy household run beautifully and building the kind of trusting relationships that help children feel safe, confident, and able to thrive.
If you're someone who finds genuine satisfaction in making life easier for others, loves learning what makes each child unique, and wants to become part of a family's story for years to come, we'd love to meet you.
***
ABOUT OUR FAMILY
We are a family of four in the Pasadena area with two wonderful daughters (ages 3 and 9), each with their own unique personality, strengths, and support needs. We're deeply invested in our children—and in the people who care for them.
Our older daughter is bright, funny, imaginative, and deeply relational. Born at 25 weeks, she spent her first six months in the NICU, and those early experiences shaped her nervous system in important ways. She has high anxiety and benefits from a calm, thoughtful, and measured approach. She is also a wheelchair user and verbal with altered speech.
Our younger daughter is loving, sweet, silly, curious, and very musical. She also has a sensitive nervous system, is autistic, verbal, and has developmental and physical delays.
Both girls require adults who are highly emotionally attuned, calm, playful, and genuinely interested in understanding how they experience the world.
***
THE ROLE
This role has two equally important dimensions.
Operationally, you take ownership.
You naturally think several steps ahead. You notice what needs doing without waiting to be asked, anticipate needs before they become problems, and take genuine pride in making life easier for the whole family.
Whether that means realizing the kids are running low on broccoli and steaming some before anyone asks, preparing for tomorrow's outing the night before, or quietly taking care of something that would otherwise become one more thing on a parent's mental load, you find satisfaction in helping everything run smoothly.
You don't simply complete tasks—you take ownership of the children's day.
Relationally, you build trust.
You naturally notice the small things. You pay attention to children's cues, energy, body language, emotions, play, and stress responses. You enjoy figuring out what helps each child feel safe, connected, and able to thrive.
You don't need formal training in nervous system regulation or child development to thrive in this role. What matters most is that you recognize how important these details are, invest in learning what we've discovered over the years, and have a mindset to continually deepen your understanding of each child.
Over time, you become one of the key trusted adults in our daughters' lives.
***
THE RELATIONSHIPS YOU'LL BUILD
With our older daughter...
The relationship looks like being part nanny and part big sister.
You'll support her daily care while taking the time to learn how she communicates, what helps her feel safe, and the many subtle details that allow her to relax, connect, and fully be herself.
You'll be an active play partner, helping her fully participate in sensory and imaginative play in ways her physical disabilities sometimes make difficult.
Ultimately, you'll build deep trust and a genuine friendship.
With our younger daughter...
Like her sister, you'll take the time to learn her cues, what triggers stress, and what helps her feel safe and connected. You'll encourage her growing independence, help expand her play, and learn strategies that further her development and understanding.
She, too, will benefit from someone who is emotionally attuned, observant, playful, and genuinely interested in understanding who she is.
***
YOU'LL THRIVE HERE IF...
This sounds like you...
· You naturally think several steps ahead.
· You notice what needs doing and take initiative without waiting to be asked.
· You genuinely enjoy creating order and making life easier for others.
· You communicate clearly and proactively.
· You love getting on the floor to play.
· You naturally notice children's emotions, body language, and subtle cues.
· You stay calm, warm, playful, and emotionally grounded.
*
You'll especially enjoy working with our family if...
>You love learning.
Whether you've worked with dozens of children or this is one of your first childcare roles, you know that every child is different. You don't assume previous experience—even with children who have disabilities—means you already understand our children. You start with curiosity, observation, and relationship.
>You appreciate thoughtful feedback.
Our feedback isn't about preference or perfectionism. It's about helping our children feel safe. Small interactions that most people wouldn't think twice about can have an outsized impact on their sense of safety, connection, and regulation. Over the years, we've learned these nuances. This takes time, care, and collaboration to attune to—we're looking for someone who is excited to learn them, values the details, and understands that those details make a real difference in our children's daily life.
>You believe relationships come first.
That's the philosophy that guides our family. We believe children can only progress once they feel deeply safe, understood, and connected, and we are lifelong learners of our kids.
>You're looking for more than your next job.
You understand the privilege and responsibility that comes with becoming a trusted adult in a child's life. You're excited by the idea of growing with one family over many years and becoming someone our daughters know they can open up to and count on.
***
THIS ROLE PROBABLY ISN'T THE RIGHT FIT IF...
· You prefer implementing your own methods rather than learning a family's approach.
· Ongoing collaboration and thoughtful feedback feel frustrating.
· You prefer supervising children over actively engaging with them.
· You assume previous experience means you already know what will work.
· Your primary approach is behavior management or modification.
· You're looking to simply clock in and clock out.
· You're looking for a role that's primarily operational or primarily relational, rather than one that requires excellence in both.
(Note: This is not an ABA or behavior therapy position. Our family uses a relationship-based, nervous-system-informed approach. If your primary framework for supporting children is behavioral intervention or behavior modification, this role is unlikely to be the right fit.)
***
REQUIREMENTS
We're looking for someone who can meet both the relational and physical demands of this role.
· Physical capability: Able to safely lift and reposition a 70-pound child who bears some weight, including occasional full-body ('dead') lifts, wheelchair transfers, assisting with eating, toileting, bathing, dressing, body positioning, and other hands-on caregiving. We provide thorough training and teach all transfer techniques.
· Availability: Able to make this role a central commitment in your life. Ideally available for occasional travel. Able to offer a reasonable degree of flexibility when needed, such as staying for a date night, adjusting hours around the children's appointments, or swapping days with another caregiver.
· Work authorization: Legally authorized to work in the United States.
· Vaccinations: Up to date on required vaccinations.
· Background check: Able to successfully complete a background check.
Pay: $25.00 - $35.00 per hour
Benefits:
Application Question(s):
- What are 3 words that best describe you?
- What draws you to this position and what relevant life and/or work experience you have.
- Please review the role and requirements for this job - do you meet those requirements including the physical demands? Why are you available for this position now?
Work Location: In person